Speaking of academies...

[Paul Marin]

For the coaches among us, I just finished a week long workshop with maestro Michel Bruyninckx, former academy director at Standard Liege, regarded as one of the best in Europe. After going through this week, I can tell you that we have a long way to go to get to where we need to be, but the good news is that it is quickly attainable using the methods he espoused (and which he developed) called Cogi Training. Cogi has been used widely Belgium over the past 15 years and is in place at some top clubs including AC Milan where it is fully embraced. When Jamaica was ranked 42 in 2005, Belgium was ranked 55th. And while I don't place too much stock in the FIFA rankings, breaking the top 5 in the World from 55 ten years ago is remarkable...so for the Belgians to have done it so quickly, they must be doing something right; this should be encouraging for us.

Anyway - after going through the course, I can only say that the traditional methods that we're using here in the US (and probably in Jamaica) are going to be no match or this method of training. One quick example: the average player will touch the ball 50k times a year using traditional training methods. Using Cogi, they will touch the ball 400k - 500k times per year.

Here is an article that sums up the concept:
http://www.si.com/soccer/2011/12/23/...-sinnottmental

And by the way - it is a bit mind blowing that only 8 coaches registered for the workshop (of the hundreds coaching in South Florida including over 40 at the host club). It does make me wonder how this nation (or any other) will ever progress in football when the teachers themselves don't appear to be interested in learning.

[Karl]

For the coaches among us, I just finished a week long workshop with maestro Michel Bruyninckx, former academy director at Standard Liege, regarded as one of the best in Europe. After going through this week, I can tell you that we have a long way to go to get to where we need to be, but the good news is that it is quickly attainable using the methods he espoused (and which he developed) called Cogi Training. Cogi has been used widely Belgium over the past 15 years and is in place at some top clubs including AC Milan where it is fully embraced. When Jamaica was ranked 42 in 2005, Belgium was ranked 55th. And while I don't place too much stock in the FIFA rankings, breaking the top 5 in the World from 55 ten years ago is remarkable...so for the Belgians to have done it so quickly, they must be doing something right; this should be encouraging for us.

Anyway - after going through the course, I can only say that the traditional methods that we're using here in the US (and probably in Jamaica) are going to be no match or this method of training. One quick example: the average player will touch the ball 50k times a year using traditional training methods. Using Cogi, they will touch the ball 400k - 500k times per year.

Here is an article that sums up the concept:
http://www.si.com/soccer/2011/12/23/...-sinnottmental

And by the way - it is a bit mind blowing that only 8 coaches registered for the workshop (of the hundreds coaching in South Florida including over 40 at the host club). It does make me wonder how this nation (or any other) will ever progress in football when the teachers themselves don't appear to be interested in learning.

Great post!
Why? It fits like a glove with what I have been promoting...forever.

Football is played with 'the head'/brain...

Of course all other elements present (yuh kno - greatest of pace across ground, foot-speed, technique/technical ability) needed to make good ballas.

Luk? ...iffen yuh suh-mart yuh a-guh play TEAM
...yuh a-guh ab-sauvant han mek...most aften...good sensible decisions.

...and yes we have to wonder on the competence...and competencies of our teachers. We have the talented youngsters. Why then our TEAMs and players perform as the do?

...and we can zero in on our youth TEAMS and players...preparatory and primary schools...ages...through the national youth TEAMs... Yuh seit? Those national youth TEAMs performances = manner of playing being merely outcomes produced by poor teaching/coaching. ...and the national senior TEAM(s) mere result of what 'goes' at the lower levels.

...by the way - Convinced that the use of the balls, etc. do not have to be followed. The key on having your players develop necessary 'thinking' demand teachers challenge the pupils=student-player to apply logical approach to solving problems encountered during games.

Teach subject 'football' just as methods applied to other subjects.

Hey some pupils may have difficulty grasping say, why it is logical to defend with 11 rather than less than 11.

...discussion on number of ways 11 can better defend against 11... and use of paracticals to reinforce same.

btw - some...Low voice...Gaaaammma! ...even a practical using 10 attackers against 1 defender will not convince a Gaaammma... You should just keep trying (gwaan & guh tru)...all our talented will grasp the need for playing with the head.

Seriously: Only way to go as the game moves towards attaining perfection...the unattainable perfection.


Sorry, Gamma just could not resist pointing out that your point referencing poor contributions on defense by Messi & Neymar does not 'do logic'.

[Don1]

Outstanding contribution...

I can tell you that we have a long way to go to get to where we need to be, but the good news is that it is quickly attainable using the methods he espoused (and which he developed) called Cogi Training. Cogi has been used widely Belgium over the past 15 years and is in place at some top clubs including AC Milan where it is fully embraced. When Jamaica was ranked 42 in 2005, Belgium was ranked 55th. And while I don't place too much stock in the FIFA rankings, breaking the top 5 in the World from 55 ten years ago is remarkable...so for the Belgians to have done it so quickly, they must be doing something right; this should be encouraging for us.

If I were the JFF head I would hire this guy to HELP design a national youth development project in a New York Minute

Your analysis above gives the LIE to those like Stoni & Co who claim development is so difficult as to be virtually unreachable for Jamaica...and that it takes so long that we MUST use short cuts in the interim.

Not to mention that the serial short cuts we've employed since 1998 now constitute LONG TERM FAILURE AT BOTH WCQ AND DEVELOPMENT ... The absolute WORST of all worlds.
How people don't realize this is absolute fcukery that they support is mystifying

The article on cognitive development as it relates to football is brilliant. Most telling for me is how it explains why English football is so backward.. i.e. fast & foolish with almost no creativity or invention ....That's been bred out of them by stupid rote coaching. It's hard for me to watch a game with more than 3 or 4 English players on both teams... guaranteed to be a snoozer

Also significant is the article recognizes the huge role of street ball played spontaneously...and how that aids skill development. So that having disappeared in Europe, this method tries to replicate it in intensive small side games..

Now we just have to get the juvenile-thinking fans and dullard JFF to wake up and smell the development coco... That's the BIGGEST task of all

[Assasin]

Great Paul. I will share this with my youth coaches. I will also try and find out some more info. You know what Paul? Some o these coaches are not really interested in learning anything new, and maybe they had no idea who he was.

[Paul Marin]

Great Paul. I will share this with my youth coaches. I will also try and find out some more info. You know what Paul? Some o these coaches are not really interested in learning anything new, and maybe they had no idea who he was.

Part of the problem (I suspect) is that their marketing is not very good, which as you know is key to American markets. Their materials are still very rudimentary and their presentation is very academic, so you really have to be paying attention. You feel like you are in a university classroom which isn't a bad thing, but it requires a kind of concentration most coaches I know don't have.

[Paul Marin]

If I were the JFF head I would hire this guy to HELP design a national youth development project in a New York Minute

If a system like this is to work, it has to be started with kids at the youngest level. Which by the way, introduces a hybrid way of approaching the "talent abounds" mantra and leveraging schools that some on here rejected (including me) vs. having academies. I now believe we need both, but the schools would not be focused on football, they would be focused on brain centered learning. The way we teach is not effective. Having kids sit behind a desk in a classroom is not conducive to learning. The old ways of Africa and Asia are more effective, i.e. having them outside, touching, walking, talking, sharing, etc. It has been proven that memory improves through movement...so where possible, getting them out of the classroom into the outdoors is more effective than sitting in a class room. As far as ball is concerned, getting kids to do 15 minutes of PE a day with the senseball would not only develop better footballers, but better students. I tried the senseball with my 7 year old yesterday for the first time (he was away last week) and in less than 15 minutes, he was doing the first basic moves, left and right, with little difficulty. Peter and his 16 year old big baller son come on Sunday, so I will see how it works with him. I will go out on a limb and tell you that his learning curve will be rougher than my 7 year old's. So the point is, start them young....and if every kid in Jamaica were to practice this within 3 years (especially practice rhythym, and team work )you will know the 10 year olds that will be propects for the future. It is that simple.

(see the video in the top corner here - http://www.cogitraining.com/en/the_c...stration_video)

[Don1]

Paul Marin;530154]If a system like this is to work, it has to be started with kids at the youngest level. Which by the way, introduces a hybrid way of approaching the "talent abounds" mantra and leveraging schools that some on here rejected (including me) vs. having academies. I now believe we need both, but the schools would not be focused on football, they would be focused on brain centered learning. The way we teach is not effective. Having kids sit behind a desk in a classroom is not conducive to learning. The old ways of Africa and Asia are more effective, i.e. having them outside, touching, walking, talking, sharing, etc. It has been proven that memory improves through movement...so where possible, getting them out of the classroom into the outdoors is more effective than sitting in a class room.

Absolutely on point!!

1. Schools MUST be part of the development equation. Our sporting success is currently BASED on schools and schools attract the most eyeballs in our sporting culture. Yes re football dev schools should focus on enabling a learning environment ...but some also have infrastructure a national program can use (reducing build costs) once we get the MOE on board with the JFF.

2. As far as effective teaching models are concerned, in this the 21st century, rote learning is passé ...a dead paradigm that should be dumped ASAP along with the primary focus we have on backward standardized tests like the GSAT/CXC model. Kids (boys especially!!!) learn far more by DOING.

This is the philosophy behind our robotics and other STEM programs. When a kid can actually create something that solves a problem...starting from ideation to design thru to prototyping, testing and production...that's evolved & BRILLIANT education.

Managing the product life cycle is the apex of 21st century education

We're trying our best to teach that to JA ...but dem head hard badbad

As far as ball is concerned, getting kids to do 15 minutes of PE a day with the senseball would not only develop better footballers, but better students. I tried the senseball with my 7 year old yesterday for the first time (he was away last week) and in less than 15 minutes, he was doing the first basic moves, left and right, with little difficulty. Peter and his 16 year old big baller son come on Sunday, so I will see how it works with him. I will go out on a limb and tell you that his learning curve will be rougher than my 7 year old's. So the point is, start them young....and if every kid in Jamaica were to practice this within 3 years (especially practice rhythym, and team work )you will know the 10 year olds that will be propects for the future. It is that simple.

Start young yes....good habits learned young provide a lifetime of benefits

Wikid tings

[Sir X]

Paul mi brethren are you giving me credit , ahh mean yuh mention intelligence as a big part in development and the teaching that goes into developing that .I believe I spoke on that , in my views as to how we move forward.

Good post but is it anything new ?


... lt some on here rejected (including me)

[Karl]

If a system like this is to work, it has to be started with kids at the youngest level. Which by the way, introduces a hybrid way of approaching the "talent abounds" mantra and leveraging schools that some on here rejected (including me) vs. having academies. I now believe we need both, but the schools would not be focused on football, they would be focused on brain centered learning. The way we teach is not effective. Having kids sit behind a desk in a classroom is not conducive to learning. The old ways of Africa and Asia are more effective, i.e. having them outside, touching, walking, talking, sharing, etc. It has been proven that memory improves through movement...so where possible, getting them out of the classroom into the outdoors is more effective than sitting in a class room. As far as ball is concerned, getting kids to do 15 minutes of PE a day with the senseball would not only develop better footballers, but better students. I tried the senseball with my 7 year old yesterday for the first time (he was away last week) and in less than 15 minutes, he was doing the first basic moves, left and right, with little difficulty. Peter and his 16 year old big baller son come on Sunday, so I will see how it works with him. I will go out on a limb and tell you that his learning curve will be rougher than my 7 year old's. So the point is, start them young....and if every kid in Jamaica were to practice this within 3 years (especially practice rhythym, and team work )you will know the 10 year olds that will be propects for the future. It is that simple.

(see the video in the top corner here - http://www.cogitraining.com/en/the_c...stration_video)

One of the things I admire about you: Unlike a great many, you have no fear in admitting wrong or a change of position.

If you are not already very successful at what you do, at any moment you wish you can be...of that I am absolutely certain.

Now
After putting behind me my fawning....
Do not forget to, at every opportunity to engage your son in formal academic manner on aspects of the game. Naturally as in approach to any subject, engage in age appropriate 'language'.

Aside: Unfortunately, some skills the teacher must have *experienced at some level 'how it has to be executed correctly' to be able to 'properly get it across'.

*speaks to...
- practical experience as player (matters not rank of 'league' but rather what was gained=learnt is 'correct way').

- taught,

- vacarious whereon that ability of the teacher=coach to, in abstract **identify faults, and solve problems=present solutions in a way the student readily grasps and then executes.

**...think on those long past days when we were given those intelligence tests for the Common Entrance Examination preparation and in the C.E. Examination itself. Yup the teacher must be 'good' at those intelligence tests and teach his student to also be.

[Karl]

If I were the JFF head I would hire this guy to HELP design a national youth development project in a New York Minute

Your analysis above gives the LIE to those like Stoni & Co who claim development is so difficult as to be virtually unreachable for Jamaica...and that it takes so long that we MUST use short cuts in the interim.

Not to mention that the serial short cuts we've employed since 1998 now constitute LONG TERM FAILURE AT BOTH WCQ AND DEVELOPMENT ... The absolute WORST of all worlds.
How people don't realize this is absolute fcukery that they support is mystifying

The article on cognitive development as it relates to football is brilliant. Most telling for me is how it explains why English football is so backward.. i.e. fast & foolish with almost no creativity or invention ....That's been bred out of them by stupid rote coaching. It's hard for me to watch a game with more than 3 or 4 English players on both teams... guaranteed to be a snoozer

Also significant is the article recognizes the huge role of street ball played spontaneously...and how that aids skill development. So that having disappeared in Europe, this method tries to replicate it in intensive small side games..

Now we just have to get the juvenile-thinking fans and dullard JFF to wake up and smell the development coco... That's the BIGGEST task of all

Sigh!
Your position on need for development program is and has always been spot on...but I just cannot get you to buy into use of 'frarin' players.

Here goes once more:
- Do you think there will be a time gap between starting the say, 6 year old and development to readiness for national senior team?

- Do you think it impossible that after our hoped for wonderful program is churning out outstanding players, there shall never be a superb 'farin' talent qualified to represent us...yes, be perfect fit for our national team?

The matter of judicious...sensible use of (that naturally also speaks to when it is sensible to not use) 'frarin' players in not way inhibits institution of, or actual operations of our dream development program.

The results gained from that dream program will lead to numbers and quality 'farin' players used. That number of 'farin' players it is reasonable to assume, will at times be zero.

[Karl]

Part of the problem (I suspect) is that their marketing is not very good, which as you know is key to American markets. Their materials are still very rudimentary and their presentation is very academic, so you really have to be paying attention. You feel like you are in a university classroom which isn't a bad thing, but it requires a kind of concentration most coaches I know don't have.

Wonder if your above causes Gamma to think on the place of sports in schools in a different light?

[Paul Marin]

Sigh!
Your position on need for development program is and has always been spot on...but I just cannot get you to buy into use of 'frarin' players.

Here goes once more:
- Do you think there will be a time gap between starting the say, 6 year old and development to readiness for national senior team?

- Do you think it impossible that after our hoped for wonderful program is churning out outstanding players, there shall never be a superb 'farin' talent qualified to represent us...yes, be perfect fit for our national team?

The matter of judicious...sensible use of (that naturally also speaks to when it is sensible to not use) 'frarin' players in not way inhibits institution of, or actual operations of our dream development program.

The results gained from that dream program will lead to numbers and quality 'farin' players used. That number of 'farin' players it is reasonable to assume, will at times be zero.

Actually Karl - the battle between foreign and local goes away as long as there is a core development model for domestic development. A player's pre frontal cortex is not developed fully until they are 25!! In fact, the car companies know this which is why a 23 year old cannot rent a car in this country. The model should be flexible enough to integrate a foreign player with little effort. What is so awesome about the Belgian model is that it can be adapted at any age.

Winnie could use it at the national level tomorrow. Everything is about learning within a TEAM (your word) environment with focus on rhythm, syncronisation and communication. So if you have the right training environment, the players who demonstrate the ability to stay coordinated, team oriented and rhythmically pre-disposed - whether foreign or local - will be the ones best suited for selection. What I guess I am pushing here is that in the SCHOOLS - it is LEARNING OF A DIFFERENT SORT that needs to be stressed, and that "sort" will affect ALL OUR SPORTS, not just football...and ALL our academic pursuits. That's why I am so intrigued with this, it is a model that will not only produce good footballers, but good citizens at all levels as well.

The parallel I can think of is the martial arts instruction and taichi that the Asians practiced every morning in their schools for centuries. It has produced a very powerful academic and physical culture. Time to change, change, change. Me tyad a wait!

[Paul Marin]

Paul mi brethren are you giving me credit , ahh mean yuh mention intelligence as a big part in development and the teaching that goes into developing that .I believe I spoke on that , in my views as to how we move forward.

Good post but is it anything new ?


... lt some on here rejected (including me)

Disgrace...ah wha mek you a shub yu john crow mout eena dis?? Cho. To be clear, if indeed you have mentioned intelligence as a big part in development I have no problem giving you credit for that...but I am sorry...me cyan give you no credit when it come to USING that intelligence uself when it come to the chupidniss u chat more time bout MY TEAM!!

[Sir X]

Well I will take it (the half credit) mi know it tek nuff outta yuh...lol...Season soon start ,ahh bway di kick off face ting soon start...again.

[Paul Marin]

Wonder if your above causes Gamma to think on the place of sports in schools in a different light?

With education, everyone should rethink. In fact, rethinking is a constant requirement for progress. What I am trying to determine in my own mind now is the right formula for my team's development, but I worry that I am not surrounded by clubs or coaches who share my perception. And that worry is real. For example, my son's team that I had for the last 18 months had 12 boys. Of the 12, 7 of them tried out for one of the biggest clubs in our area at the end of our last season. There were 80-90 kids who tried out in their age category and 30 were picked. All 7 of my boys were picked. Now, as proud as I am of that achievement, I am *gutted* because I know the coach that they will be getting, and I can guarantee you that the hard work I put in over the last 18 months will be stunted. Let me be careful. I am NOT SAYING that these boys won't develop, or that they won't be good footballers, but what I am most worried about is that they will not be developing BOTH FOOTBALL SKILLS and LIFE SKILLS. The clubs are not in my opinion sufficiently focused on the WHOLE player. Just my tuppance...and I am sure an intelligent character like Gamma is open to evolution. And in the interest of full disclosure, I still don't see the schools as the mechanism to develop football skills, but BRAIN development, using football as a tool to better prepare them if they choose to develop their football skills...which would be best served by an academy.