Is your club a serious soccer club? In our state, most competitive soccer clubs train two or, sometimes, three times per week. This is clearly not enough time to develop top level soccer players. Perhaps this works to develop players for American Colleges and the MLS but not for the highest level.  In 2005 we visited two clubs who have combined their youth programs in order to develop their best players. 

Heracles/2005

Gerharo Wermink
Head of Youth Program

1)    Philosophy/Aim

Every team has long-term and short term goals:

Long-term-

•    Progress to the 1st team

Short term

•    Ranking in standings

•    Amount of players in district and national team.

2)    Structure of Academy/Club
•    Heracles has gone into a 3 year cooperation with FC Twenty to combine the youth programs- Instead of having 5-7 good players each they work together to  combine and have the best playing together - at the end of the youth education the players can choose who they want to play for - FC Twente or Heracles

•    8 teams- (U12-19)

•    132 total players (U16-18 players per team)

Team    Training Intensity - Number of times per week

D2: U12    3

D1: U13    5

C2: U14    6

C1: U15    6

B2: U16    6

B1: U17    6

A2: U18    6

A1: U19    6

* Play a match on Saturday

Training Schedule: C2-A1
Monday    Tuesday    Wednesday    Thursday    Friday
1x    2x    off    2x    1x
Tuesday/Thursday: 8:00-9:20 + 16:00-17:30

3)    Accommodations
4)    Structure of Staff

Every Team has:
•    Trainer/Coach
•    Manager
•    Physiotherapist
•    Linesman

•    Coaches are ex-professional players
•    Coaches have qualities for certain age groups
•    Coaches stay in age group
•    Evaluate staff 1-2 times a year

5)    Day Schedules/School
•    The academy has an agreement with Stedelyk Lyceum school
•    Also an agreement with University of Enschede (highschool/college)
•    All players go to same school
•    Have a full time coordinator
•    This creates more possibilities:
1.    Schedule
2.    exams
3.    extra help (homework)

6)    Scouting
•    60km around Enschede
•    180 Amateur clubs in 60 km area
•    28 scouts and every scout is responsible for 6-10 clubs
•    Most important ages for scouting is the youngest-in this club it is the 12,13,14
•    If a player is to switch clubs has to pay 1250 euros to the other club for every year the kid was in the club
•   

7)    Other


•    U-12 through U14: 1:3:4:3 the # 4 plays in front of #3
•    U-15 on: 1:4:3:3- play flat in back,

•    At age 15 start coaching two lines together: ex: 2,3,4,5,6,8