What makes a youth development programme ‘elite’?

The culture of an academy programme will play a large part in determining the production of professional players, says John Allpress, FA (England) National Young Player Development Coach.

Learning:

-     Creating a culture of high performance

-        Skills and characteristics of elite performers

-       The difference between ‘good’ and ‘elite’ footballers

Calling a development programme high performance, or elite, doesn’t make it so. High performance, or elite, is a mindset above all else, not a realm reserved for the chosen few.

There is no entitlement. Being elite must be earned and it doesn’t come easy. Even at the very top of professional football there is the first team squad and within it the super elite core group who stand head and shoulders above the rest.

Compromise and conformity have no place in elite sport. Truly elite behaviours are underpinned by critical thinking and a willingness to learn new ways of doing things, either on or off the pitch, or in the gym.

Being elite does not afford players the luxury of comfort. To remain elite is hard work, involving constant practice and improvement, stress testing and challenge, questioning and evaluation. Elite practice demands the highest standards and holding oneself and those around you to account if those standards slip.

While humility and ambition are indispensable characteristics for elite players, being elite is not a popularity contest and young players with elite ambitions could find themselves at odds with teammates, or even some staff whose standards may not be as exacting as theirs. By and large it is easier to conform and compromise those standards, to smile and wave and be one of the lads.

By these measures it is easy to see why so few organisations and individuals in world sport, let alone football academies full of kids, can call themselves elite. Youngsters don’t develop these significant qualities overnight or by accident, their characters spring up and flourish by design cultivated in large part overtime by the adults in their lives.

“It is easy to see why so few organisations and individuals in world sport, let alone football academies full of kids, can call themselves elite. ”

Young players need influence and leadership. An academy culture will determine the production of professional players through its values and beliefs, as much as its technical and physical development programmes.

The academy staff are the custodians of its culture, and it is they who must promote high performance and elite behaviours so that the young players have a fighting chance of making the cut. The staff must be on the lookout for players beginning to develop elite traits and be ready to get behind them and encourage those fledgling attributes as they emerge.

Staff seeking future elite players should look for the ones who:

·      Go their own way not seeking group approval for their actions.

·      Want to win but also build a learning environment for themselves.  

·      Want to practise in a focused deliberate way.

·      Take criticism and feedback well.

·      Want to go the extra mile, building a body for the game.

·      Keep running and battling even when the race is run.

·      Relish competition and rivalry.

·      Look forward to the toughest challenges and games with gusto.

Coaches who naturally warm to unquestioning and compliant players are sometimes annoyed by the youngster who speaks their mind or wants to ask another question when the group wants to pick up the equipment and go home.

Elite cultures are built upon a readiness to challenge and ask questions and the academy coach must recognise this as possible precursors for elite practice later on. An elite team leader gives credence to all voices in the group even if the youngest players’ ideas may be a little left-field.

Producing good players for the professional game is one thing, producing elite footballers is quite another. There is no holy grail but in order to go from good to great the best led programmes are the most successful ones. These high-performance programmes:

·      Have an inspirational vision and can tell people about it.

·      Embrace humility, ambition and expectation.

·      Set high performance goals.

·      Are prepared to make tough decisions and manage them compassionately.

·      Gain trust by being honest and authentic.

Summary

In England top academy football and international youth teams are of a high standard. It is highly likely that the game will get even quicker and more technical as the demands on our young players grow.

The change from schoolboy player through scholarship to professional status and then on into a career for the lucky few is still very exacting, with the influx of foreign players into English leagues at all levels adding to the pressures of just getting a job and then keeping it.

Our youngsters have to be ready to accept the challenge and overcome it and their coaches must be ready to stand with them leading them technically, tactically, physically and mentally. Adopting high performance and elite behaviours will certainly help them in their quest.