Clive Gibson’s Peak Performance discusses the cooperation between the DFB (German Soccer Federation) and its clubs to improve the game for all German soccer players and fans and to develop future professional players. “They are creating the future through investment in infrastructure, continuity and community... The DFB is committed to offering the best possible organization for everyone, from the very young to seniors and players in fun-friendly leagues.” The national team and professional teams actively assist elite player development at the youth levels, as one day these players will represent Germany and play in the Bundesliga, so future and continued success depends on these players. “Creating the future through development is therefore a responsibility shared by the clubs and the DFB in a mutually dependent and symbiotic relationship...The best players become professional at 18, but often much younger players have training contracts with Bundesliga clubs.”
The top teams, like FC Bayern Munich finance player development through its programs. “The revenue derived from sponsorships, merchandise and ticket sales enable FCB to fund the development of youth players and to play a role in the DFB’s commitment to social responsibility.” As an example, “We have a third-division team and about five players from the main team play in the third-division side with the rest made up with normal amateurs...We have an agreement for technical cooperation with a second division club in the suburbs of Munich. Our younger players will go there so they get good experience, and if the club has any very good players we have first option.”
Surely NBA teams possess the wealth and influence to develop the next generation. The NBA and USA Basketball need better and better talent every year to compete in a crowded marketplace and an increasingly competitive international basketball scene. However, while the German National team and Bundesliga create its future, USA Basketball and the NBA rely on the U.S. school system and a hodge- podge of programs with little continuity or direction. “The coaches think the most important age for talent is between 12 and 14. We have an under-14 national side, then every age group through to the elite national squad. We have eight coaches. The coaches stay with their teams throughout the age groups and the start back at under-14’s” (Gibson). U.S. basketball players at this age search for exposure and play for multiple teams with little emphasis on development.
The media often references a “European system.” However, there is no homogenous “European system,” and the structure of the NCAA and NBA prohibit the full implementation of a European-like system. Economics and profit fuel systems and the United States provides a free development system for the NCAA and NBA. Unlike in other countries, where money filters from the professional level to the youth clubs, the NBA and NCAA retain their profits.
In Europe, teams such as Bennetton Treviso, Maccabi Tel Aviv and CSKA Moscow sign players as young as 14 and place them within their club system or academy. According to an article in FIBA’s Assist Magazine, Maccabi Tel Aviv’s Academy “has 54 branches all over the country in which 2,600 boys and girls get familiar with the basics of basketball...The Youth Section consists of 14 teams, who play in the various age group leagues operated by the Israel Basketball Association, starting with Mini Basketball all the way up to the Juniors (under 18).” Beyond the club’s financial investment is the involvement of club personnel: “All coaches and instructors in the Academy are graduates of coaching courses and work according to the program developed at the Basketball Academy.”
However, each club differs. For instance, according to Michael Lee in the Washington Post, “Italian power Benetton Treviso has about 600 players, some non-pros as young as 8, in its junior program.” In Russia, European power CSKA Moscow “signs players beginning at age 14 to contracts that usually last about five years. CSKA supplies them with room, board and a salary ranging from $300 to $2,000 a month, depending on their progress and play (the average Russian salary is $410 a month).” These players complete secondary school during the day, attending class three days a week.
While the bigger clubs develop players for their own professional squads, they also sign players from other clubs. Smaller clubs develop and sell players’ rights to finance the club. “Serbia's FMP Zeleznik states quite plainly that it is in the business of developing and eventually selling players to the highest bidders. Its 200 players receive scholarships, live in dormitories, attend classes and practice twice per day. They have access to a weight room, sauna and a medical center that is used by the Serbian national team. But if a
player becomes a star, he won't be around long. Five FMP players, including Mile Ilic, a 7-foot-1 reserve center for the New Jersey Nets, were sold for a reported $3.5 million over the summer. A spokesman said the money from the transactions is invested back into the program,” (Lee).
Lithuania uses basketball academies to develop young players. According to Lee’s article, “these academies serve as before and after-school programs, in which parents pay for their children to intensely learn fundamentals at an early age and engage in competitions when they reach 12.” In Lithuania, two of the best and most well-known academies are operated by Sarunas Marciulionis (Vilnius) and Arvydas Sabonis (Kaunas). “Marciulionis has 815 children in his program, ranging from ages 7 to 18. He has 11 certified coaches who are assigned to two age groups each. Sabonis has a similar setup, except the age groups for coaches differ by five years.”
According to a FIBA Assist Magazine article, players progress gradually, adding to the number of practices per week every two years as well as adding to the duration of practices. As Lee writes about one of Marciulionis’ coaches: “Linartis first began coaching them, he took them on the typical track, from having them running wild as neophytes, to gradually teaching them how to dribble, pass, shoot and defend.”
In the United States, U.S. Soccer created a plan and program (Project 40) to win the 2010 World Cup. One by-product is a residency program at the IMG Academy for U-17 National Team players. According to the U.S. Soccer web site, “the full-time Residency Program has doubled in the number of players from 20 to 40, adding 10 additional players in both the fall semester of 2002 and 2003. U.S. Soccer has been able to increase the number of players enrolled in the program to provide greater opportunities for young players and increase its investment in player development. With 40 players now in residency, the program is able to field two full teams who will train together during the week, and get the chance to compete against colleges, professional club teams and international youth teams on the weekends.”
In France, players such as Tony Parker and Boris Diaw matriculated through the Institute Nationale Sport and Education Physical (INSEP) in Paris. According to INSEP’s Lucien Legrand, “There are 48 young players, boys and girls split-up in two categories of teams, under-18 and under-16. In training camp, they improve their individual skills and their team chemistry. For the under-16, they play against others for the professional team in young class. When a 16-year-old kid plays against older players, like 30 years of age, he’s going to improve his game and intensity. They become more mature that way. It’s a learning process.”
While the United States maintains a helter-skelter development system with no unifying organization, other countries develop players through academies, clubs and national team programs. Players start in a youth academy and move to a junior team affiliated with a professional club. The youth division’s primary purpose is to develop professional and international players, not win at the youth level. The club guides development to ensure a constant talent influx to the professional team. Players develop within one club from youth to the adult level, whether as a professional or a second division player. The club’s development process builds to a peak in the player’s early 20’s. National programs use the youth academies and club programs to identify talented players. They organize camps and training for the best players.
In the United States, no long term development plan exists and players jump from team to team and coach to coach. Throughout this system, each coach uses his own philosophy and each team trains to win its championship. Winning, not development is valued, often sacrificing an athlete’s development to win.
The United States needs to change to a system which emphasizes fundamental basketball skills and prepares players for the next level. The Elite Development League and High Performance Centers would re-structure the current club system, while changing the emphasis and creating a financially viable system for elite player development which incorporates a more balanced schedule, greater emphasis on training and more time for studies.
Basketball Academy Rhein Main: Frankfurt, Germany
The following is an interview with Stephen Clauss, the Director of the Basketball Academy Rhein Main in Frankfurt, Germany. According to the Basketball Academy Rhein Main (BARM) web site:
“Our mission is very simple: we would like to develop young talents into great basketball players and at the same time focus on coordinating an appropriate school and professional education for young talented and aspiring athletes.
Our comprehensive approach to the complete education and development of basketball players will enable them to reach their full potential preparing them for a successful future in basketball and business after a professional playing career.”
BM: What are the ages of the players in your Academy?
Clauss: We are presently focusing on working with players between the ages of 17 and 22. We consider 21 / 22 to be the entry age where a talented player is capable of playing on the DEUTSCHE BANK SKYLINERS professional basketball team.
BM: How are players selected?
Clauss: The recruiting of talented players is handled by the Director of the Basketball Academy Rhein- Main (BARM) and the Deutsche Bank Skyliners coaching staff.
BM: Who finances the academy? Do players pay tuition? Alternatively, do players get paid while there? Clauss: The BARM is a part of the DEUTSCHE BANK SKYLINERS organization. The players receive a “BARM Scholarship”, which consists of the necessary amount of financial support, so that the players can focus on their basketball and career educations.
BM: Does the academy play together as a team? Do the players play individually with other teams? Clauss: All BARM players have a “home team” where they are a dominant member of these respective teams. The DEUTSCHE BANK SKYLINERS cooperate with local club teams, for example TV Langen and MTV Kronberg, who have well developed youth programs and senior teams at various levels of competitive accomplishment. The BARM players will all compete with one or more of these teams. Most of the BARM players are also involved in their respective National Teams.
BM: Do players attend school?
Clauss: All BARM players are either attending school, attending mandatory military service, or are already a full time member of the DEUTSCHE BANK SKYLINERS professional basketball team.
BM: How is the year structured? Same thing every week? Different emphasis in different seasons?
Clauss: The BARM player’s schedules are personalized and organized around their education and respective Club and National Team basketball seasons. Therefore the schedules of the players will vary greatly.
BM: How many hours per week do players train? Can we get a sample week for the average player? Clauss: On weekdays, all BARM players have one daily individual and team practice. On weekends most play two competitive games: First with their “home team” and second with an additional team, a youth team or the DEUTSCHE BANK SKYLINERS.
BM: Do the players lift weights?
Clauss: Weight lifting and athletic development is a part of the individual practice schedule.
BM: Is there a nutritionist? Are the players’ diets monitored?
Clauss: The BARM works together with a professional nutritionist who assists the players in organizing and maintaining a balanced diet.
BM: How much testing of the athletes is there?
Clauss: All BARM players will go through a big medical and physiotherapy check up in the preseason and undergo additional check-ups at regular intervals, or when necessary.
BM: How many coaches/trainers in the Academy? How many players?
Clauss: There are a total of six coaches working with the BARM players. The BARM presently maintains between 10 and 12 yearly scholarships.
BM: What are the coaching qualifications? How does the academy hire a coach?
Clauss: The BARM coaching staff is selected by the director to the BARM and the management of the DEUTSCHE BANK SKYLINERS.
BM: What does an average workout entail?
Clauss: The emphasis of all practices varies greatly depending upon the players personalized needs. Each player’s individual practices will always place focus on his special needs. For example, some players will need a much greater amount of work on the development of their athletic abilities, while others might be physically well developed and need more work on specific basketball skills. Another example, weight lifting programs must be adapted to the playing schedules. The BARM players have a year-round lifting program with the exception of a short vacation break in spring or summer. Because of international competition with National Teams it is not possible to simply do muscular hypertrophy training in the summer. Therefore a well organized lifting schedule must be prepared with emphasis on hypertrophy training in multiple breaks, in and off-season, rather than on one large break in the summer.
BM: Are all trainings done individually, or are there group sessions as well?
Clauss: Some of the practices are individual and some in groups. In the group practices the players will definitely also work on offensive and defensive tactical skills.
Basketball Development in Slovenia
While many Americans don't know the difference between Slovenia and Slovakia, Slovenia (population just over two-million people) manages to send a relatively high number of players to the NBA including the Lakers’ Sasha Vujacic and Phoenix's Goran Dragic.
I interviewed Marko Karničar, a former teammate of Dragic. Karničar played five years in the Slovenian first league and now is a youth coach in a basketball club called Škofja Loka coaching U10, U12 and U14 teams. He also attends University of Sport in Ljubljana to complete his courses for basketball coaches.
BM: There are several current and former NBA players from Slovenia. Are there any similarities in their youth development? Did they develop in the same club or grow up together on national teams?
Karničar: In my country individual clubs are in charge of developing the players. Goran Dragic, Beno Udrih, Rasho Nesterovic and Sasha Vujacic as well as former NBA players Primoz Brezec and Bostjan Nachbar started playing basketball in different clubs (no two came from the same club). Later some of them played together for our best club called Union Olimpija or a smaller brother called Slovan. Primož Brezec, Beno Udrih and Bostjan Nachbar played for Union Olimpija; Rasho Nesterovic and Goran Dragić played in Slovan. Sasha Vujacic left the country at a very young age and never played for any clubs I mentioned above (played in Italy). The only time all our best players play together is when playing for our country in U14, U16, or U18 teams.
BM: What is the club system like in Slovenia?
Karničar: Our best club as mentioned is Union Olimpija which plays in Euroleague and NLB league (former league of Yugoslavia), and we also have 4 other clubs (two at the moment) who also play in NLB league. They probably are the draghorses of our basketball. If a young player shows some good basketball qualities those clubs are first to take him to play for them. On our national squad only Matjaž Smodiš, now captain of CSKA, never played for Olimpija or Slovan, so you can see why these two clubs are important for us. But most players came to these clubs from other smaller clubs.
BM: For a player like Dragic, when did he move to professional basketball?
Karničar: Goran Dragić was 18 years old when he left Ilirija. Union Olimpija and Slovan wanted him and he decided for Slovan (more playing minutes).
BM: At 18-years-old, what would a typical day of basketball be like for a player like Dragic?
Karničar: He started training two times a day for 2 hours and playing basketball professionally. Training in the morning and training in the evening and resting in between.
BM: What kind of requirements are there for coaches?
Karničar: Every youth coach must attend at least 3 seminars in a year to get a license and take lessons (4 days for U 14 teams) in basketball to get a diploma. From then on, we are much on our own. I think we are lucky to have many coaches from former Yugoslavia to come to us and teach basketball. Yugoslavia basketball team really was one of the best in the world for many years. Former Yugoslavia today: Serbia, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Macedonia, Montenegro. All those countries have great basketball programs and produce many basketball players and great coaches.
Iranian Basketball Development
This season, the first player from Iran will play in the NBA with the Memphis Grizzlies. Today I have an interview with Safa Ali Kamalian, former Iranian national team assistant coach and former Director of Mini Basketball committee in Iran.
BM: What is the structure of the national team program?
Kamalian: All of our national teams are under the supervision of the National Team Organization which appoints the national teams’ technical staff – in cooperation with Coaches committee - and approves their programs by consultation with the National Federation Directing Board.
BM: What are the ages of the players?
Kamalian: National age group teams are: Mini Basketball (U12), Passerelle (13-14), Cadets (15-16) and Juniors (17-18)
BM: How are players selected? Is there a try-out?
Kamalian: Players are recommended by each province’s basketball board as well as recruiting by National team coaches during the national championships.
BM: Who finances the academy/underage programs?
Kamalian: National Federation which is under the supervision of Physical Education Organization (PEO) finances all the national team programs and players usually get paid for their transportation to their home towns. Their accommodation and food is also covered while they are in national team camps.
BM: Does the academy play together as a team? Do the players play individually with other teams? Kamalian: Players play as team(s). It is sometimes possible for some age groups to organize 2-3 teams in each and supervise them throughout the whole program.
BM: Do players attend school? How is the academy organized around school requirements/activities? Kamalian: All the camps are organized during the summer, weekends or national holidays by which players are also enabled to fulfill their academic obligations.
BM: How is the year structured? Is it structured around a season with a normal pre-season, competitive season, post-season, off-season? Or is the year periodized differently?
Kamalian: The season is usually organized considering the international programs which are in every 2 years and the coaches try to periodize the whole year defining goals and participating in internationally organized tournaments as well as playing against stronger/older teams locally.
BM: How many hours per week do players train? Can we get a sample week for the average player? Do players train outside the club with other teams/organizations/clubs/schools?
Kamalian: Weekly practice hours are different because of the available time during the school time. 4-6 sessions could be organized during this period. But in summer week long camps could be organized in which they practice twice per day - morning/evening practices.
During this time and within the intervals of national team’s rest period players usually attend their clubs’ or home town team’s activities.
BM: How many games would a normal player play at various age (U-12, U-15,U-18) groups in one calendar year?
Kamalian: Depending on the age group they usually have between 10-20 games.
BM: Do the players lift weights?
Kamalian: U-15 and younger teams don’t lift weights but U-18 teams start weight lifting carefully!!!
BM: Is there a nutritionist? Are the players’ diets monitored?
Kamalian: Nutrition in national team camps is under the supervision of Nutritionist and medical doctors.
BM: Are athletes tested? Fitness tests? Anthropomorphic tests? Is there a standard evaluation used?
Kamalian: National teams usually get tested in our Olympic Academy Test Center for their standard physical abilities.
BM: How many coaches/trainers in the Academy? How many players?
Kamalian: Technical staff in each age group usually consists of 1 head coach, 2 assistant coaches, 1 physical trainer and each group has 20-40 players in one or two teams.
BM: What are the coaching qualifications? How does the academy hire a coach? Are coaches volunteers or paid staff?
Kamalian: Coaches are licensed by coaches committee and assigned by National teams’ organization. They get paid.
BM: What does an average workout entail? Are workouts individual, group or team practices? Kamalian: Most of the practice time include the individual and team fundamental workouts.
BM: Is there a specific methodology?
Kamalian: Methodologies are different from coach to coach and unfortunately there are no harmonized frameworks!
BM: Is there a specific skill development curriculum for players? Is there an assessment or evaluation process where a 12 year old should have X skills and a 16 year old should have Y skills?
Kamalian: Unfortunately not yet, but the coaches committee has established basketball training centers throughout the country in which educated coaches who should pass specific qualifications supervise trainings and the final goal is to reach to that point.
BM: How are coaches evaluated? By wins and losses? The fundamental quality of the players?
Kamalian: Coaches are evaluated by test during the refreshment clinics, their overall programs and performance monitored by coaches committee and national team organization.
BM: Is there anything else you can add that may be valuable to our readers?
Kamalian: Our national U-17 and U-20 teams won the titles in 2004 Asian championships and the National U-17 team was the runner up in 2002.
Argentina Basketball Development
An interview with Carlos Diodati, Head Coach Club Lanus (Buenos Aires) U19’s and former assistant coach, Argentina National Team.
BM: What is the structure of the Academy or underage program for the club? Are there teams at each youth age groups which meet the individual’s development needs or is there something beyond normal underage club teams for players?
Diodati: The structure is formed by clubs with different categories according to the ages. 7 to 10-years-old: pre-mini-basketball; 11 to 12: mini-basketball, they play with a low rim ( 2,65m) and different ball size; 13- years-old: pre- infantiles; 14-15 infantiles; 16-17 cadets; 18-19 Juniors; and under 22. There is a coach for three categories. The game day is Saturday. At the end of the last game, the coach’s brain is burned.
BM: How are players selected? Is there a try-out? Are players cut?
Diodati: Big clubs recruits from poorest clubs. They use a summer basketball camp.
BM: Do players attend school? How is the academy organized around school requirements/activities? Diodati: The education system is not related with the clubs, it works separately. That is one of the reasons why the under-17 talented players abandon school to play in Europe. Pepe Sanchez (Temple University) and Facundo Gorgi (Florida International University) are two exceptions.
BM: How is the year structured? Is it structured around a season with a normal pre-season, competitive season, post-season, off-season? Or is the year periodized differently?
Diodati: It depends on the coach (his preparation) and the clubs (the commitment with sport). All players play approximately 30 to 35 games in the year. We do a master plan (periodization) with different blocks: conditioning, individual technique, tactics, special situations, etc. depending on the stage of preparation.
BM: How many hours per week do players train? Can we get a sample week for the average player? Do players train outside the club with other teams/organizations/clubs/schools?
Diodati: Big clubs train all days 2 hours. Small clubs, three times a week, hour and a half. The players play with others teams in the summer (Off-Season).
BM: How many games would a normal player play at various age (U-12, U-15, U-18) groups in one calendar year?
Diodati: Approximately 30 to 35 games.
BM: Do the players lift weights? Is it part of the academy program? Diodati: Yes they do it as part of their preparation in the pre-season.
BM: Is there a nutritionist? Are the players’ diets monitored? Diodati: No. The coach guides them.
BM: Are athletes tested? Fitness tests? Anthropomorphic tests? Is there a standard evaluation used? Diodati: Yes, it is done by the conditioning coach.
BM: How many coaches/trainers in the Academy? How many players?
Diodati: One coach has three categories or teams. One trainer for all teams (four teams).
BM: What are the coaching qualifications? How does the academy hire a coach? Are coaches volunteers or paid staff?
Diodati: The people in charge of hiring the coaches are volunteer workers because they have a son playing there. Coaching here is no easy job. The coaches work most of the time without a contract. We do it because we love the game and the spirit of the competition.
BM: What does an average workout entail? Are workouts individual, group or team practices?
Diodati: We workout in both ways individual and team practices
BM: What is the attrition rate? How many players drop out from year to year? Do new players join, or is there a funnel effect, where there are fewer and fewer players as the ages progress?
Diodati: This changes in different clubs. Clubs with professional teams are recruiting always. BM: Is there a specific methodology for the entire club?
Diodati: Yes and it has to do with coach philosophy.
BM: Is there a specific skill development curriculum for players? Is there an assessment or evaluation process where a 12 year old should have X skills and a 16 year old should have Y skills?
Diodati: Yes, it is given to each player as part of his improvement program. It is different for each player. They work on his weak points.
BM: Is there anything else you can add that may be valuable to our readers?
Diodati: Yes, I would like to share this: most of us have others jobs; someone works at the office or teaching in three or four different schools in a 8 to 10 hour a day. We practice at night in the winter in the most of times alone with a bunch of players in a dirty court with a few balls and poor salary too. We won a gold medal in Olympics games, we have five players in the NBA, and others players in Europe. How is it possible? Because coaches and players have the same feeling for this game – We love it.
Boom Basketball Club in Belgium
An interview with Marc Koreman of the Boom Basketball Club in Belgium.
BM: What is the structure of the Academy or underage program for the club? Are there teams at each youth age groups which meet the individual’s development needs or is there something beyond normal underage club teams for players?
Koreman: Our team Boom Basketball is not an academy but a club team with boys and girls teams, playing for the Belgian Federation: men’s team in 2nd division and the female team in the 1st division (national); the youth teams play regional for VBL (Flemish Basketball Liga); There is also a liga with the french speaking teams. Our federation started last year with a “Peanuts-competition”: during a day (morning or afternoon) a team organized a tournament in which teams participate, always 3 on 3, teams with 3 or 4 players...So this year we have about 10 organizations- about 25 teams are interested and they decide free, where they go and play. Rules: special for those kids from 6 till 8y.old. In our club we aren’t 100% pro.
BM: What are the ages of the players in your Academy?
Koreman: In our club we start with boys and girls who are five-years-old (infant school): 2x10 weekly practices of 1 hour; not a special basketball program, only fun and exercises for running, jumping, coordination, ball handling with all kinds of balls, etc...
The ages of the players:
Group 1: Pre-microben: 1st and 2nd year basic school: six and seven-years-old: regular competition from October until Easter: 5v5, each player has to play, eight periods of four minutes playtime.
Group 2: Microben: 3rd and 4th year basic school: same rules
Group 3: Benjamines: 5th and 6th year basic school: 4 x 10 minutes: each player has to participate in a quarter.
Group 4: Pupillen: 12-13 years-old.
Group 5: Miniemen: 14-15 years-old.
Group 6: Boys: cadetten 16-17 years-old. Girls: cadetten 16-18 years-old.
Group 7: Only boys: juniors 18-19 years-old.
With our girls teams (group 3 and 4), we play in boys competitions (only boys can make our girls better). Our girls and boys from grade 1 until grade 3 use the same programs (boys from grade 4 and later other technical coordinator).
BM: How are players selected? Is there a try-out? Are players cut?
Koreman: For groups 1, 2 and 3: recruitment in schools of our city; groups 4 and 5: our own players + selection of better players from other teams of our region. Players are cut when their level isn’t good enough to play on a national level (Flanders). We try to send them to teams which play on provincial level.
BM: Who finances the academy/underage programs? Do players pay tuition? Alternatively, do players get paid while there?
Koreman: Finances: our club (sponsoring + cafeteria of the gym). Players pay a yearly tuition depending on number of practices. Youth players aren’t paid.
BM: Do players attend school? How is the academy organized around school requirements/activities? Koreman: All of our players go to regular schools; two of our best players (girls) go to “top sports school.”
BM: How is the year structured? Is it structured around a season with a normal pre-season, competitive season, post-season, off-season? Or is the year periodized differently?
Koreman: Normal structured season
BM: How many hours per week do players train? Can we get a sample week for the average player? Do players train outside the club with other teams/organizations/clubs/schools?
Koreman: Group 1: 2x 1 hour
Group 2 and 3: 2x 1h30 and once a week specialization Group 4, 5 and 6: 3x 1h30 (individual specialization included)
BM: How many games would a normal player play at various age (U-12, U-15, U-18) groups in one calendar year?
Koreman: Games: U12 play 18 games regular competition + games for the different cups: Cup of the province and cup of Flanders; total number of games depends on the results.
U14 and U16 play regular competition: 2 parts = last one: the best eight teams of Flanders in one series. BM: Do the players lift weights? Is it part of the academy program?
Koreman: No weight training till cadet-level. We use other programs to make our girls stronger.
BM: Is there a nutritionist? Are the players’ diets monitored?
Koreman: Till this moment we had no nutritionist. But next year we start with a medical staff (nutrition, physical trainer, doctor).
BM: Are athletes tested? Fitness tests? Anthropomorphic tests? Is there a standard evaluation used? Koreman: Each year we test our athletes: running, jumping.
BM: How many coaches/trainers in the Academy? How many players?
Koreman: Girls basketball: seven trainers: four with the highest qualification (A) and three with a B- qualification; (three of them also teach in schools).
BM: What is the attrition rate? How many players drop out from year to year? Do new players join, or is there a funnel effect, where there are fewer and fewer players as the ages progress?
Koreman: Year to year players drop out: +/-5 %. New players join (see above: our detection starts at 10 years-old).
BM: Is there a specific methodology for the entire club?
Koreman: We have a specific methodology for the entire club (from grade1 until grade 6)
BM: Is there a specific skill development curriculum for players? Is there an assessment or evaluation process where a 12 year old should have X skills and a 16 year old should have Y skills?
Koreman: Our program is based on skill development with a yearly evaluation process.
BM: How are coaches evaluated? By wins and losses? The fundamental quality of the players?
Koreman: Our technical director (coordinator) evaluates each coach, follows practices and on each meeting with the coaches we discuss our program.
Our basketball-federation and a University started last year with a “Basket Pass”: it is a program concerning quality: we participate and our result was very good, especially about our basketball programs.
Brazilian Football Development
In the June 19th ESPN the Magazine, Jeff Bradley writes an interesting account of futebol (soccer) in Brasil. The story is not as in-depth as one would like, but Brasil’s National Team Head Coach offers some interesting comments:
“Brazilian players are not robotic,” [Carlos Alberto] Parreira says. “We don’t interrupt our young players, telling them to pass on the first touch. We give them freedom to create. It’s only later that we introduce the discipline of playing without the ball.”
“The clubs are doing a good job of developing the players,” Perriera says. “It is now only a legend that Brazil develops players in the streets.”
Turns out, the secret behind the Brazilian “system” is really no secret at all...A single Portuguese phrase best explains why Brazil remains soccer’s one and only superpower: Joga Bonito. Play Beautiful.
