Managing Academy to First Team Differences Body & Mind ..........

[MrsORichSenior]

Footballers of today body shape contrast the slimmer footballers of the '80's and show back then there was very little "upper-body work” required as holding, shoving, pinning, wrestling - it all seemed such a neat and tidy game then.There was no real need for upper-body bulk because the ball was moved quickly and skilfully past opponents with barely any pushing and shoving off ball.These days we’re accustomed to a match incorporating a repetitive series of mini wrestling bouts where combatants set about each other with shoulders, forearms and hands. The ball can sometimes feel incidental............ and folks easily forget that younger players are not quite the finished article regarding body muscle mass and are ignorant of the effect of physical regimes have on players in today's game of daily intense physical and mental demands ..............

So what goes on at a Football Academy then from the initial entry year to hopefully later first team years ........... well Four Four Two media kindly answer.

How big is the physical difference between Premier League and academy football?

On a basic physical test – for example a 20-metre sprint – the senior academy and first team players are probably fairly close. However, the distances covered at high speed during training or a match would be greater in the first team. The technical gap also raises training intensity and makes it feel a lot harder and that’s probably the biggest difference our players find. First team players are technically superior; they can play different types of passes and move the ball quicker. The technical difference means they have to work harder physically. From a strength point of view, the first team players have had more years training and should be stronger.

As soon as players start at the academy at the age of eight, we use a multi-sport system to develop basic physical skills. Once they move into the 12-14 age group, we place a massive emphasis on promoting the quality of athletic movements and developing correct movement patterns to ensure players can reproduce the movements they would do in a game or training. We place importance on the ability of players to control these movements through various positions or under various loads where the movement is challenged. Then as they mature they can be progressively loaded to increase strength and develop power.

How does the training change as a player goes through his growth spurt?

Normally, players will have their biggest growth spurt between the ages of 13 and 15. When they grow rapidly we need to make sure they can still move functionally well so they avoid injury and any mobility issues caused by this growth. We have a formula to predict when this growth will happen, which means we can individualise their programme. We will never make the players lift heavy weights too early but we can individualise certain exercises to challenge players who have gone through their growth spurt earlier than others and are good movers. As they get older, we then focus on big compound, multi-joint training methods to improve strength, speed and power.

Which areas of physical fitness do you prioritise with academy players?

Our long-term approach to youth development is to develop all areas of physical fitness. If you look at football from a physical perspective, they are required to be strong and powerful but also have excellent agility and repeat this numerous times over a 80-90-minute time period. Again, as they become older, a lot of the physical training is tailored towards the demands of their position, we try to make it as individual as we can. For example, a midfielder will cover more distance, but at a lower intensity than a full-back, winger or striker, who will cover shorter distances at a higher intensity and so training must accommodate this.

Is it a balancing act increasing player’s muscle mass while keeping them athletic and agile?

Absolutely. We agree that what you’re looking for in a player is someone who is strong for 90 minutes. If they’re too heavy in their upper body then their movement patterns will suffer, but we also know that a good level of strength can help to reduce the risk of injury and aid performance. Certain players might be required to bulk up and add muscle mass and we will provide the players with those sessions. However we need to make sure we have correct and appropriate nutritional strategies to see an increase in muscle mass and not body fat, which would have a detrimental effect to performance.

How often do players do strength sessions?

For our senior players we aim for three. We do upper body and lower body specific sessions as well as a power session. The power session involves explosive work such as horizontal and vertical jumps and Olympic lifts with variations of those which involve moving resistance at speed. At a younger age we would advise one to two sessions per week, dependent on training and match schedules.

Mmm, interesting - Time & patience for sure development wise but maybe a slot for an 'older head' in January sales ....
MOT