12 QUALITY AREAS
The working processes
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FACILITIES Pitch quality – grass, artificial, earth or other; weather dependent or not; correlation with playing requirements – e.g. 11-a-side full-size pitch, quality and suitability of players accommodation facilities – boarding house, families etc
connected with the Facilities Quality Area include:
How many separate training fields do you have?
How many of those are full-sized? (i.e. official pitch size)
H aving the right Facilities within an academy system ensures that the operation is underpinned by the correct infrastructure as required by the management, staff and players based on their methodological, environmental and individual needs. It also means that the future development of the academy is supported by adequate infrastructure plans responsive to future needs.
How many of those are specialised? (e.g. for goalkeepers, for football-tennis etc)
Of course, even though Facilities by themselves do not develop players, the quality and functionality of working and living quarters is a significant marker of the ambition and professionalism of academy environments. Suitable fields, changing rooms, treatment areas, offices or teaching rooms all serve a direct purpose of enabling the development process to take place, and for many academies they are a primary tool to attracting young talent in the first place. UEFA recently published an important overview of academy infrastructure.
How old is the newest field you are using?
How old is the oldest field you are using?
Do you have individual locker rooms for all your age-group teams?
How many pitches do you play competitive matches on?
According to UEFA: “Training facilities and youth academies represent the very core of the European football ecosystem – even more so in the light of the global COVID-19 pandemic and the impact it is having on football institutions. With the integration of more developed training infrastructure requirements in the 2018 Club Licensing and Fair Play Regulations, the importance of these two components has been further emphasised.” The quality of Facilities within an academy can most easily be measured by assessing the available infrastructure inventory and its suitability to the environmental conditions. We can also measure such variables as the existence of infrastructure development plans or the involvement of different academy specialists in devising those plans.
“VAR will influence in youth development in 5 years and will have to be included in training” Jean Kindermans, RSC Anderlecht
Do you have a room specifically set-up for player education?
Do you have a dedicated training facility for youth academy? (can be shared with first team)
When were the locker rooms last renovated? (or built, if new facility)
Do you invest in infrastructure in your partner clubs?
Do you have a hall of residence for young players?
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YOUTH FOOTBALL 2021-23
YOUTH FOOTBALL 2021-23
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