The Academy philosophy is founded on a set of core principles that govern the policies, direction, actions and structure of the Academy. These core principles are:
Develop the Person, Not Just the Athlete
An Academy has a responsibility for the overall growth of its young athletes. Our club’s philosophy embraces the holistic approach of developing the complete person. Our aim is to complement the home and school environments in the pursuit of developing character, values, self-confidence, independence, analytical skills, social skills, coping skills, and sports skills to prepare young athletes for life. Football is just the vehicle for achieving these aims and helping each athlete reach his/her potential in their chosen path in life.
Individual Development
Our philosophy is based on what is in the best interest of the individual athlete. This is done through maintaining a healthy balance between individual development and team building. The team is there to serve the needs of the players and no athlete should be expected to sacrifice his/her potential for the sake of the team. This does not preclude the fostering of team ethos and team spirit but the team dynamics should provide the platform for developing interpersonal relationships and social skills rather than surrender individual creativity and ambition. A youth team is just one temporary step in life’s ladder, not the top of the ladder. Tomorrow, the athlete will be part of another team.
Intrinsic Motivation, Enjoyment and Natural Ability
Our Academy philosophy is centered on the belief that athletes can only attain excellence when they are intrinsically motivated and are enjoying their experience. With children, enjoyment and commitment are interdependent and one cannot exist without the other. There are no guarantees for success and, ultimately, it depends to a large extent on the player himself/herself. We recognize that it takes a combination of hard work, strong personal traits and natural athletic ability to reach excellence. But inspiring players to become intrinsically motivated and measure themselves against high standards will be a core objective of our organization.
Playing Philosophy
Our Academy believes in playing open, creative, attacking Football, where players are encouraged to express themselves. Ball possession is emphasized, with attacks built up from the back and players interchanging their positions, as dictated by the game. Aimless kicking, kick-and-chase, and over reliance on physical play are discouraged. Our teams will exhibit good support play around the ball and patience and composure on the ball.
Staff in Harmony with the Academies Philosophy
The Academy should foster a positive learning environment in which the technical and administrative staff creates a supportive, player-centered program. Each member of the staff strives to work in harmony with the overall Academy philosophy. The staff should be highly qualified and include all the diverse disciplines necessary for a sport academy. The staff should work as a team with the single-minded purpose of looking after the welfare of the players.
