Football is an extremely popular sport, and it is a dream for many younger players to play for a famous club or to represent their country. Professional players engage in football by the ages of 3 to 5 years and participate in coach-led practices or join a youth football academy by the ages of 6 and 7. Nowadays, professional clubs and national associations/federations are investing large amounts of money to identify and develop elite football players all over the world.
While there may be many factors that influence a decision to start football training, and it also differs from one child to another, the ideal time for a child to start is between the ages of 3 and 5 years. When they are younger, it is better to leave them to learn and explore the game of football without too many restrictions or rules.
From the ages of 3 to 5, children are able to run, jump, and throw. They start to learn and develop balance. Their vision is still developing at this age, and they can find it challenging to follow the ball if it is moving fast. There should be an aspect of free play during lessons so that they can learn to move in different ways and improve stability and balance. Since they are still learning coordination skills, one should ensure that they get enough time with the ball to comprehend how to interact with it.
KEY POINTS FOR ACADEMIES AND COACHES:
ENERGY AND ENTHUSIASM
Children tend to have a short attention span. This is especially true with students that are just starting football, and hence coaches need to keep the energy levels high. The best youth football academies meticulously plan their programmes to keep every player interested and involved in the sessions.
PATIENCE
Children don’t always behave perfectly for coaches. Typically, a new football player will use their hands on the ball or continue to dribble the ball even when they have travelled out of the pitch. A coach must always be patient with the students.
PASSION
If a coach is having fun and enjoying working with young children, the children will feel that enthusiasm, which, in turn, will rub off on the children.
EXPERIENCE
Toddlers and pre-school students are a unique group of children to deal with. Every training session with them is different, and it is better for more experienced coaches to handle them.
FUN
One of the things one should do when hiring coaches for younger age groups is to test their ability to be fun. At SUFC, we have found that the coaches or trainers who are willing to act a
little silly, gesture in funny ways, and play innovative games are the ones who captivate the interest of the children.
EARLY ENGAGEMENT
When children join the game at an early age, they should be encouraged. This initiation phase is to allow the children to discover the game. A professional youth football academy should conduct sessions suitable for learning fundamental movement skills and focus on creating a positive football experience. It is essential that children are exposed to a high-quality experience designed to meet their needs. This will be their first experience of practising and playing football in a good environment, which can be the deciding factor for whether or not football becomes their sport of choice. That is why the playing experience must be fun and exciting right from the start.
At South United, we ensure that age-specific training is provided at every level to ensure top-notch training for each student! If you are looking for one of the best youth football academies in Bangalore, call us on +91 8296170556 or visit our facility in Ulsoor today!
Address: South United Football Club, RBANM’s Ground, Gate №3, Gangadhar Chetty Road, Near Ulsoor Lake, Bengaluru — 560042.
