We are delighted to announce that the Coerver® Coaching Youth Diploma course will take place at Livingston FC on 26th-27th October 2013, presented by Coerver® Coaching Co-Founder Alf Galustian and Scotland Director Gordon Craig. (Gordon and Alf pictured below with Scottish Legend John Collins at The Coerver® Advanced Skills Course in Switzerland).
The Coerver® Coaching Youth Diploma has been developed from 29 years of knowledge and work with the leading federations, clubs, managers and star names in International Football. Coerver® Coaching has a 20 year history in Scotland and we are very excited to have Alfred deliver the Youth Diploma Course here this month.
The purpose of the Coerver® Coaching Youth Diploma is to give attendees, whether you are a professional academy coach, junior coach, teacher or parent a greater understanding of how to plan & deliver more effective coaching sessions (see below image of Coerver® Scotland Youth Diploma).
Coaches you will get:
• 2-days of tuition based on four Theory/Practical based modules
• A Course booklet with drills and games developed over our 29 year history
• A copy of the 5 Set DVD Coerver® Coaching “Session Planner”
• Essential tips on how to improve your coaching & make your sessions more effective
• Youth Diploma Certificate of Attendance
Coerver® Coaching are delighted to launch the new Coerver® Partner Club programme which aims to provide professional support to grassroots clubs up and down the country. The Coerver® Partner Club programme covers a range of support to include coach education, player coaching and session planning with all areas being underpinned by a cutting edge, web based support platform.
A handful of carefully selected clubs have been chosen to pilot the first phase of the grassroots programme which will take place over the course of the 2013-14 season. Coerver® UK Director, Scott Wright travelled up to Hessle Sporting JFC in Hull last week to officially launch the Partner Club programme with a presentation to all club members (see below image with Rich Fisk & Damien Wright – Hessle Sporting JFC).
Scott Wright said “It has been well documented in the media that changes need to be made if we are to develop better coaches and subsequently players in this country. Over the last 3 years, we have been working on developing a support programme for clubs that we believe can help towards achieving this goal. We launched a pilot programme at Premier League Club, Stoke City FC during the 2011/12 season and we have been really happy with how things have gone moving into our third season at the club. Stoke City achieved EPPP Category 1 academy status at the start of last season and under the assessment criteria the club actually finished the third highest ranked academy in the country and we are really proud to have played a part in that process”.
“We are now very excited to be providing our new Partner Club programme to grassroots clubs and I believe that we can have a big impact on coach and player development at the clubs that we select to come into the programme. The range of support that we are providing has been put together from feedback from many clubs and coaches that we have engaged with in advance of the pilot grassroots programme launching. There were a number of common support areas that were highlighted by the majority of the people we spoke with and high on the list were coach education and session planning and these are two fundamental components of our Partner Club programme with both areas supported by a web based application that we have been developing for a number of years”.
“We will only be working with clubs and people that share the same long-term vision as ourselves, such as Hessle Sporting JFC, and there is a stringent process that clubs have to go through to be granted Coerver Partner Club status. This starts with the club hosting a Play Like The Stars Roadshow were we come to the club and spend the day working with all of the players and in the evening with the coaches and parents (see below image with Hessle JFC Players).
“In addition to the core components of the Partner Club programme, we will also be opening up our wider network to the clubs that we work with. This will include benefits such as free adidas training equipment for the club, access to discounted adidas boots for coaches and players and the oppurtunity to take part in training camps at some of the world’s leading clubs. To give an example, we travelled to AC Milan at Easter and have previoulsy visited clubs such as Real Madrid, Chelsea and Liverpool but to name but a few so the benefits of becoming a Coerver Partner Club go further than coach and player development. I’m sure that the total package we will be providing for selected clubs will give them a real point of difference in their local areas, both on and off the pitch”.
Scott added “I would like to thank everyone at Hessle Sporting JFC in Hull for being so hospitable during my visit and special thanks to Damien Wright & Rich Fisk for working so hard to make this happen. We are really looking forward to working with the club and with the assistance of Damien, Rich and new club chariman, Shane Appleby, I’m sure we will make a huge success of the programme”.
Hessle Sporting JFC Members Comments:
Kath Gay – Hessle Sporting JFC Parent
“The Coerver presentation was well delivered by Scott and the whole concept is fantastic. We are all really excited about the benefits it will bring to the club and can’t wait to get started”
Paul Riley – Hessle Sporting JFC Parent
“Our teams coach has been using Coerver with our players for the last 6 years and we are seeing the benefits that this method of coaching brings to our players, to get a partnership with Coerver takes us to the next level and is a fantastic opportunity for all at the club”
Rich Fisk – Hessle Sporting JFC Coach / Treasurer
“After lots of dialogue, hard work and effort Hessle Sporting are very excited to sign up to the Coerver Partner Club Programme. The benefits of using the Worlds No.1 Coaching method within the club will bring massive benefits to all of our coaches and players and will help us to raise our standards across the board. This will include producing more technical players and assisting the coaches with session planning & delivery. There will be benefits for all members of the club and this is a very exciting time for our club, the region and for English football”
Coerver® Kid Joe Elliot has proved that the best things come to those that wait when he recently made his first team debut for Romanian giants Dinamo Bucharest who have won the Liga 1 national title 18 times and the Cupa României 13 times since being founded in 1948 (see below image).
Joe’s dad, Mick Elliot, who has worked in proffesional football club recruitment for the last 25 years, recollects the journey that Joe has been on since first attending the Coerver® Coaching Performance Academy at 12 years old.
“As a young football player, Joe showed lots of potential and was signed as a 10 year old at Leicester City Academy but after 2 years was released. Then over the next couple of years he signed for Derby County, Coventry City and a few other league clubs but unfortunately he was unable to make a proper impact despite his undoubted potential”.
“Joe began training with Coerver in 2008 at the Bluecoat School Performance Academy in Coventry under the guidance of director, Scott Wright. Joe soon began to improve his technique and skill levels as well as gainining in confidence in his own ability on the ball. He attended regular weekly sessions for a period of over 4 years which proved to be the best decision we have ever made regarding Joe’s football development”.
“The principles of Coerver enabled Joe to improve his skill levels without the pressure applied within the academy football environment” (see below image Mick Elliot & Joe Elliot far left with Coerver® UK Director Scott Wright far right).
“In November 2012 Joe, who was now 16 years old, was seen by a Spanish scout and invited to play for CD Sobradillo in Tenerife which is a feeder club for the likes of Barcelona and Athletico Madrid among others. Joe spent the next 5 months there playing football and learning the Spanish way. At the end of the season he was offered a new contract by CD Sobradillo but at the same time was seen by a Romanian scout and then received an invite to trial at Dinamo Bucharest”.
“Joe spent a week at Dinamo in May 2013 and after impressing the coaches and reserve team manager, he was offered a 1 year contract to play for the reserves in Division 2. He returned to England over the Summer for a break and was asked to join the Dinamo Bucharest first team squad who were on a tour in England at the time”.
“He trained with the first team squad and on Sunday July 7th, he was asked to join the squad and came on as a 2nd half substitute to make his first team debut against Ayr United at the age of 17 and 3 months. Dinamo were 1-0 down when Joe stepped on to the pitch and the manager asked him to play a defensive midfield role to protect the defence and use his great passing ability to set the wide players free. Joe managed to do this effectively and not only impressed the Dinamo coaching staff but also on-looking scouts from Rangers and Man City. The game ended 1-1 and in my opinion, Joe put into practice everything he had learned at Coerver during this game which was great to see”.
Joe said of his debut “I was a little nervous being so young and making a debut for a top European team but once I made a few good passes I felt very comfortable playing for the first team. Attending Coerver has made the difference not only to my playing ability but also to my confidence on the pitch and I would like to thank Scott and all the Coerver coaches for their part in my development to this point”.
It might have been a different career path for Joe having turned down the chance to be a professional musician in order to pursue his dream to be a footballer. He had been playing the trumpet since the age of 11 and was offered a full time position to play with the 1980s ska band Bad Manners. The band achieved three top-10 hits during the ’80s, including Special Brew, Can Can and My Girl Lollipop (My Boy Lollipop).
Coerver® UK Director, Scott Wright said “We are really proud of Joe’s acheivements and it is great to hear the comments of Joe and his dad Mick that they feel that Coerver has played such an important part in his development to date. Joe joins a long list of players to graduate from the Coerver programme into proffesional football and his story is one that shows that you have to keep on going even when you face setbacks which inevitably will happen to young players trying to make a career in the game”.
“The fact that Joe turned down a proffesional career in music and left the comfort of home to go abroad to chase his dream shows the desire, attitude and sacrifice that is needed to succeed not only in football but in life. Joe’s story is an example to all aspiring footballers out there, if you have a good attitude and work ethic along with the footballing ability then you will get your chance. It is then about making the most of that chance which is exactly what Joe has done and I am absolutely delighted for him and his family”.
Booking is now available for the 2014 Coerver® Coaching Youth Diploma course in England.
Following three hugely successful years since the course launched in 2011, the Youth Diploma will again be delivered by Coerver® Co-founder, Alf Galustian and will take place in Stoke, London & Birmingham between May-June 2014.
Coerver® UK Director, Scott Wright said of the course “Over the last three years, our Youth Diploma course really has evolved into the must attend course for coaches working with young players at all levels. Attendees have travelled from across the world to attend during this time. 2014 is a very special year for Coerver® Coaching as this is our 30th anniversary and we will be making sure that our Youth Diploma courses will be the best yet including some very special guest presenters to mark the occasion”.
Scott added “Due to the unprecedented interest we have had in the 2014 dates in England, we introduced a Priority Booking window which enabled coaches that registered an interest through our website to book before the dates were released generally which has happened today.
“This window was available between 09:00 a.m. on Friday 8th November and 09:00 a.m. this morning (11th November). At the time of writing we have sold over 65% of all available places which shows the level of interest in the course. The course dates are still over 6 months away so this uptake reflects the fact that during the pre-registration period, we have had three enquiries for every place we actually have available. I must stress that if you want to attend the Youth Diploma course in England during 2014, you need to book as soon as you can”.
Coerver® Youth Diploma 2014 Course Information
Stoke
Dates: Saturday 17th & Sunday 18th May 2014
Venue: Stoke City FC, The Britannia Stadium, Stanley Matthews Way, Stoke-on-Trent ST4 4EG
London
Dates: Saturday 14th & Sunday 15th June 2014
Venue: Fulham FC, Motspur Park, New Malden, Surrey, KT3 6PT
Birmingham
Dates: Saturday 21st & Sunday 22nd June 2014
Venue: Birmingham City FC, 300 Redhill Road, Kings Norton, B38 9EJ
George Mells joined Coerver® Coaching at the age of six in 2004, where he first participated on a Holiday Clinic before progressing all the way through to the Performance Academy. He participated in his local Coerver® programme until 2007 after which he moved to New South Wales to attend Westfield High who offered George a scholarship largely based on the skills that he had developed during his time with Coerver® and playing regular Futsal.
George continued his football education with Coerver® until he moved to England to pursue his career in football where he was signed to the academy of Premier League giants Chelsea FC. George then moved to Southampton FC at the age of 14 and his hard work and determination paid off when he managed to secure a proffesional scholarship with the Saints as well as representing Australia at under 17 International level.
George’s Coerver® coach, Dieter Svoboda, said “When George first joined our programme it was with our Holiday Clinic programme which soon followed on to the Skills Clinics and finally the Academy program that same year. From a group consisting of U7, U8 and U9’s George was only 6 Year old but could match it with all the Coerver kids. As the months went on you could tell that he was working very hard at home with his practices as he showed remarkable improvement over the others. We at Coerver Victoria could see that George had the determination and character at this young age to take him a long way and progress into the highest levels of the game.”
George said “Coerver Coaching taught me skills like the Inside Cut, Outside Cut, Maradona Spin, Cruyff Turn, Step On, Shimmy and the ability to have good vision. I would watch the Coerver tapes and go and practice and practice. I could juggle the big ball 7651 times, tennis ball 2000, squash ball 1800 times”.
“I travelled to New South Wales and participated in the International camps where I made all the Coerver select squads from 2004 to 2007. I believe that the skills which Coerver taught me played a large part in me receiving the 2007 and 2008 Futsal National Championship Canberra MVP and Golden Boot Award”.
George Continued “Coerver taught me respect for my coaches, to have a good attitude, not to complain and to be a good person overall. The skills I learnt got me in a position to represent Australia via the Joeys (U17) 2011 and 2012, but most importantly it got me a contact at one of the biggest clubs in the world (Chelsea FC) and helped me with the placement I have now at Southampton FC, I would like to thank Coerver Coaching as it has been a big part of my development”.
George’s dad, George Senior said “Coerver gave George a structured, disciplined approach and a set of goals which he would practice every day without fail even until now”.
Coerver® Coaching would like to congratulate George for his hard work, dedication and being an excellent ambassador for our programme and someone future Coerver® kids can look up to.
We wish George all the very best with his future playing career.
Last week saw the first Ever Coerver® Youth Diploma to be delivered in South Africa and the first’s didn’t stop there, this was also the first time that Coerver® Coaching Co- Founders, Alf Galustian and Charlie Cooke have delivered the course together anywhere in the world (see below image).
This fantastic week in South Africa started with Alf and Charlie delivering a clinic for the South African Football Association (SAFA). The session was for participants of the CAF B License and attendees included former and current Women’s National Team players (see below image).
This was not only a great opportunity to introduce the Coerver® Coaching programme to SAFA but to also visit the FNB stadium which hosted the venue the 2010 FIFA World Cup Final as well as the SAFA headquarters in Johannesburg.
The Youth Diploma course was held at the University of Pretoria’s High Performance Centre which provided an excellent venue for the 70 coaches who attended from across South Africa. Support also came in the shape of adidas® South Africa who showcased the latest football products on offer from the world’s leading football brand which proved to be an excellent addition to the course and and was a huge success (see below images).
Coerver® Coaching South Africa Director Cayl Coetsee is extremely pleased with the progress that Coerver® Coaching has already made in South Africa, and very excited about the future. “The Youth Diploma showed the history and solid academic principles that Coerver® was built on. This, coupled to a dedicated and passionate South African team, will ensure the continued growth and success of Coerver® Coaching in South Africa and eventually throughout Africa.”
Two-time FIFA World Cup™ champion and two-time Olympic Gold medallist, Kristine Lilly, presented Coerver® Coaching Co-Founders Charlie Cooke and Alf Galustian with a letter from FIFA at the NSCAA Convention in Philadelphia last week. The letter is an acknowledgement of Coerver® Coaching’s 30 year contribution to the global development of the game.
Charlie Cooke and Alf Galustian presented with FIFA letter by Kristine Lilly
The letter recognising this achievement says:
“FIFA recognises that it is the dedication and long term commitment of exceptional individuals to youth football development that is critical to the future health and vitality of the modern game. Alf Galustian and Charlie Cooke are two such exceptional individuals.
As Co-Founders of the Coerver Coaching organization, Alf Galustian and Charlie Cooke have brought a gift of skilful football to hundreds of thousands of young people in over 40 countries, and helped thousands of coaches improve their teaching of the core technical skills that form the foundation of the game.
On the occasion of the 30th Anniversary of Coerver Coaching we are happy to recognise the global contribution Alf Galustian and Charlie Cooke have made to the development of the beauiful game.”
Signed by Walter Gagg, FIFA
Coerver® Coaching is very proud to celebrate its 30th year anniversary in 2014. To kick off the anniversary, over 60 Coerver® Coaching Coaches from across America came together at the NSCAA convention. They were also joined by Shinji Ishibashi, President Coerver® Coaching Asia Pacific, Jason Lancsar, Vice President Coerver® Coaching Asia Pacific, Coerver® Japan Coach, Taki and Scott Wright, Coerver® Coaching UK Director. The event reinforced how Coerver® Coaching has become a truly global brand, now operating in 34 countries in 2014.
Coerver® Coach Education with Alf Galustian and Charlie Cooke, Philadelphia 2014
A major highlight of the weekend was having two-time FIFA World Cup™ champion and two-time Olympic gold medallist, Kristine Lilly with the Coerver® team. Kristine attended all of the Coerver® Coaching events, signing autographs at the exhibition booth and most importantly delivered an excellent Coerver® field session to hundreds of Coaches at the convention.
Fans line up to get Kristine Lilly’s autograph at the Coerver® Coaching booth
Kristine is a legend in the game and still holds the record for most capped men’s or women’s soccer player in the history of the sport. Coerver® Coaching continues to work with Kristine to raise awareness and improve the Women’s game all over the globe.
Kristine Lilly’s Coerver® Coaching Field Session attended by hundreds of Coaches
Coerver® Coaching co-founder Alfred Galustian said, “We are proud of many achievements at top clubs and Federations over the last 30 years, however we are particularly proud is that Coerver Coaching has changed the way Football is taught all round the World. I am also proud that we have provided so many grassroots players and coaches around the world, with a fun method of teaching that improves players, whatever level they may be”.
Coerver® Coaching co-founder Charlie Cooke said, “We would like to thank all of our coaches, players, customers and parents for all of their support since 1984. We would also like to take this opportunity to thank our global partners, adidas, for their outstanding support for over 20 years”.
Coerver® Coaching looks forward to many more fantastic events to celebrate its 30th anniversary.
Check out our website and Follow @coervercoaching / @CoerverUK on Twitter for info on the latest Coerver® events and great coaching tips from our 30 years.
Coerver® Coaching and Rudi Skacel are delighted to announce the launch of the Coerver® Coaching “Play Like The Stars” coaching programme, which will start during February 2014. The new programme will offer young players the chance to learn how to play like their hero and help educate coaches in the finer skills of the game.
Skacel had two spells with Hearts, signing on loan from Marseille in 2005 and scoring 16 goals in 35 appearances before returning on a permanent basis in 2010. During this period he kept up his impressive scoring record, netting 25 in 58 appearances including a starring role in Hearts’ 5-1 demolition of Edinburgh rivals Hibernian in the 2012 Scottish Cup final.
For 30 years Coerver® Coaching has used Star Players and Teams as teaching models to help develop the next generation of young players across the globe. “Play Like The Stars” will be open to young players aged 7-14 years offering monthly training based around the star qualities of the former Czech International focusing on developing skilful, confident, creative footballers.
Coerver® Coaching Director Gordon Craig said “Throughout our history we have worked with some of the game’s leading players, right back to players such as Rivelino, Matthews and Beckenbauer, using them as teaching models. We are looking forward to working with Rudi, allowing our coaches to analyse and break down some of the skills and outstanding attributes he brought to Scottish Football during his time at Hearts. He has been one of the exciting players in our game in modern years and we believe he is an outstanding role model to inspire young players”.
The program will offer a monthly development session lead by Coerver® Head Coaches with Rudi attending to pass on advice and guidance to the players. Each clinic will include video analysis, question and answer with Rudi as well as intensive “serious fun” training sessions, players will also receive home assignments to practice between clinics.
Coerver® Coaching have recently returned from Brazil following the delivery of the latest instalment of the FIFA™ Football For Hope project. Coerver® Coaching Directors Mike Smith (Coerver® EMEA), Manuel Ojalvo (Coerver® Spain), and Rick Moss (Coerver® Texas) conducted a Coerver® Coaching Introduction Course for 30 Brazilian coaches working with inner city/disadvantaged kids throughout Brazil (See below image).
The program was organized by Street Football World and their local affiliate AMC and was sponsored by adidas®. The aim of the course was certainly NOT to teach Brazilians how to play football!, but to focus on how to use the Coerver® approach to motivate young players and excite them about training and skill development.
One special event within the course was a presentation by the regional association for football for the blind, led by coach Gabriel Mayr. Urece Sport and Culture (www.urece.org.br) which is an non-profit organisation which specializes in ministering football sessions for people with visible impairments, gave course participants an opportunity to put on eye covers and find out first hand the challenges of playing without sight.
With great perseverance the participants learned that it can be done. As are result of the session, Coerver® Coaching has agreed to work with the Brazilian Blind Football Association to develop a training method based on modified Coerver® drills and games.
CCEMEA Director, Mike Smith, with Brazilian Blind Football Paralympian, Anderson Dias.
Activities for disadvantaged kids will be at the centre of the Coerver® Coaching development focus for Brazil and we hope to supplement this by officially establishing Coerver® Coaching Brazil in 2014.
Here are some of the comments from the Coerver® Coaching participants about the course:
“These Coerver training days in Porto Alegre will be key to our future projects and will certainly help us deliver quality programs; and that is what children need”. – Evandro Silveira
“I am greatly satisfied with the training received by Coerver, I think the theoretical and practical sessions were very interesting and I am convinced that we can now offer our children a better quality program for now and in the future”. – Thom Freitas
“We are already applying the training received by Coerver in our program and have gained wide acceptance by children, families and educators”. – Peppi Lopes
Coerver® Coaching England & Wales are pleased to announce that they will be competing at the first ever Global Coerver® Cup 5 v 5 tournament, in partnership with adidas®, to take place in Madrid, Spain between 13th-18th April 2014.
The tournament is being staged to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Coerver® Coaching and will bring Coerver® teams from all over the world to compete in one of the world’s most iconic football cities over six action packed days with players competing in the U11, U13 & U15 (girls) age groups.
Two squads have been selected from the Performance Academy programme in England & Wales and will compete in the U11 & U13 age groups. In addition to the various teams that will be traveling to represent their respective Coerver® country there will also be a number of Coerver® Partner clubs competing in addition to squads from La Liga clubs Real Madrid CF & Atletico Madrid.
In addition to the Coerver® Cup tournament it-self, attending players and spectators will have time to take in the cultural side of Madrid with a visit also planned to the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, home of “Los Blancos”, Real Madrid CF (see below image).
Coerver® Coaching UK Director, Scott Wright commented “We are really excited to be taking two squads of players to compete in Madrid at the first ever global Coerver Cup. 2014 is a very important year for us with it being our 30th anniversary and this unique event will be bringing Coerver Players, Coaches, Parents and Partner Clubs together from all over the world”.
“There are teams coming from North America, South America & Europe as well as some local La Liga clubs including Real Madrid CF & Atletico Madrid which should prove to be an unbelievable development opportunity for our players”.
“The benefits on the football side of the event are clear to see but you also have the social and cultural side which for me is just an important for each players personal development. I have been lucky enough to work in Madrid three times in the last couple of years and it is definitely one of the world’s great cities for culture, food, shopping and certainly football, so I believe this will be a great event for everyone that is fortunate enough to be taking part”.
