Change thinking

"Change thinking" This blog is going to discuss one of the things that I think is standing in the way of player development around the world but particularly in South Australia and in women's football.

For far too long players have achieved what they perceive to be great achievements on the back of very little real effort. I mean that they have been selected for State Teams and even in some cases National Teams after training twice a week with their clubs. I know this for a fact as I selected players in my NZ U17 side and in last years W League side who previously had only ever trained twice a week with their clubs and played one game at the weekend.

In the case of the NZ girls, they were suddenly expected and required to train a minimum of six times per week for a total of around 12-15 hours. This included individual fitness and skill sessions, in addition to the 4 team sessions per week.

W League this season will be expected to train 4 times per week plus their game, as well as time spent individually on recovery, fitness and in skill development as required.

Some people may consider this to be excessive and I have had parents voice concerns when their daughters are invited into development squads or National Teams about the amount of training they are being asked to do.

A change in our thinking is vital if we are to progress! 4 sessions per week, 12-15 hours per week is NOT excessive. Yes it is more than the average club football player is doing and yes it does take some planning and sacrifice in order to keep it up BUT and this is where I hope the change in thinking occurs, it is nothing compared to many other sports!

Football and in particular women's football is an Olympic Sport and provides our girls with the opportunity to compete at the worlds greatest sporting event, in front of crowds of 90,000+. To be an Olympic Athlete requires sacrifice and committment. An Olympic Gymnast or swimmer (and their parents) would laugh at 12-15 hours per week training.

"Elite gymnasts train in excess of 20-30 hours per week.  Typically, daily training sessions are scheduled morning and afternoon lasting for 2-3 hours each session."      ausport.gov.au  

 

"Swimming requires a serious commitment to training. Typically, 6-12 sessions are undertaken each week, with the distance covered in each session ranging dramatically. Sprinters during a taper phase may only cover 1000-2000 metres compared to distance swimmers who can travel up to 10 kilometres per session.  Elite swimmers typically train twice a day but during heavy training camps can train 3 sessions a day.  This can mean time spent in the water can be more than 6 hours.  In addition, swimmers usually complete 2-3 weight training sessions per week and may undertake some land-based aerobic training such as running or cycling. Training commitments of sub elite swimmers can still be large and it is not uncommon for swimmers in their early teens to be training 10 times per week."    ausport.gov.au

So are we serious about developing olympic athletes, athletes/football players capable of performing on the ultimate stage, at Olympic Games and FIFA World Cups? If we are, we need to change our thinking and begin to train like we are!

Training every day on some aspect of the game from a young age is not going to harm girls, far from it, it will help maintain their health and fitness and provide them with many life skills for the future (persistance, time management, reliability, initiative etc.) These sessions dont have to be at a club or with a coach, they can be on their own or with friends/team mates either developing their confidence and skill level with the ball or working on their fitness. I am not saying this is for everyone, the same way that 20-30 hours swim training is not required to be a social swimmer, but if you want to be an elite footballer, be prepared for a change in your thinking and be prepared to put in the hours required to reach the elite standard.

The opportunities are endless but they all begin with hard work!