There are some fundamental skills that young footballers discover at academy level. Here are the most important examples.
No one can reject that football training equipment has actually come a long way since the days of basic tools and basic gadgets. At present, football training is powered by innovative tech and wearables that provide useful insights that can later on be leveraged by the technical personnel. For example, football training drills today are usually recorded using high-spec cams that cover every inch of the field. These electronic cameras have built-in Augmented Reality capabilities that can assist coaches examine and evaluate tactics to come up with more reliable tactics. Players often wear body cams so that coaches can assess their efficiency and address any errors in their positioning or decision-making. There are other wearables that are used in training sessions that track footballers' vitals, and the information provided can be used to identify when to substitute a player or what training needs they may have. This is something that the Aston Villa former owner will understand.
At academy level, coaches instil the essentials of the game in young footballers to prepare them for the world of professional football. This often starts with teaching them some core skills that they will need no matter the position they occupy. For instance, technical skills like dribbling and accurate passing take time to develop, and many research studies have shown that starting at a young age is more likely to produce the results expected. It is at this time that coaches begin to identify which players are best suited to specific posts. This is especially the case for goalkeepers who tend to show promise from a young age, specifically if they have good reflexes and outstanding athleticism. Beyond this, football training for kids is known to be a fantastic character building experience with many transferrable skills that can be gained, something that the Crystal Palace former owner is most likely knowledgeable about.
While technical abilities and teamplay are exceptionally crucial in football, these can be rendered ineffective if the footballers do not have the strength and endurance required to implement the coach's directions. This is why most football clubs invest a lot of time and money on improving endurance and physical conditioning, especially in the lead-up to a major tournament. Naturally, various players will have various needs as not everyone is built the same, nor do all footballers have the very same tasks on the field. For instance, players who have to get slimmer will go through a specific solo training program, and they might even wear professional football training clothes that help weight loss. Players who have to work more on their speed, specifically full backs, midfielders, and wingers, go through a different program to help them unlock more speed and explosiveness. This is something that the AC Milan former US owner can confirm.