Eastern Lions Soccer Club New Framework to Develop International Soccer Players

Online, March 1, 2010 (Newswire.com) - Based in Burwood, Melbourne, Eastern Lions Soccer Club has been a major participant on both senior and junior soccer clubs in Melbourne since 1963.
Eastern Lions Soccer Club had previously relied on imported players from the UK and Europe to provide the core players for the senior club. Clearly now the goal posts have shifted, and in recognition of more sophisticated coaching methods and an increase in junior participation, the club has now focussed its attention on the development of its junior players to fill the core roles within the 1st and reserve teams. As an example, no less than 9 players from the 2009 Under16 team have been training with the senior team in preparation for the upcoming 2010 season. The number of players coming up from the juniors is no coincidence.

Starting at the very earliest ages, the new development framework provides a pathway for players from 5 and 6 years of age right up to senior level. The coaching framework is based on the guidelines that have been put into place by Football Federation of Australia, and has a high emphasis on technical and skills based training in the early years of player development, progressing to game awareness and physical conditioning as the players mature.

The advent of the new small sided games being adopted by the FFA format will be a major component of the coaching framework at Eastern Lions and combined with specialist skills based training, the development framework will produce players of outstanding technical ability. As Nigel explains, "I am convinced that the new framework will ensure the development of players to the highest level of their potential. We have seen players of seemingly ordinary ability transform into serious contenders for places in our first team. A lot of this is due to the coaching methods and to the club philosophy of promoting junior players." Nigel explained that Coerver Coaching was instrumental in laying the foundations for the appropriate level of skill required, and combining Coerver with small sided gamed and a philosophy promoting fun has been the corner stone of the framework. "Our framework has been created based on the last 8 years of coaching and development at the club, and we will continue to refine the framework to ensure that we produce players of high calibre, and ensure that the environment is fun for the players an conducive to player development."

The framework that Eastern Lions has introduced is adaptive to all ages, with age and skill based curriculum's being used to ensure that players are receiving the appropriate level of coaching in line with the players. There is no doubt that improving players technical skill level will make them a better player, but technical skill is just one component of our development pathway to get more young players into senior soccer and hopefully play for the Socceroos one day.