1 Jan, 2011
Posted in Academy, Business | 0 comments
Happy New Year! Now 2011 has arrived I thought I would review 2010 at the TWSports.Org Group. From attracting Benfica to Belfast to travelling to Holland and Portugal it has been another action packed year. I published my first book in March, celebrated 5 years of operating TWSports.Org in July and got married!
Of course I couldn't do this without your fantastic level of support and friendship. I continue to re-invest to help continue to make our product the most innovative around along with offering the latest in technology with our websites, social media my new blog to help communicate and make ourselves available to you.
January - TWAcademy.Org announced a tour to Holland for August 2010. Tour highlights included a game against PSV Eindhoven, a tour of PSV training complex, stadium tour and to watch a PSV first team game at the Philips Stadium. Players involved in the Academy come together from Irish League sides and boys clubs. Currently we have players from Glentoran, Cliftonville, Dungoyne, Larne Youth, Lisburn Youth, Ridgeway, Abbey Villa, Carryduff Colts and Lower Maze.
The Academy is open to all elite players that want access to additional elite training that focuses on technical training and game understanding. To get your child involved contact myself by email or by phone, 07740120788.
February - The TWSports.Org Group increase their presence on the social media sites of Facebook, Twitter and You Tube. Simply search for 'twsportsgroup' or click on the logos at the top of our web page and follow us for the latest news. We have also made it easy to share pages from our websites by clicking the link button at the bottom of each page!
March - I published my first book, 'Toddler Soccer the Essential Guide'. You can get a FREE download and your copy by clicking here.
You can listen to the BBC Radio Ulster interview on Tim's new book by following this link.
April - SL Benfica accepted TWSports.Org invitation to fly to Belfast to offer Coaching Clinics and Player Development Clinics. Hugo Vicente & Edgar Cardosa led the clinics that attracted a number of local coaches, parents and children. A family also flew in from New York to attend! They spent the week in Northern Ireland and attended the TWSports.Org Easter Camp in Dundonald.
Over 60 children enjoyed the Easter Camp along with a SoccerSixes.Org tournament being played by a host of local clubs. We catered for all boys and girls aged 2-13 along with an open age for children, young adults and coaches at the Benfica events!
May - 'Toddler Soccer the Essential Guide' book by Tim Wareing has now sold in 18 different countries! This stretches from the UK and Ireland, across Europe to USA and Canada, the Far East and Australia!
You can order the paperback version or the e-book by clicking here!
June - Amazon and SoccerTutor.com are now selling Tim Wareing's new book! Tim has done a telephone interview by his publisher to be used as a case study and offered another publishing deal to write a second book!
SoccerTutor.com have also requested that Tim writes a book based on elite coaching using his sessions as Academy Director at Distillery and his visits to FC Barcelona, PSV Eindhoven and Ajax.
July - What a special month! TWSports.Org celebrated its 5th birthday! Our Summer Camps offered over 14 venues across Northern Ireland and open to all boys and girls aged 2-13.
Director & Head Coach, Tim Wareing, married to his partner, Leanne.
August - 25 parents, children and coaches travelled to Holland for an unbelievable tour. From start to finish everything was a huge success from our direct flights from Belfast to the 4* Hotel & luxury coach.
TWAcademy drew 4-4 with PSV Eindhoven's feeder team and then recorded a fine 9-1 victory over Helmond Sport. Everyone enjoyed the tour of the PSV Eindhoven training complex along with the penalty shoot out with Hans Segars! A game at the Philips Stadium topped the weekend off!
You can read a full report from our tour by clicking here & view our video by following this link.
September - We kicked off another new season - our biggest yet! From offering 8 great products that cater for children aged 2 years +; to our web based products that have coaches registered from all over the world!
Along with the likes of Toddler Soccer, Mini Soccer & elite training through TW Academy we also offer other great packages to! From 1-on-1 coaching and organising birthday parties to coaching in schools and at local clubs we offer the most inclusive and innovative product around!
October - A successful Halloween Camp is held which offers affordable day care solution for parents while children are off school. Helping children get active, have fun and learn new skills from only £2 per hour! A party is held for all children and parents at the end of the week.
We base all our Fun Camps on a normal school day from 10am-3pm with an early drop off service available from 9am. For more information contact me by email or phone, 07740120788.
November - Tim Wareing organised a European Club visit to Braga, Portugal for his staff. They studied the training methods of SC Braga along with taking in the Champions League game against Arsenal.
You can read a full report from our tour by clicking here & view our video by following this link.
December - We made developments to the layout of our websites. We have free downloads of books, training sessions and videos! Simply visit our sites and subscribe to our newsletters. Along with our FREE chat facility (top left hand corner of each website) we launched a new blog, CoachTim.Org.
We continue to grow & have a huge following around the world that have registered to our web based sites & coach resource information. The TWSports.Org Group has a number of exciting new features & opportunities as we enter 2011. We will bring these to you & your child!
Thanks for the support in 2010. Good just got better for 2011 & we look forward to sharing it with you all!
23 Dec, 2010
Posted in Academy | 0 comments
As Director of TWAcademy.Org I organised a tour for 25 boys & parents to travel to Holland. The tour arrangements were organised by my close friend & top Dutch Coach, Bert-Jan (BJ) Heijmans. The tour brought together a selection of boys from over 6 different boys & Irish League clubs. The tour offered an opportunity to live the life of a professional during the 4 day training camp.
After a great flight from Belfast International to Schiphol Amsterdam we were met by a luxurious coach & good friend BJ. We transferred to Den Bosch to our base at the 4* Hotel Vaught. After checking into our rooms & unpacking we met up for a team meeting. BJ took the opportunity to welcome everyone & explain in full the weekend ahead. The squad then enjoyed a meal together before having a stroll to the old town. The boys then headed to their rooms for a well deserved rest.
Saturday morning the team met for breakfast before transferring to VV Eindhoven, this is a feeder team of PSV Eindhoven. After a team talk & warm up the boys took to the field for what would turn out to be an excellent performance & very entertaining game.
Eindhoven v TWAcademy.Org, Saturday
The match was played in 3 periods of 25 minutes. During the first period we had a number of great chances created by some fast flowing football. Unfortunately Mackie, Stewart & McCrory couldn't break the deadlock. Against the run of play, & right before the first break, Eindhoven scored to go 1-0 up. A very cool finish by the Eindhoven forward.
The second period was very exciting. Mackie scored probably one of the hardest of his opportunities by finishing well with a volley to make the score 1-1. More excitement was to follow after a free kick was awarded on the edge of the Eindhoven box. Ryan McCrory stepped up to score a marvellous free kick into the right hand corner of the goal, 2-1 to TWAcademy!
All the goals seemed to be saved for the final period. Eindhoven equalised, making the score 2-2. Soon after Luke Fisher received the ball on the half way line & beat 2 players as if they weren't there. He then outsprinted the covering defender before cutting inside & finishing with a lethal right foot finish, 3-2. TWAcademy then took control with Mikey Crawford taking a well worked goal, 4-2. The temperature continued to rise & some tired legs started to show. Although it was the heads to go first, switching off from a corner Eindhoven pulled a goal back. A number of the Academy players were frustrated & ran to the referee claiming that the corner was taken half way between near post & corner flag. To their frustration this is allowed in Holland. Again this shows how they tailor the game to the children in Holland.
With minutes remaining the talented PSV Eindhoven forward finished brilliantly to make the final score 4-4. What a great performance by the young boys. The scouts watching were very impressed & will monitor a number of the TWAcademy players.
Philips Stadium
After the game we enjoyed lunch on the executive bus that the Premiership teams use for games. We transferred to PSV Eindhoven's ground, The Philips Stadium. Our tour guide was very friendly, informative & interested in our party. We got pitch side, taken through the changing rooms, media room & executive seating area. We walked the corridors that many famous players & managers of the past have done. This includes the great Sir Bobby Robson & players such as Ruud van Nistelrooy.
Before returning to the hotel we had opportunity to purchase some PSV gear in their shop.
Evening Session
BJ then took the boys for a training session at a fantastic indoor arena owned by our friend Martien Pennings. Martien is a head scout at PSV & travelled over to Belfast to operate a clinic for coaches for TWSports.Org.
BJ's session involved all the players & each of them always had a ball. You can view these sessions on a DVD that will be produced from our trip. For more information contact me on, 077 4012 0788.
Helmond Sport v TWAcademy.Org, Sunday
After breakfast we transferred to Dutch First Division side, Helmond Sport. With the first team being away we had the opportunity to play in the first team stadium, a 5000 all seater stadium! What a great experience for the boys. The pitch was shortened & smaller goals placed on either 18 yard line. Again proving why the Dutch are more technically gifted & offer a more child friendly approach.
The game was quite one sided with TWAcademy.Org recording a great 10-1 win. Although the Dutch counter parts were younger, played some nice football & never gave in. Again a number of the TWAcademy players attracted interest.
The game finished with everyone hitting a penalty. In both games our Dutch counterparts offered us all the balls, bibs, cones & water we required for our warm up. We had showers & changing rooms & a club room for tea & coffee.
Dutch Taste
After the game we went to the local chippy to discover the Dutch equivalent to fish & chips! Although some of the kids were not fussed on some of the items the parents & coaching team enjoyed it!
We then went for a game of bowls before transferring back to the Philips Stadium to watch PSV Eindhoven v AZ. After a non eventful first half the second half improved & we cheered PSV on to a 2-1 victory.
After a very busy, but very enjoyable couple of days, we enjoyed a free night in the hotel. Along with BJ & Danny we carried out player analysis after dinner. This offered a 1-to-1 informative chat with each player to add to their game & how they can improve on any weaknesses.
PSV Eindhoven First Team Training, Monday
After breakfast we boarded the bus with our luggage sad knowing that it was our last day in Holland. But to cheer us up BJ had organised another fantastic day! We arrived at the first team training ground of PSV. We saw a couple of first team & reserve team players train. They also took the time to speak with us, sign autographs & pose for photos.
They also had their academy players in for a week of professional training. 2 sessions daily, basically training as a first team player. It was fascinating to watch. Kids had the freedom to train & coaches got down to their level & made it fun but always high tempo & use of the ball.
Hans Segers
I think the highlight was meeting ex Wimbledon keeper (aka crazy gang!) Hans Segers. He is now a goalkeeper coach at PSV & organised a penalty shoot out for the boys against the PSV keeper!
It hit home to everyone - players & parents - to what I have been saying over the past number of years. In Holland everyone is so approachable & down to earth. There are no big egos or super stars. This was our final meeting at PSV at what a way to finish on!
Ajax, Amsterdam ArenA
Before making our way back to the airport we stopped off to enjoy a stadium tour of Ajax at the Amsterdam ArenA. We also had time to view the historic museum of this great European club.
On our way back to the airport our captains, Luke Fisher & Keegan Rice, presented BJ & our coach driver with gifts & made a speech through the microphone on the coach. They spoke very well & it was very moving for BJ to have 2 young boys speak so well.
Observations
This was my fourth time in Holland. So was great to meet up with friends & for so many parents & boys to see my love for the country & philosophy so much. The boys & parents mixed so well. It shows the training each week at the Academy really does add to their games along with what they receive outside of that. In Holland boys of 11 & 12 will train up to 4 times per week. In Northern Ireland the reality is once weekly, maybe twice. This is why children attending the TWAcademy don't only benefit from another session but the quality coaching & opportunities they receive really does add to their game.
Another massive difference is that the Dutch continue to work with players & always keeping them at a level that suits. While Premiership clubs (& youth teams in NI) replace up to 50% of their players it is no surprise long term development is not available & more & more players are leaving the game.
The DVD features BJ's analysis on this & what he thinks about TWAcademy. If you want to hear more & watch more sign up to our Facebook page & You Tube channel.
This experience will live with us all. We have made a video show casing what we do along with footage from our tour. Watch our video review by clicking this link!
Future
The boys will continue to train with myself on a weekly basis. Some also have booked & continue to avail of my 1-on-1 coaching. We will return to Holland. We also have an invite from Portugal. Short term we will look at taking the boys over to visit BJ in Durham & play his side as well as Sunderland or Newcastle.
We also hope to organise player & coach exchange between TWAcademy & in Holland. Many of our players attracted interest. So if you would like to find out more about getting your child involved simply contact me now, 077 4012 0788 or by email.
Thanks
TWAcademy.Org would like to thank our sponsors; Absolute Marketing, Grounded Espresso Bars & Kaizen Print. We extend our thanks to all the children & parents for their support. Finally we thank all the clubs & people in Holland that welcomed us along with BJ who put together one magical experience!
8 Dec, 2010
Posted in Academy, Coach Education | 1 comment
As coaches you can never stop learning in this game. I feel it is essential to travel and exchange ideas on club visits. More importantly we need to share our experiences as coaches. Personally I don't think we do this enough. Coaching can be a very lonely job. I love the European way of talking about football and coaching over a coffee or beer after sessions and games. In the UK we don't seem to do the same, unless we get paid for it!
During November I travelled to Braga, Portugal. It was another great experience viewing a top European Club that is competing in the UEFA Champions League. I would like to express my thanks for the kind invite & hospitality from Hugo and SC Braga.
Here is my report, enjoy!...
Braga
The northern city is the third biggest in Portugal, although it still keeps its charm and feel of a village. The architecture of the buildings and Se Cathedral were beautiful. The views over the city from the Bom Jesus do Monte was breath-taking.
We found the people to be very friendly. The food was of a very high standard and very reasonable to eat out. The Portuguese don't do a quick sandwich but eat a large meal at lunch time as well as evening. It is a very social thing to meet friends and family at lunch. We enjoyed eating fresh bread and a great main course before finishing with coffee. It was great to eat at leisure and talk about football.
SC Braga
Sporting Clube de Braga is commonly known as Sporting de Braga or simply Braga. They play at the AXA Stadium which is also known as 'The Quarry' or the 'Tool Box'. This is due to the design where the stadium is built inside a Quarry with cables attaching the 2 main stands. The ground was built for UEFA Euro 2004.
Braga had been known as Arsenal do Minho and changed their kits from green and white hoops to their Arsenal style red in 1935. This is due to their coach, Jozsef Szabo, visiting and watching Arsenal at the old Highbury ground.
The emblem of Sporting de Braga is the city of Braga's shield with Mother Mary and baby Jesus. On the top of the emblem is the golden Mural Crown of Braga, with the name Sporting Clube de Braga on it. Many fans of Braga have said that Mother Mary gives them luck. The fans of Braga are known as Arsenalistas due to their team home kit that resembles that of English club Arsenal.
After finishing runners up in the Portuguese league during season 2009 / 2010 they qualified for the knock stages of the Champions League. They defeated Celtic and Sevilla to qualify for the group stages of the Champions League for the very first time.
Youth Set Up
Braga provides teams from 7 / 8 year olds and above. The younger section of the Academy will train 3 times per week along with a match. They concentrate heavily on ball mastery and 1 v 1 duels on defence and attack.
Players also receive homework so they really develop and are confident using both feet. Braga will work closely with a number of other local clubs. They play in a number of tournaments so they are playing against the best.
They will play small sided games on smaller pitches and with a smaller ball at the young age. On the day we arrived into Portugal we got to watch their U13's. At this stage they play 11 v 11 on a full size pitch. I suppose one of the problems is with the local leagues that they are forced to play in. Some opposition are very poor. Braga eased to a 19-0 victory on the day.
As the players get older they will start to train more. The U19's for example are in every day. They also have players from all over the world. The nationalities in the squad asides from Portuguese include; German, Greek, Brazilian along with a number of players on trial from Africa.
The U19's train at the old Braga stadium which is a great facility. The Spain National team used this as their base during Euro 2004. They also play their home games here. An athletic club also operate out of the same base. During the week that we were in Braga there had been a lot of rain so the training was transferred to 2 full size 3G pitches that are at the same location. They are Council run but a great facility to fall back on.
All the players training clothing is ready on their arrival in a basket set out in the changing room with their name on it. They change before reporting to the pitch. Each day we watched we were always greeted with a smile and hand shake. I also found it nice that all the players always shake hands when they meet including players and children from different age groups.
1-on-1 Coaching
Another important role for Hugo Vicente as the Technical Director is to work with players 1-on-1 or in a small group. He'll concentrate on ball mastery, using both feet and a number of games and sessions that relate to the position they play.
This is something crucial to the overall development in each individual player's game. The players I personally work with 1-on-1 have found the benefits that it has added to their game and overall development. You can find out more by following this link or watching video 1 or video 2.
Champions League
What a treat to watch a live game in this wonderful stadium. Made even better that it was Arsenal in the Champions League! To be a stone's throw from the players during the warm up and to be part of the crowd was something else.
With the teams lined up, the Champions League music blasted out and all the home support held up Braga posters to really create a special atmosphere. I got goose bumps; I knew something special was going to happen!
To see players like Theo Walcott, Denilson, Jack Wilshere, Rosicky, Bendtner and the great Cesc Fabregas in the flesh was a treat. Although I must admit, Arsenal was very disappointing on the night. Braga over all deserved their win and Nascimento Matheus scored two great goals - especially his second.
What a result from Braga, especially after being defeated 6-0 away to Arsenal earlier in the group. I was surprised that it was not a sell out but those that came went home happy...apart from the travelling Arsenal supporters! The Porto Manager also watched the game behind us.
Review
The hospitality that was shown to me and my colleague Daniel is hard to express in words. Hugo, the club and the players were so welcoming. SC Braga is such a family, friendly club. Every staff member and player - from the young age of 7 - welcomed us with a smile and a hand shake. This created such a positive experience as everyone was so approachable. Especially in a day and age where at some clubs people and players feel they are above the normal person.
I also found all the youth players very confident and polite. This is very much a European way but something I like to instil in my own children and kids I work with. Manners and confidence cost nothing but create a lasting experience.
This experience will last with me and I will always have a real fondness and interest in SC Braga. Watch our video review by clicking this link!
March - I published my first book, 'Toddler Soccer the Essential Guide'. You can get a FREE download and your copy by clicking here.
August - 25 parents, children and coaches travelled to Holland for an unbelievable tour. From start to finish everything was a huge success from our direct flights from Belfast to the 4* Hotel & luxury coach.
