I read Gary Kleiban from 3four3 blog quite a lot and find his points of view confronting but accurate.

Read a comment that goes like this; 4 million make youth players in the USA and not one World Class player!

More than 650,000 people played indoor and outdoor soccer in 2013-14, http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/soccer-more-popular-than-aussie-rules-but-sport-participation-down-report-finds/news-story/598fee7c6d726ae2a9f45726665cadda

And not one World Class Player.

So the question is "Are we able to develop a World Class Player in our Environment?

From my point of view and research the problems are as follows in particular order;

1. Restricted on no promotion and relegation from Community to NPL to A-League.
2. Cost of coaching Licences in Australia
3. Restricted places in expensive coaching courses.
4. Questionable learning methodology of coaches.
5. Restriction of VISA player entrants at NPL level- as a further explanation the key issue of NC and player development is the best against the best. When players from the Welsh Premier League come to second tier NPL comps and dominates I think that indicates a problem. When the A-League is dominated by VISA players of low rank, that are better than anything we have domestically there are issues.
6 LAck of investment and belief that Futsal is an important development tool,
7 Entry point costs at $2,200 for NPL players is crazy and turning our sport into a middle class past time.
Pay to play is an identified problem because it filters out talent from reaching the higher levels of the game.
8 Transfer system and Compensation Fees, this is how the rest of the world pays for player development, this is not available in Australia and economically realistic levels.

I've said before and say it again if your a talented player 14-16 years of age with a European Passport then go to Europe now.

Agree with many of the points Arthur, no doubt the ingredients are there we just got to somehow put it together.

But most issues you have identified the biggest elephant for all of these problems is $$$, there is simply not enough to go around to feed the game at all levels i.e too many mouths to feed.
And given australia is getting quite expensive year by year its definitely not helping.

But solve this and football would be much more healthier than it would ever be.

If only football got the huge revenue streams that the AFL, NRL or even cricket gets, or even half of this it would not hurt....

FFA say they are redressing these issues.

At NPL clubs, or any others, if 5 coaches are willing to do the C Licence, FFA staff coaches at state branches will go out to the clubs to conduct the courses at $640 per head.

That is being offered now in Tasmania. I think it is a nationwide phenomenon.

Edited by Decentric: 11/2/2016 07:29:15 PM

How?

The problem of $$$revolves around lack of investment. At the moment in the current football ecosystem there is no or little incentive to invest.
Compensation fees, transfers fees are non-existant or miniscule.
Unsuccessful bidders for A-League licences no-where to be seen and so to their money.
Promotion and relegation blockages from community to NPL to A-League inhibit football investment.
In Victoria all Clubs must be incorporated associations. These are not governance vehicles used for investment.

C and B Licences are too intensive over a short period of time affecting the learning experience.

Lack of qualified instructors (we have one in Victoria at the moment).

Bravo Tasmania, not happening in Melbourne yet.

Last C Licence course had 50 participants and only one qualified instructor!

The first sentence has been recognised by FFA. Have a look at the State Conference thread. I agree with you and I was hoping to elicit your response.:d

We had two qualified instructors, even three, in a small state in Tasmania.

The scenario in Victoria is shocking with only one instructor .](*,)

In the past at the odd instructor/assessor loved the power trip of failing people and loved having quals others didn't. Most coaches In the FFA system could easily be failed using the FFA criteria to appraise their own sessions.

Most tell players solutions , rather than induce them to respond with their own solutions. ](*,)

This occurs when they are under pressure at public sessions from being observed by galleries of coaching participants. Cross, Berger, Boardman, and Dean May could all be failed by themselves as assessors.:lol:

We had 24 participants , with two qualified instructors, one brought in (Rob Sherman for a weekend), plus the state TD, who had just about qualified as an instructor.

So there were effectively 4 instructors to 24 participants.

We have a new state CEO, who I think has had a background in football. He may have had a significant effect in FFA national direction.

Question is this can we produce a World Class Player?

World Class = playing in one of the top four leagues, with a consistently top six club, that more often than not competes in the Champions League and is considered a starting player.

I'm saying we cannot due to lack of domestic competitive structures.

Not many nations can consistently produce players of this quality . A top six club starting player in one the big four leagues is a big ask.

Maty Ryan at Valencia.

Maty Ryan and our other great GK's are a product of our environment. We have a lot of codes which require hand coordination which I'm sure has played a part in some of our more talented goalkeepers. E.g. the goalkeeper I coach at the moment has a past in AFL so his hands and his ability to stretch/jump for the ball are great for his age.

gotta agree with this

Have to pay that one, but on the proviso Valencia get their shit together.
They have not won a game in nine matches!

Thanks dirkvanadidas, just to add their are football academies opening in Melbourne where either the players do not play competitive league matches in NPL or Community. They train and play friendlies at ages 13-18.

While another academy with plenty of player development success works with local community club, fielding teams in 14, 13, 12 and 11yo age groups under the community club banner. They do not train with the Club at all.
Good enough for two players to be selected in the U14 State team comp at Coffs Harbour late last year.

There is one group ready to bring out a Technical Director from Europe, buy land to build a football field and develop players directly for overseas.

And personally I don't have a problem with that as I dont think there is ONE specific way of developing a World Class Player.

If there was and someone had the answer they would be a very wealthy person.

Why i dont agree with the NC
Teaching a kid technique with out using isolated training and only using game play or game relevant, is like teach the times tables using algebra.
You could maybe get there but not as quickly as standing up and repeating your times tables over and over.

I think there is enough isolated training in SAP. At the end of the day though, 2-3 training sessions isn't enough to become a world class player. You need more hours doing isolated training for your touch and having unorganised football to improve your understanding of the game. The kids that put that sort of time are few so the players they play and train against those that don't challenge them to do even better.

I look at my team - it's an NPL1 club but youth in NPL1 and 2 is mixed. The talent gap is so great that it doesn't allow the more talented kids to improve even more. If the talented kids were playing against talented kids, they would be force to be better.

Exactly which is why a-league academies especially in Sydney recently will be crucial, train and play the best from the best in the team.

but drawing all the talented kids out of the local comp has the negative affect of downgrading the local comp.
Mind you that is in line with the australian football philosophy of destroying the grass roots in favour of the elite.

Removing them from the local competition? It's a state wide competition. They play the best players from all over the state. The problem is 1. we don't have a lot of good talent and 2. politics affect the make up of every squad.

yes removing them players that should be playing for local clubs are removed and play in a state wide comp therefore lowering the level of the local comp.