Barcelona’s approach to youth development

http://www.socceramerica.com/blogs/youth_soccer_insider/?p=92
Barcelona’s approach to youth development
Posted May 28th, 2009 by Mike Woitalla

By Mike Woitalla

Two years ago, while visiting Spain, I looked into to its approach to youth development. Since then, Spain has won the 2008 European Championship and Barcelona won the 2009 UEFA Champions League.

Both teams won their titles playing attractive, attack-minded soccer in an era dominated by cautious, defensive play. As coaches have become ever more obsessed with strength and size, Barcelona and Spain's star players are notable for their skill and small stature.

Among those I spoke to were Jose Ramon Alexanco, the director of Barcelona's youth program, and Pep Guardiola, who at the time had just been named coach of Barcelona's reserve team. Guardiola, one of Barca's all-time great players, had come through the Barcelona youth system, which he joined in 1984 at age 13.

Guardiola was promoted to first-team head coach last summer, and proceeded to guide Barca to La Liga title and the Champions League crown, which it captured in Rome on Wednesday by marvelously outplaying Manchester United in a 2-0 win that featured several products of Barcelona's youth program, the cantera, including Lionel Messi, Victor Valdes, Carles Puyol, Xavi and Andres Iniesta.

"Our aim to is to help young players understand the game," Guardiola said when I spoke with him at Barcelona's training grounds. "Of course, there is the emphasis on the technical, where it all starts. But we want the players to learn how to think fast. We want them to learn how to run little, but run smart."

He echoed Johan Cruyff, the Dutchman who coached the great Barcelona teams that won the 1992 European Cup and four straight La Liga titles with Guardiola in midfield.

Said Cruyff: "All coaches talk too much about running a lot. I say it's not necessary to run so much. Soccer is a game that's played with the brain. You need to be in the right place at the right time, not too early, not too late."

Alexanco provided me with details on how Barcelona ran its youth teams.

"We don't demand that the youth teams win," said Alexanco. "We demand that they play good soccer. We don't use the word, 'winning.'"

Not until after the players reach age 16 is there fitness training.

"That's when we start to concentrate on the technical, tactical and physical requirements they need for the first team," Alexanco said. "Before that age we mainly play soccer. Everything is with the ball. We work on skills and some tactics."

The Barca program fields teams from age 10 up. The 10-year-olds - the Benjamins - practice four days a week, in 45-minute sessions, and play 7-v-7 games on the weekend. All of the older age groups play 11-v-11.

"They play the same system, in the 4-3-3 formation, used by first team," says Alexanco. "The developmental teams have to reflect the personality of the first team. That also means playing attacking, attractive soccer. That's what our fans demand and what we want to give them."

Through age 17, Barcelona fields two teams at each age group. Each player plays at least 45 percent of the games.

Choosing the right players for its youth program is the key to its success. Barcelona does not hold tryouts. They don't work, says Alexanco. Charged with finding the talent are the ojeadores, the scouts. The players they pick come in for trials before they are invited to join the cantera.

Barcelona employs 25 scouts throughout Spain, with at least one in each province. They convene twice a year at Barcelona, where the bosses reiterate the criteria and quality they're seeking in players.

Barcelona also works with about 30 youth clubs throughout Catalonia, with the aim of finding players from the province it prides itself on representing, and it uses contacts throughout the world to find players.

"You have to have eyes everywhere," Alexanco says. "You need to see the kids who are playing soccer on the playground.

"We're looking for players who have technique and speed, and who look like players. And we're looking for players who offer something different."




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Hold up son... you saying they don't find the fastest kids and hit long balls to them at all costs on full size fields at age 9?

What sorcery is this

Soccer is evolving ever so much, like everything else in life.

In the 1940s through 1970s, South American countries, teams and players dominated the world due to their finesse, possesion-oriented style of plays. The world adapted to that.

In the 80s to the 00s, came the Italians, French and Germany with their total-football style of play in which they throw each and everything at you (speed, skills, power, you name it), to get the win. The world adapted to that too.

Then again came the partial entertaining, partial attacking style of play which we see more often now.

So to me, all that article is saying is that Spain and Barcelona are the trend now with their tiqui-taca style, but not necessarily the way forever. If both Spain and Barcelona can show dominance in the world soccer for let's say the next 10 years, the way Brazil and Santos did in the 70s, or the way Italy and AC Milan did in 80s/90s, then I guess we can all sit down again and talk about it.

But for now, let's just pencil that with the rest of walkmans, boogies, breakdance, afro, myspace, VHS, etc trends we have all seen before.

Pele98 wrote:Soccer is evolving ever so much, like everything else in life.

In the 1940s through 1970s, South American countries, teams and players dominated the world due to their finesse, possesion-oriented style of plays. The world adapted to that.

In the 80s to the 00s, came the Italians, French and Germany with their total-football style of play in which they throw each and everything at you (speed, skills, power, you name it), to get the win. The world adapted to that too.

Then again came the partial entertaining, partial attacking style of play which we see more often now.

So to me, all that article is saying is that Spain and Barcelona are the trend now with their tiqui-taca style, but not necessarily the way forever. If both Spain and Barcelona can show dominance in the world soccer for let's say the next 10 years, the way Brazil and Santos did in the 70s, or the way Italy and AC Milan did in 80s/90s, then I guess we can all sit down again and talk about it.

But for now, let's just pencil that with the rest of walkmans, boogies, breakdance, afro, myspace, VHS, etc trends we have all seen before.

Agree 100%.

For what it's worth.. honestly... I don't see that much kick-ball youth soccer anymore in Academy.

Most teams are attempting to create space and move the ball with quick passes... some better than others. Every now and then you will see some lazy punt and run plays at certain opportunities but I see that occasionally at every level of play.

So while most rec teams and leagues all over the US, being coached by parents with no experience may play this kind of ball, here in north Texas academy I don’t know any of the top 10-15 academy teams in any age group who are trying to win with kickball play.

Shelby427 wrote:For what it's worth.. honestly... I don't see that much kick-ball youth soccer anymore in Academy.

Most teams are attempting to create space and move the ball with quick passes... some better than others. Every now and then you will see some lazy punt and run plays at certain opportunities but I see that occasionally at every level of play.

So while most rec teams and leagues all over the US, being coached by parents with no experience may play this kind of ball, here in north Texas academy I don’t know any of the top 10-15 academy teams in any age group who are trying to win with kickball play.

Funny because I see it every week in any game I watch. I guess our definitions of the term are different. I consider kick-ball not just to be "hail mary" plays but any time a ball is played with no plan or consideration as to where it's going as long as it's forward. It's true that some teams, the better teams, are guilty of it less than others but even the top teams have outbreaks of it randomly in every game. To say you never see it hardly anymore across the top 15 teams 02-05 (40-60 teams) is being very generous in giving some of the "distribution" the benefit of the doubt as to whether there was an intended target. It's like not giving an intentional grounding call in football when the ball is thrown 50 yards from the nearest eligible receiver.

(Edited to say I keep forgetting Americans actually have a game called kick-ball which is probably where you get your general definition of it from. The Europeans and South Americans have a different view of it. Any time the ball leaves the foot and you could stop the play and ask the player "what was your plan there?" and they have no answer or have to stop and think and look around for an excuse as to what it might possibly have been, that's kickball.)

My definition of Kickball(s) is this thread and the many others like it, that espouse the greatness of every other style of teaching the game but the "American Style".

wolf2.0 wrote:Hold up son... you saying they don't find the fastest kids and hit long balls to them at all costs on full size fields at age 9?

What sorcery is this

or 12?

wolf2.0 wrote:

Shelby427 wrote:For what it's worth.. honestly... I don't see that much kick-ball youth soccer anymore in Academy.

Most teams are attempting to create space and move the ball with quick passes... some better than others. Every now and then you will see some lazy punt and run plays at certain opportunities but I see that occasionally at every level of play.

So while most rec teams and leagues all over the US, being coached by parents with no experience may play this kind of ball, here in north Texas academy I don’t know any of the top 10-15 academy teams in any age group who are trying to win with kickball play.

Funny because I see it every week in any game I watch. I guess our definitions of the term are different. I consider kick-ball not just to be "hail mary" plays but any time a ball is played with no plan or consideration as to where it's going as long as it's forward. It's true that some teams, the better teams, are guilty of it less than others but even the top teams have outbreaks of it randomly in every game. To say you never see it hardly anymore across the top 15 teams 02-05 (40-60 teams) is being very generous in giving some of the "distribution" the benefit of the doubt as to whether there was an intended target. It's like not giving an intentional grounding call in football when the ball is thrown 50 yards from the nearest eligible receiver.

(Edited to say I keep forgetting Americans actually have a game called kick-ball which is probably where you get your general definition of it from. The Europeans and South Americans have a different view of it. Any time the ball leaves the foot and you could stop the play and ask the player "what was your plan there?" and they have no answer or have to stop and think and look around for an excuse as to what it might possibly have been, that's kickball.)

I've started calling it accidental passing

Gunners wrote:My definition of Kickball(s) is this thread and the many others like it, that espouse the greatness of every other style of teaching the game but the "American Style".

Until the influx of overseas players, England had the biggest kickball leagues on the face of the planet outside of the top 3 or 4 teams and even then they were partial to it. A century of history in the sport didn't make it any prettier so I'm certainly not knocking what the U.S. is trying to achieve. I don't think we had any form of academy coaches who taught even the most basic footskills. Passing, trapping, one-touch passing, yes, but the long ball was still the main tactic they tried to instill in you.

But incidentally, while we're on the topic, what would you describe as the "American" style?

wolf2.0 wrote:

Gunners wrote:My definition of Kickball(s) is this thread and the many others like it, that espouse the greatness of every other style of teaching the game but the "American Style".

Until the influx of overseas players, England had the biggest kickball leagues on the face of the planet outside of the top 3 or 4 teams and even then they were partial to it. A century of history in the sport didn't make it any prettier so I'm certainly not knocking what the U.S. is trying to achieve. I don't think we had any form of academy coaches who taught even the most basic footskills. Passing, trapping, one-touch passing, yes, but the long ball was still the main tactic they tried to instill in you.

But incidentally, while we're on the topic, what would you describe as the "American" style?

Oh, I get it and don't necessarily disagree, but just tire of the constant rehash.

wolf2.0 wrote:

Shelby427 wrote:For what it's worth.. honestly... I don't see that much kick-ball youth soccer anymore in Academy.

Most teams are attempting to create space and move the ball with quick passes... some better than others. Every now and then you will see some lazy punt and run plays at certain opportunities but I see that occasionally at every level of play.

So while most rec teams and leagues all over the US, being coached by parents with no experience may play this kind of ball, here in north Texas academy I don’t know any of the top 10-15 academy teams in any age group who are trying to win with kickball play.

Funny because I see it every week in any game I watch. I guess our definitions of the term are different. I consider kick-ball not just to be "hail mary" plays but any time a ball is played with no plan or consideration as to where it's going as long as it's forward. It's true that some teams, the better teams, are guilty of it less than others but even the top teams have outbreaks of it randomly in every game. To say you never see it hardly anymore across the top 15 teams 02-05 (40-60 teams) is being very generous in giving some of the "distribution" the benefit of the doubt as to whether there was an intended target. It's like not giving an intentional grounding call in football when the ball is thrown 50 yards from the nearest eligible receiver.

(Edited to say I keep forgetting Americans actually have a game called kick-ball which is probably where you get your general definition of it from. The Europeans and South Americans have a different view of it. Any time the ball leaves the foot and you could stop the play and ask the player "what was your plan there?" and they have no answer or have to stop and think and look around for an excuse as to what it might possibly have been, that's kickball.)

Assuming you mean the mental part of the game which is mentioned 2-3 times in the Barca article. Things like understand the game, how to think fast, soccer is a game played with the brain.

Gunners wrote:

wolf2.0 wrote:

Gunners wrote:My definition of Kickball(s) is this thread and the many others like it, that espouse the greatness of every other style of teaching the game but the "American Style".

Until the influx of overseas players, England had the biggest kickball leagues on the face of the planet outside of the top 3 or 4 teams and even then they were partial to it. A century of history in the sport didn't make it any prettier so I'm certainly not knocking what the U.S. is trying to achieve. I don't think we had any form of academy coaches who taught even the most basic footskills. Passing, trapping, one-touch passing, yes, but the long ball was still the main tactic they tried to instill in you.

But incidentally, while we're on the topic, what would you describe as the "American" style?

Oh, I get it and don't necessarily disagree, but just tire of the constant rehash.

Well give us a definitive explanation of the "American Style" my friend. Please do not leave anything out because we would all really like to know!

Pele98 wrote:Soccer is evolving ever so much, like everything else in life.

In the 1940s through 1970s, South American countries, teams and players dominated the world due to their finesse, possesion-oriented style of plays. The world adapted to that.

In the 80s to the 00s, came the Italians, French and Germany with their total-football style of play in which they throw each and everything at you (speed, skills, power, you name it), to get the win. The world adapted to that too.

Then again came the partial entertaining, partial attacking style of play which we see more often now.

So to me, all that article is saying is that Spain and Barcelona are the trend now with their tiqui-taca style, but not necessarily the way forever. If both Spain and Barcelona can show dominance in the world soccer for let's say the next 10 years, the way Brazil and Santos did in the 70s, or the way Italy and AC Milan did in 80s/90s, then I guess we can all sit down again and talk about it.

But for now, let's just pencil that with the rest of walkmans, boogies, breakdance, afro, myspace, VHS, etc trends we have all seen before.

Well put.