The current situation is a most unusual one for any football coach, as the players and their mentors are stuck in their respective homes, and group training in the open is banned. This has forced the Academy to resort to a new mode of work for coaches, who are using the big screen to relay instructions to the players, and they are also able to monitor progress at home.
Maccabi Tel Aviv’s U17 coach, Ori David, has told us how things are working out for him and his assistants as they continue working during the coronavirus lockdown. “The Youth Academy is at the heart of my work most hours of the day, so when suddenly everything stopped, my usual routine was hit. I miss the staff, the atmosphere and the smell of the grass, and suddenly this has made me appreciate everything even more,” David said.
The coaches, fitness trainers and other staff continue to work with the players through communication apps and Ori said he is in daily contact with everybody and he tries to ensure that they and their families are all holding up well. “I think that at times like these, it’s important to emphasise that we are all in this together and that we will emerge from the crisis as one.”
The entire coaching team is working together and each is contributing through their field of expertise, while taking into account the evolving situation and Health Ministry instructions. “We are trying to keep the players in the best possible physical shape,” David said.
As the leading Israeli soccer academy with excellent resources, the players’ conditioning is monitored with the help of the “Soccerlab” programme. “I receive the data at the end of each day and I can determine whether the exercise that we have given the players to work on is yielding results. Each player is connected to an online app and this allows us to far better monitor their progress,” he said. “It’s an excellent opportunity to follow each player’s level of self-discipline and motivation.”
David said that while at home, he continues to develop new coaching strategies, and as the one responsible for the Soccerlab programme, he has been in touch with the Academy’s performance director, Patrick Van Leeuwen, who has prepared other tasks so that the season can be completed satisfactorily. “Our aim is to begin next season in the best possible manner,” he said.
While being confined to his home, it’s also a good chance to bond with the family and to take a break from the daily rat race. “It is a chance to discover new things about my kids and my wife, and this strange situation is also an opportunity for some positive things. I wish everybody health and a speedy return to a regular routine,” he concluded.
