The Maccabi Tel Aviv Youth Academy’s Boost Camp began on Sunday for children ages 10-15. The day began with video analysis and then moved to the pitch for an hour and a half. To end the day, the group had lunch together.

Over the course of the camp, the players will have professional training session along with professional meetings with mental coaches, nutritionists, medical staff and more.

The coach in charge of the camp is Ori David who is the Under-17 team’s coach and he spoke about the opening day of the program: “It was a successful first day form all aspects. The children came hungry to learn and develop into better footballers. We began immediately with a video analysis session and showed them what we will be working on throughout the camp. On the pitch we worked on physical fitness, technical elements and coordination. Everyone ended the day on a high note as we shared lunch together as they can’t wait for the next day of the camp. Whoever would still like to signup for the camp can still do so.”

The camp is taking place at the PenguinPickUp Training Facility at Kiryat Shalom between July 14-31, three times a week for children ages 10-15.The Youth Academy coaches are in charge of the training sessions and the content of the sessions are per the club’s philosophy under the auspices of Performance Director Patrick van Leeuwen.

Other coaches include Eliezer Ben Aharon, Shura Uvarov, Dedi Ben Dayan, Jeffery Yishai, Israel Eini and others. The staff will continue to work with the youngsters to help prepare them for the opening training sessions of the season.

Camp details:
Dates: July 14-31 – 9 days of training
Training days: Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday between 08:30-11:30.
Ages: U10-U15
Location: 106 Derech Ben Tzvi, Tel Aviv – PenguinPickUp Training Ground at Kiryat Shalom
Cost: 1950 NIS
For further information: Phone 03-680-6169 or email lbenaharon@mtafc.com

The Video Analysis department is one of the operational areas of the Youth Academy’s Sport Science department under the direction of Ilan Richardson. The Sport Science department has two areas one that analyses video with the second helping develop the physical side of the academy.

The video analysis area is manned by a team of professional analysts who manage all of the academy’s video. They record matches and training sessions and afterwards they put together video content for both individuals and the club according to the philosophy of Performance Director Patrick van Leeuwen. The goal is to provide video content and visual analysis for team meetings as well as for the individual.

We sat down for a conversation with the analysts including Liran Gindi, Roie Hasid, Shlomi Tobol and Nir Schkorka as they spoke about their tasks and how they work on a day to day basis while contributing to the Youth Academy.

Essence of the position
The analysts review and breakdown the training sessions and matches for the teams coaches, players and professional staff and show them the key moments at the video meeting. Liran Gindi began as a coach for the younger age groups and moved into an analyst role over the past few years spoke about the job: “Our role is to help the various teams of the Academy. First and foremost we help implement they Performance Director Patrick van Leeuwen’s ideas and philosophy by using the film that we take on the pitch and break down for both the teams and individuals. This will help create video content for the video meetings where they look at what was successful and what still needs work from the previous match. The specific information and content is prepared in conjunction with the coach.”

Shlomi Tobol has been analyst for many years and had a first degree in physical education as well as having a certificate as a football coach. Tobol arrived at Maccabi after working at a number of clubs: “Analyst filming is very different than regular filming that of which we are familiar with from our homes. The angle is much wider for an analyst so we can see the tactics of the team on the pitch.”

Day to day work
Dor Hasid has a degree in advertising and marketing but decided to follow his passion and become an analyst at the club: “We can analyze the information live via an application which we bring to selected events. After the match we go over the key moments and then break it down for the coach according to the philosophy of the club. The next step is for the analyst to sit with the coach and the team at the video meeting and show them the appropriate areas in order to help them improve as a collective and as individual.”

Contribution to the department
Most of the analyst’s activities is at the PenguinPickUp Training Ground at Kiryat Shalom. There are also analysts at the Tel Aviv University ground as well with all of the analysts working in conjunction. Nir Schkorka is the analyst who works primarily with the northern campus and gave us his thoughts from his point of view: “The naked eye can’t always see everything on the pitch but with video allows us to. The film lets us break down plays to the smallest detail for the staff and players and we can look at any part of any match at any time as they are all saved for future reference.”

Working together
Hasid who has worked up until this year primarily with the Under-19 team spoke about working with the staff: “A big part of the analyst’s role is to work with the professional staff and the coaches. This season I had the opportunity to work with the Under-19 squad, the coaches all the way to the keepers coaches. Together we worked on collective goals each and every week to help improve and develop the players and systems.”

Schkorka also talked about working as a team: “We work with all of the coaches and players. I enjoy working together, sharing and disseminating information to help the academy’s professional staff.”

Personal thoughts
Sometimes the analyst job can be very challenging but they also know how to take the good things and learn from them explained Gindi: “The work gives you personal satisfaction when you can put the things you talked about in previous sessions into practice. We work in an area that touches on many factors for the professional staff, coaches and players. This position is unique and I think that as time passes more and more clubs will recognize the added value of analysts and the possibility to help teach and develop players due to this function.

Hasid also chimed in: “It’s gives one tremendous satisfaction to help players improve and see them apply the things we worked on during the week. A big part is to help the players target the first team and help them get there. It will be amazing to me and to all of the staff to see them succeed.”

For the first time in the club, the Maccabi Tel Aviv youth academy will run a girls’ academy. After the success of the first teams of girls established for the last year and a half, the club will continue to form additional teams by recruiting girls of different ages and create a special girls’ academy.

The Maccabi Tel Aviv Youth Academy Girls project will have its own department. After the success of the club’s debut team there is an interest to add additional teams at various age levels in order to develop a girls academy. The club sees this project with the utmost importance in order to develop women’s football throughout the country and over the next few months will look to recruit girls between the ages of 5-15. The goal is to create a number of teams at different age groups with each squad limited to 25 girls and the teams will use the club’s football philosophy.

The Club’s Performance Director Patrick van Leeuwen spoke about the program: “It’s important for the Youth Academy to promote women’s football within the club and create a unique and professional environment for young girls who wish to play professional football. The girls’ groups will train and act in accordance with the philosophy of the youth academy.”

Age groups:
U15
U13
U11
U9
U7
U6

At this moment the operation of the girls teams will take place at two different locations. In the future if there will be enough girls a specific location will be chosen for the girls academy which will be in one of the club’s current branches and will work in conjunction with the club’s youth academy.

Last year the club began this project by creating three teams who have been able to enjoy top level conditions and professionalism that have been training under the Maccabi Tel Aviv Football Club. This past September one of the teams joined a competitive league and has advanced to the State Cup quarter finals.

The good news is that you can be a part of the Maccabi Tel Aviv family and fulfill the dream of wearing Yellow & Blue. The club is also looking for female coaches who would be interested in joining the Academy.

For more information please email: lbenaharon@mtafc.com

The Maccabi Tel Aviv Youth Academy held their annual end of the season banquet as the entire department staff and club personnel attended the special evening at the PenguinPickUp Training Ground at Kiryat Shalom.

Patrick Van Leeuwen, the club’s Performance Director and Youth Academy Manager Guy Zukerman spoke at the banquet as they summed up the season. Over the course of the evening that included a sumptuous dinner, the club said goodbye to a number of the staff who were leaving the club.

Just before heading to the summer break the Youth Academy keepers held a session to sum up the season that was under Israel Eini the head of the department. Every shot stopper from age 8 to 19 attended the event where the staff looked back at the development of the youngsters as per the club’s philosophy.

The event focused on professional technical and tactical points for the keepers including, saves, catching the ball, building the game from the keeper, how to stands properly as per the highest professional standards, the mental state, leadership and how to deal with pressure.

The Maccabi Tel Aviv “Avi Cohen” Youth Academy held a special day for young players from across the country. The open trial day was held at the PenguinPickUp training facility at Kiryat Shalom under the direction of the Academy’s chief scout Ran Elias. Patrick van Leeuwen, the Club’s Performance Director goal with these special days is to be able to find additional quality players at various ages.

Open to those born between 2007-2013, the staff prepared training sessions appropriate for different age groups which were split into two (2007-2009 & 2010-2013) and had the chance to impress the coaches on hand. The sessions were held under the philosophy of the club.

Should a player impress the staff, the club will be in contact with them. This amazing day was a fantastic opportunity for youngsters from around the country to get a taste of the values of Maccabi Tel Aviv.