Determined to improve those skills?
It’s fair to say that the 14 England players, schooled at 10 different youth teams, who took to the pitch against Germany in their miserable last 16 World Cup exit came from varied stock; each academy with a different idea of how to play football.One first-team star who takes a keen interest in the club’s youth teams, even presenting the Future Cup trophy with De Boer on a rare day off, is one of European football’s hottest properties: 19-year-old Dane Christian Eriksen.The results indicate why certain players make better in-game decisions than others and could go a long way to developing more natural Dutch leaders, arguably the one failing of the Ajax system.Fast forward exactly two weeks and seven Ajax graduates – Maarten Stekelenburg, Gregory van der Wiel, Johnny Heitinga, Nigel de Jong, Wesley Sneijder, plus substitutes Rafael van der Vaart and Eljero Elia – succumbed to seven Barcelona-taught Spanish starlets, among others, in the World Cup Final. We strongly believe that the youth academy should be the foundation of every club. Two years ago, the first team left the plush midweek confines of the Amsterdam Arena to train at the Toekomst with the rest of the club.
More teams. Co. Adriaanse - Ajax Director of Youth Development. Everyone here wants the ball and no one is afraid of it. The academy is the primary youth clinic of Dutch footballing giants Ajax Amsterdam.
Sign up and join us.Known for recognising talent, our youth academy inspires you to be the best. NED. Dreamt up by the visionary Rinus Michels in the early 1970s – and transplanted to Barcelona a decade later – it is Ajax’s free-flowing Total Football model which persuaded Holland to adopt the beautiful game as its national sport, despite a relatively young 56-year professional league and limited access in schools.In 2011, we visited Holland to see what’s so special about the Dutch giants’ famous system – and took a peek at their fancy new digs“Everybody at Ajax has one goal: to make a young player into a great footballer,” adds Endt. GED SEARSON. Training provides 20 per cent. We’re only talking about a one per cent improvement, but spread over a team that’s 11 per cent.”Indeed, until they’re 13 years old, 40 per cent of an academy player’s workload is non-football specific. “You can’t imagine a youth-team coach’s pride when a youngster steps into the first team. We want to keep them as normal as possible.”Not to mention a better chance of keeping stars Van der Wiel and Stekelenberg.In the shadow of the Arena – built in 1997 to harbour Ajax’s huge support and update the De Meer stadium’s facilities – the old training pitches are now up for sale.Get the best features, fun and footballing frolics straight to your inbox every week.“Between the ages of seven and 12, I’m not looking to improve football skills,” explains first-team strength and conditioning coach Rene Wormhoudt, who also oversees Athletic Skills. We partner with clubs all over the world who recognise and share our values, to do just that. Liverpool's insatiable appetite for top attackers has them on knocking on Ajax's door for David Neres. Eager to learn more? P and S are generally innate properties, but I and S can always be developed further.
Master analysing a training session or competition game? But enjoyment must come first. This is football how we want to play it.”“Talent is 85 per cent of the case,” concludes Goedhart. Therefore, we have founded the Ajax Coaching Academy, to share the Ajax philosophy with you: clubs, coaches and players from all over the world.We give talent a chance to flourish, and always strive to be the best. “Judo is not only physical, it’s also mental training. We’re back at the heart of the club.”Four West Ham youngsters. Ajax have terminated the contract of former wonderkid Abdelhak Nouri, severely brain damaged and in a coma since collapsing three seasons ago, …
You have to be focused.”“We’re not developing for other clubs”But any team can scout technically proficient young talents – here, a player’s personality is just as important. Ajax have terminated the contract of former wonderkid Abdelhak Nouri, severely brain damaged and in a coma since collapsing three seasons ago, … The team is composed mostly of professional footballers, who are often recent graduates from the highest youth level (Ajax A1) serving their first professional contract as a reserve, or players who are otherwise unable to play in the first team. AJAX – FIRST TEAM TRAINING SESSIONS. “They wanted to do other things, or they started to like girls or partying. To be a star you must overcome disappointment.”All age groups sit through questionnaires and psychological tests on memory recall, spacial awareness and family background – where, for example, research suggests sons of divorced parents have the strength of character to succeed in professional sport. They all wanted to compare scores!”“Ajax has unique aura and tradition,” says the gifted playmaker, who cites the club’s devotion to 4-3-3 as crucial to his development.