Fife Elite Football Academy

Fife Elite Football Academy Club Academy Scotland Programme Welcome Pack for Players and Parents

We would like to extend a warm welcome to all players and parents / carers to the Fife Elite Football Academy (FEFA) Club Academy Scotland Programme. It is a considerable achievement to be offered the opportunity to play for the Academy in the Elite programme, and all players are to be congratulated on making it to this level. However, it is important to emphasise that this should be viewed as only the beginning of the hard work, and not the culmination of it.

The Scottish Football Youth Initiative started in the late 1990’s with the aim of developing the most talented young players in the country. In the last 5 years the Initiative Programme has evolved into the Club Academy Scotland programme. With the exception of the Under 16/17 programme, there is no recording of results or league tables so that individual player development becomes the priority and an over-emphasis on winning is removed. This is also the priority for FEFA; to develop talented players with excellent technique and awareness, great athleticism and tactical knowledge, with commitment and a desire to succeed. We want to develop players who progress to play for the one of the associated clubs in the SPFL and are capable of going on to win international honours.

Our programme is not about building a successful or winning team at a particular age group. If a player progresses through the youth programme to play for the first team then that is a major success for everyone involved with the programme. We do want players who are competitive and want to win matches, this is essential in any sport, but at youth level it should not be to the detriment of learning and the development of technique.

Our youth development programme is only as good as the staff involved. This is everyone: players and coaches, goalkeeper coaches, scouts, administration staff, medical staff and sport scientists. The commitment to the programme from all these key individuals is greatly appreciated by the Academy.

Being part of our programme should be an enjoyable experience for all players. The enjoyment should come from the satisfaction of working hard and seeing the improvements in ability and performance. It takes a massive amount of dedication and commitment to succeed, and players who do progress right through the system fully deserve their success. It is very unlikely a player will progress purely on ability…there must be a good attitude and level of commitment to support the ability. Similarly, a player will not progress on a good attitude and level of commitment if there is not the appropriate level of ability. Only a combination of ability and attitude will provide a player with the right foundations on which to build and hopefully progress.

The commitment of all parents / carers should be acknowledged by all players. The time spent providing lifts to training and matches, washing training kit and providing the right type of meals are only some of the many obligations of parents/ carers, and the Academy recognises and appreciates this essential contribution. What Players Can Expect From Us

Football training sessions three times each week

Coaching delivered by fully qualified coaches

Positive coaching and instruction to develop technique, positional awareness, tactical knowledge, and aspects of fitness such as speed, agility and stamina

From under 11 age group upwards, one session each week specifically aimed at developing strength, core strength, balance, flexibility and speed agility

Matches against youth teams from the top clubs in the country

Structured feedback on progress throughout the season.

Access to sports injury treatment

Quality training equipment

Training kit, as well as tracksuit and polo shirt for wearing to all matches.

A varied and motivating training programme

What We Expect From Players Be punctual to all training sessions and matches.

Be prepared to start training on time.

Wear the appropriate FEFA kit issued for training. Shin pads should also be worn to training; this helps prevent injury, and also gets you used to the feel of wearing them for when you play matches.

Wear FEFA tracksuits and polo shirts to matches with smart white trainers.

No ‘different’ coloured tape or bands to be worn on players’ socks

Jerseys tucked in and socks up.

Boots must be clean for all training and games

Make sure you have appropriate fluids for training and games

When purchasing new football boots they must be black in colour.

Do not wear jewellery to training or matches.

Contact the coach in plenty of time if you cannot attend a training session or match.

Ask questions if you do not understand something.

Do not argue with the coach during training or matches. If you are not happy with something technical you are requested to do in training, or particularly during a match, do as instructed, but speak to your coach in private afterwards if you feel it is necessary.

Help coaches set out or take in equipment wherever possible, either to set up or to carry to and from training and matches.

Be positive and encourage your teammates at training and during matches.

Tidy up after yourself and teammates. This includes pitches, dressing rooms, mini-buses, both at home and away. We leave everywhere as we would expect it to be left for us.

Bullying, racism, violence and spitting are all considered serious issues at the Academy and will not be tolerated.

Set high standards of behaviour both on and off the pitch – at all times you are a role model wearing the Academy badge. This includes being polite and courteous to all coaches, staff, parents and players from all FEFA squads. This also includes opposition players, coaches and referees.

Swearing, either on or off the pitch will not be tolerated. Players will be dealt with in an appropriate manner eg substituted if swearing on the pitch

Be committed to the training programme. Attend every session wherever possible and follow guidance given on diet, stretching, rest and recovery. What We Expect From Parents/ Carers

Ensure players are punctual for all training sessions and matches ( 1 hour before games, 15 minutes before training)

Please assist in setting up goalposts for home matches

Ensure all players have kit washed and dried for training sessions

Please encourage good practice and healthy lifestyle choices on non-training nights

Encourage players to follow advice and instruction given on diet & nutrition, rest and recovery and other key areas.

In the case of all matches, please do not contact the coach regarding the match until at least the following.

Please ensure your son has prepared sensibly in order to maximise his performance.

At matches:

Under no circumstances shout instructions to players – only the coaches should coach

Applaud good play from both sides. Matches should take place in a positive atmosphere

Please be courteous to opposition teams and match officials

Stand on the side of the pitch opposite from the coaches, not on the same side of the pitch

Help and encourage players to work towards skill improvement and good sportsmanship

Foul or abusive language will not be tolerated

“Always remember encouragement is just being there”

Please don’t speak to the coach immediately after the game regarding any issues with the game. Organise a meeting with the coach on the next available training night.

Information on kick off times / venues and weekly schedules can be found on the FEFA website…. www.fefa.club

Injury Prevention Wear appropriate footwear with good support and cushioning.

Wear shin pads to all matches and all football-training sessions. At training sessions, this is to help avoid injury, and also so that you are used to the feel of shin pads when you play.

Get plenty of rest to allow your body to recover. Set yourself one day each week with no physical activity at all (the day before match day is ideal for this).

Seek advice for injuries or recurring problems immediately. Allow full recovery of injuries before getting back into training or playing matches. Any exercises set by the physio are to get you back to full fitness as soon as possible, so make sure you do them or it will probably take even longer to get playing again.

Warm-up and cool down properly before and after training and matches.

ALL PLAYERS AGES 13 - 16/17 WILL BE EXPECTED TO SHOWER AFTER MATCHES.

Eat the right type of food and drink plenty of fluids to avoid dehydration before, during and after any exercise.

If you feel tired or jaded before training or matches on a regular basis speak to your coach.

Players should ensure you get plenty of rest between training sessions and matches. Sleep is a vital part of your training programme. A sleep cycle is 2 hours, and this is repeated 4-5 times each night, with youth athletes requiring 8-10 hours of sleep every night. The hours before midnight are crucial; the reasons why are not fully known, but sleep before midnight is believed to be deeper and far more beneficial to the body and mind at this time. So 9am – 6am is better than 11pm – 8am.

Catnaps of up to 30 minutes can help you feel refreshed. It has been found that a catnap improves brain functions for up to 6 hours. Therefore, when you come home from school or work and are training that night, nap for up to 30 minutes to feel fresh and raring to go.

Time Management

As a Fife Elite Football Academy youth player there will be many demands on your time. With 3 training sessions each week schoolwork and possibly exams, a part or even full-time job for some, family commitments and a social life, as well as making sure you get the right amount of sleep, it may seem very hard at times to juggle them all. It is important not to let your schoolwork suffer because of your football commitments. The best way to deal with this is to write yourself a timetable where you can make sure you can fit everything in over the course of the week. You will have to be disciplined to make sure you allow enough time to do all the things that are important to you.

Treatment of Injuries The Physiotherapy clinic will be set up at Queen Anne High School If you require treatment please speak to one of your squad coaches who will advise. Please note that the Academy like most others in the CAS Programme does not carry private insurance for its Academy players.

Playing Policy

In the general interest of the Fife Elite Football Academy playing policy, please note the following:

1. Team selection is subject to the discretion of the coaches on the day and boys who start the game as substitutes should not see this as demotion or as an indication that they are not as good as those who start the game.

2. Players may be rested on a match day to allow greater continuity of playing times for other players in the squad and at the same time give each player a rest on a rota basis.

3. At the younger age groups especially, the boys play in a number of positions to improve their all round play and knowledge. It is only when a player's physical and mental characteristics develop fully that their best position can be accurately identified. It is important to their development that they learn to understand a number of positions.

4. Duration on the pitch is subject to the discretion of the coaches on the day. Schools Football

FEFA gives permission to youth players to play in schools football, subject to discussion with the Head of Youth. School matches or training must not interfere with FEFA training or matches. Squad coaches must be notified of any school matches or training. Social Networking

Social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter are all very popular. Whilst they have a lot of benefits they can influence the way the world perceives a person or organisation. We would discourage any reference to FEFA and ask that you as a parent be mindful of what your son is posting. Swearing, bullying and racism through this medium will not be tolerated.

Change of Details

If any of your personal details change then please inform your squad coach as soon as possible so we can update our records.

FEFA Website

The FEFA website can be found at www.fefa.club

FEFA also has a twitter account @FifeEliteFA