Earlier this week I took part in a webinar with Birmingham City Academy Head of Football Stuart English as guest. Here are some of the takeaways.
- The Birmingham City Academy divide coaching from the under-7 up to under-11 age groups into three phases: possession, attacking and defending.
- Possession is split into: (1) individual, (2) group play, (3) directional.
- Attacking is split into: (1) individual, (2) group play, (3) with and against overloads.
- Defending is split into: (1) individual pressure, (2) small group pressure, (3) regain and play.
- At the foundation phase level, the BCFC Academy focuses on principles rather than position, individuals rather than team and intent rather than execution.
- They have also decided to shift away from a rigid, conformed and regimented environment to a more artistic one, valuing flair and individuality.
As for their best-known, recent gradute:
- Jude Bellingham has always had a huge passion for football.
- He has been very agile.
- He used to be physically small, having only drastically grown up aged 14 to 15.
- He tended to play both with his peers and above his age group, even two or three years up.
- He would often get irritated that players of his age were not able to play at the level he demanded.
In the picture (found here): Jude Bellingham joined the Birmingham City Academy at the age of seven
BREAKTHROUGH 