While the World Cup is in full swing in Russia, several of this country’s aspiring international footballers are facing the grind four days a week as the TTFA/NLCB Elite U-15 Boys programme continues at a brisk pace at the TTFA Home of Football, Ato Boldon Stadium.
Head Coach Stuart Charles Fevrier currently oversees sessions with some thirty five of the best players in that age group from throughout the twin-island.
The programme is now into its second year and Fevrier provided an update on Thursday, saying he was impressed by the work ethic of the players as he now places emphasis on tactical awareness and game understanding.
Tactical awareness, critical to game performance, is the ability to identify tactical problems that arise during a game and to respond appropriately. Responses might involve on-the-ball skills, such as passing and shooting, and off-the-ball movements, such as supporting and covering which is what Fevrier and his staff have been working on. Among tactical issues teams face include maintaining possession of the ball. Players maintain possession by selecting and executing passing, ball-control, and support skills and so far Fevrier believes his players are showing signs of progress here.
“We are training four days a week and the boys have been showing good progress. We are more or less concentrating on the principles of the game, basic defending as individuals and as a team and the same offensively,” Fevrier told TTFA Media.
“We are pleased with the progress we are seeing from them at this point. We have been playing Under 16 teams and we haven’t lost a game also staying unbeaten against the Pro League Under 16 teams. Now I will like to see them against international teams. We are supposed to be entering a tournament in Curacao in August which will be a good opportunity for us to face strong competition.
“All in all I am quite happy with them. They are eager and willing to learn and most of them have a good attitude. We are really trying our best here so that when we are finished with these players and they move on to the next stage, they will then have good tactical knowledge and game understanding as well as proper technique,” Fevrier concluded.
Video - TTFA/NLCB Elite U-15 Boys Programme Update