West Ham Academy: Retter des englischen Fußballs

In einem ausführlichen Artikel beschäftigt sich die Daily Mail vom Dienstag mit der Kickerausbildung in England. Als positives Beispiel wird die Akademie von West Ham United unter Leitung von Tony Carr hervorgehoben. Aus dieser Talenteschmiede sind schon zahlreiche englischen Nationalspieler wir Rio Ferdinand, Frank Lampard, Joe Cole, Jermain Defoe und Michael Carrick hervorgegangen.

Zum aktuellen Konzept der West Ham Academy sagte deren Direktor Tony Carr (Bild), der schon seit 1973 für die Jugendarbeit bei den Hammers zuständig ist:

"We try to create the best possible environment. My instruction to all the coaches is to bring positive comments and, above all, don't play the game for them. Don't coach the player on the ball because what we don't want to do is to make decisions for them.
"Some of what you see in youth football is quite frightening. Parents, coaches even, running up and down the touchline screaming and shouting at kids. It's a lack of knowledge of what makes kids tick. They certainly can't develop with someone screaming at them every time they make a mistake. They are just going to become inhibited.
"Since the academy system started, individuality has been encouraged. What English football has lost, because maybe we coached it out of players, is the ability to beat someone in a oneonone situation. When Joe Cole was here, what stood out was that when he got the ball, he did amazing things. Not just a trick, he would be direct, go and beat people.
"We don't pigeon-hole players too early in terms of their position. We want to see good basic skills, a talent for the game, enthusiasm and intelligence. Glen Johnson arrived here at nine as a centre forward and ended up playing for England at right back.

"Yet, even within a structure that costs upwards of £1million to run annually, the West Ham academy can only cater for about 15 players in each age group.
"I wouldn't knock what goes on because most coaches of youth teams are doing it for nothing, for the love of the game, and without them a lot of kids wouldn't be playing football.
"But if they were that little bit better qualified or organised, that's maybe where there is room for improvement at the very young level. I think that's where the FA should come in and say: 'Right, we can help at this level. We've got local coaches, we've got regional coaches.' Give them some basic funding. That would improve the game all round."