Concept Coaching on mission to modernise youth football

DAVID SCARLETT

HEAD coach and tournament organiser of Concept Coaching Football Academy, Roger Smith, is determined to continue working towards the development of youth football from the grassroots level.

Smith and Concept Coaching have hosted over 30 grassroots events since 2018 in support of early development of young footballers.

The organisation concluded its Under-9 and Under-11 Super League on May 4 at the D’Abadie Recreation Ground. In the Under-9 division, Trendsetter Hawks won the league title and Concept Coaching FA claimed the knockout phase with a 2-1 penalty shootout win against the Hawks.

Hawks also won the Under-11 league and reversed the roles from the Under-9 division by beating Concept Coaching 2-1 in regular time.

In an interview with Newsday, Smith said, “Grassroots football is critically important to our country as it sets up the future of football in young players such as awareness, understanding and gaining experience to go to the next level – a higher age group at club level or an entrance to the Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) – with an understanding of the game and its demands.

“I'm not satisfied with the state of grassroots football in the country as we are stuck in old methods, styles and systems and, compared to other countries, we are behind.”

Smith said he was proud of how the Super League was executed.

“The Concept Coaching Under-9 and Under-11 Super League was a tremendous success. The format was of Fifa standard with respect to field dimensions and rules. This meant a platform for development and understanding of the demands of football such as objectives, skills and technique – all what I had hoped to accomplish.”

He said the academy not only gives children a competitive platform to develop, but helps groom talent to boost the SSFL.

This was Concept Coaching’s third edition of the tournament in this format, and Smith was pleased with the support he received from coaches, parents and players.

However, he said the Super League experienced challenges in securing sponsorship and venues, forcing them to play at different venues each match day.

Owing to the lack of female grassroots competitions, this tournament allowed girls to play in the boys’ Super League, which provided them with valuable experience, Smith said.

He implores coaches to get on board with grassroots development and emphasised that there can’t be any quick fix.

“At Concept Coaching FA, we teach our players to understand the game so when faced with situations in games, they are better able to find solutions.”

Concept Coaching’s next tournament will be the Concept Coaching King’s Cup for Under-7, Under-9, Under-11 and Under-13 age groups on May 10 at the D’Abadie Recreation Ground. This will be followed by the club’s first overseas competition as they travel to Jamaica for the Genesis Cup from May 30 to April 3 where they will play in the Under-11 division.

Smith will then launch the Concept Coaching Under-15 Super League in June.