Arminia Bielefeld Academy director Finn Holsing says SA can follow in the footsteps of the German football association by focusing on youth development if it wants to improve the state of football in the country.
The German club is in SA on a coaching clinic tour. They donated a soccer kit to Dayevton Arsenal in Gauteng and had a coaching session last week. Their excursion took them to KwaZulu-Natal to partners DStv Premiership outfit Maritzburg United.
Bielefeld and United signed a co-operation agreement for exchange programmes, sharing of scouting expertise and talent development. Holsing, Bielefeld U-19 coach Gabriel Imran and United’s technical team put more than 250 youngsters through their paces yesterday at Pietermaritzburg Collegians Club.
Holsing elaborated on the team’s visit to SA. “Our goal is to get in touch with the young talent, have coaching clinics with the coaches of the young talent so they can have better training with the kids. That’s our main goal.
“We want to share our knowledge and experience. We want to learn from the culture and coaches here. What we have found out here is that the young talent has special technical skills and speed,” he said.
Germany and SA hosted the Fifa World Cup in 2006 and 2010 respectively. After the Germans hosted their World Cup, their football went on an upward trajectory but SA have been on a downward spiral.
Holsing believes SA can benefit by prioritising youth development as all the members of the 2014 World Cup-winning team were from the German football association development programme.
“It was a long process for Germany. In 2004, we had a bad European Championship. After 2004, the DFB [German football association] made regulations for every professional club that they have to set up a special youth academy with special structures,” he said.
“They needed to have licensed coaches and special coaches in the academy. If you didn’t have the structures, it was not possible for the club to get into the first or second division in Germany.
"It was compulsory. It helped us develop. In 2014, there was no player that never played in a youth academy. Before there was no structure to develop in Germany. That’s one point that can help SA,” said Holsing.
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Image: Supplied
Arminia Bielefeld Academy director Finn Holsing says SA can follow in the footsteps of the German football association by focusing on youth development if it wants to improve the state of football in the country.
The German club is in SA on a coaching clinic tour. They donated a soccer kit to Dayevton Arsenal in Gauteng and had a coaching session last week. Their excursion took them to KwaZulu-Natal to partners DStv Premiership outfit Maritzburg United.
Bielefeld and United signed a co-operation agreement for exchange programmes, sharing of scouting expertise and talent development. Holsing, Bielefeld U-19 coach Gabriel Imran and United’s technical team put more than 250 youngsters through their paces yesterday at Pietermaritzburg Collegians Club.
Holsing elaborated on the team’s visit to SA. “Our goal is to get in touch with the young talent, have coaching clinics with the coaches of the young talent so they can have better training with the kids. That’s our main goal.
“We want to share our knowledge and experience. We want to learn from the culture and coaches here. What we have found out here is that the young talent has special technical skills and speed,” he said.
Germany and SA hosted the Fifa World Cup in 2006 and 2010 respectively. After the Germans hosted their World Cup, their football went on an upward trajectory but SA have been on a downward spiral.
Holsing believes SA can benefit by prioritising youth development as all the members of the 2014 World Cup-winning team were from the German football association development programme.
“It was a long process for Germany. In 2004, we had a bad European Championship. After 2004, the DFB [German football association] made regulations for every professional club that they have to set up a special youth academy with special structures,” he said.
“They needed to have licensed coaches and special coaches in the academy. If you didn’t have the structures, it was not possible for the club to get into the first or second division in Germany.
"It was compulsory. It helped us develop. In 2014, there was no player that never played in a youth academy. Before there was no structure to develop in Germany. That’s one point that can help SA,” said Holsing.
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