DEVELOPMENT BENEFITS OF THE GFFS
a) Main Objectives
To encourage these young players to understand the critical role sports plays in improving their lives and the power of Sports to build Self Esteem, Leadership Skills, Community Spirit, and bridges gaps across ethnic and communal divides.
To develop an elite group of skilful, technically sound and goal-scoring proficient football players (“Total Footballers”) within the age groups of 7 to 17 years old, while addressing their social, psychological, emotional and physiological needs.
The GFFS school will continually strive to develop “Total Footballers”. The definition of this type of player within the philosophy of the GFFS is one who has fine-tuned their fundamentals, their decision making ability and their proficiency at goal scoring to such a high level that they are effective wherever being utilized on the football field.
To communicate and always maintain a high level of Discipline throughout all academy activities.
Help the youth defy delinquency while striving for excellence; develop positive attitudes and behavioural characteristics while promoting order and discipline in life.
To develop well rounded citizens to represent Trinidad and Tobago at the highest level in international football competitions and other endeavours.
b) Comprehensive Development Approach:
No easy way out! Regionally many coaches find it very difficult and time consuming to coach the fundamentals, ignoring them and concentrating on team strategies and scrimmages. It is not always fun and easy to teach the fundamental skills of football or any other team sport, but it is always very important. Coaching is teaching and teaching begins with the basics skills which eventually determines the level at which the game is played. We live in an age of perceived short cuts to success and in too many cases young players resist instructions because they think that they can get by with natural talent alone. Training young players for football nowadays is not merely exercising, but a very sophisticated process because the development of sports performance is influenced by many factors, which requires a lot of expert coaching knowledge.
The demand on coaches and players have increased to meet the growing challenges of the game. Tactical aspects must be improved, physical fitness must be optimal and players must improve their Skills/Technique to give a more variety and create moves to surprise and off balance their opponents. This is the reason why coaches must be aware of these changes and adjust to the situation when planning programmes for young players. Coaches must also be aware of the gradual process of developing players and not expect to get instant results.
Nothing makes more of an impression on people than the skill of goal scoring. This aspect takes into consideration the correct technique of striking the ball in various ways; driving low balls, hitting volleys, half volleys and bicycle kicks, half chances, chipping, bending, heading etc.
Good goal scorers can finish with their chest, heel, toe and thigh. Coaches are looking for that player who can exhibit composed aggressiveness, swift and secure decision making at the opportune time. In today's football game, all players must be able to finish.
Historically, goal scoring (“finishing”) has always been an issue, even with talented players at the national senior team level so in order to strengthen this valuable skill, a larger focus will be given to the art of scoring goals during the developing phases for younger footballers. While their technical skills and fundamentals are being enhanced they will also become particularly more adept at “finishing” and this will also inspire that winning attitude which can translate into other areas of their development to become successful in life.
With over 46 years of experience, expertise and excellence in professional and international soccer and with my remarkable history and extensive knowledge as an international soccer player and coach, I am confident in my ability to enhance the skill level of Trinidad and Tobago's youth footballers to the high competitive standards that I helped to attain during the three significant eras in T & T’s football history.
To achieve these objectives, the coaching philosophy and structure must be encouraged through the uniformity and consistency in all our methods of approach. This in my view is the foundation of what we are aiming to achieve in the short term at “Gally’s Football Finishing School”.