Part of the aim of the GFA Aztech Academy reboot is to get squads playing a more regular games programme, allowing the principals learnt in training, to be used in match situations.
Obviously poor weather conditions recently have scuppered several of our planned matches on grass against club teams of the year group above. However, some matches have been played in training slots on the all-weather surface at the KGV.
Back in week 3, the Academy U13s took on the U14s in a training match, with both teams adopting different tactics in each third to try and get the upper hand. The U14s started strongly, but the U13s grew into the game and won the final period to end the match on a high. Some high pressing created two of their goals, with players showing a great understanding of the tactical instructions given. This was the first experience of 11-a-side football for some of the players.
The following week saw the U11s and U12s go head-to-head. Again, the older players, now more comfortable playing 9-a-side, took a lead early and the extra pace, strength, and organisation in defence prevented the U11s from hurting them in their final third. The U11s however stuck to their tasks of playing out from the back and pressing high, and got their rewards later with a fine team goal, again created by winning the ball back high up the pitch.
Our U10s recently came up against a pair of Sylvans U11 sides. With both groups split into two teams for 7-a-sides, it allowed all players to get two full matches. Sylvans won 3 of the matches and the Academy U10s came away victorious in the other game. But all four matches were very competitive and created some high drama with late goals and some fantastic team play. The challenging experience created by paying in these pressure moments really brought out the best in many of the players, and hopefully they will have learnt something new about their own abilities, as well as forming stronger connections with their team-mates.
The U9s also played a friendly match against St. Martins U10s just before Christmas. Again, this was a very competitive fixture, with many goals going in over the course of a match played in 3 periods. The Academy U9s took a solid lead in the first half of the game, but Saints rallied extremely well to pull goals back late on and put our Academy players under a sustained period of pressure.
This provided a fantastic experience for the players in being successful in one part of the game, yet tested in their abilities when things were not quite going their way. This learning will be invaluable to each of the boys involved as they build towards the BWCI tournament in the summer.
More games will be arranged for January and beyond with the weather hopefully playing ball, and players being available around their club commitments. There is always the ability to do more when the weather improves, which could be a good way for the Academy groups to stay connected after our official training programme ends at Easter.
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