By Jahrock Ujewe,
Ahead of the draws for the 2019 Bet9ja Royal Cup in Delta State, coaches have been charged to pay serious attention to sound development of their players before putting them in for major grassroot football competitions.
A UEFA B License Coach and players’ agent, Opeyemi Lawal, who gave this charge in a media parley, said working on the foundation of grassroot soccer players is the best legacy one can bequeath to them throughout their lifetime.
In a statement from the Media Officer of the competition, Jahrock Ujewe, “Before a major competition, pay close attention to the sound development of your player,” said Lawal. “This will help his progression in the game.”
“A good foundation is a lifetime legacy,” he stated. “The competition will be a platform for talented young footballers in Delta state to exhibit their skills and have opportunity to play in the domestic league, if selected by local coaches.
It will also give the participants an opportunity of being spotted by football scouts and enhancing their chances of playing professional football.”
Lawal urged grassroot coaches and academy owners to stay on top of their game by researching always to know the new trends and the business aspect of the sport.
“Let our coaches and academies do research on new trends in football and how football marketing business is done for them not to be cheated.”
“Not easy for a player to change or adapt (except your weight). But it’s important to understand that scouts may be looking for different body types.”
“Scouts are interested in these areas:
Growth, body Type, height, weight and other physiological talent ID predictors.
These predictors assess your physical ability to perform work,” he added.
“Some physiological areas a scout may look for are: muscular strength, stamina and endurance throughout the 90 minutes, balance and power, and speed and agility. If you feel you are lacking in any physiological areas, don’t be afraid. Your players can improve in these areas with specific training regime.”
On mental strength of players, Lawal, who is also a sports consultant, asked coaches not to relent in working on this area.
“Don’t give up on the mental strength of your players. One of the hardest things for a coach to develop is a player’s mental strength,” he noted. “Scouts are very interested in mentally strong players.”
Lawal went further to say that coaches and their teams have nothing to lose if they also take note of proper documentation of their players when setting up their clubs.
“Coaches and their teams have nothing to lose if they take cognizance of documentation,” he said emphatically.
“When things are properly done, you have no stress. If the player is properly registered, the academy and the coaches are safe. Training compensation and transfer fee is paid to the academy easily.”
“If the player move to 5 different clubs before the age of 24, you are entitled to 5% of the transfer fee as training compensation. You can not claim training compensation again as soon as the player is 24.”
“But after his 18th birthday, the player might decide to move on. Tho’ the training compensation still stands.”
Lawal will be among dignitaries being expected to be present at the September 4 draws and coaches’ workshop at Wellington Hotels in Effurun, Delta State.
