Europe Calls and Total Futbol Academy Answers
Youth Soccer News: Total Futbol Academy (TFA) jets off to Europe this spring to visit the famed FC Barcelona Academy and compete again in the Mediterranean International Cup in Spain – Coaches and teams will also visit Manchester City’s youth soccer academy program in England.
Serious coaching education, ultimate player exposure and experience … all add up to the TFA way which has already enables youth players to be signed by EPL Club Academies.
For many clubs, sending players and coaches to experience the world’s favorite sport in Europe is only a dream. For Total Futbol Academy (TFA), it is all part of the program.
This year, through the dedication of its president Paul Walker, TFA will send two groups across the Atlantic with the TFA Partner Trip and the TFA MIC Cup Trip, both in April. The TFA Partner Trip leaves April 3 for the fabled FC Barcelona Academy, where three TFA teams and a dozen coaches from several partner clubs will experience the Barca way. The MIC Cup trip heads out on April 10, with a stopover in Manchester where players will prepare for the tournament with time at Manchester City Academy.
“It’s amazing; every year when we take these trips I basically become a travel agent without that being the goal,” joked TFA President Paul Walker, who has dedicated himself to providing the highest quality training to the players as well as the coaches in the club.
On the TFA Partner Trip, coaches will take part in a week-long coaching clinic managed by an international staff made up of veterans of Barcelona’s Academy and Barcelona’s Veterans Association. As an official affiliate of Barcelona, through the Barcelona Supporter’s Club, TFA has developed a unique, long-term relationship with the Spanish soccer powerhouse. Through this relationship, Walker has been able to bring coaches over for special coaching education designed to instill the Barca Way at TFA.
During the clinic, coaches will have exclusive limited access to select trainings of the Academy teams, as well as sessions with the international staff. This is a unique opportunity for the TFA Partner coaches, as Barcelona’s Academy is normally off limits to anyone not directly connected with the club – even parents of Academy players.
“Over the years I’ve been able to develop relationships where we were allowed to bring in our coaches to begin coaching education,” Explained Walker. “We’re very fortunate that we have been able to build this relationship where they allow us into the Academy. It is incredibly important to train the trainers and at TFA, coaching education is paramount for success on and off the field.”
While the three teams participating – TFA’s BU11, BU12 and GU15 squads – will not have the opportunity to train at the Barca Academy, they will have the chance to take on teams from other local Academies. Currently on the list of teams for friendlies are RCD Espanyol, Junior FC, Sant Cugat, Sant Gabriel and Sant Boi, with others possible.
“They don’t play against Barca’s Academy – that’s off-limits – but they do get to play against the other local Academies around Catalonia,” said Walker. “These are excellent Academies – not community soccer clubs – where Barcelona and Espanyol, the ‘big boys’, go prospecting for players.”
“We’re fortunate to play against Espanyol’s Academy, so that’s a treat for everybody. It is great experience and competition for our Southern Californian youth soccer players.”
TFA’s second trip will take 16 players from the TFA 2002 Academy team, led by coaches Daniel Rogers and Geovani Alvarez, to take part in the annual Mediterranean International Cup, often called the MIC Cup. MIC attracts teams from around the world to the Costa Brava, the Northeast Coast of Spain. This year’s lineup includes teams from FC Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester United, and Ajax, among others. Past participants of MIC have included Leo Messi, Cesc Fàbregas, Juan Mata, Lucas Leiva and Neymar Jr.
“This will be our second year in the tournament,” Walker said. “Last year we did very well. We made it to the semifinals, where we lost to Barcelona 3-2. However, we had tied them in group play earlier in the tournament, and we beat Ajax in the quarter-finals.”
MIC Trip will kick off with a stop in Manchester, England, where the team will spend a few days getting acclimated to the time and training. TFA recently began a partnership with Manchester City, and the team will have the opportunity to play a tune-up match while there. Players, coaches and parents will also have the chance to play tourist while in England. Then it’s on to Spain for the tournament, which runs from April 15-20.
“For an American player, the value of a trip like this is the experience of traveling to Europe and understanding that you as a soccer player can play with the big boys of the world,” Walker explained. “You’re no different than anybody else, but you wouldn’t know that unless you went out and competed against them.”
Walker also pointed out that this age – 11-12 – is a key age for international Academies looking for prospects. While TFA will only take 16 players to the tournament, it will showcase the quality of players that Southern California produces.
“These are relationships that we want to build, and continue building,” said Walker. “We’ve been very successful already in terms of building relationships with many Academies that want our kids and are following our kids. Some have already brought our kids out and even signed our kids. One of our kids, a 2001, is currently in the process of joining Manchester City, and we have a 2002 on trial there now.”
Congratulations and best wishes to Total Futbol Academy players and coaches. More on Paul Walker – The Man Who is Leading the Way to Total Success at Total Futbol Academy.
