Director of TWAcademy.Org, Tim Wareing, has well over 10 years of coaching experience.  During this time he set up a youth team, Castlereagh Colts, & coached them from under 10 level right through to under 16.

There is not a lot that Tim hasn’t experienced in youth football.  From the norm of chasing players, having players poached, threatening behaviour from the opposition & in between undertaking his coaching qualifications.

This was on top of his career as a Travel Agent.  Little did he know 8 years later he would be running his own business as a football coach.  Although the two jobs combined well as his players always received the best travel arrangements for their pre-season & mid-season tours!

‘It was quite funny as I remember one lunch hour speaking to the Academy Director of Leeds United when another call came in & was put on hold by my colleague...the caller?  The Academy Director from Blackburn Rovers!  We took the boys away for their first tour at under 13 level.  Some had never been out of the country not to mention playing against & visiting Premier League sides!’

‘From players doing radio interviews & visiting Old Trafford to playing a match against Leeds United & then transferring straight to Ewood Park to watch Blackburn Rovers play Liverpool!  The tours were a massive experience for each child.’ commented Wareing.

Other tours included a tour of Celtic’s ground & a match against Rangers.  Players then flying to London to play Fulham & take in the London sites!  Contacts were built & developed through all of these clubs.

Wareing continues, ‘London was our final tour together as a team at under 16 level.  Ian Mannus finished with a clean sheet & the boys recorded a famous 2-0 victory over Fulham.  Mannus is now playing Irish League football with a number of the other boys playing Amateur League.  My captain, Paul Tweedie, was one of the few players to remain with the club from the very start right through to under 16.  Gary Stratton was the only other to do so & is now coaching alongside me taking his first steps on the coaching ladder.’

Tim then moved on to coach at Irish Premier League side, Lisburn Distillery.

At Distillery Wareing managed the Reserve Team, under 18 side & set up a very successful Academy.  The Academy was built through players coming through the TWSports.Org programme.  In fact 80 players in total came through & made up youth teams from under 7 through to under 12 before Tim stepped down as Academy Director to concentrate on his own business.

The success of the Academy was a simple recipe of talented children being allowed to play & express themselves, along with receiving a great education through elite coaching through Tim’s guidance.

Wareing brought children into the Academy from as young as 5 & insured they had fun with a ball.  Improving their control, starting their ‘book of tricks’, using both feet & learning the basic principles of play through small sided games.

‘The most important age in football development you could argue is the 5-11 age group.  They learn & pick up things so fast but it is important you let the children play & have fun.  We do need specialist coaches at this age.  We have far too many people coaching kids like mini adults.  Playing 11 v 11 & doing work with set pieces.  Kids need to fall in love with the game.  How they do that is through playing with the ball & learning how to dribble, control & perform skills with the ball.’

‘I have seen ‘coaches’ spend over an hour working on corners with kids at the age of 9 & 10.  The result?  Kids hardly get time to touch the ball, they aren’t motivated & lose interest.’

My main concerns in youth development include;

• Lack of specialised youth coaches & volunteers
• Lack of contact time with players, on average only 2-3 hours per week.  In England & Holland children receive on average 9-12 hours per week
• Lack of quality facilities
• Lack of financial input to youth development & the local game
• Lack of support
• Lack of specialised youth coaching courses

My frustrations in some coaches & parents;

• Lack of specialist coaching with younger children
• Not allowing children to play for fun & development
• Over adult involvement – not giving children the freedom to play through trial & error
• Setting unrealistic goals
• Pushy parents
• Touchline behaviour
• Lack of sharing ideas & the hunger to improve as a coach

 

At the TW Academy we offer a great development programme with no pressure on the children.  We want to build a good relationship with each child & parent.  We want to help educate children, parents & coaches through information nights, specialist coaching clinics, club visits & tours.

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