Football: Life as a young trainee at Valencia's academy is not just about training and matches
(From left) Valencia CF Academy players Andres Garcia, Dario Serra and Ruben Iranzo were in Singapore for the JSSL International Sevens.PHOTO: LEO SHENGWEI
PUBLISHED
MAY 8, 2018, 9:05 PM SGT
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Lim Say Heng
Dario Serra was on a 15-hour flight to Singapore two weeks ago but, instead of catching the latest movies via the in-flight entertainment system, the 15-year-old and his 11 friends were revising their schoolwork.
The studying continued in their rooms at the Carlton Hotel, interspersed with football matches, training and field trips to nearby tourist spots such as Marina Bay Sands and Gardens by the Bay.
For most of the players like Dario, it was their first visit to the Lion City.
Welcome to the life of a Valencia CF (VCF) Academy player, where academic and athletic prowess are not just encouraged, but expected.
"We work with plenty of players and we know that not all of them are going to reach the professional ranks," the academy's general coordinator Sergio Ventosa, 36, said as he explained the club's emphasis on the players' need for an academic education as well.
"For us, it is very important that they develop as persons first and, if some of them become professionals eventually, great."
School is an integral part of the academy's player development, to the point where a player does not get to train, much less play, if he is not doing well on the academic front.
Juanvi Munoz, who works in the academy's administration department, said: "We ask their schools to give them all their homework when they go overseas for tournaments.
"They have to balance their time well, between training, tournaments and studies, because we want them to study. Every term we look at their school results and, if they are not so good, they don't get to practise or play matches because the first priority is studies."
Dario, an Under-16 winger, is one of 40 out-of-town players who stay at the academy's residences at the Ciutat Esportiva. The players who stay on academy grounds follow a strict schedule every day.
The regimen helps the boys develop a solid foundation not just in terms of footballing skills. The discipline and rigour required to keep up also give them an early taste of the demands of life as a professional athlete.
Almeria-born Dario shares a room with team-mate Andres Garcia and his daily routine differs from that of the average teenager.
He wakes up at 7.20am and has breakfast before taking a three-minute bus ride to a nearby school.
He has classes for 10 subjects from 8am to 5pm. This is followed by an hour of supervised studying time, where the student-athletes are guided by tutors hired by the club.
Four times a week, that is followed by training for three hours.
Dario and his team-mates then go for dinner, talk to their loved ones on the phone, and pack their items for the following day before going to bed at 11pm.
Once a week, he plays a league game as well. He sees his parents two or three days a week, gets a month off every year, and is usually at "work" during holidays, such as Easter or Christmas.
"It was difficult at first because I didn't know the city, and we get up and go to school earlier than other people for one extra hour of classes," said Dario, who joined the academy last August.
"Of course I miss my family... but I knew what kind of lifestyle I'd lead when I came to Valencia. It is a strict one and I cannot do whatever I want all the time."
The club have 32 academy teams and 540 players in all, from the Under-8 to the U-18 levels. Each team have a coach, an assistant coach, a fitness coach and a team manager, and play 30 to 34 matches a season in either the regional or the national age-group leagues.
Urawa Reds boys defy odds to win JSSL title[/paste:font]
Players from age 12 will also get to play in overseas tournaments, such as the JSSL International Sevens at the Padang, which ended last week, in which the LaLiga side reached the semi-finals.
About 80 or 90 per cent of the academy players are from the city, with the club focusing their scouting network in and around the Mediterranean region of the country.
South Korean Lee Kang In, 17, and Turkey's Ferhat Cogalan, 15 - who play for their countries' age-group national teams - are also academy trainees, but they were scouted from within the city, where their families reside.
The academy players who live with their parents will go to their own schools, and join the live-in trainees for the training sessions and competitions.
"We have seven scouts for the area from Catalonia to the south of Spain, and four for the rest of the country," said head of VCF scouting academy Jose Jimenez, who has been at the club for 22 years.
Valencia also look for other attributes, not just sporting ability, when selecting academy players.
"Apart from the physical, technical and tactical skills, we look at their behaviour on the field, towards their team-mates, opponents, referees and the spectators," added Jimenez.
"We also look at their behaviour off the field - how they behave in school, at home and in front of their friends for example. In addition we also check their social networks to see what kind of lifestyle they lead."
Such checks are essential, he added, because distractions can easily derail a player's career.
He explained: "Most of the time, if a player does not reach the professional level, it's not because of a lack of skills, but the kind of life they lead."
The youngest VCF Academy teams train just twice a week, with the number of sessions increasing progressively with age; the U-17s and U-18s train five times a week.
Results are important only from the U-16 level onwards, said Ventosa. "Any younger than that, the competitions are just for the players' foundation."
The academy has a methodology department that meets the coaching staff of the various teams at least once a fortnight to align or adjust the sessions according to the club's philosophy, such that the players can fit seamlessly into the older age-group teams they are promoted to, although the younger teams tend to focus more on attack.
Ventosa said: "Our youngest teams tend to be stronger than the other teams in their competitions, so we focus more on offence.
"But, as they move up the ranks, their opponents get better, and we have to adjust accordingly, with the playing styles becoming more and more similar to that of the first team."
From U-13 and upwards, the players undergo a fitness test, which is similar to the Yo-Yo test, once or twice a year to gauge their fitness.
Those who fall short of the required levels will be given an individual programme on top of a standard fitness programme for the age group.
"You can't have proper football skills if you don't have good physical preparation, such as speed, strength and endurance," said Miguel Villagrasa, 47, the academy's strength and conditioning coach.
The players are weighed before every training session, with overweight players given extra work. Their parents are kept informed throughout.
"My father knows sports and will help to control my diet. If I am over the weight limit, the club will also speak to my parents to rectify it," said Valencia native Ruben Iranzo, 15, who does not stay in the academy's residences.
Asked if the players, being teenagers, indulge in junk food, Dario cheekily replied: "Maybe once a week we do, but we train hard so it's okay.
"But don't tell them that."
A player, no matter how good in footballing terms, does not get promoted to the next level if he does not meet the requisite fitness levels.
Villagrasa said: "The first team have a very high level of fitness and, if you don't get to that level little by little, you won't get to the professional level.
"Sometimes when a player has really good skills but does not have the proper fitness levels, we give them individual work to see if they can reach those levels."
Munoz added: "We can give these players a few chances but, if he is still not at the proper levels, then we have to make the hard decision to let him go.
"We can give them all the tools to become professionals but, if they don't take advantage of these tools, we cannot do anything more."
The club have produced Spanish internationals such as Isco, Jordi Alba, David Silva and Paco Alcacer, with academy graduates Jose Luis Gaya, Nacho Vidal, Carlos Soler, Toni Lato and Ferran Torres in the senior team.
Ventosa said: "The academy's first objective is not to win competitions or tournaments, but to produce as many players for the senior team as we can.
"Having the likes of Ferran Torres, Nacho Vidal and Carlos Soler in the first team now gives the academy players the hope that one day they can do the same as well."
The life is tough, but the likes of Dario have the big picture in mind.
He said: "I came here with an objective - which is to become a football player."
(From left) Valencia CF Academy players Andres Garcia, Dario Serra and Ruben Iranzo were in Singapore for the JSSL International Sevens.PHOTO: LEO SHENGWEI
PUBLISHED
MAY 8, 2018, 9:05 PM SGT
FACEBOOKTWITTER
Lim Say Heng
Dario Serra was on a 15-hour flight to Singapore two weeks ago but, instead of catching the latest movies via the in-flight entertainment system, the 15-year-old and his 11 friends were revising their schoolwork.
The studying continued in their rooms at the Carlton Hotel, interspersed with football matches, training and field trips to nearby tourist spots such as Marina Bay Sands and Gardens by the Bay.
For most of the players like Dario, it was their first visit to the Lion City.
Welcome to the life of a Valencia CF (VCF) Academy player, where academic and athletic prowess are not just encouraged, but expected.
"We work with plenty of players and we know that not all of them are going to reach the professional ranks," the academy's general coordinator Sergio Ventosa, 36, said as he explained the club's emphasis on the players' need for an academic education as well.
"For us, it is very important that they develop as persons first and, if some of them become professionals eventually, great."
School is an integral part of the academy's player development, to the point where a player does not get to train, much less play, if he is not doing well on the academic front.
Juanvi Munoz, who works in the academy's administration department, said: "We ask their schools to give them all their homework when they go overseas for tournaments.
"They have to balance their time well, between training, tournaments and studies, because we want them to study. Every term we look at their school results and, if they are not so good, they don't get to practise or play matches because the first priority is studies."
Dario, an Under-16 winger, is one of 40 out-of-town players who stay at the academy's residences at the Ciutat Esportiva. The players who stay on academy grounds follow a strict schedule every day.
The regimen helps the boys develop a solid foundation not just in terms of footballing skills. The discipline and rigour required to keep up also give them an early taste of the demands of life as a professional athlete.
Almeria-born Dario shares a room with team-mate Andres Garcia and his daily routine differs from that of the average teenager.
He wakes up at 7.20am and has breakfast before taking a three-minute bus ride to a nearby school.
He has classes for 10 subjects from 8am to 5pm. This is followed by an hour of supervised studying time, where the student-athletes are guided by tutors hired by the club.
Four times a week, that is followed by training for three hours.
Dario and his team-mates then go for dinner, talk to their loved ones on the phone, and pack their items for the following day before going to bed at 11pm.
Once a week, he plays a league game as well. He sees his parents two or three days a week, gets a month off every year, and is usually at "work" during holidays, such as Easter or Christmas.
"It was difficult at first because I didn't know the city, and we get up and go to school earlier than other people for one extra hour of classes," said Dario, who joined the academy last August.
"Of course I miss my family... but I knew what kind of lifestyle I'd lead when I came to Valencia. It is a strict one and I cannot do whatever I want all the time."
The club have 32 academy teams and 540 players in all, from the Under-8 to the U-18 levels. Each team have a coach, an assistant coach, a fitness coach and a team manager, and play 30 to 34 matches a season in either the regional or the national age-group leagues.
Urawa Reds boys defy odds to win JSSL title[/paste:font]
Players from age 12 will also get to play in overseas tournaments, such as the JSSL International Sevens at the Padang, which ended last week, in which the LaLiga side reached the semi-finals.
About 80 or 90 per cent of the academy players are from the city, with the club focusing their scouting network in and around the Mediterranean region of the country.
South Korean Lee Kang In, 17, and Turkey's Ferhat Cogalan, 15 - who play for their countries' age-group national teams - are also academy trainees, but they were scouted from within the city, where their families reside.
The academy players who live with their parents will go to their own schools, and join the live-in trainees for the training sessions and competitions.
"We have seven scouts for the area from Catalonia to the south of Spain, and four for the rest of the country," said head of VCF scouting academy Jose Jimenez, who has been at the club for 22 years.
Valencia also look for other attributes, not just sporting ability, when selecting academy players.
"Apart from the physical, technical and tactical skills, we look at their behaviour on the field, towards their team-mates, opponents, referees and the spectators," added Jimenez.
"We also look at their behaviour off the field - how they behave in school, at home and in front of their friends for example. In addition we also check their social networks to see what kind of lifestyle they lead."
Such checks are essential, he added, because distractions can easily derail a player's career.
He explained: "Most of the time, if a player does not reach the professional level, it's not because of a lack of skills, but the kind of life they lead."
The youngest VCF Academy teams train just twice a week, with the number of sessions increasing progressively with age; the U-17s and U-18s train five times a week.
Results are important only from the U-16 level onwards, said Ventosa. "Any younger than that, the competitions are just for the players' foundation."
The academy has a methodology department that meets the coaching staff of the various teams at least once a fortnight to align or adjust the sessions according to the club's philosophy, such that the players can fit seamlessly into the older age-group teams they are promoted to, although the younger teams tend to focus more on attack.
Ventosa said: "Our youngest teams tend to be stronger than the other teams in their competitions, so we focus more on offence.
"But, as they move up the ranks, their opponents get better, and we have to adjust accordingly, with the playing styles becoming more and more similar to that of the first team."
From U-13 and upwards, the players undergo a fitness test, which is similar to the Yo-Yo test, once or twice a year to gauge their fitness.
Those who fall short of the required levels will be given an individual programme on top of a standard fitness programme for the age group.
"You can't have proper football skills if you don't have good physical preparation, such as speed, strength and endurance," said Miguel Villagrasa, 47, the academy's strength and conditioning coach.
The players are weighed before every training session, with overweight players given extra work. Their parents are kept informed throughout.
"My father knows sports and will help to control my diet. If I am over the weight limit, the club will also speak to my parents to rectify it," said Valencia native Ruben Iranzo, 15, who does not stay in the academy's residences.
Asked if the players, being teenagers, indulge in junk food, Dario cheekily replied: "Maybe once a week we do, but we train hard so it's okay.
"But don't tell them that."
A player, no matter how good in footballing terms, does not get promoted to the next level if he does not meet the requisite fitness levels.
Villagrasa said: "The first team have a very high level of fitness and, if you don't get to that level little by little, you won't get to the professional level.
"Sometimes when a player has really good skills but does not have the proper fitness levels, we give them individual work to see if they can reach those levels."
Munoz added: "We can give these players a few chances but, if he is still not at the proper levels, then we have to make the hard decision to let him go.
"We can give them all the tools to become professionals but, if they don't take advantage of these tools, we cannot do anything more."
The club have produced Spanish internationals such as Isco, Jordi Alba, David Silva and Paco Alcacer, with academy graduates Jose Luis Gaya, Nacho Vidal, Carlos Soler, Toni Lato and Ferran Torres in the senior team.
Ventosa said: "The academy's first objective is not to win competitions or tournaments, but to produce as many players for the senior team as we can.
"Having the likes of Ferran Torres, Nacho Vidal and Carlos Soler in the first team now gives the academy players the hope that one day they can do the same as well."
The life is tough, but the likes of Dario have the big picture in mind.
He said: "I came here with an objective - which is to become a football player."
