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BAHRAIN’S rival football academies have signed up to take part in series of tournaments to give their players a taste of competitive action.
And GulfWeekly has signed up to offer the young star performers, voted for by opposing coaches, a prize plaque to acknowledge their playing prowess.
The Youth Development League, the first of its kind ever to be staged in the kingdom, will feature Juventus Academy, Winners, Champions, TFA, Track, Spire, Black Castle, Tekkers, Sparta, Bahrain Rugby Football Club, FUTMisson, Ole Academy and Najma Academy.
Andrew Collins, Juventus Academy’s head coach is the league coordinator. He said: “We wanted to organise more competitive games for the children and didn’t want players in this country to fall behind in their playing development.”
Initially Juventus Academy, based at Saar Cultural and Sports Club, approached the Bahrain Youth League to see whether it could enter teams but were told it was exclusively for official clubs.
Despite the rivalry, the top coaches met up and agreed to formally compete against each other when presented with the idea of an Academies League structure.
“I wouldn’t say it’s an intense rivalry,” said Collins. “We have always maintained good relations with each other and regularly play friendly matches but after having an open discussion about the league idea, and the benefits for the children, it quickly became apparent that all the academies were on the same page.”
Each academy has signed an agreement. The basic playing rules are to respect each other. Academies, for example, will not be allowed to poach others’ stars and must check all squad members are of the correct age and that none feature official club players.
“Part of the agreement is that all games are played in the right spirit,” added Collins. “Obviously there will be a competitive edge to all the games but part of the agreement is that ‘goals scored’ will not be taken into consideration. This won’t completely stop the rivalry but, as coaches, this is where we need to educate our players to respect the opposition.”
It will be intense for the youngsters too as many will find their school team mates playing against them because they have signed up for additional soccer coaching at rival academies.
“There will be a lot of playground bragging rights at stake,” said one team captain.
The Youth Development League kicks off in Saar on Saturday and Sunday with matches featuring U8, U10, U12, U14 and U16 teams battling it out for trophies and medals.
The youngsters will also be competing for a GulfWeekly Prize Plaque for Star Player in each age category / competition judged by all the coaches, each nominating one player from an opposing team explaining why they think the player deserves the accolade. A prize presentation will be staged at the player’s home pitch at a date to be arranged.
The Juventus Academy is aimed at helping young footballers take their first steps into the football world by educating them in the Bianconeri-style of play. “We are running a specialised academy, set out and planned in conjunction with Juventus FC and the Juventus approved licensed coaches,” added Collins.
The Ole Academy is a franchise from Eastern Europe. Ole launched in 2012 in Serbia’s Belgrade and started its operation in Bahrain in 2017 with two branches in Riffa and Manama.
“OLE promotes team spirit and team building among the players in a family-oriented environment and to embed the notion of respect and responsibility within each youngster,” a spokesman said.
Tekkers academy was formed in 2015 and practices at four locations across the island. “Tekkers is excited to be participating in this new initiative as it will give the opportunity for our players to play regular competitive matches,” a spokesman said.
Winners Football Academy was established in 2014 and is located in Isa Town Education Area with a clubhouse and coffee shop as well as offering fitness and programmes for all ages and staging corporate and community events.
“Winners is delighted to have this kind of collaboration between the top academies in Bahrain and would always participate in and encourage such initiatives,” a spokesman said. “We wish the best to all teams and the most important thing is that all the players have fun and benefit from the experience,” added MD Fawaz Albinmohamed.
TFA, a Bahraini football school, was established in 2011, and attracts more than 800 to training programmes. “This league is a great step to improving our players and provide a healthy and good environment to compete,” a spokesman said. “We’re looking forward to the coming games and wish all the teams good luck in the league.”
Sparta, the Sports & Arts Academy of St Christopher’s School, was established six years ago, and football has been one of its core activities. “Our involvement in this league will be a fantastic experience for our players, giving them regular fixtures and it will help develop their all-round football skills and sportsmanship,” a spokesman added.
