2015 was a huge success for the Montreal Impact Academy in many ways. The U18 earned great results in the USSDA, club coaches presented in front of Quebec’s coaching elite, the club signed a historic deal with the Quebec Soccer Federation and the youngest Academy players were part of prestigious tournaments in Mexico and Portugal.
Even with all this, Academy director Philippe Eullaffroy will say that he and the rest of the staff are always looking for new ways to get better and to push the limits of player development, year after year.
“The Academy is alive and always evolving,” said Eullaffroy. “We can think that it’s a structure in place and that we always repeat the same things, but it’s not the case. Our goal is to be in the Top 3 of MLS academies across the league.”
In 2016, there will be many challenges.
The U16 and U18 teams are now in the middle of their seasons and will start playing again in March. With both teams are in good position for the playoffs (U16 – 9th on 74, U18 – 8th on 74), they will have to maintain momentum when they start playing again to have a chance in the post season.
“It could be the second time in the Academy history that both USSDA teams qualify for the playoffs in the same season, which would confirm the overall growth of the Academy through these two teams.”
To get there, both teams will have to adapt to new coaches. Former U16 head coach Wilfried Nancy and former U18 head coach Jason Di Tullio will now be assistant coaches with the first team.
THE IMPACT ANNOUNCES ITS COACHING STAFF FOR 2016
Despite this, there is no doubt that the new coaches in place will be competent and efficient with their teams.
“For the U18, we also want to see players graduate with FC Montreal. There should be five of them for the beginning of this season,” added Eullaffroy, who is also FC Montreal’s head coach. “Then, we have to see how this team [U18] will deal with that. It will help some players get more playing time and optimize their development.”
FC Montreal will start its second USL season with an even younger team, going from an average of 19.9 years old to 19.3.
“We will be younger in age, but more experienced,” said Eullaffroy. “It might seem ironic, but half the group already had a year in the USL. It’s also a group with more room for improvement. We expect to suffer in the beginning of the season, but not as long as last year. Obviously, the challenge will be to bring at least one Academy player to the first team in 2016.”
For the younger teams – U13 and U14 – their schedule will once include again many tournaments in addition to regular training sessions during the week. The challenge for this age group will be to raise its level so the players joining the U16 team will then be more competitive.
Methodology
A major challenge in 2016 will be methodological, whether it’s related to staff management or planning, so as to be more efficient.
“We want to be aware of the latest scientific data available on learning techniques for young players. This evolution in our methodology and pedagogy will be implanted in August,” specified the Academy director. “We need a clearer framework, not only based on feelings and experience, but also on scientific data. An important thing at the Academy is that all our educators are also researchers. We constantly need to be aware of the latest methodological, pedagogical, technical, tactical, physiological and technological aspects, and then we can experiment. Our new way to work will be similar to before, but it will be like going from a rally car to a Formula 1.”
Other new things for 2016 include a nutritionist that will spend six months at the Academy to put in place a food guide for players and parents. A podiatrist will also come to educate players on foot care.
And stay tuned as there is much more to come…
