Under the supervision of Philippe Eullaffroy, Montreal Impact director of player development and head coach of the U21 team, as well as the rest of the Academy coaching staff, some 300 young players, born between 1996 and 2000, made their way to the pitch at the Marie-Victorin Sports Complex, from January 3 to 5, with the goal of earning a spot with the club’s sports-etudes program.
For 90 minutes, the young hopefuls showed off their skills while the technical staff evaluated the talent in order to make a first cut.
“First off, we are looking at the player’s technical qualities, but also their vision and attitude on the field,” said Philippe Eullaffroy. “As they are still in need of development, some technical elements are lacking, but that is normal for their ages. In terms of their attitude, we look at what a player does when they lose the ball. Does the player remain positive? Does he double his effort to retrieve the lost ball or does he hang his head? The tactical and physical aspects can be developed through our programs. The tactical and physical components are secondary when we are scouting young players.”
The youth players, divided into sub-groups and identified by numbered bibs, were easily assessed by the coaches.
“We are about 10 on the field to evaluate the players. When we have a feeling about a player, positive or negative, there are always two or three coaches that will have seen the same thing. We will target 80 players for the final tryout phase.”
The second phase of tryouts is scheduled for Saturday, at the Marie-Victorin Sports Complex. Approximately 15 players will be selected for the next school season beginning in the fall of 2012.
A satisfying first trimester
The Academy players are in school from 8:10am to 12:25pm. Following classes, a shuttle bus transports them to a training session of one hour and 30 minutes and a study session obligatory for all.
“We have put high standards in place and we are pleased with the results so far,” explained Eullaffroy. “We’ve received some good feedback thus far, whether from the organization or from the parents, both from the academic side and the athletic side. As for the organization, we are still in year zero; therefore we can only truly evaluate the progress in the next few years.”
According to Nicolas Coupleux,Academy and Soccer Schools chief administrative officer, it is important for the organization to ensure the education of the clubs youngsters.
“As there are only a limited number of spots available for players to pursue a professional career, it is our responsibility to do everything we can to ensure they have a good education for their futures.”
“The Montreal Impact has a responsibility to young Quebec players,” explained Impact sporting director Nick De Santis. “We have to develop them and create a sense of belonging with the club.”
