Ajax Orlando plans program for youngest players
American affiliate's plan would surpass
Amsterdam club's minimum age level with program for 4-to-6 year
olds
15 March: Ajax Orlando has put forth an ambitious plan to
implement a player-development program for 4 to 6-year-olds.
This week, the American affiliate of AFC Ajax Amsterdam
announced the hiring of Mark Nicole, who will be in charge of
the ground-breaking program for the very youngest soccer
talents. Once realized, the program would exceed the minimum
age of apprentices at Ajax's De Toekomst academy by as much as
three years; the youngest team currently fielded by Ajax in
Amsterdam is the F1/F2 "Under 8" team.
Nicole holds national and international certifications from
the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF), National Soccer Coaches
Association of America (NSCAA) and the Royal Netherlands
Football Association (KNVB).
"Mark's experience in coaching and developing successful
youth soccer programs will build a solid foundation
for our future," says Mark Dillon, president and CEO of
Ajax Orlando. "One of the reasons some of the European Olympic
programs have been so successful is because they put their best
coaches with the youngest athletes."
"Introducing proper motor skill concepts such as balance,
coordination, and agility in concert with rudimentary problem
solving situations is the foundation of the program," explains
Nicole. "With this type of planning more children will be
afforded the opportunity to reach their full potential
athletically while learning various individual skills within a
group setting."
Petersen named Director of Youth
Development
Earlier this month, Ajax Orlando also announced the hiring
of Greg Petersen as director of youth development.
Petersen, who was the first American professional coach to
earn full certification from the Union of European Football
Associations, will oversee the development of the training
curriculum within the Ajax Orlando youth academy. Petersen's
professional background includes coaching positions with both
PDL and A-League teams. Most recently, Petersen served as
director of soccer/head coach for the Des Moines Menace, a
member of the Premier Development League (PDL).
Source: Ajax Orlando
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