Tonights program is an extended interview with the Technical Director, Capital Football, Royston Thomas. Roy is a highly experienced professional Football person, very pragmatic and refreshingly “no fuss” in his approach. The CF TD’s job is a big one, with lots of influences and never enough resources to cover the scope of the various tasks to hand. So deciding what and how it will be done and when, is crucial to success. Being sufficiently determined to pursue these objectives, bring the Football community with you, while flexible enough to change position if better ideas come along, is essential to this position in Football – Roy striked me as being all of that. Roy has been in the job six months and in this interview he provides the NPL listener with some absolutely vital information on the way ahead:
• The structure he will use to deliver the National curriculum:
o CF Centre of Excellence
o CF Centre for Development
• Coach education – quality coaches to underpin the delivery of development
• The importance of close and effective working relationships with the Head Coaches of ACTAS mens and Womens programs
• Priorities for participation by age rep teams at the NJC.
• Delivery of technical support to clubs.
And then there is the welcome news that the 6-8 age group development program(s) will be delivered by Coerver - makes perfect sense! Good decision.
As an exercise in clear thinking, Roys initial approach is sound, makes good sense and looks achievable. There is connective football tissue between the elements of his approach to technical development of young players going forward. Roy has not left the clubs behind in his thinking and that’s a big step forward. This is all something parents and clubs can understand and support.
This interview was very much like a fire-side chat about football - two people passionate about football having a good talk about a few things. Time permitting, it could have gone on for ages and I reckon I would have learnt heaps from Roy.
I start the program with a part of his discussion about the recent Womens Under 14 and Under 15 NJC, then its on to a lot more. Roys observations on coaching and recent, terrific games between Barcelona and Real Madrid, then Canberra Olympic and CFC is a delight and right on the mark. I enjoyed this interview and think you will too.
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