Developing a Ballon D'Or nominee

Millions of children dream of becoming professional footballers, but only a select few ever turn that dream into a reality. Exactly why and how they make the grade is the subject of considerable debate, but relatively little research has been conducted in this area. This case study, based on interviews and written training logs, looked to fill that gap, and discover just what this player did to reach the pinnacle of the game.

• This player’s success was built on a combination of natural talent, hard work and effective training techniques.
  
  
• Organised team training (as opposed to unorganised training with his dad or his friends) only accounted for a maximum of 40% of his total training volume. This figure raises the question of exactly how much organised football youngsters should be playing.
  
  
• Most players start playing in the park or on the street with their friends. Maintaining that sense of fun is key to success. Players who enjoy their football usually stay in youth systems for longer, and are more likely to reach the senior game.

Part 1: Background and methodology 
While there is considerable research on the topic of practice in general, only a few studies have focused on the training top players do in their youth, and their conclusions often contradict each other. This study aimed to address that problem through a detailed analysis of this player’s training history. The player’s father was interviewed as part of the study, and both the player and his father reviewed the results to ensure they were an accurate reflection of their experience. 

Part 2: Training for the top 
The player’s training logs showed he spent between 1,000 and 1,300 hours a year training from an early age, as well as playing 35 – 40 games a season. Given the number of talented youngsters playing the game all over the world, this high workload was considered essential if he was to reach elite level. As he matured, the proportion of his training time spent in organised team sessions rose, but it never got above 40%; his single biggest source of “training” was always playing with friends. 

Part 3: Other factors behind the player’s success 
In addition to all those hours spent on training pitches, this player also made good use of the other advantages available to him. These included outstanding innate motor skills, a growth mindset, a strong competitive instinct and impressive confidence on the pitch (even if that confidence was not reflected in his daily life). His father’s first-hand knowledge of the professional game and having access to high-quality training facilities throughout the year may have helped him make the most of these attributes. 

Part 4: The training philosophy
Finally, Professor Haugen explains the underlying four-step training philosophy the player’s father used to guide his son’s development. As a young child, attention was focused on developing the ability to control and dribble the ball. As he grew up, emphasis shifted first towards passing, then to scanning and perception, and finally to making the right decisions in game-like environments. This section of the presentation includes videos of six drills that show how these attributes could be developed in practice.