SOCCER COACH SETS STRINGENT STANDARDS

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30604, 21 November 1964, Page 11

SOCCER COACH SETS STRINGENT STANDARDS

"A TRAINING centre attached to every association, concentrated attention on boys between the ages of 10 and 14, and plenty of patience, courage and perseverance: these are the articles for the future growth of soccer in New Zealand proposed by the 51-year-old former Jugoslavian international, Mr Ljubsia Brocic.

The new national coach has made his first report to the N.Z.F.A. council in which he has made it plain what he expects from New Zealand soccer and what he can give to the game in return. He asks for enthusiasm for wholehearted support to all his coaching methods and for the facilities and the players so that he can put his methods into practice. At this stage Mr Brocic has not signed a contract with the N.Z.F.A. He wants to show what can be done and will assess the position in six months' time. His stay will depend upon the enthusiasm he meets: unless associations give him complete support he feels it would be a waste of his time and effort.

In his report Mr Brocic laid first emphasis on the establishment of training centres for the best and selected players, these training centres to be a model for clubs which should be encouraged to set up their own establishments in time.

Mr Brocic proposes two classes at each centre—senior and junior. About 25 to 50 players should be selected for the senior classes from which two teams will later be selected, The junior class will be divided into two groups, under 14 and under 17. “Over 17 and 18 it is too late to get the standard we wish,” says Mr Brocic. “I think the most important group is under 14.” The Jugoslavian coach stressed that he wanted to start work immediately, and although he has been in the country for only just over a

month, he has already taken several coaching sessions in the Wellington and Hutt areas. He will concentrate his junior coaching during the December and January holidays when the youngsters will be away from school.

Each training centre will have one senior coach to carry on the work Mr Brocic starts. His basic requirements for a centre are: two training fields, preferably adjacent and full-sized; a large barrack block or gymnasium for wet-weather coaching; a small wall for shooting practice; a ball for each player; a small committee to organise and control the centre, and to include one referee; people who will work voluntarily; three assistant coaches, one for each group; and two dozen stalks, that can be improvised as goal-posts. Training will go on throughout the year, prefer-

ably three times a week, but at least twice weekly. The juniors will be coached in the afternoons and the seniors in the evening His first visit to each training centre will last for a fortnight, and the work will continue under coaches appointed by the association.

“We shall concentrate where there are youngsters between 10 and 14,” says Mr Brocic. “The standard of soccer in the world today is so high that you can get such a standard only with systematic training from 10 years of age. If you start later on I doubt whether you can reach such standards; only exceptionally talented players might be able to do it. But we should not judge by a few exceptions. From the 10-14 group we shall later on get the standard we wish.” The N.Z.F.A. council has wasted no time putting Mr Brocic’s proposals into ac-

tion. Associations have been requested to establish training centres and that the council be informed immediately the earliest date they can commence operations.

The Canterbury association, through its secretary, Mr N. R. Dixon, has written to the council informing it that Canterbury is now ready to accommodate Mr Brocic as soon as he is ready to visit Christchurch.

Mr Brocic will not be a stranger to Christchurch. He conducted coaching classes here when he was last in New Zealand in 1962 and might have become Canterbury’s coach then had the finances been available. In his report to council Mr Brocic remembered Christchurch, He pointed out that the arrangements made by Canterbury when he previously visited New Zealand were very satisfactory.