Aspects of Technical and Tactical Training of Young Football Players

Training of sports reserve for professional football has always attracted much attention. This is evidenced by a significant number of studies devoted to this issue, within which experts in professional children's and youth football emphasize the lack of necessary engagement in elite sport young athletes, well-prepared in terms of technical and tactical skills. One of adequate responses in the considered aspect is further improvement of efficient training of a prospective competitive sports reserve based on intensified improvement of quality of scientific and methodical support during training process. The aim of the research work is to substantiate scientific approaches to formation of a step-by-step management system within the long-term process of developing football players’ technical and tactical skills. We have carried out the analysis of program documents, literature sources and practical activities of children's coaches in the process of implementing long-term training programs for young football players in leading European football academies and national federations. A number of fundamental and systemic differences between traditional and progressive approaches to arrangement of educational and training process have been shown. It has been determined that the existing “organized” football, the system of conducting children's and youth competitions, as well as pedagogical approaches to training young talents, are aimed at speeding up training process, achieving instant results, team-group form of conducting classes, which do not contribute to individual development and training of a smart player, capable of creatively approaching the solution of tactical and technical tasks. We have substantiated approaches to making changes in the practice of long-term training for young football players based on application of situational game method, which is a key point for effective training, development of individual capabilities and formation of game intelligence. A strategy for managing training process has been determined based on the introduction of a phased (gradual) system of tactical and technical training for young football players, which will further determine player's potential at professional level. We have indicated the necessity of making changes to pedagogical approaches of managing sports activities for young football players and evaluating the effectiveness of children's coaches’ work.