Rwanda needs concerted efforts in youth football devt

In the wake of the second return leg for the under-17 national team, many soccer enthusiasts in Rwanda will look to overturn the 4-0 deficit inflicted by Uganda Cubs during the first leg. It is high time we reflect on what has not been done and put right what is required. Competition in youth football is at the forefront of the world’s most popular sport today. Success in youth football is currently considered as the top most measure for the team progress. Football clubs and even nations compete to have the best young players coming through youth ranks. When you look at the best football countries in the concluded World Cup 2014 in Brazil, you realise that they have produced the best young players at youth international soccer tournaments in recent years. The likes of Holland, Germany, Brazil, France and Argentina have consistently produced young players through the youth ranks. You have to produce the best results at youth stage so as to achieve a big result in the future. This is why we saw a generation of talented Germany footballers who came through various world cup battles to eventually emerge champions. Even when you lose a game or games, it does not mean total failure but what matters is how you make a comeback in the game. It is high time therefore we take youth football very serious even in developing nations. In developing countries like Rwanda what matters most is not the amateur football league status but the structure of youth soccer development. Many youth soccer academies need to be established and supported. In a scientific life, you imagine and experiment to see what comes out of your hard work. Everything has a phase of development and any obstacle in such phases needs consultation. Just like in every manufacturing plant, every phase in youth development needs experimentations and trials. This is why youth soccer tournaments and events are organised in the world’s soccer authority calendar. We also need to put into consideration other values of life in order to invest in sport. The need for Sporting and other leisure activities is important for the psychological as well as Physical development of the youth. These values contribute to the personal development through promoting good health, personal discipline, leadership and team building skills. Back to youth football development, the nature of football development in Germany and Spain should always give us a good guideline. Germany and Spain have been the best in youth soccer development activities in the current century. Nearly all professional clubs from these countries have established and professionally ran soccer academies that always produce elite soccer players. New stars or best players emerge at international soccer tournaments like the world cup due to concerted efforts from the grass roots. One of the most important tools in the youth set up from these countries is the communication between different educators and coaches. All youth coaches interact regularly with the club to find ways of how to detect and attract young players. Even when you recruit a young player make sure his talent is utilised to the optimum. Also, the biggest advantage is that youth coaches from these countries follow the same pattern. They have a well regulated training method that focus on ball retention, ball control, use of ball in tight spaces, setting the pace of the game and the steps to take when they lose possession of the ball. Team values, discipline and compromise for the greater good of the team are highly valued and every player makes sure that he follows the same path. And this is quite evident in the senior teams of Spain and Germany. Younger players are taught to mark the position of their team mates and their opposition on the pitch, then make their moves and utilise the spaces on the field. The players are asked not to depend on some luck but to create their own chance.