ECNL & WFA Collaborate For Coaching Development
RICHMOND, Va. (November 12, 2014) – The Elite Clubs National League and the World Football Academy USA are announcing a collaboration to further coaching development and education in the top youth female development league in the world. The collaboration will include educational seminars held over the next 18 months to provide specialized information for ECNL coaches in periodisation concepts to maximize long-term development of youth athletes. The seminars will be put on by world renowned football expert Raymond Verheijen, founder of the World Football Academy.
“The ECNL mission is to ‘elevate the game,’ and a big part of that mission is continually improving the standard of coaching in the league – because better coaches produce better players,” said ECNL President Christian Lavers. “The periodisation seminars taught by Raymond provide a unique opportunity for coaches to learn how to apply the most cutting edge physiological principles in the world to help keep their players healthier, develop faster, and perform better.”
The World Football Academy was founded by Raymond Verheijen to “Make Football Better.” Verheijen has a masters in Exercise Physiology and Sport Psychology, and has worked with multiple professional and international teams, including Holland (Euro 2000, 2004), South Korea (World Cup 2002, 2006 and 2010), Russia (Euro 2008 and 2012), Argentina (World Cup Final 2014) and many more.
“This collaboration is major milestone in the development of football,” said WFA Founder Raymond Verheijen. “It paves the way for the female game in United States to become a role model that the rest of the world can follow. To set the standards in developing top fit teams that are injury free. There is, of course, a lot of work to be done and we are excited about the opportunity to help the top youth female development league in the world raise their bar”
The first ECNL / WFA seminar will be a one-day event held February 3, 2015 at Rutgers University in New Jersey. More detailed information on the seminars will be made available on the ECNL website. Additional offerings will be announced in the coming months.
The ECNL / WFA periodisation courses are one part of an expanding coaching development platform in the ECNL. This coaching development platform was introduced in 2011 with ECNL Coaching Development Initiatives held multiple times per year featuring presentations from coaching education leaders and youth national team coaches from US Soccer. The ECNL CDI’s will continue in the 2014-15 season, and more coaching education initiatives will be announced in the coming months.
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About Elite Clubs National League: The Elite Clubs National League (ECNL) was founded in 2009 to enhance the developmental experience of female youth soccer players in the United States through: (i) Improving the competitive environment through creation of a true national competitive league; (ii) Improving the process for identifying elite female soccer players for the U.S. Soccer youth national teams through a systematic scouting and identification program based on national competitions; and (iii) improving the daily training environment at top female youth soccer clubs through developing best practices and training and organizational guidelines for its member clubs. The ECNL is sanctioned by US Club Soccer and is sponsored by Nike Soccer.
eliteclubsnationalleague.com | Facebook: /theECNL | Twitter: @theECNL
About the World Football Academy: The World Football Academy is the world’s leading independent education institute for coaches, staff members and practitioners with departments and events on all the continents. As a major knowledge provider to several FA’s and clubs around the world, the WFA is the prime contractor for thousands of football specialists.
worldfootballacademyusa.com| Facebook: /WorldFootballAcademyUSA | Twitter: @WFA_USA
About Raymond Verheijen: Raymond Verheijen is one of the global leaders in soccer specific conditioning and periodisation, and boasts a wealth of experience coaching at the highest levels of professional soccer around the world.
He has coached at every European Championship since 2000 – including EURO 2000 (a semifinalist with Holland under head coach Frank Rijkaard), 2004 (semifinalist with Holland under head coach Dick Advocaat), 2008 (semifinalist with Russia under heach coach Guus Hiddink), and 2012 (with Russia under head coach Dick Advocaat). Verheijen has also been involved at every World Cup Finals since 2002; World Cup 2002 (semifinalists with Korea under head coach Guus Hiddink), 2006 (with Korea under head coach Dick Advocaat), 2010 (second round with Korea), and most recently in World Cup 2014 with Argentina, helping them progress to the final against Germany. Additionally, Verheijen also spent time working with Louis van Gaal and the Holland U-20 men’s national team at the World Cup 2001, and worked as assistant manager of the Welsh senior men’s national team during a period which saw them become the most improved team ever in the history of the FIFA world rankings. In 2009, Verheijen assisted coach Vera Pauw and the Dutch national women’s team reaching the EURO2009 semi final in their first ever major international tournament.
At the club level, Verheijen’s experience is just as impressive. He has worked with the likes of Barcelona FC, Manchester City, Chelsea FC, and Zenit St. Petersburg. Verheijen has also implemented his philosophy within the famous Feyenoord Academy, which produced the most World Cup 2014 players of all club academies worldwide.
Verheijen has published three influential books – ‘Conditioning for Soccer’ (1998) and ‘Periodisation in Football’ (2008) in Holland. His latest book “The Original Guide to Football Periodisation – Part 1” published in English in June 2014, is one of the most eagerly anticipated books in the history of football coaching.
For media enquiries:
Jen Woodie
Email: info@eliteclubsnationalleague.com
Phone: (703)304-5723