Keeping an eye on local talent
Wednesday coaches happy with development success
WHILE RESPONSIBILITIES in Sheffield, where he heads up Wednesday’s Community Development programme, keep Marcus Brameld busy, he continues to keep a roving eye on the latest talent making waves in the Yorkshire club’s Wexford Development Centre.
That was one of the reasons behind bringing four Wexford lads over to Sheffield during the summer. It gave Brameld, as well as academy manager Dean Ramsdale, an opportunity to get a closer look at the developing players he doesn’t see too often.
But maybe the biggest advantage of calling for players to come over is so they themselves can see the level they need to reach, and what they have to do to compete with lads their own age training up to 16 hours a week.
‘Obviously the academy standard has gone up dramatically the last two or three seasons,’ explained Brameld.
‘We are getting the pick of the crop in Yorkshire at the moment, we’ve improved our facilities and the coaching standards, and we are getting a lot better players through the system.
‘The four Irish lads did okay, but again they have got to keep progressing. It takes a lot for an overseas player to come over to England and actually make it, when there’s a lot of English players to select from.
‘We are going to keep an eye on them and hopefully we’ll get them over again this season and have another look. It’s just a development programme really, just keep looking at what they are doing and make sure they are improving with every session.’
Sometimes these academies pop up and disappear just as quickly, but the Sheffield Wednesday Development Centre is showing no signs of slowing down. Indeed, plans are afoot to further enhance what’s on offer for coaches and players alike. Brameld explained:
‘It’s progressing really well; the guys in Wexford, Aileen and the team, are doing a fab job. They are putting a lot of effort in on our behalf. Obviously we are not there so we trust them with our brand.
‘I like to see the kids from Ireland coming over to here and we are looking to do an international tournament this year with a few of the groups. The kids might get a chance go out to Malta or back over to England to play again, it’s all about giving them opportunities really.’
Another thing that is set to benefit the players is the upskilling of the coaches, with Brameld and John Williams, the Head of Education and Coach Development, set to come over in the next few months to impart knowledge. ‘We are going to do a bit of coaching education when we come out there to help some of the coaches that are working on our programme,’ Brameld said.
As well as working with the coaches in one of their upcoming visits, the boys from Wednesday will be over in a couple of weeks to sit down with this year’s group and talk to the children and parents about what they can expect.
If there’s a message that Brameld is keen to get across to the 80-plus lads involved with the development centre, it’s to get involved in activities. Whatever sport it may be, play it.
He explained: ‘I think for their own development to get involved in different sports (is important). Practice what they are weak on, coaches are telling them what they need to work on. Hopefully they are putting on the right sessions so they are improving on a weekly basis.
‘It’s about getting that regular coaching, the regular sessions. You can’t improve if you are sat in your garden or on your settee watching your TV. You’ve got to get out there and get a ball and practice.
‘Yes, you do have to have that natural ability but a lot of it is hard graft to get anywhere. There’s so much competition now in England, even in Sheffield, there’s that much competition for places in the academy, we are having to set up centres and development squads just to accommodate all these players.
‘As I say, we are still looking for that one player, there’s no guarantees, we might do this programme forever and not get one player from it, but it’s got to be worthwhile doing. It’s also about giving the kids a bit of experience.’