WYC 160 – Youth Soccer – Sean Afkhaminia – Bringing European training techniques to US Youth Soccer at Footy Factory

Sean Afkhaminia is the CEO and technical director at Footy Factory. The mission of Footy Factory: To cultivate players'​ athletic performance by promoting physical, technical, and personal growth. Not only will we aim to sharpen their natural abilities, but we will also teach them the values of integrity, conviction, and self-belief. We aspire to form an institution that consistently takes in raw, unpolished talent and systematically develops and generates elite, well-rounded players.

Website: footyfactory.us

Twitter: @footyfactorydal

Facebook: /footyfactorydallas

Instagram: /footyfactory

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Show Notes - WYC 160 – Sean Afkhaminia

Long term development vs Immediate Results

Technical - It's all about getting comfortable with the ball

Tactical - Small-sided games

Physical - As they get older and their bodies develop this becomes more important

How do you enjoy technical training?

Have them problem solve in competitive situations

Start with small-sided games. Futsol in soccer. Very fast-paced, very small areas, tons of quality touches on the ball.

Use standard P.E. drills and modify them to your sport. Example: ball tag - one player has a ball in his hand and the rest are dribbling balls at their feet, the player tries to tag the other players' ball

Mental toughness

Training needs to be hard and they need to learn to overcome adversity

Encourage a culture where failure is part of the process to help remove fear of failure

Connecting with and impacting kids

Sean has a passion for kids who don't have the economic means to afford high-priced training. So he helps kids get the training even if they cannot pay for it.

Best Stolen/Borrowed Idea

Coaching is all about relationships and earning the kids' trust

Favorite books/quote:

Pep Confidential by Pep Guardiola

Parting Advice

Good is never good enough

Be organized - have a structured practice design for the entire season

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