OVERALL AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

The Wycombe Wanderers FC Youth Department is an establishment that facilitates and promotes the development of young players.

In providing coaching, guidance and advice of an exemplary standard and through a holistic approach it is hoped that as many as possible of these young players will realise their full potential and emerge as participants in the game at the highest level.

The desire of all the staff within the Youth Department is that the players under our guidance will develop a sense of personal values which will provide them with far greater self esteem. This in turn should encourage confidence in their own ability and produce high levels of motivation, not only in football but also in their overall studies. The development of such positive attitudes and awareness of their responsibilities will extend not only to football but to society in general.

We at Wycombe Wanderers Football Club recognise that football is very much a community activity and that in the UK it embraces all strata of society. With this in mind our Youth Department will be focused on that responsibility which we have towards the public in general. Our commitment both to the local community and the region as a whole will manifest itself in the promotion of and the adherence to the highest standards of behaviour and the manner in which we pursue our responsibilities and execute our duties. Such standards will be applicable to both players and staff.

To ensure that these high standards are maintained by the coaching, staff In Service Training Schemes and performance evaluation will be an integral part of our overall policy. This coupled with close liaison with parents/guardians and the players themselves will provide a basis from which it is hoped that all our charges will progress in a secure, encouraging and structured environment.

By our adherence to such high standards we believe that we will be providing the sporting community as a whole with worthy contributors who will enrich our nations sporting and social scene.

POLICIES ON GOOD PRACTICE

Approved policies, practices and procedures have been put in place and are issued to all registered players. A review of these takes place on an annual basis.

PARENT / PLAYER INFORMATION PACKS

An enhanced information/induction pack is issued to parents and players either in August or upon registering as a Player at the Centre of Excellence. The Pack is a guide designed as a reference for all players registered with the Centre of Excellence and contains schedules and fixtures for the duration of the season and also information sheets on policies of good practice etc.

REGISTERED PLAYERS

The Youth Department at present has 103 registered Players ranging form the ages of eight to sixteen and which cover the U9s to U16s age groups.

STAGE AGE (YEARS)
F Fundamental - 6-9 Years
L2T Learning To Train - 9-12 Years
T2T Training To Train - 12-15 Years
T2C Training To Compete - 15-18 Years
T2W Training To Win - 18+

In addition, there are six first year and six second year players between the ages of sixteen and eighteen registered on our Full-Time Trainee Programme (MASE).

STAFF

The Department consists of five full-time and fifteen part-time members of staff, which also include part-time recruitment officers.

Each age band has a dedicated senior member of staff who is at hand to deal with any enquiries parents may have. Senior Staff meetings are held on a monthly basis in order to discuss and implement the coming month's programme of work

Within the Department all coaching and non-coaching Staff are qualified to the relevant standards and in order to maintain the high standards expected The Club maintains its policy that they all attend periodical In-Service training programmes and Football Association run courses as required.

COACHING

Every age group run by the Youth Departments Consists of two members of staff, a Head Coach and an Assistant. All coaching staff are qualified to a minimum UEFA Level 3 &/or UEFA Full Licence standard. All have attended the relevant FA Courses regarding Youth Development as well as regular In-house training programmes specifically devised to maintain the high standards expected.

MEDICAL

Fully qualified and state registered Physiotherapists are employed by the Club and they work closely with Sports Therapists and Pitch-Side Assistants. All physiotherapists employed by the Youth department have through their qualifications acquired a Chartered Society Number and Health Professions Council Number (HPC)

Physios will diagnose and treat an injury whilst the Therapists will undertake the treatment and rehabilitation programme that follows all injuries.

PHYSIOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT

The Physiological Development Programme deployed by the Youth Department is based on the following 5 stage process:

Training is adapted to a Players biological and training age not just their chronological age. Staff are mindful that each Stage contains sensitive periods or 'windows of opportunity' where there are accelerated gains. These stages are monitored for, identified and capitalised on.

EDUCATION & WELFARE / CHILD PROTECTION

A dedicated Education & Welfare / Child Protection Officer has been appointed and who's role is to deal with the specific Education and Welfare needs of registered players and also with any Child Protection matters which may arise.

We place a large emphasis on a holistic approach to the development of players within our care. As well as receiving coaching of a high and suitable standard we believe that the education and welfare of each player is paramount.

Regular contact with all the registered schoolboy players from the U9 to U16 groups is maintained, and offers assistance to all the schools to stress the importance of obtaining successful examination results.

This takes the form of regular school visits, and discussions with class and head teachers concerning the progress of the boys.

Academy registration can be placed in danger if a young player persistently breaks school rules - including truancy, homework violations and misbehaviour.

TECHINCAL PROGRAMME & SYLLABUS OF WORK

A comprehensive Technical Programme & Syllabus of Work is in place which is age specific and covers all the relevant areas of development: Technical / Tactical / Physical / Mental / Social.

We have an extensive internal Sports Science programme in operation with external links having been developed with the Buckinghamshire University College.

To compliment this and to aid staff a resource centre containing videos and books and other such aids is available for use by all coaching and non-coaching staff at the main ground

ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES

Assessments are made on a monthly and a match basis, these appraisals then make up the Half-yearly and Yearly reports which are presented to Players and their Parents/Guardians at Appraisal evenings which take place at Christmas and again in April

RECORDING OF INFORMATION

All Team Managers/Coaches are issued with Team Record books which are kept up to date and inspected on a regular basis. All necessary information and appraisals are recorded and the information used when compiling periodical reports.

STRONG>FOOTBALL LEAGUE MONITORING

The Football League carries out six visits/inspections per year to all Youth Development Programmes. Two are related to the School boy Programme and two related to the Full-Time Trainee programme.

Thereafter one report is related to a Club's Action Plan for the coming season and one which makes up an Internal Annual Review.

TALENT IDENTIFICATION & RECRUITMENT

Within the Wycombe Wanderers FC Youth Department, the identification and recruitment of talent is considered as one of the principal components in the overall strategy of youth development. Our Recruitment Staff work to a comprehensive programme that is used for the strategic implementation of Talent Identification and Recruitment.

All recruitment staff employed by the Club have undergone the necessary CRB checks, attended the Football Association Talent Identification Course and are provided with photo identification cards as well as business cards.

FULL-TIME TRAINEES

All Full-Time Trainees undertake 12 hours of education per week scheduled to match their own education requirements. This is a compulsory requirement included in the offer of their scholarship.

The players attend their classes at the Stadium in conjunction with the LAW Education Agency. They provide all the necessary teachers, and the Aylesbury college facilities are also available to the players whenever needed.

The education is tailored to each individual player, and the courses can vary from A-level studies, vocational subjects and can include basic numeracy and literacy where necessary with evaluations given through FES log books on an eight-week cycle.

RELEASE PROCEDURES / EXIT ROUTE

Unfortunately and inevitably there comes a time when registered players are released from the Youth Development Programme and trialists are assessed as not yet being at the required standard.

Decisions on all players are made objectively and based on regular assessments which make up monthly and twice yearly reports

In the event of as player being released verbal notification will be given to the player and his parent's/guardian's. This will be followed by a letter which in certain situations or time of year will also enclose the player's final assessment.

Further to the above we are mindful and sensitive to the fact that a part of our moral obligation to all the players is to provide them with alternative opportunities to continue with their football development and therefore we also provide a comprehensive list of professional clubs who operate Academies and Centres of Excellence and also information of teams based in local leagues in and around our areas of operation.

RELEASE PROCEDURES U16s

Decisions on full time places are awarded at the end of March and coupled with this the boys in this age group are also coming towards the period of time when they will sit their GCSE and other exams. We are mindful and sensitive to the fact that for all boys this can be a worrying and distressing time.

In most cases the decisions on the boys who will not be offered full time places are made between the end of November and mid December and the Players concerned along with their Parents/Guardians are informed accordingly.

This gives the boys both the time and opportunity to seek trial periods at other clubs and also the time to work on their exam revision.

YOUTH TEAM STRUCTURE

Youth Team structure for the 2007/08 season.