Brozovic, not only Genoa: Rome and Lazio move
| Summer Internship with GNK Dinamo Zagreb |
This past summer, I spent one month in Zagreb, Croatia, where I obtained professional educational experience with GNK Dinamo Zagreb Youth Academy. Dinamo Zagreb is the most successful Croatian team, producing world-class players such as Luka Modric and Eduardo Da Silva. The Youth Academy has a lot of success in international tournaments against teams such as Manchester United, Barcelona and AC Milan.
The staff consists of former Croatian national team players, and Dinamo Zagreb legends. Growing up in Croatia, I used to look up to these local heroes, and there I was at Dinamo Zagreb, given a chance to learn from the people I grew up idolizing - amazing experience!
Other staff at Dinamo Zagreb includes, fitness trainers and athletic therapists who work alongside the coaches to offer comprehensive training for the players. One thing all of them mentioned to me is that communication between coaches, fitness trainers and therapists was the key to the success of player development. The following is the outline of things that stuck with me from countless conversations with coaches and fitness trainers, and observation of their sessions:
• World - wide player selection
• High volume of training sessions and games
• Parents are not allowed to observe training sessions
• High volume of technical training
• Focus on coordination training for younger age groups (12 and under)
• Weekly video analysis of games for older age groups (16 and older)
• Discipline, professionalism and respect is demanded from players
• Involvement with the senior team is encouraged
(ie. ball-boys, match attendance)
• Appearance on international tournaments is encouraged
• Individual training for players recovering from injury
• Periodized strength and conditioning sessions
• Three meals per day provided for all players
The focus on youth development, both as athletes and human beings, is obvious at Dinamo Zagreb. Athletes are taught at a very young age what it means to play for the biggest club in the country and that only hard work and dedication can take you to the world stage. Athletes train 4-5 times per week and play one game. The older age groups sometimes train twice a day. Younger age groups (11 and younger) play a lot of tournaments, and they treat each tournament like a world cup. I have seen eight year-olds cry because they lost a semi-final game of a minor tournament. All athletes in the academy have only one thing on their mind- to make it pro. The passion, drive to learn and “professionalism” is evident at a very early age. The significant component resulting in this early “professionalism” is the soccer culture evident in every part of Zagreb. Every day, the first thing children do once the school bells rings is run outside and play soccer, often for hours at a time. All players at Dinamo Zagreb live and breathe soccer.
My time spent with Dinamo Zagreb Youth Academy provided me with better understanding of things that are necessary for young players to make it to the pro level. Professional coaches, quality player selection, high volumes of training are all the key aspects of youth development, but most importantly players need to have the natural passion for the beautiful game.
The attached diagram and information below contain the details of a sample training session performed by the GNK Dinamo Zagreb Youth Academy Coaches:
• Age group: 11-12
• 10 minute coordination warm up using music and having
players perform exercises to the beat
• 5 minute soccer specific warm up including dynamic stretches
• 45 minute circuit training session:5 groups of 5 players, each group
visits a station 3 times, 3 minutes per station
• 5 stations:
• Agility/speed (ladder drills with sprints)
• Heading technique
• Passing (two touch, one touch)- focus on technique and accuracy
• 3 v 3 game
• Core strengthening (front plank, side plank, crunches)
• 15 minute cool down including light jogging and static stretches
Matija Vugrinicek is a soccer-specific Strength and Conditioning Coach, and Senior Trainer at Soccer Fitness Inc. Originally born in Croatia, Matija has over three years experience in training soccer players and other athletes of all age groups and levels of ability. Matija’s academic credentials include an Honors Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology and Health Science from York University (2011), NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (2011); a Post-Graduate Diploma in Exercise and Lifestyle Management from Humber College in 2012; and the Canadian Society of Exercise Physiology’s CEP – Certified Exercise Physiologist – certification (2013).
Brozovic, not only Genoa: Rome and Lazio move
Nadam se brzoj prodaji tog wunderkinda ^^ 
EKSPRESNI INTERVJUI U MAKSIMIRU
Vrsaljko: Ajme, kao da sam se vratio u školu
Dinamo uveo ekspresne intervjue s igračima - u dvije minute pitaj što hoćeš, ali nema "nadoknade vremena". Dinamov djelatnik mjerio je vrijeme i nakon dvije minute prekidao razgovor
U Dinamu su odlučili uvesti novi način komunikacije medija i igrača. I za pohvalu je ta ideja. Naime, odlučili su dovesti četiri igrača pred novinare, koje su podijelili u tri skupine - TV i radio u jednoj sobi, internetski portali u drugoj, a pisani mediji u trećoj. Kelava, Sammir, Vrsaljko i Ademi išli su od novinara do novinara i sa svima razgovarali. Doduše, u ograničenom vremenu od samo dvije minute.
Da se slučajno ne bi prekoračilo vrijeme, brinuo se klupski djelatnik sa štopericom koji je kao kobac nadgledao prostorije i kao prometni policajac razmještao igrače.
– Ajme, osjećam se kao da sam se vratio u školu – rekao je Šime Vrsaljko kad je sjeo za stol.
– Mogli su nam staviti i šahovske satove da mjerimo vrijeme – dodao je netko.
Kako god bilo, ideja je dobra, ponešto još treba doraditi, ali i ovako je odlično u usporedbi s prvim tjednom nakon povratka iz Međugorja kad su svi bili iza zida šutnje.
Pokušali smo dobiti i malo "sudačke nadoknade" za još koju sekundu razgovora, no u klubu su bili strogi.
– Isteklo je vrijeme, idemo dalje – smijući se rekao je Vrsaljko.
Uostalom, strogi način komunikacije je i u drugim klubovima, zna to i Ivan Kelava koji se čuje s Mateom Kovačićem i Domagojem Vidom.
– Nismo više zajedno, ali važno je što ćemo doživotno biti prijatelji – kaže Kelava kojeg su kritizirali zbog debljine.
Koliko ste kilograma izgubili – devet?
– Koliko? Ma ne, ali zadovoljan sam, vjerujem da su i u klubu zadovoljni. Forma mi raste iz dana u dan.
Dinamo u Osijeku baš i nije bio u formi.
– Bilo je malo teško vrijeme, loš teren, ali, zapravo, pustimo alibije, zasluženo su nas pobijedili.
Jeste li razočarani što više niste kapetan?
– Nisam.
Kako, zar to nije velika čast, a uzeli su vam vrpcu?
– Naravno da sam se time ponosio, ali kad je Joe Šimunić kapetan ispred mene, sjajan čovjek, igrač sa sto utakmica za Hrvatsku, čast mi je što sam mu zamjenik.
No, on je i primijetio strah kod igrača prije utakmice s Rijekom, boje se drugog neuspjeha.
– Bilo bi nezgodno, ali ne razmišljamo o lošem rezultatu, no ja nisam uočio strah, možda je Joe nešto osjetio, ali ja vjerujem u svoje suigrače – zaključio je Kelava.
– Ma kakav strah! – dodao je Vrsaljko, o kojem se pričalo kao o igraču koji će otići. No, otišao je Kovačić.
– Jesam li Kovi zavidan? Ma ni slučajno, pa on mi je prijatelj i vjerujem da će postati glavni igrač Intera. A hoću li, i kada, i ja otići, ne znam, no u Dinamu mi je dobro.
Brozovic, not only Genoa: Rome and Lazio move
