June 2015 marked a watershed era for Australian, New South Wales, Sydney and especially Newington College Football as the greatest club side in the world sent two of its finest coaches to teach our boys at the Newington College – Real Madrid Foundation Coaching Clinics.

With over 200 Stanmore, Lindfield and Wyvern Boys taking part in addition to external school players and club players, two marvellous weeks of enthralling football games, fun and Spanish accents permeated the Stanmore air. We were blessed with the weather, the facilities, very well behaved and enthusiastic players but most of all with two humble yet brilliant coaches from the Madrid Academy, Jamie Torcal and Tristan Celador.

Throughout the 10 days of coaching clinics, practical and theory seminars, etc., our two Spanish guests exuded modesty, passion, kindness, wonderful rapport with the boys and a teaching style which illustrates so clearly why European football is the pinnacle of the universal game. To witness Jamie, the Under-12 Academy Coach gather his young players around him and hypnotise them with his humour, charm and educational group work as he had his fledgling acolytes drawing x’s and o’s on his tactic board as he explored their understanding of each game and development was ground breaking. The template for Australian coaches, if they really want to bring native players to the standard of their western world contemporaries, was clearly on view on the Buchanan landscape.

On the other pitch the Real Madrid Under-17 Coach, Tristan Celador (who coached Juan Mata, Carvalho, Moratta, etc. ) was taking the older groups through a repertoire of fantastic tactical games which challenged them mentally, technically and progressively. His constant incantation of “hard pass”, “Control”, “you must play with intensity” punctuated the atmosphere as he demonstrated with aplomb but always with humility and respect for the players. He urged the players to work hard in and out of possession and to illustrate that he showed with his own touch and energy what is required to take the next step on the learning path. His range of educational and development games was mouth watering for any emerging or professional coach. It was heart warming to see elements of our own Football Program in Newington very much in evidence in the Spanish coaches football program.

Part of the Real Madrid experience, and remember this was the very first Football clinic run in Australia by the ten time European Champions, were two wonderful seminars run in the Old Boys Lecture Theatre and Lambert Park, respectively.

Almost 120 coaches attended a 2 hour talk and Q & A in the Old Boys Lecture Theatre in which Jamie and Tristan outlined the philosophy, objectives and player development model in Madrid. In particular they stressed the following:

• Great objectives with humility & Sobriety
• Fight until the end / Exemplary behaviour from the players
• Eliminate excuses / Players Watch your personal image
• Capability Compromise and Responsibility
• Enthusiasm Curious Coaches
• Scouting Technical Admin and Integration
• Scouting / Development and Promotion
• Players with best potential future
• Decision making / Temperament / Relationship with the ball – Excels in one of these

The final seminar took place in Lambert Park where almost 200 coaches attended as some of the best Under-12 players in Sydney were put through five thrilling games, with coaches allowed to watch closely, film, take notes, etc.

Throughout all the activities one of the constant themes was that Jamie and Tristan always drew their game and exercise on a white board prior to the session to illustrate the basics of each game and then as the exercise evolved they would ask the players what their role was and where should they be. To see the boys respond to this interactive player development model was revolutionary and makes all of us, as coaches, re-examine our coaching styles, program and player centred approach.

A full video of the weeks activity will shortly be up on Spaces as will the Key Coaching Criteria for Player Development as practiced by Real Madrid.

We didn’t even have time for a siesta!!

Muchos gracias Jamie and Tristan.

Mr Brian McCarthy
Director of Football