Courtesy: The FA.com

University challenge

By Graeme Dell

Tuesday, 31 July 2007

After travelling out to Bangkok for the World University Games, Graeme gives us an insight into life playing football abroad.

Hello from a very warm and humid Bangkok.

We’re all well despite some of the party having a gruelling 37 hour door-to-door travel itinerary, but after a reasonable flight we’ve arrived here.

I’m sitting in the hotel lobby having trained this morning although we’re still on UK time and adjusting to local time is key to our acclimatisation strategy which is now in full swing.

We’ve put a lot of planning in to sleep and lifestyle management patterns for the players during the coming weeks although the next 48 hours will be the hardest for them.

It’s also important that the staff are able to deliver and that entire strategy has also been adopted by us. We’re what I refer to as the ‘performance enablers’ - the ones who provide the tools for the players to realise their potential, getting everything prepared and sorted to aid them. That won’t work if we’re tired or not feeling up to it so as a team unit we’re all very focused on our individual and collective tasks.

It was a manic week as usual before leaving on such a long trip. We’ll be away for around 26 days, a trip length you’ll only ever experience with football for World Cups or Euro Finals and therefore the whole planning ethos is very different.

That’s made easier by having a staff group who are known to me - Mark Leather our physio, scientist Gary Phillips and Andy Hibbert from University of Bath, my team administrator.

They all know the gig and my work ethic which makes for ease and consistency and I don’t have to worry about how they do what they do – they just get on and get everything sorted the way I want it. Due to FISU regulations, which mirrors IOC rules, we cant have the staff entourage that usually accompanies national teams so these are demanding trips.

I was in Soho Square to review the shape and content of the Level 2 Futsal course, which proved to be really beneficial and we are now able to progress forward so that was very encouraging.

I spent Thursday evening as a guest of London 2012 and the British Olympic Foundation at the Pierre de Cubertin lecture held at the RSA in London where Christophe Dubi, the IOC’s Director of Sport, was presenting the inaugural lecture.

Baron de Coubertin, the instigator of the modern Olympic Games, presented in the same room prior to the formation of the IOC in 1894 which made it a fitting location. With only 75 guests it was an enlightening insight into previous Olympics and to the upcoming Games of Beijing, Vancouver and London.

Seb Coe, as ever, gave encouraging and enthusing welcome introduction on the eve of the five-year milestone until the Opening Ceremony.

I was then back at FA headquarters for a meeting with sponsors Umbro on Friday with our Small Sided Game Development Manager Dermot Collins. He has such great vision for Futsal and is a key component to the success we have been having in the development of the game here in England. That was followed by a quick meeting with my England team administrators to get the next series of games planned.

Saturday came along far too quickly - my house looked like the M25 on a bad day with several staff members meeting to leave cars so that we could all travel together.



Gary Phillips will move directly on to the U17 World Cup with John Peacock's squad and Dawn Scott, the senior women’s sports scientist, also met us there. She’s working with the GB Women's team here with our England U17s coach Laura Harvey and Cat Lawson. Scotty will then go straight to Macau and set up the base camp for Hope Powell's team when they arrive at the end of August before they all move onto China, but this will be great experience for her.

We seem to have settled in to the hotel well and everyone seems happy with a buzz of excitement yet some trepidation. With such a large group, unique with both men’s and women’s teams together, the dynamics are very varied and have to be soundly managed.

Travel day is always a stressful time and this trip was no exception. However, having got here with what seems like relative ease, we are now settled in and trained for the first time yesterday afternoon. The next 48 hours will encompass medical screening and doping control education which is essential at this type of event and education sessions of what to expect.

There is so much information to dispense based upon some exceptional prior learning. The staff groups have collated experience from working with teams at nine Olympic Games, seven Commonwealths, 11 World University Games and numerous World and European Championships.

I’d like to think that these players are in good and knowledgeable hands but that will be needed more than ever against the talent of Olympic Football Programmes from around the world who we’ll face in the coming weeks, especially being less than a year away from Beijing.

Having been the first of the 12,000 athletes to arrive the media coverage at the airport and the hotel was what I expected. The players all acquitted themselves well and made the movement of over a tonne and a half of kit and equipment seem effortless.

We’ve based ourselves at the Harrow International School here in Bangkok where the facilities are first class. The hotel is only ten minutes away by coach yet on site we’ve got full access to a 25 metre pool, a magnificent indoor gym, weights room, various sizes of grass pitches and a restaurant where we will stay and have lunch in a relaxed and confidential environment.

My roster is almost complete - this afternoon Columbus Crew’s Ben Hunter joins up which only leaves Michael Todd from Charleston Battery in the US who arrives tomorrow afternoon. The team spirit is buzzing as the players from both groups wake and report in and it’s a real team feeling we’ve managed to create already. I’m struggling to think across seven Games when I’ve had a nicer more focused group of players.

I’ve lost John Cunliffe from Deportivo Chivas in the MLS. He played against Kansas City Wizards on Sunday night and will head off in a couple of weeks to play Becks and LA Galaxy in the SuperLiga where I bet the atmosphere in the Coliseum will be fantastic.

John was one of the most exciting young players in the US last year and having been drafted at seventh place in this year's MLS, it would appear I’m not the only one who thinks so! I’m disappointed for him and for England that he won't get this experience to show what he can do at this level but I’ll keep my eye on him.

Exeter’s Neil Saunders was also withdrawn which was another blow, more so for the player's aspirations of proving what he can do at this level.

We used the Futsal balls as part of yesterday's session which was quite funny. Some of the US based players had never seen or played with one before so their facial expression when it didn’t do what they thought was a real picture.

They had some great fun in the session and it certainly makes a grass game very different. They’ll see much more of that ball over the coming weeks as I’m determined to experiment and use it effectively for their football conditioning.

I’m about to set off with Gary and an advance party of keepers to set up training early, and with today being the first double header session we want to be planned and make the logistics as easy as possible.

It was 38 degrees outside this morning although given another nine days we won't notice it as much. The science input and planning to make sure that the players are safe and prepared has been major although this is probably the best group of athletes I’ve worked with.

They are well conditioned with many playing in the States up until they left and our plan is to get them into the local climate as effectively as possible. Technical sessions have all been planned to ensure that we hit game one with everyone knowing what’s expected of them and that will start to take shape from tomorrow.

OK, have to dash as Gaz is chomping at the bit to get on the bus! I love working with people who share my enthusiasm and excitement for doing a job well and making a difference!

Catch you in a couple of weeks with hopefully some good results!

Take care,

Graeme.



Posted by Luca Ranocchiari --> luca.ranocchiari@futsalplanet.com