MFPA has embarked on a new project which saw it financing an elaborate assessment for one of Malta’s foremost football academies. Said assessment was done by Double Pass, an organisation that assesses and advises football clubs, leagues and (con)federations on optimising their talent development. The Double Pass methodology has been implemented worldwide by different federations and leagues, including Belgium, Denmark, England, Germany, Japan, Scotland and the USA.

Birkirkara Youth Academy is reputed as being one of the most organised on the island. The study focused solely on the youth academy which includes players aged between 5 and 17 years old. Over the course of months, Double Pass assessed the various aspects of the organisation by analysing documents, carrying out interviews with Parents, Administrators and Coaches, as well as via surveys. In the end MFPA and Birkirkara Academy were presented with a report on the findings, and most importantly with a list of key recommendations, the implementation of which would raise the standard of the academy.

The report noted some very positive aspects of the current Youth Academy operation, namely:

- The ratio of coaches to players (on average 8:1), was deemed optimal in order to find a good balance between team and individual development.
- The vast majority of coaches are satisfied with their level of involvement in football related decision taking and the clarity of their tasks and responsibilities.
- Club’s identity and objectives are well documented with the majority of the parents and coaches who participated in the survey also indicating their understanding of the Club goals for the future.
- Roles and responsibilities are adequately documented in the club. It is clear who is responsible and accountable for the key aspects of the club management.
A number of recommendations were also included in the report namely:

- The Club’s future objectives should be supported by short and long-term objectives which in turn provide measurable objectives to aim for.

- The Club should provide coaches with a more detailed, age specific guidelines and exit standards. These should explain what is expected from each team technically, tactically, physically and mentally and will provide more tangible learning objectives for coaches to work towards.

- To promote transparency. The club should set clear principles on minimum playing opportunities in the different age groups and should consider providing equal playing time for all the players in the youngest age groups.

- There should be a meeting structure that addresses all aspects of running a club. It is important to distinguish between meetings for upgrading the club’s soccer and for discussing day-to-day management issues.

- It is important that someone is responsible for coach development in the club and adequate resources are available for this work. Coaches should be able to follow both internal workshops as well as have the opportunity to follow external courses and bring that new knowledge back to club.

- An information session should be held for parents to discuss the role of a football parent.

- The Club must make sure that the vision on player development is well-articulated and is communicated to all stakeholders. Adding more detail to the club’s football philosophy will create better alignment amongst coaching staff and will ultimately contribute to a better recognition of the football club.

- The report also shed light on the practical lack of space for training which is a challenge that is faced by most clubs in Malta, with most of the age groups training on only 1/4th of a pitch.

This study was aimed at providing practical and tangible recommendations for the development of youth academies. The footballing landscape is changing rapidly with more foreigners being fielded on the pitch and with big local clubs wanting to win at all costs. This is being translated into a growing gap between the youth and the senior teams. More empirical research by professional experts should be carried out throughout all of Malta’s academies. However, having such data is only the beginning. Academies should then strive to meet all the recommendations made in order to start seeing real progress.
MFPA will continue seeking out ways to help the youth sector in Malta. Thanks to Jonathan Barbara and Mark Bondin from Birkirkara Youth Academy without which this assessment would not have been possible. MFPA also commends Double Pass on its professionalism and in detail assessment.