![Technical Development Officer Vurlon Mills [standing] overseeing a discussion being conducted by a fellow coach following a the conclusion of the Georgetown section in the Academy Training Center (ATC) Programme.](https://s1.stabroeknews.com/images/2020/03/academy16.jpg)
The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) continued its Georgetown section of the Academy Training Center (ATC) Programme on Saturday at the Tucville Community Center ground.
The session, which lasted for approximately two hours, featured more than 40 individuals from the various clubs within the environs of Georgetown.
Vurlon Mills, Technical Development Officer of the Georgetown ATC, during a brief interview said, “This is the best programme with regards to the selection of youth teams. In the past the GFF normally staged or hosted very large tryouts with hundreds of players and many times, the best players might not be selected because they did not have good performances during that period. Basically the ATC selects the best players across Guyana in the various regions and works with them every week so we can assess their weaknesses and strengths. This helps to select the best players.”
Asked if the quality of the training at the ATC level surpasses the club sessions, he answered in the affirmative.
“I think so because at the club level they won’t have the best players. At the ATC we are working with the best players consistently in the aim to make them better. They will develop faster because the coaching is on a different level. They would understand the game better because the training can be tailored specifically to a certain aspect like tactics.” Mills, who also is a Golden Jaguar International further added, “Even though the club has their own training, specific work is done at the ATC level. Detailed training is done at the ATC, this is geared towards the development of players. At the ATC, a common methodology is taught and it is easier to progress from the various youth levels right up to the senior program. This is the work and concept of the GFF and we can see this concept and methodology in play with the various U15, U17 and U20 national team at the moment.”
The ATC programme was officially launched in February 2017. The programme, which was conceptualized by the GFF Technical Director Ian Greenwood, will feature 13 academy centers for boys and girls, in the nine member associations.
Each facility which will headed by a Technical Development Officer (TDO), will comprise 16 of the best players in the respective regions. The ultimate aim of the project is to produce players for the senior programme through a systematic approach throughout the various youth levels.
