Football Coaches Australia presents ‘The Football Coaching Life Podcast’ S3 Ep 5 with Gary Cole interviewing Michael Valkanis

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Valkanis

Michael Valkanis was most recently the Assistant to John van’t Schip as the Greece National Team Coach and this week has been appointed as the new Assistant Manager at K.A.S. Eupen FC. They currently play the in Belgian First Division A, the top tier of football in the country.

Michael played his junior football at South Melbourne and as a student at De La Salle College. He made his senior debut in the NSL with South Melbourne before heading to Greece to play with Iraklis and then AEL Larissa. He played for eight years in Greece before returning to Adelaide and the A-League.

His coaching journey began at Adelaide United with the youth team and then as an Assistant Coach with the first team. A new opportunity took him to Melbourne City to work alongside John van’t Schip and then a brief spell as head coach before joining John in Holland with PEC Zwolle. This was followed by the move to Greece with the National Men’s Team.

Michael served a wonderful apprenticeship as Assistant Coach in Adelaide and Melbourne, with brief stints as Head Coach at both clubs. He is now keen to stretch his wings and take on the mantle of Head Coach as his journey continues to develop.

He firmly believes that there are many Australian Coaches good enough to work overseas. Coaches, like players, need to “get out of their comfort zone”. This is another conversation full of wisdom.

Michael’s ‘One Piece of Wisdom’ was: ‘Knowing yourself. Look in the mirror and ask who am I going to be?’ ‘What do I stand for, what are my values that will come out?’ ‘This will show to the group who you are, they stand out because they are consistent over time.’ ‘Your football philosophy will come to light through knowing yourself.’

Please join in sharing Michael Valkanis’ Football Coaching Life.

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AFC Youth Panel discusses future of player development in Asia

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Image Credit: AFC

Representatives of the Asian Football Confederation met online on Thursday for the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Youth Panel. Through the virtual event, Member Association’s (MAs) shared their experiences of their youth systems for the 2024-25 term.

The panel was hosted with a key focus on identifying how to improve the developmental programmes of the 16–19-year-old age group. The meeting discussed ways to not just improve technical skill but also strengthen the mental resilience of players and increase the number of competitive matches they are playing.

 AFC Technical Director Andy Roxburgh explained why the confederation was focusing on the 16-19 age group.
“This age group is a formative stage where we are dealing with players in national youth teams and it’s a crucial stepping stone for talented youngsters who are at the threshold of pursuing the sport professionally,” he said via press release.
“We must be able to help them master techniques under pressure and develop a winning mentality, so it is imperative to provide them with expert guidance.”
Through the panel representatives also explored conversations on the need to properly prepare coaches for training developing professional youth by providing them with the skills and knowledge required to excel.
Additionally, the meeting presented updates on several high-profile AFC developmental programmes for participants. In particular, the panel highlighted the Triple-A Project, a programme designed to provide tailored support to MAs via continual summits, and the AFC’s ongoing research partnership with the University of Tsukuba, which aims to study elite youth systems across Asia.
To finalise the session, participants were informed of the AFC’s other technical programmes, especially the recent publication of the AFC Elite Youth Bulletin. The Bulletin presents a major step forward for youth development within the Confederation, as it stands as a handbook for MAs to use, highlighting the best initiatives and programmes other MAs across Asia have used to great effect.

SGM-TCK Partnership Enhances Youth Sports Events

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SGM TCK
Image Credit: Youth Super Cup

Sports Group Melbourne (SGM) has embraced TheCoachKart (TCK) as an Official Partner for 2025 in a bold new collaboration.

Through the new partnership TheCoachKart will become heavily involved in Sports Group Melbourne’s elite competitions – the Youth Super Cup and Junior Champions League.

As part of the deal, TCK will gain sponsor naming rights for the key “YSC Pre-Season Coach of the Tournament” award, in addition to a comprehensive digital presence across the YSC media sphere. Furthermore, TCK will feature heavily across YSC events by presenting their products on gamedays and showcasing co-branded products with SGM. To further boost their appeal across the YSC, TCK will also launch branded activations such as pop-up displays across the tournament.

TheCoachKart kickstarted their partnership with Sports Group Melbourne yesterday at round 2 of the Youth Super Cup Pre-Season on Sunday 16 March, showcasing their products to onlookers and giving clubs the chance to order exciting custom-made clothing. TCK will return to the competition on Sunday March 23 for the YSC Pre-Season Finals Round, granting the organisation further experience with SGM’s competitions and allowing event participants to become more familiar with a valuable supporter of youth sport in Victoria.

Representative of Mondo Sportivo Group, Chris Jackson expressed TCK’s excitement for the collaboration with SGM.

“TheCoachKart is thrilled to partner with SGM, the premier organiser of junior sporting events in Victoria, combining forces to deliver great product to SGM events and participants,” he said in a press release.

The partnership between the two organisations details their intertwined commitment to excellence and developing the world’s game through supporting tomorrow’s stars. To ensure progress is continual and efficient, TCK is dedicated to assisting coaches through granting them elite level products to thrive in the rigours of competition.

After the conclusion of the Youth Super Cup, TheCoachKart will continue to work with Sports Group Melbourne via the exciting Junior Champions League competition, beginning May 2025.

 

 

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