Manchester City FC Launches First Ever Online Coaching Academy

The English Premier League soccer club Manchester City FC (MCFC), on Friday launched its online coaching school cityecademy – www.cityecademy.com

A first of its kind, the cityecademy is designed be an online global partner of the club’s hugely successful youth Academy and act as an entry level resource for young motivated amateur soccer players around the world.

Since it launched in 1998, the Manchester City Academy has helped to create more first team players than any other Premier League development facility over the same period. To date these Academy graduates include 10 international players, 31 MCFC first team players and 60 squad members playing league soccer. By transferring the Academy’s expertise online the club aims to increase the reach of the Academy’s coaching facilities and ultimately to raise the quality of youth soccer development on a global scale.

The cityecademy has been built around a series of online and portable videos covering core soccer skills and training exercises that can be replicated in any coaching and recreational environment. The videos, which feature first team and Academy players plus MCFC coaching staff, are designed for use by players, coaches, parents and teachers giving access to a 24 hour resource which covers the following areas:

Technical: Passing, Control, Passing and support, Turning, Dribbling,

Running with the ball, Heading, Defending, Crossing and finishing, Shooting

Physical: Warm up, Agility, Endurance, Speed, Cool down

Goal keeping: Basic handling, One player goalkeeping, Goalkeeping circle, Handling skills

Each of the core skill zones on the cityecademy website is introduced by a MCFC first team player. The skills are then broken down by the Academy coaches and demonstrated in a step by step easy to follow format by an Academy player. Coaches and players can watch the videos and replicate and learn the skills wherever they are – on a training pitch, in the street or a school playground via an iphone application.

Post launch, there are plans to introduce a points system whereby cityecademy members are rewarded for watching the videos and uploading their own content showcasing the skills they have learned and development via the online coaching school.

New Manchester City signing Yaya Toure, who played for the Ivory Coast in the 2010 World Cup and has recently joined the club from Barcelona, comments: “I could never have imagined that you could learn to play soccer on a computer or a mobile phone when I was growing up. My brother Kolo who features on the cityecademy site told me about it and I think it’s a fantastic idea. We can’t build City Academies in every town but now every kid can learn the City Academy way via their computer or phone. Hopefully I’ll get to show off some of my skills on the cityecademy soon.”

David Pullan, Manchester City FC’s Chief Brand & Marketing Officer explains the idea behind the launch, “Our Youth Academy is the envy of the Premier League and blueprinted by clubs all over the world, we’re always looking to push boundaries and break new ground in player development. The cityecademy is a natural evolution for us, something that can bring the Manchester City football philosophy to a wider audience by embracing technology and the best thing is that it’s free.” He continues, “We want to create a global cityecademy community one that is bound by our coaching philosophy.”

Young soccer players or adults wishing to become part of the cityecademy and benefit from expert Academy coaching are encouraged to sign up at www.cityecademy.com.