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15Journal of Siberian Federal University. Humanities & Social Sciences 2 (2008 1) 203-208
УДК 370(Т2-547):796.043
Creating the Best Football Club for Siberian Federal University
Vyacheslav L. Zybkin*
Siberian Federal University, 79 Svobodny, Krasnoyarsk 660041 Russia 1
Received 10.04.2008, received in revised form 06.05.2008, accepted 15.05.2008
The structure of a football club defines its efficiency. Identifying and using the best practices of similar clubs will allow the football club of the newly-formed Siberian Federal University to reach its full potential.
Keywords: structure of football club, training process, competitions, continuity, cooperation contract, soccer pyramid.
The best practices of sports development in the EU countries and in the USA demonstrate creation of teams at universities and colleges according to the kind of sport. The place and role of these parts in uniform system of sport development in the USA is considerable and volumetric. The highest sport achievements in the USA are mainly based on students' sport development. Therefore, it is evident that US system of physical training and sports is worth analyzing.
Historically, football in the USA developed through the system of colleges (universities). The similar situation was observed also in Canada and South Korea. Development of the European football was connected with the introduction of an English education system in the USA. In the United States colleges were the basic source of development of most modern kinds of sports [1].
Football competitions between college teams are held in the USA in three divisions - National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA),
at the same time there is less representative superiority of colleges - National Association of Intercollegiate (NAIA) in the country. The USL Premier Development League (PDL) is a top amateur league in the country.
As PDL seasons take place in summer, the player pool consist mainly from elite NCAA college soccer players seeking to continue playing high level soccer during their summer break, which they can do while still maintaining their college eligibility. The USL (PDL) is a top amateur league in the USA, where 63 teams compete in four conferences, broken into 8 divisions (to a regional indication). PDL takes the fourth place (after Major League Soccer, the USL First Division and the USL Second Division) in soccer "pyramid" of the USA, approximately at the same level as the National Premier Soccer League and the Pacific Coast Soccer League. On the whole, soccer "pyramid" in the USA has complex, multistage structure. Quite often there is
* Corresponding author E-mail address: lylkin@gmail.com
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no communication between separate steps of this pyramid like exchanging teams, as it is accepted in Europe [2,3,4].
Taking into account the efficiency of the American university system of football players training, we offer to use the best achievements of this system, harmoniously connected them with the advanced achievements in Russia. For example, to combine successful American experience in creating teams at high schools with the best samples of clubs and sports schools' activity of training young sportsmen in our country. It would be logical to use rich opportunities of high school system where young men, at productive age for sports at least during 5-6 years get higher education, for their association in teams by kinds of sports, oriented on achievement of mastery.
A good example of a football club effective work is experimental activity of Child - Youthful football club (CYFC) "October" in a Krasnoyarsk in 1995 - 2003 years. Successful work of a club in many respects is based on common efforts of various educational establishments: Child -Youthful club of physical training (CYC PT), Child - Youthful school of Olympic reserve (CYOR), Krasnoyarsk state university (KSU), and a successful coordination of actions of this union by the club management, regional and city sport committees.
The club pyramid was based on school soccer teams from different districts. the most capable teenagers who were involved in training in sports teams of Child - Youthful club of physical training (CYC PT) "October" were selected to play in these teams. Football players received necessary sports skill training. The club was the basic supplier of players to the masters' team of by transit through the adult youth team. This adult team played in the championship of Krasnoyarsk region, thus completing a club pyramid.
The team was formed from its own best students and freshers from other regional teams,
after they enter the KSU. The team representing both KSU and CYFC "October, was based on KSU sport complexes and was formed from its students. The cooperation contract between the higher school and the football club was concluded. It was mutually advantageous: sportsmen belonging to the club joined the combined team of KSU, after becoming University students. What is more, the club has good facilities for training not only the main team, but also children's club teams. Activity of the club actually covered Oktyabrisky district of Krasnoyarsk and was the good example to follow for other districts of city.
Mass sports activity of the club was combined with competent educational, patriotic work and sport propaganda.
About eight years of successful competitive and educational activity of CYFC "October" confirms efficiency of such a club construction.
We suggest introducing a similar structure for a football club construction at the Siberian Federal University (SibFU).
Construction of the club pyramid can begin with children teams (see Fig. 1 and Fig.2). According the contract, one of CYSS of Krasnoyarsk (or own school at SibFU!) takes care of and trains prospective football players before their finishing secondary schools. The training process can be based on sport facilities of SibFU, CYSS and secondary schools. The training staff of the sport school can consist either of secondary school coachers and in close contact with coachers and teachers of SibFU. CYSS coachers get training programs, practical recommendations and tasks from experts of secondary schools and a training staff of the first SibFU team. We believe that CYSS graduates should have some privileges for the entering SibFU, if they successfully studied in CYSS and have high grades in their school leaving certificate.
After becoming SibFU students, football players take a course of higher education in the
Fig.1. Project of SibFU football club structure (1 stage of development)
Places of training study and competitions \ Pyram id of team leve l / \ (scale of / \ competition) / Finan cing
Rent of stadium (own stadium) / Professional \ /team of Sib FU-l\ / (2nd league of \ / Russian \ / championship) \ Budget of PFC SibFU, sponsorship
Stadium and gymnasium of SibFU / Amateur \ / team of SibFU-2 \ / (Russian championship \ / between AFC, championship \ / of region, Russian and / International tournament) Budget of SibFU, sponsorship
Stadium and gymnasiums of SibFU / Teams of faculties (Championship of SibFU), city, regional Student games) \ Budget ofSibFU
Stu dium and gymnasiums of Sib FU (rent) Youthful team (Championship of city, region, Russia) Budget of SibFU \ (city)
Stadiums, / gymnasiums of general educ ation school / School teams (district and city tournament) Budget of district, \ parental \ payment
Fig.2. Project of SibFU football club structure (2nd stage of development)
field they have chosen as well as go in for sports in the teams of the faculties, best of them joining the combined SibFU team. At the first stage of SibFU development:
■ faculty teams compete inside SibFU, at a level of city tournaments, a regional Student Game;
■ combined SibFU team represents the higher school in tournament of a regional Students Game, Russian and international competitions.
At the second stage of development:
■ teams of faculties compete inside SibFU and, probably, in city competitions;
■ 2-nd team of SibFU represents high school in a regional and Russian competitions at an amateur level;
■ 1-st team of SibFU competes at the Russian and international level and gets the status of a professional club with the corresponding staff and financing.
There is a close contact and continuity between club teams. In the process of their skills development players can transfer from a lower level team to the one in a higher class. On the contrary, football players with lower skills can be directed to the teams of a lower level. Similar rotation takes place among training staff of SibFU. Team of SibFU Football Club can cooperate with "Metallurg" Football Club on a contract basis, or represent our city and region in competitions of a high level on football under the decision of regional
authorities and a high school management. One of variants of cooperation should be next:
- "Metallurg" team plays at the 1-st league level of All-Russia Championship or, in the long term, at the Prime-league level.
- SibFU team, made up from local youth and students participates in competitions among amateur football clubs (AFC) or, in the perspective, in the 2-nd league of Russia Championship. This can be a good solution of the problem of football popularization in the Territory. The local youth gets necessary experience in participating in competitions and opportunities of skill growth, and the best players of this team can join "Metallurg" Football Club. All tarnsfers, according to PFC regulations, are carried out with necessary compensation paid for a player's coach in the SibFU football club.
Thus, the long-term contradiction, between the authorities' desire to have a highly skilled team by buying "legionaries" based on their belief that without them a team can not be efficient and the absence of opportunities for local players to join the team, because they do not have enough experience of playing at a high level and absence of time on opportunities for skill increasing, can be solved.
Introducing such a football club structure can provide opportunities for the development of other sport games in SibFU.
List of Abbreviations
SibFU - Siberian Federal University
CYFC - Child - Youthful football club
CYC PT - Child - Youthful club of physical training
CYOR - Child - Youthful school of Olympic reserve
KSU - Krasnoyarsk state university
CYSS - Child - Youthful sport school
AFC - amateur football club
PFC - professional football club
References
1. I. Waddington, M. Roderick, "American Exceptionalism: Soccer and American Football, The Sports Historian", College soccer. Wikipedia. the free encyclopedia.htm, 16 (22.06.2007), 28-33.
2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Soccer_Pyramid (27.08.2007).
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USL_Premier_Development_League (12.08.2007).
