Future stars targeted by TFF

The Turkish Football Association (TFF) has established coach education centres for promising elite players aged between 10 and 12.

The centres represent a key element of the TFF's grassroots development plan, with the aim of improving the physical and technical abilities of young prospects. By enabling talented juniors to play and train at a more advanced level, it is hoped some of them will eventually go on to national representative sides or professional clubs.

The TFF has identified this age range as especially important because these players are just starting to develop their skills and have not yet been signed by clubs. At each centre, about 60 boys and girls are given training in the fundamentals of the game and the skills required. Players are invited to attend via recommendations from schools, local clubs, and district or county coaches. All coaches at the centres hold the UEFA B licence and have attended TFF youth coach education seminars.

Fifty such centres operate in as many cities across Turkey, training about 3,000 footballers. The TFF intends to increase the number of centres to 200 by 2013.