Soccer stars of the future

Lifelong friends and soccer fanatics, Marco Da Rocha and Adam Albyn live their passion all day, every day, at the Brazilian Soccer Schools academy in Fourways. The academy, which Albyn describes as “the extra maths of football”, brings out the best in young aspiring players through a programme of intensive technical training.

Brazilian Soccer Schools is an international franchise created in the late ’90s by English coach, Simon Clifford. Based on techniques learned from Brazilian coaches, its curriculum focuses less on team play than on individual motor and ball skills. Four years ago, the franchise appeared in South Africa, where Albyn and Da Rocha believe it is revolutionising national football.

The Fourways branch of Brazilian Soccer Schools has been open for two years, and goes from strength to strength. Beginning with one pitch to gauge the demand for indoor soccer in the area, the academy is now constructing a second one due to open in October, and has plans to build a clubhouse and sports bar.

The bar will be particularly welcome to older locals, for whom an evening social league provides the social and competitive satisfaction of playing football without requiring the time commitment of training. Afternoons, meanwhile, deliver training to 185 boys, from the very youngest player at three years old, to the 15-year-olds who are the academy’s first generation, and due to ‘graduate’ in 2015.

Brazilian Soccer Schools also performs a social upliftment function by requiring each school to sponsor transport and training for one disadvantaged child out of every four players enrolled in each academy. Several young stars have already seen considerable success, with 20 boys, across several age groups, representing the SuperSport academy.

“Every single kid who comes here wants to be a professional football player… [That] takes something inside you, but we will give you everything else,” said Da Rocha.

Details: www.braziliansoccerschoolssa.com