Exciting exchange: US youth coaches pay visit to Hoffenheim

Two youth coaches from the USA were last week given the opportunity to gain insights into the daily work conducted at the TSG Academy and exchange ideas with their fellow coaches on the other side of the Atlantic. While Tyrone Marshall, the head coach of the FC Cincinnati U23s, was a guest of Vincent Wagner's U23 staff, Chicago Fire FC U15 coach Selim Talbi got an eight-day look behind the scenes in the U13 to U19 age categories.

The shadow visit was by no means limited to work on the pitch; on the contrary: "We were able to gain very valuable insights into the day-to-day work, from the club's overarching data-driven philosophy, to the training concept and its implementation on the pitch or in the Footbonaut and the Helix," said Tyrone Marshall, who was visibly impressed by his visit. The former Jamaica international and MLS veteran (336 appearances) added: "The week at TSG was great fun and broadened my horizons enormously. The whole staff welcomed us with open arms and made us feel like part of the TSG family."

Selim Talbi, who has been responsible for the U15s in the Windy City since 2018, confirmed: "I was impressed by the welcoming culture in Hoffenheim. The interplay between the village set-up and the ultra-modern environment at TSG is unique and tailor-made for the holistic development of talented youngsters. What surprised me the most was the fastidious and humble way in which the people here work. These valuable insights will definitely bring us a step forward in our personal development as coaches and I look forward to sharing them with my colleagues in Chicago."

Academy director Jens Rasiejewski praised the great interest shown by the guests: "It was a pleasure for us to make the shadow visit possible for the two coaches. In our discussions, we were able to exchange ideas about the approach to player development and discover many similarities, but above all share our passion for football, which transcends national borders! Tyron and Selim are always welcome to join us!"

The shadow visit was part of the so-called Elite Formation Coaching License (EFCL), a 14-month coach training programme run by the MLS in cooperation with the French Football Federation FFF. A special thank you was expressed by Frédéric Lipka, who directs the coach programme in his capacity as the MLS Technical Director: "Many thanks to TSG and the entire staff for sharing their expertise with our two MLS coaches. The Elite Formation Coaching License aims to teach tried and tested methods and be inspired by the best in class in player development. TSG is undoubtedly considered one of the top locations in Germany when it comes to player development, so it was of great benefit to us to be able to send two of our young coaches to Hoffenheim thanks to the cooperation between TSG and FCC."

 

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