Loudoun Soccer x Arsenal Camp - An Insider Look

This morning I was afforded the exciting opportunity to sit down with Simon McManus, Programme and Activation Manager at Arsenal FC. As you are likely aware, this week Arsenal and Loudoun Soccer kicked off their first jointly-delivered summer camp. As my son was on the field with the Arsenal Academy coaches, Simon graciously answered my questions about how the Premier League club approaches player development partnerships like this one, and how they adapt training methods meant for future professionals to youth players across a wide range of skill and experience.

I also talked with Loudoun Soccer Technical Director John O’Hara to gain his perspective on the Arsenal coaches and how the camps added to the Loudoun Soccer experience.

Before I summarize, I would like to remind everyone reading that Arsenal kick off

their season this Sunday at 11:30 AM Eastern. To mark the occasion, Loudoun Soccer

is hosting a watch party at Anchor Bar in the Village at Leesburg.

The event will feature drink specials and giveaways from Soccer Post.

The Club expects a lively match, with fans from both sides representing.

The Arsenal Philosophy at Loudoun

As my conversation with Simon unfolded, it became clear why this partnership made sense for both clubs. Everything we do at Loudoun Soccer is in service of creating Champions for Life, and Arsenal has a similar unifying approach to their training regardless of age, experience, or skill level. 

“The philosophy that we use to deliver training sessions is built on the same four pillars that the Arsenal Academy uses to underpin every session and every program.” Simon explained. “We want everything to build toward players being effective team players, efficient movers, lifelong learners, and having a champion’s mentality.” 

“From those underpinnings, we adapt each program to the audience. This week is going to be great! In the mornings we have Rec camp; entry-level players but we’ll still be communicating using the same language. Running the activities will be a little simpler than, say, the Travel camp in the evenings, but the terminology will remain the same for both.” 

While I have only been on the periphery of coaching in the Loudoun Soccer system during my son’s time at the Club, I can attest to the philosophy’s compatibility with the approach of Mark Ryan and his technical staff: Build a common philosophy, train professional and volunteer coaches in that philosophy, and then adapt it based on age and skill level so that the concepts remain constant as the activities grow in difficulty. 

Winning vs. Developing

I next asked Simon about the environment in the US compared to Arsenal’s Academy and in Europe overall. He cited the level of athleticism and competitiveness in the US as strengths, but noted that the focus here on winning youth matches, versus developing as a youth player aren’t always compatible goals.

As an example, he noted the tactical decision to build from the back versus playing the ball long. If the goal is purely to win the match, it is often more expedient to play the ball long. While this approach might produce more goals, playing out from the back offers more opportunities for player involvement, where each player must make decisions, providing more opportunities to learn.

It’s a good reminder for all of us parents of young athletes that development should be the goal rather than victory-at-all-costs. If it worked for the likes of Eddie Nketiah, Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe, Ethan Nwaneri, Myles Lewis-Skelly, and Michelle Agyemang–all of whom have come through the Arsenal Academy in recent seasons and achieved great heights at Arsenal and beyond–then we should probably pay attention. 

Simon’s Advice for Parents

“It’s always a challenge to give advice to parents on how to behave or communicate, but I think it's most important to be supportive, not corrective. Let the coaches do the correction and the development piece and, as a parent, just talk about big picture behaviors that can help them. For example, did you put maximum effort in today? Did you enjoy yourself? How did you feel on the pitch? And just being supportive on that emotional journey for your player rather than being corrective or coaching from the sideline.

“I know I can rock up to a session and have opinions but, if I haven't seen the session plan, I haven't seen those players before, I find it really hard to judge what's happening. So, you've got a very valid opinion, but it might not be a contextualized opinion that can help the kid. Sometimes, as coaches, we'll play kids out of position to help them learn different aspects of the game. So, a lot of it is not always what you see, you need to pull the layers back.” 

The Loudoun Soccer Perspective

After talking to Simon, it made sense to talk with Loudoun Soccer Technical Director, John O’Hara, to gauge what they see as different and additive to the programs the Club has been running successfully for years. 

“Our objective is always to help us grow the game in Loudoun County and the country. That's always number one when we consider opportunities, and Arsenal’s history, player development platform, coach development platform, and the resources they put not only into their boys side but also their girls side are major assets.

“In addition to their own academy and development partnerships, Arsenal have invested a huge amount of time into getting to know our players, coaches, and members across countless Zoom meetings, in-person meetings in December and March, and now the time spent together this week at camp and beyond.”

As an Arsenal supporter, I was already excited by the idea of the partnership, but the synergy I experienced in these two separate conversations made it clear to me why the partnership makes sense. I’m excited to watch it unfold in the coming months and years. –Neal