pjennings
Well-Known Member
It seems that Craig Johnston may be involved with the COE soon.
Johnston's next project: a Socceroos nursery Sebastian Hassett
July 30, 2011.
AFTER decades spent plying his trade in far-flung countries, Australia's first football superstar, Craig Johnston, is ready to return home. But if you think he's coming back to put his feet up, think again. He's on a mission.
Johnston, 51, describes his homecoming as the next phase of his legacy to the game, one that already includes inspiring young players through his deeds at Liverpool in the 1980s, and developing the famed Adidas Predator boot and the only skills-coaching program accredited by FIFA.
His plan is to make Central Coast and the Hunter Valley - the regions either side of Lake Macquarie, where he grew up - to become not just a conveyor belt for Jets and Mariners players, but Socceroos.
Advertisement: Story continues below ''Twenty or so years ago, I was made the patron of the northern NSW soccer federation [now Northern NSW Football], and that hasn't been rescinded, which means it's time for me to make good on it,'' he said. ''I've led such a global existence but now I'd like to come home, see more of my parents, and I want to put back into the community and the game that has given me the opportunity to have this privileged life.''
Johnston's off-field efforts have almost become as famous as his playing exploits and, while coaching has been long-held passion, he's channelled that largely through the development of his SupaSkills program. He has been working on a plan to tailor that program to a club side.
The Mariners are almost ready to have him integrate their program for their youth ranks, and the Jets could follow suit.
''My role would be purely grassroots and youth development at this stage,'' Johnston said. ''But it's not about choosing between the Jets or the Mariners, I'd rather be involved in both. I grew up loving every blade of grass I played from Budgewoi, all through Newcastle and the Hunter Valley and right up to Coffs Harbour and Bellingen.''
Johnston believes youth coaches in Australia have become distracted by results over skills development. ''My vision is to create the most talented region of footballers in Australia, where kids grow up learning to be passionate about skill and ball control rather than physical elements,'' he said.
''Fundamentally, this is the problem with Australian football. If you go to Barcelona, Liverpool, Rome or Milan, the emphasis is skill, skill, skill. I think that [in] coaching in Australia, this has been cast aside, and it's all about the bigger kids - those who are athletic or, in many cases, how rough you are prepared to be.''
Johnston said his coaching philosophy boiled down to a simple home truth: practising the right things makes perfect.
''Middlesborough manager Jack Charlton told me I was the worst footballer he'd ever seen … so I developed a set of skill drills to improve, and that ultimately laid the first foundations of my coaching strategy.''
Key to getting Johnston involved with the Mariners has been another signing - that of Ned Negus, son of journalist and former Soccer Australia board member George Negus. Ned Negus is about to take up a role as the club's marketing and commercial manager after spending the past three years in Switzerland working at TEAM Marketing, the marketing arm of the European umbrella body, UEFA.
''Having Ned come on board was a huge reason for me wanting to be involved with the Mariners,'' Johnston said. ''I coached him at an early age, and his passion and knowledge of the game is incredible. I've always said he'd not only run Australian football one day, but FIFA.''
http://www.smh.com.au/sport/football/johnstons-next-project-a-socceroos-nursery-20110729-1i44d.html
Johnston's next project: a Socceroos nursery Sebastian Hassett
July 30, 2011.
AFTER decades spent plying his trade in far-flung countries, Australia's first football superstar, Craig Johnston, is ready to return home. But if you think he's coming back to put his feet up, think again. He's on a mission.
Johnston, 51, describes his homecoming as the next phase of his legacy to the game, one that already includes inspiring young players through his deeds at Liverpool in the 1980s, and developing the famed Adidas Predator boot and the only skills-coaching program accredited by FIFA.
His plan is to make Central Coast and the Hunter Valley - the regions either side of Lake Macquarie, where he grew up - to become not just a conveyor belt for Jets and Mariners players, but Socceroos.
Advertisement: Story continues below ''Twenty or so years ago, I was made the patron of the northern NSW soccer federation [now Northern NSW Football], and that hasn't been rescinded, which means it's time for me to make good on it,'' he said. ''I've led such a global existence but now I'd like to come home, see more of my parents, and I want to put back into the community and the game that has given me the opportunity to have this privileged life.''
Johnston's off-field efforts have almost become as famous as his playing exploits and, while coaching has been long-held passion, he's channelled that largely through the development of his SupaSkills program. He has been working on a plan to tailor that program to a club side.
The Mariners are almost ready to have him integrate their program for their youth ranks, and the Jets could follow suit.
''My role would be purely grassroots and youth development at this stage,'' Johnston said. ''But it's not about choosing between the Jets or the Mariners, I'd rather be involved in both. I grew up loving every blade of grass I played from Budgewoi, all through Newcastle and the Hunter Valley and right up to Coffs Harbour and Bellingen.''
Johnston believes youth coaches in Australia have become distracted by results over skills development. ''My vision is to create the most talented region of footballers in Australia, where kids grow up learning to be passionate about skill and ball control rather than physical elements,'' he said.
''Fundamentally, this is the problem with Australian football. If you go to Barcelona, Liverpool, Rome or Milan, the emphasis is skill, skill, skill. I think that [in] coaching in Australia, this has been cast aside, and it's all about the bigger kids - those who are athletic or, in many cases, how rough you are prepared to be.''
Johnston said his coaching philosophy boiled down to a simple home truth: practising the right things makes perfect.
''Middlesborough manager Jack Charlton told me I was the worst footballer he'd ever seen … so I developed a set of skill drills to improve, and that ultimately laid the first foundations of my coaching strategy.''
Key to getting Johnston involved with the Mariners has been another signing - that of Ned Negus, son of journalist and former Soccer Australia board member George Negus. Ned Negus is about to take up a role as the club's marketing and commercial manager after spending the past three years in Switzerland working at TEAM Marketing, the marketing arm of the European umbrella body, UEFA.
''Having Ned come on board was a huge reason for me wanting to be involved with the Mariners,'' Johnston said. ''I coached him at an early age, and his passion and knowledge of the game is incredible. I've always said he'd not only run Australian football one day, but FIFA.''
http://www.smh.com.au/sport/football/johnstons-next-project-a-socceroos-nursery-20110729-1i44d.html
