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Methodology
How we coach
One model, one session format and three rules, used in every Fast Feet group and every Leaders team.
Methodology
How we coach: TIPS
We assess and train every player on the Ajax TIPS model. Each letter has ten criteria, so players and parents can see exactly what to work on next.
The 3 Rules
Discipline. Learn. Fun.
Technique
First touch, ball mastery and striking, built rep by rep in every session.
Insight
Reading the game: when to dribble, pass or shoot, and why.
Personality
Confidence, discipline and leadership on and off the ball.
Speed
Quick feet, quick thinking and speed of action under pressure.
TIPS in practice
Ten criteria per letter
TIPS comes from Ajax's youth academy. Each of the four areas is broken into ten criteria that coaches assess and train.
Personality and Speed are partly natural, so we coach players to use what they have well. Technique and Insight can always be developed further, and that is where most of our session time goes.
Because every coach uses the same criteria, a player's feedback means the same thing in a Fast Feet group as it does with a Leaders team.
Inside a 60-minute session
Session pillars
Ball mastery
Close control with both feet, in tight spaces and at speed.
Ball striking
Passing and shooting technique, over and over, with both feet.
1v1
Beating a defender and stopping an attacker, the core duel of the game.
Small-sided games
Every session ends by putting it all together under game pressure.
Work rate
30 seconds on · 15 off
Short, intense reps with competition at every station keep players working at game speed.
Parent FAQ
How are training groups organized?
By birth year, with no more than 8 players in a group, so every player gets more touches and more coaching.
Ready to play?
Register for a program, or request a player evaluation and we'll place your player.