Brian McClair in the USA

At the end of June, Academy Manager Brian McClair travelled to Dallas with Academy Coach John Cooke and Manchester United Soccer Schools’ International Program Manager Tony Byrne to deliver a series of coaching sessions as part of Manchester United’s latest venture to work alongside grassroots clubs in the USA.

The association between Manchester United and one of the most prestigious youth soccer clubs in the USA, Dallas Texans, was promoted by Nike USA to encourage the sharing of philosophies and coaching practices. As the first in its kind for all parties, it has been implemented with a great deal of anticipation, and now success.

The key component of this inaugural trip was for both clubs to learn more about their respective structures and environments and involved a series of coaching sessions delivered by the Academy coaches at the impressive Ross Stewart Soccer Complex, home of the Dallas Texans.

With approximately 18,000 young players, both boys and girls, representing the club in various cities across the State of Texas, as well as affiliate programs in Florida and Canada, the Dallas Texans are renowned throughout the USA as one of the leading clubs in the country. By having the Manchester United coaches in Dallas for the week, the Texans were eager to expose their coaches, players and parents to the coaching methods employed throughout the year at the Academy in Carrington.

During the series of coaching clinics, delivered to a variety of age groups, from U12 up to the U18 elite teams, the team from Manchester offered the observing coaches, many of whom had travelled across the country to attend, an insight into the practices that have shaped Academy players at Manchester United over the years. In temperatures exceeding 100 degrees, a far cry from the North West of England climate, the Academy coaches gave the excited young American players a taste of what it’s like to train as a Manchester United player and set a positive environment for them to rise to the challenge.

The United coaches also took time out during their schedule to deliver a coaching seminar to over 70 Dallas Texans staff coaches, an event which provided great interaction between all in attendance. They also hosted an evening for the soccer club’s players and parents, providing them with an insight into the qualities needed to succeed at the highest level and to give advice to those wishing to pursue a career as a football player.

With Brian McClair himself delivering some of the coaching activities, the experience for the selected young players taking part was one that will stay with them for a lifetime and one that they grasped with enthusiasm and fantastic application.

The next stage of this initiative will see four coaches and five players from the Dallas Texans visit Carrington in September to experience even more closely the workings of Manchester United’s famous Academy system.

Dated: 29/6/2009