? The youth camp is situated in Alcochetti, a quiet rural suburb of Lisbon. The location is perfect, the buildings and facilities are first class and it is considered one of the best in Portugal.
? The camp starts with athletes as young as 7 years old, and the PUMA Sports Center has one of the most complete training systems available. The Youth Camp has trained many young players and sent them to the first team of Portuguese Athletics, which is also known abroad.
The goal of the Atletico de Portugal Youth Camp is to become a world leader in soccer youth training. Its mission is to develop players who compete at a high level. Another goal of the camp is to combine the development of a professional competitive team with an education based on competitive, personal and social values.
The total number of players from U9-U19 camps*** is about 340 (in the 2011-2012 season). Each U16-U19 national team of Portugal has an average of about 7 players from this camp (for example, the U17 national team that participated in the European Championships in 2010 had 10 out of 18 players from Athletic Portugal). Since the establishment of the camp in 2002, 30 youth players have made it to the first team, and in total*** more than 100 players have played professional soccer in Portugal and Europe (75 in the Portuguese first and second leagues)
The camp has six normal-sized pitches (110 m x 70m), plus one artificial grass pitch (90m x 70m). The main stadium has a 1,000-seat stand for visitors. The architectural complex also has a hotel in the traditional Portuguese form. The hotel has 91 rooms.
The Youth Camp has six natural grass pitches and one artificial one. There is also a hotel with 18 double rooms and a restaurant. A well-equipped gym, a match analysis room. There is also modern multimedia equipment for 70 people. There is also a conference room of 120 square meters.
In the recruitment process, the players' natural skills, tactical awareness (judgment), qualities, competitiveness and height projections are the most important criteria. At a young age, the player's assessment is greater than his potential, greater than his current performance. Portuguese youth camps value the individual player more than the team. Players must keep in mind that they have to win games. Every day, they strive to be better in a competitive environment. In the fast-changing world of soccer, youth camps are always challenged and must be open-minded about the future.
At an early age, a player must be evaluated on his potential and his current performance. For all age groups, the coach also has some requirements:
? A strong sense of competition
? Concentration to be focused
? The ability to change the intensity of the game
? Ability to press opponents into making mistakes
? A strong sense of teamwork
? Ability to move as a team
Player development can be viewed as a production process
Player development can be viewed as a production process: raw material selection (recruiting of players), processing (training of players), and distribution of the product (player management).
Every coach has a document that guides them in their youth training. This includes making plans (annual plan/weekly plan/training unit), but also pinpointing the goals of each program (comprehensive goals - athletic, social, self-discipline and personal goals - areas for improvement).
During practice, the coach creates a positive and competitive environment where the player's full attention is focused. The coach encourages the players to change the pace of the game and to be able to press their opponents to make them make mistakes. The coach also fosters a strong sense of teamwork in the players and develops the ability to move the team in tandem.
The camp strives to "produce" players who can compete in the first team; therefore, their goal is to present their final product in the best possible light, with the expectation that they will produce players who are capable of competing in the first team, as well as achieving their own success in the team.
? The youth camp has 340 young players, 50 boarded in it
? The annual cost of the youth camp is 5 million euros
? Since 2002, the camp has produced more than 100 professional players in Portugal and Europe
? Since 2002, the camp has earned 5 million euros from player transfers
? Youth camps have earned 5 million euros through the FIFA solidarity mechanism
? Athletic Club de Portugal and the Football Youth Camp are the first soccer organizations to carry the ISO 9001:2008 certification
? Players have their first professional contract at the age of 16
? The Atletico de Portugal Youth Camp has naming rights
The naming rights of the PUMA Youth Camp have two objectives: for Atletico de Portugal to obtain an additional 500,000 euros per year, and for PUMA to be able to collaborate with one of the strongest brands in the world focused on the development of youth training in soccer .
Activating the PUMA brand required a lot of effort on PUMA's part to ensure that the partnership was beneficial to both parties. This includes marketing & communication, events, public relations, media relations, and many other tools to create an emotional connection between the camps, their brand, and their customers (Atlético de Portugal fans and PUMA customers).
Atlético believes that a more proactive partner will make its "Atlético de Portugal Youth Camp" brand known around the world (and will generate profits accordingly), which is why we are actively developing links with other potential partners that will allow Atlético de Portugal to make better use of its naming rights.
At least 8 players of the Portuguese National Team for the 2012 European Football Championship in Pau came from the Athletico de Portugal youth program.
Athletic Portugal was the first sports organization to be awarded the ISO9001:2008 certification by the EIC, and it was also awarded the Excellence Award of the European Foundation for Quality Management by the Portuguese Association for Quality. The ISO9001:2008 certification is a certification within the scope of youth camps, with reference to factors such as player enrollment, soccer training, medical equipment, personal and social education and recreational sports programs.
The Excellence Model's Award of Excellence begins with a self-assessment phase that details the youth camp's key strengths and areas for improvement. For the 2009 program, this group's self-assessment selected three areas that could be improved to transform them. The first was the definition of the Youth Camp, communication of its mission, vision, and values; the second was to gain recognition for the ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management System; and the third was to gain the attention of key clients (professional teams, families, and athletes) and the Youth Camp staff.
The commitment to quality distinguishes and highlights the most fundamental objectives of the Youth Camp. This means that Athletico de Portugal continues to be externally evaluated and strives to meet the same standards. Domestically, Athletico de Portugal hopes that its goals will inspire other clubs to adopt the same approach. Further, it foresees that the governing bodies of soccer and Portuguese sport will encourage other clubs to adopt the same practices.