Start Them Young

Few years back, there's been a lot of issues in the papers, being discussed about kids in Singapore starting too late, lacking basic skills and exposure. Without all this, they can hardly compete and perform against their competitors.

One article that came to mind was an interview with our ex-national soccer coach and our ex Goal 2010 project director, Jan Poulsen, back in March 2002. In it, he said: "We do badly against other countries not because they're bigger or they're from a different race, but because we start too late and play too little. we got to start early. We need to establish an environment which gives boys and girls the possibility to play and train up to three times a week on a regular basis between the age of 7 to 8. As I've said before, it takes 10 years to develop a good player."

The other article that came to mind was an interview with our own Fandi Ahmad, back in September 2003, where he commented on the German and Dutch philosophies to football. He said: "In Germany, it's all about the basics. It's not all about the technical abilities. It's also about a player knowing his specific role as an individual as well as a team member. I learned from the Ajax way that youth development is the most important part football. We really need to build up a players' strength from his younger days."

So here, at Dreamz Soccer Club, we emphasizes on the same philosophies, and that is to start them when they are young and most eager to learn. Our aim for the future is to have a regular training sessions, competitions and more soccer enrichment programs. We hope to be on par or even better than the existing soccer clubs in Singapore.