US Club Soccer announces details of first-ever “La Liga Formation Methodology” coaching ed course

US Club Soccer has announced details for its first-ever “La Liga Formation Methodology” coaching education course, another milestone in the rollout of its intriguing developmental partnership with Spain’s famed top-flight league.

Officially termed the “La Liga Formation Methodology Level 3 Course,” the event will take place March 11-13, 2016 at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas and be hosted by the United Soccer Clubs, US Club Soccer’s league of 15 member clubs across Texas. That alliance runs the USC Champions League, the newest member of the National Premier Leagues (NPL).

+READ: US Club Soccer announces technical partnership with LaLiga

Registristration for the March course is being conducted on a club and individual level, starting at $300 for an individual registration for a coach from a US Club Soccer member club.

“USC is excited to partner with US Club Soccer to bring this first-of-its-kind course to our club members,” said Pat O’Toole, USC President and Challenge SC Director of Coaching, in a statement. “We hope that this course will help every coach in our league become better in developing players in their teams and clubs, and will help us continue to raise the bar across Texas in club expertise and professionalism.”

La Liga Formation Methodology courses outline the philosophy and methods used across La Liga to train, develop and form some of the world’s top players. There are three levels, with Level 3 serving as an introduction to the comprehensive development strategies used by the top professional league in the world. Level 2 will serve as the intermediate stage, and Level 1 expands further on coaching education methods with time in Spain working directly with Spanish academies. Level 1 and 2 courses will be made available in 2017.

The two-and-a-half-day Level 3 course includes theory and practical sessions both on and off the field. Topics include: 1) Methodological Foundations of Training, 2) Structure of Training, 3) Development of the Training Model, 4) Training Tactical Concepts, 5) Training Technique, 6) System Development and Strategy and 7) Training Physical Elements.

+READ: US Club Soccer officials meet with La Liga in Madrid

The course fee also includes a one-year license for each attendee to Kimet Sport, the software for design, control, evaluation and periodization of training sessions used as for the course and by La Liga academies, including Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, Atlético Madrid, Athletic Bilbao and Sevilla FC.

Follow-up webinars are also included post-course for continued learning. Completion of these webinars is required for advancement to Level 2 courses. This USC-hosted course begins Friday (March 11) afternoon and includes two full days of instruction Saturday and Sunday.

USC’s member clubs are: Albion Hurricanes FC, Dynamos SC, Lonestar SC, Austin Texans, Eclipse SC, Lonestar SC – San Antonio, Challenge SC, Houston Express SC, Space City FC, Classics Elite SC, Houstonians FC, Texans SC, Crush FC, Liverpool FC America (STX) and Texas Rush SC.

US Club Soccer announced its partnership with La Liga in August, and introduced many of the alliance’s concepts in several sessions at the NSCAA Convention in Baltimore in January, an occasion headlined by VIP guests Michel Salgado and Raul.

+READ: US Club Soccer debuts LaLiga methodology at 2016 NSCAA Convention

La Liga’s main representatives in this partnership are:

La Liga methodology expert Gari Fullaondo, the Technical Advisor for the Committee of Football Coaches of the Royal Spanish Football Federation, and the Director at Kimet Sport, which advises sport methodology and offers consulting services. Fullaondo is a UEFA-PRO coach with a master’s degree in physical training, and was previously the Director of Methodology at Athletic Bilbao.

Hugo Blanco, LaLiga’s Sports Projects Coordinator and an expert in methodology training. He has extensive experience with the Galician Football Federation and Galician School of Coaching, among other organizations. Blanco holds a Ph.D. in Science of Physical Activity and Sport from Universidad de A Coruña and has researched and published several articles relating to top-level soccer performance.

Fernando Sanz, La Liga General Director Middle East & North Africa and International Projects. He oversees the US Club Soccer/LaLiga partnership. Sanz played at Real Madrid C.F. from 1994-99, winning UEFA Champions League, Super Cup, Intercontinental Cup and Spanish League titles. He concluded his playing career with Málaga C.F., playing in 205 games from 1999-2006. After retiring, he became the club’s president (2006-10) and consequently saved it from economic turmoil. During the same time, Sanz was also a member of the Royal Spanish Football Federation.

+FIND registration information and other details of the March methodology course here