NF Academy gives parents, coaches insight into the Portuguese success formula
NF Academy gives parents, coaches insight into the Portuguese success formula
NF Academy repeats last year’s success and gives the parent coaches insight into the training everyday life that teaches the players to master the game even better. While your child is part of the training sessions in the beautiful Cascais and at Sporting’s renowned academy in Lisbon.
NF Academy’s mission is player development. At its core is a training methodology drawn from a European superpower to bring out international players. The football Ronaldo and other Portuguese young boys learn to play early on is based on some of the same offensive and defensive principles.
These are a common thread in all exercises the experienced Portuguese top coaches of NF Academy build up their training weeks around. To develop the individual skills as well as to better understand the game by playing it.
The Portuguese methodology is a massive addition to Norwegian players’ training day. Both individually and towards understanding their role better.
We believe the players learn the game best by understanding the game by playing it,” NF Academy coach David Fernandes said.
NF Academy gives parents, coaches insight into the Portuguese success formula
NF Academy repeats last year’s success and gives the parent coaches insight into the training everyday life that teaches the players to master the game even better. While your child is part of the training sessions in the beautiful Cascais and at Sporting’s renowned academy in Lisbon.
NF Academy’s mission is player development. At its core is a training methodology drawn from a European superpower to bring out international players. The football Ronaldo and other Portuguese young boys learn to play early on is based on some of the same offensive and defensive principles.
These are a common thread in all exercises the experienced Portuguese top coaches of NF Academy build up their training weeks around. To develop the individual skills as well as to better understand the game by playing it.
The Portuguese methodology is a massive addition to Norwegian players’ training day. Both individually and towards understanding their role better.
We believe the players learn the game best by understanding the game by playing it,” NF Academy coach David Fernandes said.
Free Trainer Course
Portugal has for two decades also exported attractive coaches to Europe’s biggest leagues.
The common denominator for most of them is that many of the same offensive and defensive principles that you find in NF Academy’s methodology are rooted in their coaching education from world-renowned academies such as Sporting Lisbon, Benfica, Braga, Porto and Boavista.
We’re trying to break up the game into smaller parts so that players have a more holistic approach to football as a game. We want players to be better problem solvers. We give them more challenges that they have to deal with under pressure.
You don’t just need fast feet in football – you need to be able to make quick decisions as well, David Fernandes said.
This is where NF Academy now invites parents to the training sessions. Both to understand why they work the way they do on the field, but also to give tips and guidance to those who are coaches in children’s and youth football in Norway.
During training sessions, parents can follow the players and coaches on the field. The exercises, main objectives and strategy will be explained. The coaches will share their knowledge and answer questions along the way.
It is important for us that parents understand what and why we work as we do on the field towards match situations, says NF Sports Director Gonçalo Moura.
The training course is completely free and is part of the NF Elite Training Camp in Lisbon, which takes place during the winter and autumn holidays.
This means that you and your child have the chance as early as week 8 and week 9.
Suitable for everyone
The trainings are led by some of the best coaches with their backgrounds from some of the most renowned academies in the world.
You don’t need a lot of prior knowledge of the coaching profession. Only curiosity for the game and interest in football. NF Academy hopes to both educate good coaches and give football parents better tools to support their hopefuls in their everyday lives.
The coaching course is suitable for all parents who are interested in knowing more about football methodology, and is not just for those who are already coaches. You don’t need any prior knowledge, the Sports Director continued.
The training sessions are based on goals and principles rather than pre-selected exercises.
The main goal is to improve the ability to read the game in the participants. To do that, the coaches work from the principles of the game. Once players begin to understand the principles, and make correct decisions in different situations, they will develop greatly as players. Regardless of technical level.
In our training sessions, we immerse players in different scenarios in the game through exercises carefully designed to recreate situations in real play.
By presenting these challenges, we encourage players to proactively identify and implement solutions, and promote their problem-solving skills, said NF Academy coach Rodrigo Silva.
The success formula
The short version is that the game is divided into defensive and offensive principles. These are learned through active coaching on the field from the coaches during the match situation.
– Step 1 – Offensive principle: Progression; Offensive coverage; Mobility; Rom.
– Step 2 – Defensive principle: Game delay: Defensive coverage; Balance; Compactness.
Our emphasis is on honing decision-making skills, a crucial aspect of the game. Through questions, we give our students the opportunity to recognize these key scenarios during actual matches, and ultimately improve their practical game understanding and performance, concludes Rodrigo Silva.
The third step is based on the individual player’s technique. It’s also where coaches provide the most direct feedback and advice to players on their performance
– Step 3 – Competitive sessions to facilitate individual technical development: Dribbling/Tackles, finishes, ball control, headers, goalkeeper positions, 1v1 situations and more.
UPCOMING NF ACADEMY EVENTS
NF International Tranining Camps
| Date | Program | Country | Place | Age Group | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 - 22 Feb 2025 | NF Elite Training Camp Week 8 |
Portugal | Lisbon / Estoril | 2010-2016 | |||
| 23 Feb - 01 Mar 2025 | NF Elite Training Camp Week 9 |
Portugal | Lisbon / Estoril | 2010-2016 | |||
| 14 - 24 Jul 2025 | NF High Performance | Portugal | Rio Maior | 2009-2006 | |||
| 28 Sep - 04 Oct 2025 | NF Elite Experience Fall Week 40 |
Portugal | Lisbon / Estoril | 2010-2016 | |||
| 12 - 18 Oct 2025 | NF Elite Experience Fall Week 42 |
Portugal | Lisbon / Estoril | 2010-2016 | |||
| 26 Oct - 01 Nov 2025 | NF Elite Experience Fall Week 44 |
Portugal | Lisbon / Estoril | 2010-2016 | |||
NF International Tournaments
| Date | Program | Country | Place | Age Group | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 - 19 Jan 2025 | NF Selection Riga Cup | Latvia | Riga | 2011 | |||
| 22 - 26 Jan 2025 | NF Selection Riga Cup | Latvia | Riga | 2008-2009 | |||
| 30 Jan - 02 Feb 2025 | NF Selection Riga Cup | Latvia | Riga | 2012 | |||
| 05 - 09 Feb 2025 | NF Selection Riga Cup | Latvia | Riga | 2013 | |||
| 12 - 17 Apr 2025 | NF Selection Costa Daurada (BOYS) | Spain | Salou | 2009-2014 | |||
| 12 - 17 Apr 2025 | NF Selection Costa Daurada (GIRLS) | Spain | Salou | 2007-2010 | |||
| 17 - 21 Apr 2025 | NF Selection Future Cup | Sweden | Gothenburg | 2008-2015 | |||
Check the complete Event Calendar here.
CONTACT US TO GET MORE INFORMATION ABOUT OUR TRAINING PROGRAMS
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