ARIS FC Academy: All You Need To Know
Alexander Minin, ARIS FC Director of Academy Development, speaks about everything that parents and young footballers need to know about personal growth in our football community.
The first version of interview is in Russian, and you can read it here. Please enjoy the translated one below.
ARIS FC Academy is expanding its network of club youth academies throughout Cyprus, and the trials for children and teenagers of every age are still on. There are only a couple of weeks left to complete the age groups for the start of the new season.
This information is very urgent: registration for the new season's youth groups continues until the end of the month. We recommend to read through this interview and consider it within your family circle. If you and your child love sports, especially football, the coaches at ARIS FC Academy are ready to welcome and provide the best experience of the childhood. Football classes are available to everyone, depending on age and skill level.
Contact number for the enrollments — +357 99 280999 (Alexis Mathaiou) or email us: [email protected]
History and Goals
Our club has a rich and longstanding history. The work of nurturing football players has been ongoing throughout the ages. However, just two years ago, ARIS had only a few senior groups. This is insufficient for the comprehensive development of a footballer.
The strong foundation upon which any professional club is built is essentially being created in our modern times. We consider ARIS FC Academy as the cornerstone of our club structure. Growth has been rapid; when compared to the previous season, the number of participants in our groups has grown significantly.
Every successful football club possesses a youth academy that nurtures talent. This is also a social mission: the Academy is a large community, consisting of children and their parents who share our values. We love football and are building a self-sustaining club, measured by European standards.
We develop our students, starting from the very youngest — experimental — three-year-olds, and culminating with our graduates, U19 team, from which there is a direct path to the first team.
Not all young players will become professional footballers, but this school will provide them with excellent physical development, a commitment to a healthy lifestyle, and lifelong friends they can rely on.
Our club's shareholders and managers have studied the realities of Cypriot football, with all its pros and cons. The goal is to create an Academy with branches and offshoots throughout Cyprus. Adult graduates of ARIS should not only compete at the local professional level but also compete with global academies.
Limassol and Cyprus
We're eager to cover all districts of Limassol with our branches, but ARIS FC Academy begins in the Germasogeia area. From Germasogeia we expanded further throughout Limassol and have established locations in all areas of the city.
Currently, we have 15 locations, all operating under a unified plan. You just need to choose the most convenient location for you.
To be honest, establishing our presence in Limassol has been quite challenging. Football clubs and academies merely fights for proper pitches, and it is very complicated to rent a good one. I believe that one day we will reach a point where we can build one large ARIS FC Academy with all the necessary infrastructure and a variety of fields for the city. We are in active search for such a location.
ARIS FC Academy is also present in Larnaca, where we have a football center with fields and over 150 children already enrolled. Our students from Larnaca come to watch the first team's matches and show active support from the stands.
The warm welcome from children and their parents in Larnaca shows that people across the country become more loyal to ARIS. The experience with ARIS in Larnaca convinces us to continue expanding throughout Cyprus.
How to join ARIS FC Academy
Before enrolling a child in a football group, it's essential to assess their health condition and any potential contraindications. Periodic medical check-ups, tests, and medical certificates will be required for participation in training sessions and game.
There is an opinion that it's never too late to start playing football. However, this step should be taken at a young age, preferably during pre-school or early school years. We admit children to ARIS FC Academy up to the age of 13, but we don't recruit 14-year-olds without prior experience. U14 teams are already well-established, consisting of powerful, athletic youngsters with a developed understanding of football. The U14-19 teams are overseen by the Academy's Sports Director, Nikita Kovalchuk.
We also have a unique offering - weekly football sessions on Saturdays for the youngest kids 3-6 y.o. (ARIS Lemasia Junior). We even admit children under three years of age for these sessions. These classes take place indoors, year-round, at an optimal temperature. We focus on developing coordination and motor skills, teaching children to listen and work together in a group, all while having fun and enjoying themselves. Each group consists of one coach and five children.
Regarding our preschool and early school-age students, they also learn to communicate and interact in a group, play, and have fun. It's important to us that children can express themselves on the field according to their age and imagination. If a child grabs the ball and at that moment wants to run towards the goal and score, let him/her do it. They should simply enjoy the game.
I would like to highlight our collaboration program with educational institutions. For example, at Trinity School we conduct football lessons where students acquire fundamental skills. We focus on overall development, teaching them how to control the ball and take shots on goal.
Mentality and discipline
Mentality plays a crucial role. There won't be any achievements with "take-it-easy" attitude. Discipline on the field and in the locker room implies that we are preparing professional athletes. And yes, we eliminate liberties. This applies to both the coaching staff and the children.
For example, bringing drinks like frappes or any snacks to the field or around it is prohibited. From a young age, the kids must understand that the field is a place where professionals work.
We pay special attention to cleanliness and hygiene. Hygiene is essential. Sometimes children get sweaty and then sit in the car with their parents... While such things may be forgiven for young children in Cyprus, teenagers are held to a higher standard. After training, they must take a shower and put on clean clothes.
Training sessions usually take place in the evening, between 16:00 and 20:00, after school. In the older teenage years, there's often a question of balancing studies and football, as professional sports can be quite demanding. Some of our older students who receive a call-up for the Cyprus army still maintain the possibility to attend training sessions.
Structure
The pressure on children for results is a widespread issue in Cypriot football and beyond, especially in countries of the former Soviet Union. It's a double-edged sword.
Results are undoubtedly important at any age, and victory is always joyful. However, we are not solely focused on results; the primary emphasis is on development.
If development is harmonious, tournament success will follow. It's important to remember that, beyond a certain age, unsatisfactory results can lead to relegation to a lower league, which is unacceptable for ARIS.
All children are different, both in their level and their attitude toward football. Some of them see themselves as football professionals and work on their skills from morning till night. For others, playing with a ball is a pleasant way to spend an evening with friends. We respect and cherish both.
As children grow up, competition naturally increases among them. Expectations regarding the quality of play and tournament results become stricter. Therefore, at the Academy, we introduce a division system at a certain point, with three levels in each age group: A, B, and C.
"A" represents the strongest individuals in their age group, the core players. However, their place in this category is not guaranteed forever because there are often talented kids in the "B" team who are eager to grow and ready for rotation and promotion.
The "C" team is usually more modest. These are the kids for whom football is more of a leisure activity than a vocation. According to Cypriot regulations, players in the "C" category do not participate in the championship, which we believe is incorrect and unfair. We aim to rectify this misunderstanding and are committed to organizing matches and tournaments for these kids, with the approval of the Cyprus Football Federation. Every footballer should achieve something in competition. Scoring a goal and winning is the best way to unwind and enjoy the game.
This summer, the club welcomed a new technical partner: Adidas. We now have high-quality uniforms from a renowned brand. The transition to Adidas is happening gradually, and over time, all the old uniform sets will be replaced with the new ones, especially considering that our young athletes grow quickly.
Parents and Prices
Parents of footballers can indeed be a challenging aspect for any school or youth coach, and we carry this burden with honor and patience. For an impassioned father, his son is at least Lionel Messi.
Parents often have high expectations, with fathers demanding goals and victories, even though it may not always be appropriate at every age. The emotions and concerns of parents who care for their children can sometimes harm the overall effort. It's a classic situation worldwide: mom and dad are dissatisfied with something, they interfere with the training process, or they shout instructions loudly from the stands during matches. Of course, they must know how to play football better and are always ready to offer guidance to the coach.
Let's set aside the irony. We love the parents of our children and understand their aspirations. We work to establish collaboration and mutual understanding with parents. The atmosphere within the team often depends on them. During training sessions, we encourage parents to distance themselves from football: have a coffee, read a magazine or a book, and not overly stress about it.
Our approach is as follows: if you bring your child and entrust them to the coach, it's best not to interfere with the on-field and locker room processes. The role of parents is primarily in motivation and supporting their child. They should believe in their child. It's desirable to assist with organizational matters, support their child and other youngsters.
We have a close collaboration with the main team. When they need support, we are there for them, and vice versa. In the spring, when "Aris" had a series of crucial matches in the Cypriot championship, head coach Aliaksei Shpileuski and leading players like Vana Alves, Alexander Kokorin, and Julius Szoke visited Academy events and had heartfelt interactions with the children. Kokorin was especially popular for autographs. One memorable detail was when one of the youngsters had his shoelace untied before taking a shot, and Szoke rushed over to tie it for him in a caring manner.
We have a tradition: the stars of ARIS lead our children out onto the field, holding their hands, during CYTA Championship matches. It's a competition to determine who will have this opportunity on the next home game!
Walking out with Kokorin is the ultimate dream. However, we can't have footballers for all the children, and Kokorin is one and only.
All football academies in Cyprus charge fees, regardless of the child's age. On average, enrollment in ARIS Academy costs 70 euros per month for a training schedule consisting of 3-4 sessions. This fee includes VAT. It's important to note that we maintain transparent accounting practices and employ licensed coaches.
This year, we took a step to accommodate parents and the most talented children. Our A-teams for players aged 14 and above are exempt from membership fees. Such players no longer need to pay for their uniforms or any other expenses. Essentially, this represents a semi-professional level of training. Getting into such a team is not easy, as it requires years of training, and older youth players are already considered potential additions to the professional club. The U-19 category represents the peak of the youth teams, consisting of the best talents who have withstood high competition. Typically, at this age, they receive scholarships and may have contracts. Of course, our ultimate goal and hope are for our graduates to establish themselves in the first team of our home club.
The academy of ARIS FC is looking forward to the new season. If you are interested in enrolling at ARIS Academy, please call 99 280999 (Alexis Matthaiou, ARIS FC Academy Grassroots Sports Director).