PRO INSIGHT SERIES:Gold Coast Premier Invitational Tournament

EXPOSURE & EXPERIENCE

Fresh off an unforgettable 10 days on the Gold Coast, we’re incredibly proud to have so many ambitious, top-level players and people representing The Pro Project. This was our biggest tournament yet, and it truly opened our eyes to a faster, more aggressive style of football, something we just don’t see in our small Auckland bubble.

The main reason we enter tournaments like this is for exposure and experience. The game itself becomes the best teacher, providing instant feedback on where our players stand compared to more advanced teams, highlighting where we’re ahead, where we need to improve, both individually and collectively.

We faced a variety of challenges: playing in the heat, quick turnarounds between games, and competing against teams with diverse styles—some pressing aggressively, others sitting deep in low blocks, some focusing on possession-based football, others playing direct.

In Auckland, we often feel there’s just one clear style, which doesn’t fully prepare our players for the variety and adversity found at higher levels

There Is Not Just One Clear Style.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Speed and Intensity: These teams press and tackle fiercely, leaving no time to think. We quickly had to learn how to protect and share the ball quickly instead of turning every possession into a battle.
  

• Technical Consistency: These players don’t give the ball away cheaply. In a few games, we felt we lacked the quality and awareness to consistently find the spare player and keep possession. When you have the ball, you get a breather and can make the other team work hard by moving them around. When fatigue set in, so did lapses in our thought process, leading to inconsistent transitions, or goals against.
  

• Tactical Understanding: Our tactical knowledge around positioning and team structure wasn’t where we wanted it to be. This is understandable given we are a pull-together team from all over the country. However, it’s vital our players continuously learn the ins and outs of their positions and the game itself through watching football, studying highlights, and absorbing the nuances. This is a big difference compared to young players in places like Australia and the UK, where kids live and breathe football, constantly learning and improving. A challenge for our players over the summer:

• Identify your top three footballers in your position,

• Study their key attributes, and

• Try to emulate them in your own game.
  

  

• Communication: Overall, we were quite quiet on the field and lacked leadership through our voices, passing on information when we release the ball and demanding it when needed. Developing strong communication skills will be an important focus moving forward, as it is just as essential as technical skills and must be practiced regularly.
  

• Training Hours: Are we doing enough? For me, the answer is still no. If Kiwi players want to become top-level footballers, they must outwork the players around them. Make an effort to increase your training hours, get to the park to practice your position-specific skills and do more individual work.
  

There Are No Shortcuts To Becoming A Better Player - It Requires Hard work and Dedication

• Coaching Standards: The level of coaching was on another plane altogether. We believe it’s crucial for young players to learn from coaches who have played at high levels and coached in academies. This contrasts with some of the parent-coach-led setups we often see here, or coaches/parents that micro-manage players decisions.

  

• Adaptive Style of Play: There isn’t just one way to play football. We challenge our players to adapt to help them develop as well-rounded footballers, not just specialists in one role. Winning is great, but it’s not the ultimate goal. The bigger picture is whether players come away mentally tougher and better equipped for the future. The memories made along the way are a bonus!
  

• Building Resilience: We faced some very tough opposition, playing against some of the best teams and players in the state. It’s during these hard moments that resilience is built. Yes, it’s challenging, but we support the boys through it and embrace the experience. 

It's not just about the games .. it's about the challenge

To wrap-up, we are playing catch up in New Zealand compared to many countries around us being a step ahead with both coaching and resources.

The Pro Project aim to bridge the gap between NZ and academy systems, helping to support footballers along-side their journey from Junior/Youth, to first-teams and beyond whilst learning the game, developing life skills and of course, having fun & making memories.

" A final THANK YOU to everyone who played a part in the trip. We're already looking forward to participating next year!"