Hungary, using limited space to great effect

The Inter Campus Hungary project is going from strength to strength at its Budapest and Szendrolad centres. As part of the push to train local instructors, coaches Paola Balconi and Lorenzo Forneris decided to use this visit to focus on a topic which holds particular resonance for Inter Campus: how to run quality training sessions where the shortage of space is compounded by high numbers of children.

During the winter months, when the bitter cold and inclement weather make it virtually impossible to play outside, the instructors are forced to run sessions on indoor pitches, where space can be at a premium.

The key is to divide the youngsters up into several groups and organise activities which mean lots of players are involved at the same time – this ensures that the quality of the training session stays high and that children have the best possible chance of developing both physically and technically.

Another important aspect is to consider the interpersonal skills required during a session, as this can help the coaches to guide the children and the work towards multiple objectives simultaneously. Training is not just about physical exercise, but social integration, cognitive development and emotional engagement too.

Paola and Lorenzo demonstrated circuit training exercises and general working methods that Kristian and Vali from the Budapest site and Gabor, Tomasz, Joet and new recruit Khristof (who came through the Inter Campus project as a youngster) from Szendrolad will now be able to apply in their own sessions.

Thanks to Paola and Lorenzo’s efforts, the children’s enjoyment of the programme will never again by confined by the walls of a pokey gym – and nor will the passion of the local instructors freeze over when the Hungarian winter hits!

20.01.2017