The Premier League’s six-team Summer Series tournament was a huge success, with fast-paced, competitive football thrilling large crowds right across the USA in the run-up to the 2023/24 campaign.
Chelsea were crowned the inaugural winners, but Aston Villa, Newcastle United, Brighton & Hove Albion, Brentford and Fulham all did themselves proud across nine days of exciting action.
Away from the pitch there were other notable triumphs.
New and existing connections were strengthened between clubs and their American-based supporters, with all participants embracing the opportunity to mix with local communities.
PL clubs host coaching clinics
And America’s coaching fraternity also drew great benefits from the event, thanks to a series of superbly received coaching clinics hosted by representatives from all six Premier League clubs.
At Orlando City’s Exploria Stadium, around 100 coaches from right across the region attended a seminar hosted by Fulham in conjunction with the Premier League.
Academy Head of Player Development Dan Thomas, made the trip accompanied by Georgia Henderson (head of education) and Akin Lord (head coach Under-11/12s), and each of them showcased excellent presentations.
"Rather than just putting on a coaching session we were keen to give the Americans a broad understanding of our Academy,” explains Thomas.
"Georgia provided great insights into our history, philosophy and how we support our players’ on and off the pitch.
"I spoke about the long-term development of players, citing success stories such as Fabio Carvalho, Ryan Sessegnon and Harvey Elliott, but also touching on some we got wrong like Max Kilman and Eberechi Eze. Part of my focus was on the importance of recognising growth and maturation, and how that can affect a players’ journey between the ages of 14 and 17.
"Akin then discussed how we coach an age group through a whole season, pointing out the challenges and the planning that goes into that. It all seemed to be very well received, which was fantastic.”
A few days later at Rutgers University in New Jersey, a delegation from Brighton headed up by Academy manager Ian Buckman (pictured above), supported by foundation phase coach Kieran Weekes, and head of performance & strategy William Abbott, addressed over 100 coaches that had travelled from far and wide to be in attendance.
"It was a brilliant experience for all of us,” recalls Buckman, who spent time in the US earlier in his coaching career.
'Well-educated and passionate'
"The coaches we spoke to came from a variety of clubs at different levels, and I loved the way they engaged with us throughout the day. They were well-educated and passionate, and not just there to soak everything up. They wanted to talk to us, to challenge us with great questions and this tested our rationale which is always healthy.
"At lunch I was stood at the lectern and barely moved for an hour because so many people wanted to come and chat. You always dread some kind of ‘tumbleweed moment’ but it was the exact opposite,” he adds with a chuckle.
The concept of sharing information about coaching methods and a club’s internal strategies or policies may not sit comfortably with everybody in the game. However, Buckman and Thomas, see the wider picture.
"We are an open-minded staff that are always very happy to collaborate," says Buckman. "People come into our training ground to observe and chat to us, and I believe it’s great for our staff to be checked or challenged by feedback, from different eyes that are on us. I’m very passionate about the usefulness of being open and willing to share.
Thomas, who has taken staff on study visit work trips to Braga, Ajax, PSV Eindhoven, and AZ Alkmaar in the past, adds, “They say the best coach is the best thief! There is always an idea or two you can take from someone else, so from my perspective we must be prepared to share some of our own stuff too. To test what we do, receiving feedback is healthy.”
Useful experience
One of the highlights of the trip for both clubs was the experience gained from hosting coaching sessions for groups of local young players.
Working with children in the Youth Development Phase, Brighton opted for a progressive technical focused session led by Weekes, which was integrated from warm-up to conclusion with contributions from strength and conditioning coach Will Abbott.
Reflecting on that morning, Buckman believes it was full of positives. “Both my coaches really enjoyed collaborating with the staff that brought along their young players. The audio was extremely good too, so their voices were booming out over the speakers, and with a slight delay that can always provide a challenge, but they coped excellently,” he says.
"At home our sessions at that level will be multi-layered featuring brilliant basics, technical components, bits around individual development plans, plus we try to incorporate our own playing philosophy in there too. Working with a bunch of players we didn’t know made all that tricky, but hopefully we gave a good account of what we do.”
Overcoming obstacles
Fulham’s session took place on the first team pitch at Orlando City, and because they were mic'd up, both Thomas and Lord opted to occasionally pause to talk directly to the coaches in the stands, explaining what they were doing, and why.
They also successfully overcame an obstacle they hadn’t foreseen when preparing for the session. Taking up the story Thomas recalls, “We naively assumed that because we were in America everyone would speak great English, but half the group used Spanish as their first language!
"This meant we had to use a bit more demonstration and slow things down a bit which was an interesting exercise. We were outside our comfort zone, but that’s great for learning.”
Value of the counter attack
As counter attacks and transitions are such a big part of Premier League football, Fulham opted to base their session for a group of 16-year-olds, around that aspect of the game.
"It was boiling hot and the players just weren’t used to participating in explosive 3v3s," explains Thomas. "They initially didn’t want to play the British way, preferring to move the ball slowly and more technically.
“After taking a while to adapt to the mentality of stealing the ball and then quickly making a transition, they grasped it and enjoyed it. Being efficient and effective on the counter is such a big part of the way we play, so we wanted to give them a taste of that.”
Both Academies were proud to be invited to participate in this Summer Series event and have since spent time reflecting on how valuable the experience was for all concerned.
Buckman and Thomas were equally ebullient in their praise for the Premier League and the support they received both before, and during the clinics.
"When the Premier League put on an event,” says Thomas, “They really do put on an event. The hospitality suite we worked in was just a perfect area for learning and sharing ideas.
"The audio, the screens, the whole environment was top class. I’d also like to thank Sean Reed [Head of Coaching Support for the Premier League] for the way he supported us on our content plans, offering valuable advice prior to our presentations.”
Honour to be involved
Being a part of the first Summer Series felt special too, according to Buckman.
“It struck us how far we’ve come as a football club," he adds. "Around 26 years ago we nearly dropped out of the Football League, but there we were representing a well-respected club in the Premier League in New York City. It was an absolute privilege to be there.
"The facilities at Rutgers University were also unbelievable and it was great to collaborate with staff from the Premier League.
"Working in a new environment brought a fresh focus to each of us, and I know I found the whole experience thought-provoking. It was really, really, positive on all fronts.”
Collaboration key
Sean Reed, the Premier League’s head of coaching support, was delighted with the quality of each event, and the response from those who attended.
"These workshops provided a platform for the Premier League and its’ six participating clubs to collaborate and showcase the exceptional work happening within player development, coaching and coach development, and the more recent work of match officiating pathways,” he says.
"Fourteen representatives from Premier League clubs took part, offering valuable insights into their respective programs, giving attending coaches access to insights they might not have had before.
"These workshops attracted over 500 coaches from 211 different clubs across five cities. We were all delighted with how it went.”
Also in this series
Part 1: Postecoglou’s bold approach paying off
Part 3: How Coach Scheme helps Fuller inspire Stoke's young stars