The past month at the ICEF has been filled with activities aimed at improving players physical and tactical abilities to positively impact individual and team performances. One of the first activities of the month was an excursion to Excenevex beach to partake in a training bootcamp. Later in the month, the ICEF players also had an in-depth video analysis session to review one of their recent matches. During the past month, the ICEF also welcomed a new staff member, Matthieu Ruffet, a mental performance expert and football psychologist who will provide psychological support and guidance to improve our players’ mindsets.
Excenevex Fitness Bootcamp
At the ICEF, we always strive to implement innovative activities to improve our players’ performance on and off the field. Last month, the ICEF players went to Excenevex Beach to participate in a bootcamp, a physical training program that aims to build and improve strength, endurance, and overall fitness.
The bootcamp guided players through exercises to improve explosiveness, acceleration and endurance. The session included a variety of relay races, tug-of-war, and endurance running. For these exercises, the beach was the ideal location and environment as the sand would increase the players’ work rate and enhance the results and benefits of the exercises. Since the environment at Excenevex cannot be replicated at the facility, the organizers took advantage of the incredible Evian region, to provide the necessary environment to conduct the bootcamp.
By participating in the bootcamp, players were able to improve their physical side to their game while taking part in an excursion in a unique location. This allowed the bootcamp to also serve as a team-building experience creating unforgettable and lifelong memories for all players involved.
Video Analysis Session
Video analysis sessions are crucial and extremely helpful for players during their development, individually and collectively. They facilitate the ability for players to establish and solidify their strengths and improve weaknesses.
During the most recent video analysis session, Head Coach Julien divided the team into 3 groups: defenders, midfielders and attackers. The groups were created to allow the coaching staff to focus on position-specific strengths and axes of improvement. Each group of players were able to see what their role was in the tactical setup of the team and see the areas, individually and collectively, that they could improve on during the next match.
After the session, players were given individual and collective objectives to implement during the next competitive matchup. This instant feedback accelerates players’ development and prepares them for life at the professional level.
Welcoming Matthieu
The mental aspects of football are often overlooked. At the ICEF however, our holistic training program includes improving players mindset to optimize their football development to create the best version of players on and off the field.
Matthieu Ruffet, mental performance expert and football psychologist, has joined the ICEF staff to provide guidance to our players, through personalized support for personal, emotional and relational development. His role will be to create a close bond and relationship with the players to bring out their best qualities, offering them a framework for success. He will also focus on developing their maturity, open-mindedness and integration, crucial values for football players.
Through individual meetings he will understand the situation and challenges of each player and work with them to improve their mental capabilities to deal with the obstacles currently encountered at the ICEF, while also providing them with the tools and framework to do so independently in the future.
Matthieu was a Sport Scientist, Psychologist & Sociologist for Paris Saint-Germain for 4 years, and most recently was in charge of Scouting & Methodology for Chelsea FC before joining the ICEF.
Only five spots are currently available to join the ICEF for the upcoming season.
To learn more about our online tryout process and apply, click here.