The Video Analysis department is one of the operational areas of the Youth Academy’s Sport Science department under the direction of Ilan Richardson. The Sport Science department has two areas one that analyses video with the second helping develop the physical side of the academy.
The video analysis area is manned by a team of professional analysts who manage all of the academy’s video. They record matches and training sessions and afterwards they put together video content for both individuals and the club according to the philosophy of Performance Director Patrick van Leeuwen. The goal is to provide video content and visual analysis for team meetings as well as for the individual.
We sat down for a conversation with the analysts including Liran Gindi, Roie Hasid, Shlomi Tobol and Nir Schkorka as they spoke about their tasks and how they work on a day to day basis while contributing to the Youth Academy.
Essence of the position
The analysts review and breakdown the training sessions and matches for the teams coaches, players and professional staff and show them the key moments at the video meeting. Liran Gindi began as a coach for the younger age groups and moved into an analyst role over the past few years spoke about the job: “Our role is to help the various teams of the Academy. First and foremost we help implement they Performance Director Patrick van Leeuwen’s ideas and philosophy by using the film that we take on the pitch and break down for both the teams and individuals. This will help create video content for the video meetings where they look at what was successful and what still needs work from the previous match. The specific information and content is prepared in conjunction with the coach.”
Shlomi Tobol has been analyst for many years and had a first degree in physical education as well as having a certificate as a football coach. Tobol arrived at Maccabi after working at a number of clubs: “Analyst filming is very different than regular filming that of which we are familiar with from our homes. The angle is much wider for an analyst so we can see the tactics of the team on the pitch.”
Day to day work
Dor Hasid has a degree in advertising and marketing but decided to follow his passion and become an analyst at the club: “We can analyze the information live via an application which we bring to selected events. After the match we go over the key moments and then break it down for the coach according to the philosophy of the club. The next step is for the analyst to sit with the coach and the team at the video meeting and show them the appropriate areas in order to help them improve as a collective and as individual.”
Contribution to the department
Most of the analyst’s activities is at the PenguinPickUp Training Ground at Kiryat Shalom. There are also analysts at the Tel Aviv University ground as well with all of the analysts working in conjunction. Nir Schkorka is the analyst who works primarily with the northern campus and gave us his thoughts from his point of view: “The naked eye can’t always see everything on the pitch but with video allows us to. The film lets us break down plays to the smallest detail for the staff and players and we can look at any part of any match at any time as they are all saved for future reference.”
Working together
Hasid who has worked up until this year primarily with the Under-19 team spoke about working with the staff: “A big part of the analyst’s role is to work with the professional staff and the coaches. This season I had the opportunity to work with the Under-19 squad, the coaches all the way to the keepers coaches. Together we worked on collective goals each and every week to help improve and develop the players and systems.”
Schkorka also talked about working as a team: “We work with all of the coaches and players. I enjoy working together, sharing and disseminating information to help the academy’s professional staff.”
Personal thoughts
Sometimes the analyst job can be very challenging but they also know how to take the good things and learn from them explained Gindi: “The work gives you personal satisfaction when you can put the things you talked about in previous sessions into practice. We work in an area that touches on many factors for the professional staff, coaches and players. This position is unique and I think that as time passes more and more clubs will recognize the added value of analysts and the possibility to help teach and develop players due to this function.
Hasid also chimed in: “It’s gives one tremendous satisfaction to help players improve and see them apply the things we worked on during the week. A big part is to help the players target the first team and help them get there. It will be amazing to me and to all of the staff to see them succeed.”
