Ajax Youth Academy

Ajax Youth Academy
The Ajax Youth Academy (Dutch: Ajax Jeugdopleiding) is a football youth academy based in Amsterdam, Netherlands, from where the organization manages a total of 13 youth teams (ages 7–18). The academy is the primary youth clinic of Dutch football team Ajax Amsterdam. The club depends heavily on the youth academy as they move promising youngsters from the youth teams to the senior team where they can showcase their talent and develop into stars.
On 11 September 2020, the CIES released their annual rankings of the clubs having trained the most players active in 31 top divisions of UEFA member associations. The Ajax Youth Academy came in 2nd place to the FK Partizan Academy from Serbia with 77 players footballers trained, while the Serbian side topped the list with 85 footballers trained. In accordance with the UEFA definition, players who were considered have been playing for the club for at least three seasons between 15 and 21 years of age.
History
The Ajax youth system is famous for having produced and still producing many great Dutch internationals like Sjaak Swart, Johan Cruijff, Frank Rijkaard, Dennis Bergkamp, Frank and Ronald de Boer, Edgar Davids, Clarence Seedorf, Patrick Kluivert, Rafael van der Vaart, Wesley Sneijder, John Heitinga, Nigel de Jong, Maarten Stekelenburg, and Gregory van der Wiel.
Notable former players
1900-1970s
Johan Cruijff
Gerrit Fischer
Cor Geelhuijzen
Eddy Pieters Graafland
Bobby Haarms
Barry Hulshoff
Piet Keizer
Wim Kieft
Ruud Krol
Rinus Michels
Ger van Mourik
Bennie Muller
Anton Pronk
Johnny Rep
Joop Stoffelen
Wim Suurbier
Sjaak Swart
Simon Tahamata
1980s
Marco van Basten
John Bosman
Frank de Boer
Ronald de Boer
Fred Grim
Frank Rijkaard
John van 't Schip
Aron Winter
Richard Witschge
Rob Witschge
1990s
Dennis Bergkamp
Edgar Davids
Patrick Kluivert
Mario Melchiot
Andy van der Meyde
Kiki Musampa
John O'Brien
Michael Reiziger
Edwin van der Sar
Clarence Seedorf
Abubakari Yakubu
2000s
Toby Alderweireld
Vurnon Anita
Ryan Babel
Daley Blind
Urby Emanuelson
John Heitinga
Nigel de Jong
Siem de Jong
Hedwiges Maduro
Wesley Sneijder
Maarten Stekelenburg
Rafael van der Vaart
Thomas Vermaelen
Kenneth Vermeer
Jan Vertonghen
Gregory van der Wiel
2010s
Donny van de Beek
Sergiño Dest
Christian Eriksen
Viktor Fischer
Anwar El Ghazi
Ryan Gravenberch
Davy Klaassen
Justin Kluivert
Matthijs de Ligt
Noussair Mazraoui
Abdelhak Nouri
Ricardo van Rhijn
Jurriën Timber
Joël Veltman
Ajax Online Academy
Central is the style of play (4-3-3, with goalkeeper), training, behavior and house rules.
Ajax has developed the so-called TIPS model, which stands for Technique, Insight, Personality and Speed. For each part there are ten criteria. P and S are generally innate properties, but I and T can always be developed further.
Ajax coaching sessions always consists of 8 important football ingredients. Together with TIPS, they form the core to the Ajax success philosophy.
1. Coordination training
2. Kicking, Passing and Throw-in
3. Moves to beat an opponent
4. Heading
5. Finishing
6. Position play
7. Position Game play
8. Small sided games
Teams
Board and staff
Current staff
Chairman
Frank Eijken
Head coach
John Heitinga
Technical director (upper-level A-C)
Saïd Ouaali
Technical director (mid-level A-C)
Patrick Ladru
Technical director (lower-level D-F)
Michel Hordijk
List of technical directors
Facilities
Sportcomplex De Toekomst
Sportcomplex De Toekomst is the training grounds of AFC Ajax, with a capacity of 5,000 it serves as home grounds for the reserves team Jong Ajax, its women's team Ajax Vrouwen, its amateur team Ajax Zaterdag as well as for the full youth system. The entire complex consists of seven fields and a trainings center.
adidas miCoach Performance Centre
Established in 2011, the adidas MiCoach Performance Centre is situated on Sportpark De Toekomst. Built by Poly-Ned, it teaches football innovation and training methods and is used by both the first team, as well as the youth teams. Here the players are trained in a scientific manner based on motion analytics to enhance speed, distance, dribbling, heading and shooting. On 28 October 2013 the ceiling of the main hall of the facility had collapsed, which the club in turn had to have rebuilt.
Honours
National titles
A-junioren Eredivisie : 13
1992–93, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1997–98, 2001–02, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2013–14
A-junioren Eerste Divisie : 4
2004–05, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2010–11
B-junioren Eredivisie : 4
2002–03, 2007–08, 2009–10, 2011–12
B-junioren Eerste Divisie : 1
2006–07
C-junioren Algeheel landskampioen : 1
2011–12
C-junioren Eerste Divisie : 2
2008–09, 2011–12
C 2 kampioen : 2
2009–10, 2011–12
D-junioren Algeheel landskampioen : 1
2011–12
D-junioren Eerste Divisie : 7
2001–02, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2010–11, 2011–12
D 2 District West 1 kampioen : 4
2004–05, 2005–06, 2009–10, 2010–11
D 3 kampioen : 1
2009–10
E 1 kampioen : 1
2004–05
E 2 kampioen : 2
2009–10, 2010–11
E 3 kampioen : 1
2009–10
F 1 kampioen : 2
2009–10, 2010–11
National cups
A-junioren Cup : 1
2009–10
B-junioren Cup : 2
2008–09, 2012–13
D-junioren Cup : 1
2012–13
F-pupillen District Cup : 1
2009–10
Dutch Super Cup
A-junioren Supercup : 4
2005, 2006, 2011, 2014
B-junioren Supercup : 2
2009, 2012
C-junioren Supercup : 2
2012, 2014
D-junioren Supercup : 1
2010
See also
Ajax Hellas Youth Academy
References
External links
Official site
The academy spotlight: Ajax and Barcelona – These Football Times (2015)
Ajax FC Youth Academy in Amsterdam - Soccer Tricks (2022)
Youth
Football academies in the Netherlands
UEFA Youth League teams
NextGen series