Galán’s goal to train future pros

With Spain winning this years men’s FIFA World Cup, it’s safe to say that soccer clubs around the world could learn a few new things. Luckily for Winnipeg, the teachers came to us.

José Galán brought his expertise to the city the past three days, hosting a soccer camp to prepare players for the professional world. The Spaniard, who currently plays for the Gibraltar Football League club Manchester 62, pooled together his 20-plus years of experience to share with the younger generations of players.

Galán is the head coach and co-founder of VIA Sports, a pathway to train and grow athletes in the professional atmosphere. The academy made it’s first stop in Winnipeg August 10-12, having visited Senora, Calif., the previous week. This three-day intensive was split into boy’s U15-U18 in the morning and men’s senior 18-plus division, in the afternoon with 3o participants in both at Memorial Park Turf Field.

Galán’s love for Winnipeg started in 2019 after playing for Valour FC in the club’s inaugural season.

“Within the community, I built a real connection. My two little girls were born here,” he said, having lived in Winnipeg for four years. “Here is where I started to coach players.”

With the loss of the city’s men’s professional club, Galán wanted to give Winnipeggers another pathway.

“I want to give back somehow all the love my family and I got while living here — it was amazing,” he said.

The only requirement to register for this camp was to have the passion for the game and play competitively in some shape or form.

“I don’t care what team the boys come from, we just want to help give opportunities to everyone,” Galán explained.

Not only did the players receive training from the best, but two to three players will be selected to learn from the country that won it all — a 10-day trial with VIA FC in Spain. During those two weeks, players will be immersed in the world of professional soccer, training alongside the team while also being educated about training, nutrition and game analysis.

“It’s a good opportunity to be overseas, have a good level of training and see what level they are at when they come,” Galán said.

The goal is to replicate an experience of playing in the higher levels.

Within the short time frame that this camp was held, Galán and his team worked together to teach these players how to look at the game differently.

“To try to make them understand that it’s not just doing a drill, it’s making them think on the field,” Galán said. “I always compare with Spain now that we are champions of the world. I said to (the players), ‘Were they the fastest? The strongest? Individually the best? Probably not — but the IQ in football is so important in why you do things.’”

That’s where the backbone of the camp came to light, these players have the skill set to play the game, but they also need to think critically and strategically on the field to master it.

Former sporting director and assistant coach of Valour FC, Damian Rocke, joined Galán over these past few days.

“I’ve been working with players in the province for quite a long time. The idea is exposing the players to what a more professional environment would look like,” Rocke said.

Despite the folding of Valour FC last year, Rocke is not deterred to continue to show that Winnipeg has a place in the soccer community throughout the world.

“In the (Canadian Premier League) itself, there’s lots of Winnipeggers playing — that pipeline hasn’t stopped. We have to keep finding and allowing these players to progress,” Rocke added.

With the multitude of talent within the province, both Galán and Rocke are determined not to make this camp a one-off — but rather an annual event that continually connects players to possible opportunities worldwide.

“Given more time, I think there’s a very high ceiling for these players. But they need the repetition, the exposure to the environment,” Rocke said, emphasizing the need for players to experience the intensity, demand and training of the upper levels. “That’s ideally what they get out of a week like this… thinking (they) can be in that environment and see themselves in it.”

“There’s a lot of merit to what’s happening here.”

And both Galán and Rocke, along with the rest of the VIA team, share a similar philosophy — these opportunities should be given for players to make what they want of it.

Rocke added that the incoming Northern Super League team will make waves for Manitoba soccer, hopefully continuing to engineer those pathways on both the men’s and women’s side.

“The NSL is going to be an important anchor for the community,” Rocke said.

It’s safe to say that this camp is just the beginning.

grace.penner@winnipegfreepress.com

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