Mission  DTHE STRENGTH IN OUR YOUTH TRAINING





Youth training occupies a central place in club operations and is considered an essential task. We want to be a quality football institute where talent is given the chance to develop optimally. By offering the players this opportunity, we want to achieve maximum through-flow to the 1st team.

We want to create a motivating, pedagogically and methodically sound environment in which youth players can develop on a sporting and human level and prepare themselves for a career as a professional footballer.

Beerschot sees youth football as an individual sport with a collective character. We want to develop the maximum potential that a player possesses. Moreover, we believe that during this process, everyone deserves a good time. To add force to this ambition and optimise the player's individual development, we also train our trainers, team coaches.



DECLARATION PANATHLON   With this declaration, we make a commitment, beyond discussion, to establish clear rules of conduct in the pursuit of positive values in youth sports.

We declare that:

1. WE WILL PURSUE THE POSITIVE VALUES IN YOUTH SPORT MORE ACTIVELY, WITH SUSTAINED EFFORT AND WITH GOOD PLANNING.

• In terms of training and competition, we will pursue four main goals in a balanced way: the development of motor (technical and tactical) skill, a healthy and safe competitive style, a positive self-image and good social skills. In doing so, we will be guided by the child's needs.
• We believe that the urge to excel and win, to experience success and fun as much as failure and frustration, are integral parts of competitive sport. We will give children the opportunity to internalise this and integrate it (within the structure, rules and constraints of the game) into their performance and we will help them manage their emotions.
• We will pay special attention to guiding and training children using models that value ethical and humanistic principles in general and fair-play in sport in particular.
• We will ensure that children are involved in the decision-making process in their sports.

2. WE WILL CONTINUE OUR EFFORTS TO ELIMINATE ALL FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION FROM YOUTH SPORT.

This relates to the fundamental ethical principle of equality, which requires social justice and equal distribution of opportunities. Late-maturing, disabled and less talented children will have the same opportunities to participate in sports and will receive the same professional guidance available to early-maturing, able-bodied and more talented children without distinction of gender, race or culture.

3. WE RECOGNISE AND ACCEPT THE FACT THAT SPORT CAN ALSO CAUSE NEGATIVE EFFECTS AND THAT PREVENTIVE AND CURATIVE MEASURES ARE NEEDED TO PROTECT CHILDREN.

• We will promote the psychological and physical health of children to the maximum by making efforts to combat cheating, doping, abuse and exploitation and help children overcome possible negative effects.
• We accept that the importance of the child's social environment and motivational climate are still underestimated. Therefore, we will develop, accept and apply a code of conduct with clearly defined responsibilities for all those involved in the network around youth sport: sports organisations, sport leaders, parents, educators, trainers, sports managers, sports boards, doctors, physiotherapists, dieticians, psychologists, elite athletes, the children themselves.
• We strongly recommend that serious consideration be given to creating bodies at appropriate levels to follow this code.
• We support systems of registration and accreditation for trainers and coaches.

4. WE WELCOME SUPPORT FROM SPONSORS AND THE MEDIA, BUT WE BELIEVE THAT SUCH SUPPORT SHOULD BE CONSISTENT WITH THE MAIN OBJECTIVES OF YOUTH SPORT.

• We welcome sponsorship from organisations and companies only when it does not conflict with the pedagogical process, the ethical basis of the sport and the main objectives of youth sport.
• We believe that the function of the media is not only to be reactive, this means being a mirror of our society's problems, but also proactive, this means stimulating, educating and innovating.

5. THIS IS WHY WE FORMALLY ENDORSE THE “PANATHLON CHARTER ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD IN SPORT”.

All children have the right:

• To practice sport
• To have fun and play
• To live in a healthy environment
• To be treated with dignity
• To be trained and supervised by competent people
• To participate in training adapted to their age, individual rhythm and abilities
• To compete with children of the same level in an appropriate competition
• To engage in sport in safe conditions
• To rest
• To have the opportunity to become a champion, or not to become one

All this can only be achieved if governments, sports federations, sports agencies, sports equipment companies, media, business, sports scientists, sports managers, coaches, parents and the children themselves subscribe to this declaration.

VISION 



Beerschot youth supervises and coaches young football players aged 6 to 19. We want to attract talented youth players from the region (city, periphery and province) and offer them ideal opportunities to develop their talent.

Beerschot youth want to use their all-round football potential to generate excellent footballers by offering a total development with ample attention to the technical training plan, football and study, ethical and educational values.

The technical training plan should be as complete as possible. It includes planning for the player's tactical, physical, mental and technical development.

The choice of trainers and coaches and staffing must include the necessary quality to achieve the above objectives.

The necessary logistical conditions must be created to achieve these objectives.

ACTION PLAN AGAINST RACISM AND DISCRIMINATION   Beerschot is a diverse club with many players, trainers and staff members with different backgrounds and convictions both in the A core and in the youth section. Tolerance and respect are important. Beerschot does not tolerate racism and discrimination and supports the action plans of UEFA, KBVB and the Pro League. To eliminate discrimination and racism from the club and to promote integration, participation and diversity, Beerschot does the following:

• Beerschot actively promotes a large and engaged community in which everyone is welcome and everyone respects each other under the motto “we are 13”.
• Beerschot includes a ban on any form of racism and discrimination in its internal regulations.
• The club organises recruiting supporter campaigns for young people, women and families.
• At home matches, messages for tolerance and/or against racism are published on the LED boarding and on the match sheet.
• Beerschot follows guidelines on stadium accessibility for the disabled.
• The club has 2 attendants every home match to help and guide the disabled.
• The club cooperates in identifying and punishing players and supporters guilty of racism and discrimination.
• Beerschot supports the Hernan Losada Foundation, which mentors underprivileged youngsters.
• Besides former player and trainer Hernan Losada, the club will use other former players and supporters as role models in the fight against racism and discrimination.
• Together with the city of Antwerp, Beerschot has set up a homeless team for underprivileged adults.
• Beerschot teaches Dutch for non-native speakers to youth players, parents and supporters.
• The club is considering alternative and sensitising penalties for players and supporters who have expressed racist or discriminatory views.
• Beerschot participates in the national awareness-raising actions of the KBVB and the Pro League to prevent racism and discrimination.
• Awareness-raising actions and banning racism and discrimination are core tasks of the community operation.
• Board members and/or the club's community manager have bi-monthly meetings with representatives of supporters.