Page 140 - Olympism in Socialism

trained by coaches who have had higher
pedagogical education. At present the Moscow
Children’s Soccer School is headed by Oleg
Lapshin, one of the most popular players of the
past. For the last 12 years he has been chief
coach and teacher of the young players.
Twice a year — in autumn and spring — “open
training sessions” are held at Luzhniki. Everyone
is welcome to conic and show his worth in the
games against his coevals from the soccer school.
In the meantime, coaches single out the most
gifted, tough and “football-possessed” ones.
Each autumn the boys who have reached 18
years of age leave the school to continue to
pursue their favourite sports in one of the club
teams. As a rule, seven out of 16 to 20 graduates
are drafted by the popular football clubs like the
Spartak, Dynamo, Torpedo or the Central Army
Club. The graduates of the school have made over
1 50 appearances in the line-up of the USSR
national team.
Training sessions at the school are held six
times a week after school classes, starting at 3
p.m.
Great attention at the soccer school is paid to
medical supervision over the volume of training
loads. In particular, boys are not allowed to play
in matches before they reach the age of ten. Until
then, all they are allowed is training.
Last year the school saw the introduction of
an innovation: the setting up of a group of higher
sports skills for boys over the age of 18. Here the
graduates pick up the much-needed playing
experience.
As it is, playing practice starts at the school
quite early — from the age of ten. The boys
compete for the USSR and Moscow
championships with the children’s and youth

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