The future of football lies with the children. Thousands of them in every corner of the country (streets, yards, fields – wherever they still exist, academy and team pitches) are kicking a ball with the dream of one day playing for a "big" team. They all want to emulate Mbappé, Salah, Messi, Ronaldo, Donnarumma, and many other stars of the era. However, few manage to achieve their dream.

All of us who are involved in football in general, and specifically in youth football, must, each from our own standpoint, help children achieve their dreams. The government by ensuring safe playing conditions, the Federation by providing rules and development programs, officials by offering positions to local players (who can play for the national teams), parents by creating a supportive rather than pressuring environment for their children, journalists by fostering a healthy cognitive environment, and agents by taking on a guiding role.

And the coaches? Those who are with the children every day, training them? Coaches have the most decisive role: Setting aside their personal (and often vain) ambitions, they must create a working environment that is fun, safe, and creative, based on the needs and requirements of each age group, providing appropriate stimuli at each age level to help step by step in the development of children, first as individuals and then as footballers.

This book moves in that direction and is the result of thorough scientific research, practical experience from many years, and insights from the work methods of various UEFA football federations and major European teams. Coaches (and not only) will find a wealth of information regarding how children grow and learn, how to assess children's development (physical and biological), and provide the appropriate stimuli, the characteristics of coaches for youth development, the specific needs of each age group, the methodology to be used at each age level, and a rich exercise catalog classified both by age and by technical or tactical element.

Finally, this book, in addition to helping youth development coaches, can assist parents of children, officials involved with these age groups, and Physical Education teachers in primary education, as the age groups addressed correspond to those of elementary school.

With the belief that it will contribute to the improvement of children's football in our country, I wish each one of you HAPPY READING and APPLICATION.