It is not by chance that a player makes their professional debut at just 16 years old. At Lech Poznań, that moment was the result of a long-term plan, built around individualized training, clear objectives, and detailed data.
A Structured Development Plan
At the age of 13, Sammy Dudek enrolled at the Lech Pozna Academy in 2021. He made his debut for the U19s in just two years, and by April 2024, he was playing for the club’s second team. The academy staff immediately recognized his potential and developed a bespoke training program utilizing the club’s own skills.lab Arena. Strengthening Sammy’s weaker left foot, enhancing his first touch, and improving his capacity to process game situations under pressure—all of which were tested and tracked over time in the Arena—were key components of that strategy. According to Youth Team Coach Micha Dolata at Lech Pozna, “a central midfielder needs to make quick and accurate decisions under pressure,” the program was designed to improve not only technical skills but also perception, information processing, and reaction to dynamic game situations.
Monitoring Objective Progress Between 2023 and 2024, Sammy completed multiple sessions in the Arena and played over 8,800 balls across exercises in agility, passing, cognition, and more. The ProAssessment, which provides objective results in crucial areas like shooting accuracy, passing, speed, and first touch, was used to track each phase of training. The ProAssessment Report’s spider chart provides a quick overview of a player’s strengths and areas for improvement. The performance is stronger the further the line moves outward. The data on Sammy Dudek show that between winter 2023 and winter 2024, he increased his Two-Footed score by over 2360 percent and his First Touch score by 70 percent. In less than a year, he rose to the level of the first team thanks to his ability to play with both feet, which is an important skill for modern central midfielders.
Converting Change into Opportunity During a winter training camp in early 2025, Dudek’s progress caught the attention of first-team coach Niels Frederiksen. He was elevated shortly thereafter, and at just 16, he made his debut in the Ekstraklasa. Since then, he has been a member of the senior squad. “I’m very happy that I had the opportunity to participate in this project. With each session in the skills.lab Arena, I could see the progress I was making and how well it translated onto the pitch,” said Dudek in reflection.
This is what structured talent development can look like: A clear plan. Objective performance insights. Additionally, the tools to bridge the gap between the academy and first team.
