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| PoorPractice |
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Joined: 2/14/2012
Posts: 10
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As an ex-player and ex-coach I read this forum from time to time with interest. It is obvious that we have lost our way big time. The standard of player and football in my opinion is nowhere near the standard of 15/20 years ago for a variety of reasons, kids not practicing enough etc with other computer, social attractions etc. However to counter this one would expect the standard of coaching to be higher now in comparison to 15/20 years ago in terms of no. ball per player in drills etc than the old laps and 10 v 10 game with 1 ball. It seems to me from my experience the major flaw is the competitive system we have and the total lack of education that parents / coaches have in dealing with the development of kids. Coaches/Parents (typically adults) come from a competitive background wanting to win at all costs to make them feel good and we have a system in league formations etc and policy that supports this. When 7aside football was brought in originally it was the dutch concept of up to u12, non-competitive. if we take the DDSL as an example, to be in the top u12 league, you have to be positioned in the top-half of a 9-aside league, to get into the top 9-aside league you have to be in the top half of 7-aside etc , which makes u8s football basically competitive. I am all for kids and teams playing games against appropriate levels but having trophies for winning at this age groups and even more importantly no trophies (we are losers) to all other teams increases the competitive element at these age groups where often skill and techniques are sacrificed for getting the ball down to the other end. 'Dont pass the ball across you own goal" is perfect example of a situation where a child sees he can pass to a team-mate who is free but the manager is afraid of poor execution because of the high potential consequences. The child gets confused and a percentage of i have to do what manager tells me comes into play therefore limiting his freedom of expression on the ball, the very start point of our poor practice and inability to produce technically good players that can be creative themselves.So what do we do? Well perhaps a licening system should be brought in that makes standards complusory as opposed to good practice. I believe parents should not be allowed speak at games and / or have to stand 20 yards from the sideline in order to encourage coach to be the one voice. Immediately the game's influence is reduced from coach parents (maybe 20 on each line) to maybe 2 on each line reducing the potential nonsense and poor incidents that often occurs and is quoted in this forum. Until we get to a situation where kids can express themselves in a free environment we will never produce technically good players. The coach also has to be licenced, not just kick start stuff but licenced to work with children with mandatory courses in child welfare and code of ethics and a revokation of such licence if coach is proven to have poor practice in terms of behaviour etc.With the forthcoming childrens referndum, children will have greater rights than probably we would like to imagine and this may even necessatate such a licence. In any case...it is sad that the current system in my opinion despite the well intentions of some, does not allow for children to flourish and to maximise their learning potential in football and as a result the game and irish soccer suffers.
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| tubal cain |
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Joined: 11/6/2009
Posts: 268
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An interesting read. As you are no doubt aware many, me included, have contributed in a similar vein. Not much has changed, is changing and in all likelihood is going to change because there is a lack of will of those in charge of leagues. The intention, to insist on, licensing coaches whilst on the face of it a good one, actually goes nearer, to the professional code, than to the laissez-faire approach of free spirited play. There will in probability be a lack of volunteers to take the courses, and there will be the necessity to monitor the coaches by accredited personnel or we will descend into what we have now, every Tom, Dick and Harry grinding their axes-a-plenty. There is an alternative approach but it again requires effort and time and sacrifice. The alternative is to create a separate league and make it a proviso that the requirements of good practice regarding playing, training and attendance of supporters are adhered to rigorously. You can then have meaningful matches and training without the meaningless trophies.There was a method of bringing young players through a long time ago that most people of my era will be well aware of I was born in 1961, it was called kick-about. We used to go to a nearby field or park and play football until we couldn't stand or couldn't stand it, I forget which. All the best players started this way. They went on to school teams and then on to county teams or whatever. Nowadays we are obsessed with organised sport, not for our children the ignominy of playing un-tutored. No they shall have all the coaches they can eat. Nobody from my era ever suffered from burn-out. Mums and Dads used to be glad of the peace and quiet of getting the kids out from under their feet, nowadays they all trot along to some U8 game like they are going to Wembley. In my humble opinion we, parents coaches and other interested parties and let things develop in a less regimented way. As poor practice has evinced, more coaching is not producing better players. The Dutch are renowned for their systems of training but, whilst it is admirable what are the results of this training. No one system fits all a nation has its characteristics just as individual do. The environment we live in comes to bear. As I have said previously kids miss out on so much by being forced to participate in these organised sports sessions, and I say forced advisedly, if they don't participate there is no one else to play with because they are all training. So let them get on with it without interference from anyone. There is time when they are 11 or 12 to start organising.
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| keepitonthefloor |
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Joined: 4/28/2011
Posts: 71
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Hi guys , i will not post long winded responses , id just like to say both your posts are excellent , a beacon of light for me.I agree pretty much with basically 100% of what you both say .If more people talk about it and raise awarness then maybe people will start getting the message , if people dont promote these good ideas and philosophys , then we are doomed because children in ssg are not beeing coached right in 90% of circumstances , and in the other 10% that are being coached right , most of these are coached ,managed , parented or involved with clubs that claim its all about develpment , but in reality m deep down , they all want to win , weather its to entice other players to the clubs ,to be the big man , to boast about your child , to claim to be the number 1 schoolboy club! whatever the reason , it goes on!
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| PoorPractice |
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Joined: 2/14/2012
Posts: 10
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It is arguably impossible to change the present system. The clubs essentially run the leagues, the leagues don't want to change, the sfai dont want to change, the fai don't have the care or the backbone to examine and take on the sfai and affiliated leagues to advance the right changes. Everybody involved in football worth a salt accepts the current system as been not fit for purpose and the ss games in particular is a blight on the game.Some radical points would be:a) Non-competitive leagues to u12b) Introduce grading at u13,u14 on a 2 year period.c) Abolish u11, u12 sfai cupsd) Kennedy cup is a glorified competitive disgrace - either scrap or introduce at older age.e) Educate clubs with a licence amateur system, i.e. u8-u10 qualified coach as an example, with mandatory good practices. clubs should only run teams with these coaches, i.e. quality over poor quantity. if this was brought in, education of coaches would have to be obligatory, that in itself would at least bring standards up.f) Parents kept away from active participation at games.g) u8, u9, u10 - 7-aside, u11 and u12 - 9aside, u13, u14 - 11aside, gives smaller skillful kids a greater chanceThere are many more points but thats just tip of iceberg.
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| PoorPractice |
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Joined: 2/14/2012
Posts: 10
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