Kids Football

[Barrs Court Red]

So it begins.  Another season of reluctant linesman duty’s, last minute player withdrawals, dog poo covered pitches, angry parents and angrier kids. 
 

Both mine play in goal.  Both have tricky matches and it will be eldest child’s first season on full sized pitches, which means full sized goals - she’s lost in it.  Can see some pretty high score lines while the kids get used to the new dimensions. 
 

Anyone else have games to go to this weekend? 

[Super]

41 minutes ago, Barrs Court Red said:

So it begins.  Another season of reluctant linesman duty’s, last minute player withdrawals, dog poo covered pitches, angry parents and angrier kids. 
 

Both mine play in goal.  Both have tricky matches and it will be eldest child’s first season on full sized pitches, which means full sized goals - she’s lost in it.  Can see some pretty high score lines while the kids get used to the new dimensions. 
 

Anyone else have games to go to this weekend? 

I miss those days. Enjoy mate.

[Offside]

Yes, my son is back to his league games tomorrow. In weather like this it’s difficult to imagine all those afternoons standing in the freezing cold and the rain in winter - but that will come around soon enough. I wouldn’t change it for the world. 

[Barrs Court Red]

57 minutes ago, Offside said:

Yes, my son is back to his league games tomorrow. In weather like this it’s difficult to imagine all those afternoons standing in the freezing cold and the rain in winter - but that will come around soon enough. I wouldn’t change it for the world. 

I’m lucky that I still have at least another 8 years of it, assuming they keep playing. 
 

I prefer the winter games if I’m honest, especially as winter training is with 2 mins walk of a chip shop…

[SBB]

1 hour ago, Barrs Court Red said:

So it begins.  Another season of reluctant linesman duty’s, last minute player withdrawals, dog poo covered pitches, angry parents and angrier kids. 
 

Both mine play in goal.  Both have tricky matches and it will be eldest child’s first season on full sized pitches, which means full sized goals - she’s lost in it.  Can see some pretty high score lines while the kids get used to the new dimensions. 
 

Anyone else have games to go to this weekend? 

The final season for me. From U7’s to U16’s, it’s been stressful and infuriating at times but so rewarding and I wouldn’t change a thing. 
Once my son goes off to uni in a couple of years, I may even take a new batch of U7’s on and start the journey again. 

[Gazman]

My first game out refereeing tomorrow this season, I’ve had no guidance from the FA about applying the law clarifications, e.g. booking for kicking the ball away at any time in a game.  So if you’re at a game, please don’t give the refs a hard time as  we can only do what we think is right.  I’ll be applying common sense!

[Glen hump]

Helped manage a kids team from under 13to under 16 , luckily we had a very good side, won leagues,county cups , I always had so much respect for the managers who had really struggling sides who got hammered every week must be so much harder than managing a good side.

[steveybadger]

Yep just back from mine which I had to run today. 2-1 defeat in Satan’s sauna weather . Still at least one of the team has been schooled at Ashton Gate

[Glen hump]

21 minutes ago, SBB said:

The final season for me. From U7’s to U16’s, it’s been stressful and infuriating at times but so rewarding and I wouldn’t change a thing. 
Once my son goes off to uni in a couple of years, I may even take a new batch of U7’s on and start the journey again. 

Fair play mate, my biggest gripe was some of the parents used to think it was a free child care group, never offered to drive to away games or if they actually did watch a game would run a mile if you asked them to run the line.

[Barrs Court Red]

11 minutes ago, Glen hump said:

Fair play mate, my biggest gripe was some of the parents used to think it was a free child care group, never offered to drive to away games or if they actually did watch a game would run a mile if you asked them to run the line.

I don’t think I’ve seen a good 50% of parents at either of my kids games.  Slightly awkward 

[Glen hump]

1 minute ago, Barrs Court Red said:

I don’t think I’ve seen a good 50% of parents at either of my kids games.  Slightly awkward 

Yeah feel for the kids who’s parents don’t show any interest 

[Cowshed]

39 minutes ago, SBB said:

The final season for me. From U7’s to U16’s, it’s been stressful and infuriating at times but so rewarding 
 

I have done that and have gone onto twenty years of Manging and coaching.

40 minutes ago, SBB said:

 and I wouldn’t change a thing. 
 

You will if you start at U7's again and you will be better second time around for all those experiences.  

42 minutes ago, SBB said:

 I may even take a new batch of U7’s on and start the journey again. 

 

[Silvio Dante]

Yep, start tomorrow. Well I say start, been training through the summer, sorting booking pitches, signing on fees, distributing handbooks, league meetings, development meetings etc etc. If it was as simple as turning up and coaching it’d be easy but it’s so much more.

And totally worth it.

[Kingswood Robin]

3 hours ago, Glen hump said:

Fair play mate, my biggest gripe was some of the parents used to think it was a free child care group, never offered to drive to away games or if they actually did watch a game would run a mile if you asked them to run the line.

Yes, seems to be the way of things. I've been coaching the same team for 3 seasons and have never seen some of the parents at all. Others just sit in their car looking at their phone while the games are on.

First game in the morning though. Nothing better than seeing the kids develop and put the stuff from training into practice.

[Barrs Court Red]

4 hours ago, Gazman said:

My first game out refereeing tomorrow this season, I’ve had no guidance from the FA about applying the law clarifications, e.g. booking for kicking the ball away at any time in a game.  So if you’re at a game, please don’t give the refs a hard time as  we can only do what we think is right.  I’ll be applying common sense!

I wouldn’t dream of digging at a ref at a kids game… as a manager of an adults team I might have had somethings to say in the past

[And Its Smith]

I love it and hate it all at the same time.  If I’m running the line and we are 5-0 up with 5 minutes left I will not flag an opponent player if he’s 2 yards offside. Then a parent will have a go at me!  Love coaching the kids but dislike probably a third of parents and other coaches.  Far too serious. 
 

Coaching cricket is better. Much more mellow 

[Lorenzos Only Goal]

I love my boys under 8's side they have a good mix of boys and girls, and they are getting better.  My boy had a decent stint in goal, and a good stint in defence and scored in a loss. 

It's super friendly level, but have to agree dog shit on the pitches is yuk. Some parents are also a bit awful but mostly it's a nice level. 

Very weird playing rules 4x10 mins not sure I know all of the differences I swear we don't have offsides at our level.

[Cowshed]

17 minutes ago, Lorenzos Only Goal said:

I love my boys under 8's side they have a good mix of boys and girls, and they are getting better.  My boy had a decent stint in goal, and a good stint in defence and scored in a loss. 

It's super friendly level, but have to agree dog shit on the pitches is yuk. Some parents are also a bit awful but mostly it's a nice level. 

Very weird playing rules 4x10 mins not sure I know all of the differences I swear we don't have offsides at our level.

Till the players are U11 and playing nine a side there is no offside. 

[Lorenzos Only Goal]

8 minutes ago, Cowshed said:

Till the players are U11 and playing nine a side there is no offside. 

That makes sense.

[shelts]

Fair play to you parents it’s quite the commitment, been through it all three times , weekends were only ever about football , train on a Saturday morning and games Sunday morning or afternoon , not great when you had both!

 

[Swede]

I absolutely loved it when my Son played in the Avon Youth League and also loved the tournaments as well. Those were the best times. He played in a good team that was well supported by the parents. Like most parents I gladly ran the line and usually took a half in turns with a fellow Dad so at least we had a half to watch. I really feel for the youth teams that don't have a lot of parental support. I also feel that it takes a special person to run a football team because without them and all of the volunteers there would not be any youth team football. 

 

[petehinton]

First day back for me scouring Bristol & North Somerset for the newest talent to join NSRTC (and then hopefully see them filtered into City’s academy then first team some years later).  Won’t be judging the games I pick to go to based on ease of parking and if I can get a tea/bacon sarnie from the clubhouse whilst watching the game too.  No sir. 

[Glen hump]

14 hours ago, shelts said:

Fair play to you parents it’s quite the commitment, been through it all three times , weekends were only ever about football , train on a Saturday morning and games Sunday morning or afternoon , not great when you had both!

 

The league we were in moved to Sunday afternoons at under 14s , a pain in the arse , basically your whole Sunday was took up .

[Barrs Court Red]

1 hour ago, petehinton said:

First day back for me scouring Bristol & North Somerset for the newest talent to join NSRTC (and then hopefully see them filtered into City’s academy then first team some years later).  Won’t be judging the games I pick to go to based on ease of parking and if I can get a tea/bacon sarnie from the clubhouse whilst watching the game too.  No sir. 

Yatton have a great set up, they have a video system so you can sit in the clubhouse nursing a coffee and a bacon bap, while watching the games on tv 

[redysteadygo]

Oh so different from my schoolboy years playing football from the late 1950s. Played in the school junior and senior teams on a Saturday morning then in the afternoon the Federation of Boys Clubs League that started at under 14 level, although we were all 12 year old, then progressed to under 16s at 14 years old. Only adult present was either a school master or Boys Club leaders who normally refereed the games. Whilst the school masters were usually sports teachers some of the Club leaders didn't have a clue of the laws of the game. We made are own way to games travelling all over Bristol on the bus or on our bikes. We had great fun and made lifelong friends. I appreciate that there are many adults who give up tremendous amounts of their time in many capacities to enable the youngster leagues to function these days.  However, a lot teams appear to exist to just win and that puts pressure on the youngsters to perform at the expense, at times, to the detriment of enjoyment. As with most things these days it's all so different to us oldies.

 

[petehinton]

38 minutes ago, Barrs Court Red said:

Yatton have a great set up, they have a video system so you can sit in the clubhouse nursing a coffee and a bacon bap, while watching the games on tv 

They do yeah. I think St George is my favourite if I can help it. Easy parking, easy to get to and cheap tea & bacon. Good pitches too. 

[shelts]

2 hours ago, Glen hump said:

The league we were in moved to Sunday afternoons at under 14s , a pain in the arse , basically your whole Sunday was took up .

You get a lie in though !!

[Glen hump]

19 minutes ago, shelts said:

You get a lie in though !!

Yeah but I used to miss my Sunday dinner time

[deadredfred]

I’ve just started as head coach for U7’s, albeit with the wrong shaped ball! 
Started last season to help with cones and bibs etc, and now here I am! But I enjoy it just as much as the kids do, and it’s so good to see kids of all ability levels having a go and enjoying sport and all of its benefits from such a young age. 

[Cowshed]

20 hours ago, redysteadygo said:

Oh so different from my schoolboy years playing football from the late 1950s. Played in the school junior and senior teams on a Saturday morning then in the afternoon the Federation of Boys Clubs League that started at under 14 level, although we were all 12 year old, then progressed to under 16s at 14 years old. Only adult present was either a school master or Boys Club leaders who normally refereed the games. Whilst the school masters were usually sports teachers some of the Club leaders didn't have a clue of the laws of the game. We made are own way to games travelling all over Bristol on the bus or on our bikes. We had great fun and made lifelong friends. I appreciate that there are many adults who give up tremendous amounts of their time in many capacities to enable the youngster leagues to function these days.  However, a lot teams appear to exist to just win and that puts pressure on the youngsters to perform at the expense, at times, to the detriment of enjoyment. As with most things these days it's all so different to us oldies.

 

Some teams mission is to win leagues and produce players for adults football. Expectation differs at differing levels. Managers and coaches should be honest about what their intent and expectations are. 

Should a AYL division one team at u16 not strive to win their league if that is realistic and that is their intent?