Give Us Back Our Game

[cheshire_red]

Some say so, although one Kids coach reckons it's claptrap. Thoughts?

GIVE US BACK OUR GAME

PS Mods, Please don't move to somewhere no one will see this - thanks.

[REDPJ]

I help coach an U11 team - been through U8/9/10 with the same lads. They love their training and also the games - but we try to make it fun, not 'win at all costs'. Having said that, the lads are currently second in the top division of the league they play in.

Some of the teams they play against are clearly not enjoying themselves; others clearly are. So I don't think it swings on how much they are coached, more on whether the essential 'fun' element is retained.

[Red to the world]

Some say so, although one Kids coach reckons it's claptrap. Thoughts?

GIVE US BACK OUR GAME

PS Mods, Please don't move to somewhere no one will see this - thanks.

Interesting thought !

I have never been involved with coaching soccer but did a lot of coaching at table tennis and hockey.

It was quite depressing actually:

the youngsters with real talent had no appetite for the hard work - it had always come too easy so they would rather spend their youth chasing the opposite sex.

the youngsters who would work hard had very little talent and weren't going to make it.

every now and then ( about 1 in 500 ) you would find one who had real talent and would also work hard and they usually made it to a decent level - but not mega bucks or anything, just top county.

in truth I think whatever the coaching counts for little - after George Best was born they threw the mould away - similar for Gerry Guscott in rugby - Michael S in F1 - now Federer in tennis - before that Michael Johnson in athletics.

Coaching just MIGHT help a bit but these talents are BORN and would get there anyway - Mathews, Mortenson, Milburn, Duncan Edwards, Jimmy Greaves et al didn't need coaching !!!

[bransonmo]

I help coach an U11 team - been through U8/9/10 with the same lads. They love their training and also the games - but we try to make it fun, not 'win at all costs'. Having said that, the lads are currently second in the top division of the league they play in.

Some of the teams they play against are clearly not enjoying themselves; others clearly are. So I don't think it swings on how much they are coached, more on whether the essential 'fun' element is retained.

Likewise, involved in kids coaching clinics for nearly 40 years.

I break it down into two groups. Firstly the kids 6-10 years, training, yes, but let them enjoy their childhood. Then the 11year+ when testosterone and puberty kicks in, and thats when you lose the boy and more aggression kicks in. From that age, the win at all costs attitude will come naturally to the pure competitive types, and the kick and giggle lads will quite often get lost in the system.

Having said that, teams not enjoying themselves, are usually the ones getting beaten most weeks, and that goes for any age group. There will always be greater and lesser natural talent in youngsters, its how they use it and cope with match results.

As a footnote, I watched an under 9's team who left me in awe this season. Playing a very disciplined 4-4-2, their positional play, fitness, competitive edge, bordering on hostile, their basics such as the offside trap, tough tackling midfield, tall centerbacks and a tall striker, and importently, they were all calling out and playing for each other. Unbeaten, proud and happy with their game, beaming parents, and an old pro footballer pulling the strings. He obviously had the mix just right.

[samo]

just read the article and agree with the sentiment whole heartedly.

i've played at youth level (nothing posh, just boy's clubs, sunday league and schools) with a few lads who were in academies or pro club youth systems, and much of what the net centre article say about how the pressure seems to affect them was obvious.

one did end up becoming full pro, but of all the others who spent their youth being paranoid about injuries and taking every second they spent playing far too seriously i know not one who maintains more than a passing interest in playing, even just for fun.

too much pressure and over exposure to the pro game at a young age seems to have ruined it for them, which i think is sad.

[REDPJ]

One thing that I think is very sad - one local team has a defender in their U9s team that has been taught to use his elbow off the ball by his father. Not much hope for the beautiful game if this sort of thing takes over!