youth football the real english disease

[Return of the Rev]

Will any local fa be bold enough to make changes for youth football in this country its gonna take 15-20 years to filter through into senior football best start now then! winter break,indoor league during part of the break,go full size at 15/16,proper coaches,parents under control,sussex teams all in one league and graded that would be a start

 

[Elvis]

Will any local fa be bold enough to make changes for youth football in this country its gonna take 15-20 years to filter through into senior football best start now then! winter break,indoor league during part of the break,go full size at 15/16,proper coaches,parents under control,sussex teams all in one league and graded that would be a start

PARENTS UNDER CONTROL!!!!

Now their lies a big problem. A mate of mine was offered to have his garden done for nothing in exchange for making a certain lad captain....... it was an under 11 team FFS...

 

[Return of the Rev]

shame the most important issue in british football is such a bore to the public must have some views guys and girls

 

[KneeOn]

Be harsh, split leagues in to competitive for those who stand a chance at professional football and one where its for kids who just want to have fun and aren't bothered about being amazing.

 

[Brovion]

shame the most important issue in british football is such a bore to the public must have some views guys and girls

We have got views. This subject has been discussed time and time again and consequently most of us have 'said our piece' in the past

 

[Gritt23]

The changes are all easier said than done, because the deeper problems lie in the attitudes of us all, which gets played out through the parents.

Watch any youth game in a park, from as young as they organise a team, and you'll see the big lad who runs 30 yards to clatter into a challenge get a BIG cheer. The same player will be commended for "gettin' rid". Meanwhile, the skinny lad next to him, who put his foot on the ball and tries to pick a pass has everyone panicking, and delivering the inevitable collection of "if in doubt, kick it OUT", "row z" etc.

It starts there, and carries on all the way up the game. Look at how many games we had to WIN before Withers realised we were capable of passing our way up the field, and that was with us winning. How long would it have taken for us to accept us trying to play a passing game if the wins had been coming with losses, misplaced passes costing goals, and teh team bouncing around in 10th.

The attitude in this country is a desire for thud and blunder football, right up to the point where England get passed off the park, and we all womder why England can suddenly play that style of football.

 

[Sussex Nomad]

On a board of 3.5 million plus posts the same subject is bound to come up from time to time, and for those that are new to NSC it could well be a debating point. Suggest you stop being elitist and belittling because you've been here longer than most? Perhaps if you have no view it is better to say nothing at all? Just a thought, which I am sure will be replied to with the usual vitriol...

 

[strings]

Gritt23 speaks the truth.

 

[Sussex Nomad]

Would help if they got rid of this 'no-ones a loser' attitude' as well. Give rewards to winners only!

 

[Brovion]

On a board of 3.5 million plus posts the same subject is bound to come up from time to time, and for those that are new to NSC it could well be a debating point. Suggest you stop being elitist and belittling because you've been here longer than most? Perhaps if you have no view it is better to say nothing at all? Just a thought, which I am sure will be replied to with the usual vitriol...

Of course the same subjects come up again and again and I wasn't going to contribute this time. However the OP was saying that no one had replied to his thread because we found the subject 'a bore'. I just wanted to point out that he was wrong, it's not that we find it 'boring', if anything we find it 'too interesting'.

 

[keaton]

Would help if they got rid of this 'no-ones a loser' attitude' as well. Give rewards to winners only!

I hope that's saracastic, otherwise you've really missed the point

 

[Sussex Nomad]

I hope that's saracastic, otherwise you've really missed the point

Please enlighten me...

 

[keaton]

Please enlighten me...

Pressuring kids at a young age, and not giving them the time and space to learn skills it was costing British football. By increasing competition and making it all about winning you'll have endless hoofing the ball and the kids who are bigger and quicker at younger age winning games on their own.

 

[Jim D]

The first thing that needs to happen is for kids to feel comfortable with the ball at their feet. To want the ball and to control it and cherish it. Not to treat it like an enemy that has to be kicked to death. That will need lots of close-up practice - mainly indoors or on a mini pitch.

The second thing is for kids to play on pitches that befit their size and strength in relation to an adult. Get them used to controlling the ball, passing it and moving. On a full sized pitch an 11 year old will quickly get tired out and resort to kicking it away as soon as it arrives.

The third thing is for coaches to encourage them to use these skills at all times. Ball skills (close control, dribbling, passing) should be rewarded much more than tackling or even scoring goals at junior levels. Get the kids thinking 'control, pass, move' at all times and you might have the nucleus of a decent side.

It's amazing the number of kids coaches that only pick teams to win - and the number of parents that expect them to.

When I was working in Rio (about 20 years ago) our office overlooked Botafogo beach. There were around 20 or 30 kids playing football on the beach every day from sun-up to well after sunset. They organised themselves into teams and just played for fun. They spent all their time just learning control, passing and movement. Of course they celebrated when a goal was scored but their real passion was for playing the game. I doubt any of them was over 14, and there wasn't a parent in sight. Kids that age know what they want to do - it's just a pity parents get involved.

 

[alan partridge]

The changes are all easier said than done, because the deeper problems lie in the attitudes of us all, which gets played out through the parents.

Watch any youth game in a park, from as young as they organise a team, and you'll see the big lad who runs 30 yards to clatter into a challenge get a BIG cheer. The same player will be commended for "gettin' rid". Meanwhile, the skinny lad next to him, who put his foot on the ball and tries to pick a pass has everyone panicking, and delivering the inevitable collection of "if in doubt, kick it OUT", "row z" etc.

It starts there, and carries on all the way up the game. Look at how many games we had to WIN before Withers realised we were capable of passing our way up the field, and that was with us winning. How long would it have taken for us to accept us trying to play a passing game if the wins had been coming with losses, misplaced passes costing goals, and teh team bouncing around in 10th.

The attitude in this country is a desire for thud and blunder football, right up to the point where England get passed off the park, and we all womder why England can suddenly play that style of football.

all of this.

 

[Sussex Nomad]

Pressuring kids at a young age, and not giving them the time and space to learn skills it was costing British football. By increasing competition and making it all about winning you'll have endless hoofing the ball and the kids who are bigger and quicker at younger age winning games on their own.

And perhaps you missed my take on it keaton. When I was a kid we used to get trophies for winning, not losing. Nowadays whether you come first or last you get some kind of momento. They are trying to rid our kids of a winning mentality and telling them it's good to lose? I see nothing wrong with genuine competition and kids growing up wanting to be winners... maybe I'm wrong?

 

[Bold Seagull]

The first thing that needs to happen is for kids to feel comfortable with the ball at their feet. To want the ball and to control it and cherish it. Not to treat it like an enemy that has to be kicked to death. That will need lots of close-up practice - mainly indoors or on a mini pitch.

The second thing is for kids to play on pitches that befit their size and strength in relation to an adult. Get them used to controlling the ball, passing it and moving. On a full sized pitch an 11 year old will quickly get tired out and resort to kicking it away as soon as it arrives.

The third thing is for coaches to encourage them to use these skills at all times. Ball skills (close control, dribbling, passing) should be rewarded much more than tackling or even scoring goals at junior levels. Get the kids thinking 'control, pass, move' at all times and you might have the nucleus of a decent side.

It's amazing the number of kids coaches that only pick teams to win - and the number of parents that expect them to.

When I was working in Rio (about 20 years ago) our office overlooked Botafogo beach. There were around 20 or 30 kids playing football on the beach every day from sun-up to well after sunset. They organised themselves into teams and just played for fun. They spent all their time just learning control, passing and movement. Of course they celebrated when a goal was scored but their real passion was for playing the game. I doubt any of them was over 14, and there wasn't a parent in sight. Kids that age know what they want to do - it's just a pity parents get involved.

Agree with this, any kid under 14 should not be playing on a full size pitch, it's ridiculous and only sees the bigger stronger youngsters coming through. Also, being allocated a 'position' by the time you are 12 is a sickness in our football, and we wonder why our right or left sided players can only use one foot!? In Spain, the youngsters are constantly rotated, which is why their defenders are generally so comfortable on the ball.

 

[Bold Seagull]

And perhaps you missed my take on it keaton. When I was a kid we used to get trophies for winning, not losing. Nowadays whether you come first or last you get some kind of momento. They are trying to rid our kids of a winning mentality and telling them it's good to lose? I see nothing wrong with genuine competition and kids growing up wanting to be winners... maybe I'm wrong?

Excellence should be rewarded, but the point is at a 12 - 14 age group playing on full size, often poorly maintained pitches, you are not necessarily rewarding the most skillful. The bigger, most athletic lads maybe, but not the most talented. Excellence should be about skill, something our game lacks big time compared with our european contemporaries.

 

[Jim D]

And perhaps you missed my take on it keaton. When I was a kid we used to get trophies for winning, not losing. Nowadays whether you come first or last you get some kind of momento. They are trying to rid our kids of a winning mentality and telling them it's good to lose? I see nothing wrong with genuine competition and kids growing up wanting to be winners... maybe I'm wrong?

What is a 'winning mentality'? is it win at all costs - even if you have to cheat? Is it put the biggest kids you can find on the pitch and have them intimidate and injure the opposition - even though they have no ability? Is it shout and scream at 11-year-old kids from the touchline to 'get rid' or 'get it upfield' and berate their every mistake? Is it tell the kid that wants to pass it short and receive a return to 'get it up to the forwards quicker'. The problem is that 'winning mentality' is often confused with 'win at any price' and the price is often the game of football.

 

[Sussex Nomad]

I haven't made any of those claims, whether you are 2'4 or 6'2, 12 or 80, what is wrong with winning mentality? And where did I mention cheating or any of those others things you suggest? Are we so corrupt as adults that we cannot instil a fair and winning mentality into kids? If so we live in a sad, sad world.