In this final instalment, let’s examine what I think are some more key principles in teaching our young footballers the beautiful game… which at the end of the day is meant to be played for their enjoyment.

 Coaches - be sure to take all your parents aside for a coffee and explain the above right at the outset, and explain very clearly in particular, that mistakes from youth players are not just a fact of life, but actually a necessary step on the road to improvement and enjoyment, since trying new things and extending themselves is a vital ingredient of play and requires constant experimentation, therefore no parent at any time, ever, is to yell at any child to ‘kick the ball’ out of defence, or berate them for a missed pass.

“Good try’ is the only call allowed after a mistake, not only because (you will inform them) that you are teaching the kids to play football properly and therefore they will be challenged technically, but that in fact to play good football requires the kids to do things which are against the natural instincts of the parents.

IMPORTANT POINT: Playing or bringing the ball out of defence, and teaching the kids to always control and protect the ball before passing instead of taking the scattergun option to get it away from the defensive zone, runs contrary to the thoughts of every non-football parent, particularly those who have played the kick and rush sports. It makes much more sense to most onlookers the to get the ball out of defence as quickly as possible, and “play down the other end”.

It won’t escape many that this is the common catchphrase of English football and creates the kick and run, anti jogo bonito football which has held Australia back for decades, but coaches must recognise that in youth football the principals of controlling the play, keeping possession and playing out from defence actually run contrary to the natural instincts of most of the parents, and must be dealt with systematically.

Explain that if a child brings the ball down and has no option to pass, it is a great opportunity to learn how to protect and shield the ball, how to dribble it into space away from opposing legs to wait for (and hopefully for the better players to create) a pass to a team-mate, and these are the basic principles upon which possession football is based. Here the kids’ team-mates also have an opportunity to learn how to get themselves open for a pass, the principles of support and combination play, and staying involved in the game.

Remember that when a kid in defence kicks the ball down the other end, all that is learnt is how to give the ball away, something our youngsters are far too familiar with at all levels.

Style of Play - Clubs should have a style of play which dictates how your club plays the game, to guide all the new and old coaches as to what to teach, how to grade, and which allows the kids to come through a club knowing everything they need for the next level above.

Explain in full that your club or team plays football based on possession, uses short passing which is high percentage rather than long which is low, focuses on the technical competency of players not their physical qualities and grades the best players at the top not the best athletes, and that your team(s) always play the ball out from defence and use patience in the build-up phase, because this is not only much more enjoyable to play and to watch, but produces better football and thus better footballers who are comfortable on the ball.

Explain also that you discourage overly physical and aggressive play, and that in fact players who like to lump others in the air are frowned upon as not possessing a cultured view of the game, and that those who try to injure other players disrespect the beauty of the game and are most often making up for a lack of technical ability, understanding as you do that the less technique a player has, the more he must compensate through physicality ie. running, tackling, straining.

In this way everyone at your club should be completely aware of what constitutes ‘good football’. Systems of play will differ between each club, which gives us diversity, but within a club every coach must be on the same wavelength, and the basic principles of possession football, of patience, not always wanting to send the ball forward too early or at the first chance without any thought or strategy as to what will happen to the ball, of support for a team-mate with the ball, of spacing off over the field to keep width and depth to make your team harder to defend against, all apply whatever tactical system you prefer.

Ban the High Ball and Make Goalkeepers Throw the Ball Not Kick - I would prefer if every youth coach or club banned passes over shoulder height under the age of at least twelve, to teach our kids to play properly, and at any rate every single coach can easily make this a principle of their coaching philosophy, to make the kids learn how to play themselves out of any situation – this is what they’ll need to know as adults.

No pass should ever be made without a clear option and solution in mind – no more hopeful lumps forward – rather the kids lose the ball and learn, then give it away. The ball is precious, protect it jealously when you play football!

Another step forward would be for points to be awarded, or prizes, on the basis of which youth team plays the best football, not whether they win or lose, and in any event, I am constantly urging clubs/schools/coaches to aim for their entity to become known as the best footballing one in the area/district/State/country.

This is a worthy aim.

Referees - Australia is seeking to develop a new generation of referees and given the abuse they cop at many levels, has an issue retaining them, and youth football is precisely where these young refs should learn their trade.

Every association, club and coach must ensure that these kids are able to ref a game without any negative input from any of the participants or onlookers. Often the A-League is a poor example here, as are most professional leagues around the world because of the added pressure on results, but that doesn’t stop us creating and enforcing our own culture of what constitutes good sportsmanship at youth level, and abuse of refs is out.

If you witness an example of a referee being abused this season, be sure to report it immediately to your club or association.

Refs are a vital ingredient in our game, are fallible like all of us, and deserve to be able to expect an environment free of abuse and criticism, particularly when it comes to youth football, when our kids are supposed to be learning about respect for opponents and participants, win or lose.

That’s all for now, if you took the time to read all of this, thankyou for your patience.

Good luck to everyone for the coming season, for those lucky enough to be at a club playing small sided games, well done, you will realise the benefits in time and to all, as always, enjoy your football.

Remember, that’s the ultimate outcome.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 11th, 2008 at 10:47 am and is filed under General News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.