Champions League

[THE STIFFMEISTER 14,553]

Agreed , 

a sad stare for the oldest club in the world 

[WILF 44,183]

59 minutes ago, sid g said:

wilf I had a lad come to me at under 7`s he was born with fingers missing on both hands he`d been at another club and the other lads took the micky out of him he fitted in with our lot a treat he was a decent footballer -- I remember his mum coming to me in tears to thank me when he won player of the year at presentation night -- its them little moments that stick

Outstanding mate......top man 

[Blackmag 5,862]

When I look at non league clubs and I see the grounds I have been to when they was in the league it a crying shame but it  does make you think your county's Halifax luton Tranmere Stockport etc surely more can be done to help such clubs when you think how much money a club can make even being relagated or how much a player is paid 

Edited April 19, 2019 by Blackmag

[gnasher16 29,602]

22 hours ago, WILF said:

As a slight side conversation, I went to a seminar with the FAI elite director of football who is a Dutch bloke called Ruud Doktor.

This is the bloke who has come up with “the plan” for Irish football.

So, we moved out to the training pitch with a couple of U12 sides who they had got there for the evening and he says “right, now I’m going to show you how I do it”

And he set them up in a couple of 7v7 & 9v9 and let them get on with it, never said a word more.

Now this group of lads could play, they needed nothing explaining and it was all pass and move.......no inexperience kids here.

So after watching this for a while we stop and he makes this big speech about “Just let the kids play” and all the other coaches are nodding and saying well done and all that old bollocks.

I pop my hand up and say “Excuse me, now I can see all those lads can play.......what about the little 10 year old girls and boys who come to you and can hardly kick a ball?”

”The lads who can play would never pass them a ball if you didn’t step in and take measures to make sure they keep getting a touch, they would literally be stood in the corner of pitch doing f**k all for two hours”

”you have to step in and get them involved and encourage their team mates who can play to involve them and help them improve......you have to step in and talk to them as a coach to make them beleive in themselves”

His reply?.......”I don’t really know about that, it’s complicated!” 

Brilliant !! 

I can honestly say my proudest moments as a coach is getting the little lad or little girl who is shy and timid and can hardly kick the ball to become fully functioning members of the team who is as good as anyone else.......keeps your cups and trophies at that age, I’ll take that every time.

Anyway, I digress.....to have the qualifications this bloke has would cost a fortune and he is giving replies like that?

And the FAI want thousands off me to help pay his salary......can’t see the value there myself.

 

Not wishing to denigrate what you do Wilf as im sure you do a fine job but is that scenario not a little bit like the conversation a pure football coach might have with a P.E teacher ?.....it sounds like the Dutch guy is dealing with a higher level of player and just feels like kids who are obviously not going to become footballers should just be allowed to play.....i kind of agree with him.

The harsh reality is most kids/people are not going anywhere in the game so shouldnt they just be encouraged to enjoy it for what it is ?.....of course they should be taught to do things the right way but why would kids who can barely kick a ball be sharing the same pitch with accomplished players ?.....not only do the less talented kids get discouraged but the brighter kids get dragged down.

Obviously im comparing to boxing again as its what i know but the same applies,the more talented individuals have to train seperately from the less talented or nobody achieves anything.

Not to say that theres no place for the P.E teacher type coach of course.....but i do get where the Dutch chap was coming from whether we like to admit it or not this " anyone can reach the top if they put the work in " attitude that we all love is a complete load of bollocks that has to be ignored at a certain level of sport.

Edited April 20, 2019 by gnasher16

[Astanley 11,465]

Good post youngster ,my son in law is very involved in kids football and although the feker is responsible for me having ginger grandkids ,I like his out look on coaching ,e tried his best to make every single kid he coaches a better player ,he invests an awful of of time and emotional energy into helping all the kids ,however when he gets a promising youngster ,who is in with a shout of going on to better things ,he alerts he academy's and makes sure the child has the option of playing at a higher level ,nobody reached their full potential playing\training \learning at levels that don't stretch them .

[gnasher16 29,602]

Absolutely.....recreational sport is for everybody.....high level competitive sport is for very few.

[WILF 44,183]

2 hours ago, gnasher16 said:

Not wishing to denigrate what you do Wilf as im sure you do a fine job but is that scenario not a little bit like the conversation a pure football coach might have with a P.E teacher ?.....it sounds like the Dutch guy is dealing with a higher level of player and just feels like kids who are obviously not going to become footballers should just be allowed to play.....i kind of agree with him.

The harsh reality is most kids/people are not going anywhere in the game so shouldnt they just be encouraged to enjoy it for what it is ?.....of course they should be taught to do things the right way but why would kids who can barely kick a ball be sharing the same pitch with accomplished players ?.....not only do the less talented kids get discouraged but the brighter kids get dragged down.

Obviously im comparing to boxing again as its what i know but the same applies,the more talented individuals have to train seperately from the less talented or nobody achieves anything.

Not to say that theres no place for the P.E teacher type coach of course.....but i do get where the Dutch chap was coming from whether we like to admit it or not this " anyone can reach the top if they put the work in " attitude that we all love is a complete load of bollocks that has to be ignored at a certain level of sport.

No, you are absolutely spot on.....it was a pro talking to an amateur mate, and a complete amateur at that.

And I fully understand the pro game only wants to talk about the “naturals”

However, my point was this, the overwhelming majority (like me) are not working at elite level (non of the coaches at the seminar were elite level)......99.9% of the youngsters anyone coaches will never go on to play at any kind of standard (especially over here!) but they are the thousands that are paying into the game with their fees every season.

The lads that coach them should be getting told more than “let them get on with it”........imho those kids deserve more than that, they deserve to be encouraged to enjoy the game like anyone else.

And, you never know.....if FAs are only concerned with the 0.01% you may just get the late starter or the write off (like Harry Kane, the kid who was too fat) 

Every kid, imho, should receive as good a coaching as possible and be brought into things......cream rises to the top on its own.

Edited April 20, 2019 by WILF

[WILF 44,183]

1 hour ago, Astanley said:

,nobody reached their full potential playing\training \learning at levels that don't stretch them .

Totally agree with that, I have 9 year olds playing at U12 and 11 year olds playing at U14.......but I watch them carefully, like a dog, you don’t want to over match them and break them.

There’s is a great little club up the road, really pushing on in the right direction and playing very good football......if I have a players parent or an older player mention they may want to go there I always say “Yes, go for it, if it dont work out you are welcome to come back” because a player should always be trying to play amongst the best and for the best......you need to test yourself as a man (or boy) and as a player.

[WILF 44,183]

I think you have to be true to yourself as a coach mate, and to me that means trying to get kids playing football the right way with the ball on the deck......that can mean losses in the short term but should come right in the long term.

Have a beleife and stick to it.......if you coach to make parents happy you are f****d imho.

If the parents were willing to do your job they would be giving up 4 nights a week and doing it like we do.

[ginger beard 4,652]

24 minutes ago, WILF said:

I think you have to be true to yourself as a coach mate, and to me that means trying to get kids playing football the right way with the ball on the deck......that can mean losses in the short term but should come right in the long term.

Have a beleife and stick to it.......if you coach to make parents happy you are f****d imho.

If the parents were willing to do your job they would be giving up 4 nights a week and doing it like we do.

My sons coaches work full time with families and they give up alot of time with planning and all the other stuff that goes with it.i really do apprieciate it because i couldn't be bothered to do the job unpaid.i make sure i'm early for all home games to put up the goals and take them down.