doing it for the kids:
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Posted: June 15th 2008
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Apologies for being a bit quiet of late. I know what you’re thinking…close season, he’s got his feet up, or trying to delude another bunch of kids he’s a cricket coach…
Far from it. May & June are busy months for youth gaffers and club committees.
For starters, there will be a club presentation do to sort out and, if you’re lucky, the League’s bash to attend as well. “It’s all about the presentation night…” the tutor on my coaching course had once opined wistfully, dreaming of a French or Dutch system where youngsters focussed solely on technique, only played friendlies and the “win at all costs / go for trophies” mentality of the English kids’ game was absent.
To be fair, whilst each League has its presentation bash to reward winners (ours takes place at the ground of a local lower division League team, much to the excitement of the under 8s and weary disdain of the u16s), there is a ‘Sportsmanship’ winner for every division also, voted for by fellow teams.
More often than not this is awarded to the team who finishes bottom, having lost 10-0 more or less every week. They get the votes for continuing to turn up, and being brave enough not to jack it in mid-season. Every once in a while, a mid-table team might sneak it just for being an overwhelmingly nice bunch with a diamond geezer manager. Just once, I heard of a team that had done the League & Cup double also winning its divisional sportsmanship award – a treble to be genuinely proud of. My guess is that when it got to 5-0, they routinely took all their best players off and put the ’keeper up front, thus ensuring the final score was 7-1 rather than 14-0. The oppo’s gratitude was reflected in the end of season poll.
The in-house club presentation events are very much a celebration of taking part more than winning. Every single player gets a medal or trophy, every single parent gets some level of thanks (er, I mean every parent involved, be it as coach, helper or mere supporter – I don’t mean only single parents get thanked…though in some cases they deserve extra thanks for somehow managing to get all three of their kids to games every weekend). Hearty back slaps all round.
The club’s youngest players caress their trophy lovingly. It is without doubt “the best thing they’ve ever owned”. It is given pride of place at home…dusted, polished, dusted again. By contrast the older players would rather be anywhere than the presentation do. What could be worse than being made to parade around in football kit with mummy trying to take your photo, your manager babbling on about his ‘pass & move’ philosophy, and the club chairman getting your name wrong for the seventh season in a row? You could be having a lie-in, intimidating grannies in the local precinct, sniffing glue, watching Sky Sports…anywhere but here…
Meanwhile, the poaching season is in full swing. Never mind The Sun and Sky Sports News with their endless summer rumour mill. Kids’ football is ruthless. The poaching starts as soon as local talent is spotted in friendlies at u7 or u8, and is rife. By the time you reach u15, players don’t need to be poached, nor do they need agents. The best performers are actively touting themselves to the highest bidder.
I’m not for one second suggesting any illicit financial inducements. The bidding relates to squad incomings & outgoings. The strong players want to play with other strong players. They want to know who you’re poaching and who you’re dumping. They want to win trophies. They want to be in the team all the Academy scouts are lining up to watch. More often than not, this won’t be the local community-based team all your school mates play in.
At the younger age groups, it’ll be the odd player forsaking his club’s D team for the A (the teams will be cunningly disguised with names like ‘Dynamos’ or ‘Leopards’, but everyone can spot the streaming a mile off). Some might move to the team two miles down the road.
For the teenagers still dreaming of stardom, but whom the local Academies have thus far inexplicably failed to pick up, they’ll travel anywhere in the county to get a chance with the most fancied teams. Deluded parents ferry them around supportively.
A case study…a promising 15 year old. Let’s call him David. David Bentley. David has played for his local village side since he was 6. He’s always been one of the stronger players, and physically mature beyond his years. Despite this, he’s not by nature (over-) confident, and has often needed a lot of cajoling to produce the dominant displays of which he is capable. The arm round the shoulder approach has been needed, not the kick up the backside. A whispered word of encouragement, not the hairdryer.
Slowly but surely, season by season, he has developed the consistency required to become his team’s dominant, talismanic player. Eventually, he plays a starring role as, after years of near misses, his team makes Division One where, in their first season, team spirit and understanding formed over many years sees them secure a comfortable mid-table finish.
However, David’s head has been turned. In Division One he has seen some awesome teams. Quality players from 1 – 11. No weak links like his team, where the manager has persisted in giving opportunities to Ricky and Josh, even though everyone knows they’re crap. These high flying teams had Rickys but got rid. They may still have a Josh, but he’s a permanent sub, getting a token five minutes at the end when the game’s won. He doesn’t complain, so is tolerated.
David gets talking to these superstars. He finds out the squad is drawn from all over the county. Player turn over is high. The manager is on the look out for a centre half, and has made it clear he wants David, a class act who is wasted in a mid-table team, and is being held back by playing in a team full of school mates. Does he play football for social reasons…or to win the League, to get scouted …
What’s a young lad to do?
And so it goes on. Trevor Brooking wouldn’t sleep at nights if he knew even half of what went on. Every summer filler story in the papers about Ronaldo, Bentley or any other player who wants to (ahem) “test himself at a higher level” fuels the fire…
All over the country, though, there are 6 year olds going to bed clutching their first trophy, dreaming dreams of a glittering career ahead…