https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/may/18/where-are-all-the-great-players-australia-paying-price-for-ignoring-development

One of the issues is intrinsic motivation.


I was staggered how much work Tim Cahill did with a coach when in his teens who worked on all sorts of things like shooting from late runs into the box. This was totally independent of his club commitments.


When Ron Smith says players don't play in enough matches, I am led to believe Melb City Youth play 40 games per year. 

Real Madrid U11 aim for 100 games per year

Ok just want to put this out there
So Sunday i'm at a tournament.
A team of U11 girls is playing on the field behind me (no idea who the team is or where they come from)
At half time the coach addresses the team and i hear him say (in front of the entire team) to his number Nine.
"You keep kicking the ball at the goal keeper, i'm not going through another season watching you kick the ball at the keeper. all you need to do is kick into the corners it doesn't need to be hard just place it.
If you can't do that ill make you a defender or even worse a goal keeper. How would you like that?"

What do you think of his statements?

Shocking thing to say by the coach!

krones3, IMO not today.
Once upon a time threatening a player to change or lift his game or he's benched/or like above you'll be playing fullback may have worked BUT not anymore.
I listened to something similar a YL coach walking off at HT next to x player telling him he better lift his game or he's off.....
I was told after the game the kid got pissed off being treated or spoken to as such.
Today - you need to be more of a communicator than a dictator.
Kids are way different to back int he day - they know too much and I hate to say, many are the Entitled so you got to work around that.

I would be mortified if I was the goalkeeper or defender in his team.
He certainly didn't hold back in what he thought of those positions.

The coach hasn't coached too far up the chain.

Any coach who has realises the importance  of all positions.

Coached today just to fill in
Score 9 -3
Watching kids play the game just for the love of it.
Refreshing

This so much krones3 - playing the game for the love of it !
I get this feeling near on every Sat morning watching my 17yr old playing 1st's for school before Rep commitments.
The squad is made up of countless "rep" players and obviously they have much more free reign.
The coach is a mature englishmen, say no more some of you lol....and obviously its attack attack - not hoof ball as some may think for the boys are experienced enough to play to their fellow players strengths (great passing on the ground but more forward play than playing back and back as so often we watch elsewhere).....
The coach even barks that its criminal if near the opponents box that a shot is Not taken, he expects someone making sure the keeper knows a bullet is coming....not just keep making holes till your past the 6yard box for a tap in.
I sometimes watch in awwww the beautiful open play I see at these games, like they have carved up the opponents so well by great one touch football, triangles, using the width so well with superb cross's met and put away and then some strikes from out the box that make you go wow coupled by some brilliant saves.
The boys love it - you can see it - just love playing the game.
Most of these boys are PL2/3 players from varying clubs and as have 2-3 opposing schools.......
At rep its totally opposite playing to the curriculum, well I know this can vary by club/coach approachs but my son quotes his school team would beat his rep team.
I think his comment is purely based on not being too happy with his current rep coach but from the sideline it sure would be an interesting contest to watch for a comparo.

These coaches are a reason why people are complaining for our youth development decline, not the NC its these old school, unedecated coaches whom are out of touch with the modern game...i see it most weeks.

I tell parents to make sure they find the right SAP club and coaches they follow the NC properly, must do your diligence first! 

Interesting post, LFC.

One  very experienced coach ( 35 years coaching experience)  I've coached a lot with, and learnt a lot from, always considers the most important thing is enjoying the game.

Thanks D.
Barca, I think you mis understood my post.
Its not the case of the age difference and mind set But the fact overall the boys respond to a positive gaffa that also allows some "freedom" in their play......
This creates team harmony as you know, as I've said in many other posts I'm all for the NC but its how its interpreted by the gaffa - afterall a gaffa is a leader, he needs to be a networker, a people person helps alot, this makes squads overall happy to play anything that is asked by the gaffa. Win win.
I'm just pointing out a difference, importantly that playing the game as Krones quotes should have the "fun" factor, especially at YL levels.

Here's an example just played out last weekend.
Sons Rep team were getting owned in the 1st half, much like the Roos were vs's Germany, his team is a number of spots above on the ladder of their opponents and down 2nil.
The Gaffa in disgust at HT just said in the shed I'm told - go out and reverse the ledger, nothing else.
Credit to the team it did lift in the 2nd - the opponents defended well and held them off therefore the final score was 2nil.
The Gaffa never went into the shed after the game leaving the squad (U18's) to grovel on their own. Yes they are grown men now but........
Training come Tuesday, nothing is brought up, wants it to be forgotten I'm led to believe.
This gaffa is middle age, a huge NC system supporter but his approach/style is playing defensively from the koff every game.
Pressing in the opponents half is not encouraged so as to keep shape.
The whole approach is not to lose games.
Whats your take on this type of approach fellas ?

Confused me also.

First thing i'd say is often more is less. As a coach your halftime team talk is the only real chance other than substitutions you have to change the game. Is it a case of him feeling as though the boys were carrying out his plans and it was more so individual mistakes that had led to them being 2 nil down. I've never not given a half time speech, however i have learnt the hard way the importance of saying the right things. Perhaps this coach didn't think he had the right words to say and feared he would do more damage than good if he powered on.

The bit about not going into the shed after the game, ive seen that many times over a long playing career. The players in themselves at that age will know if they've not had a good game. The coach going in and telling them they have tells the players the bloke has no idea or doesn't want to hurt feelings. On the other side of that, if he goes in ranting and raving he kills the players mentally as they are already feeling the pain of loss. The coach cant change anything after the game so by saying see you all Tuesday he allows the players a chance to evaluate their own game and allows him to get his read right and assess where he may have gone wrong.

Also there is not much good dwelling on past results come Tuesday. As long as he has set out his training sessions to address the problems and explains them to the players there is no need to tear down the whole game. You build for the next match.

A defensive approach is actually the opposite of the NC. The NC encourages pro active play. Personally im a big believer in having your defensive structure right and allowing your players to express themselves in the final third as opposed to a totally pro active game.

Pressing in the opponents half is an interesting one and comes more down to the coaches own beliefs and approaches to the game than anything. I prefer to having my players firstly get behind the ball and press as a unit once we have recovered our structure as opposed to trying to high press with players unlikely to be fit enough to do it properly leaving huge gaps to be exploited.

My thoughts on the approach without knowing the coach in question is that he appears to have his own ideas as to how he believes he can get results. At the end of the season its the coaches job that will come under review from the club, not the parents and not the kids. The balancing act it sticking to your beliefs and getting people to buy into it and come along for the ride. 

I completely agree with the above post but wanted to add a bit more.

Whether we agree or disagree with his style, it is U18's football and they are considered senior players who are supporting the U20's and first grade in the club championship. If players don't agree with his style or approach, they can/should move on. Learning different styles can also be important for the players development.

Thanks for both posts gentlemen,
Good points overall.
Agree, less is more depending on the time I suppose.
Sometimes things need to be addressed or put out in the open I feel even though it maybe better to move on to the next game....
I think you nailed it NS, even though the NC promotes pro active play it definitely comes down to the Coachs interpretation and or style he encourages.
Footballlover, yep, if your struggling with it all its time to make a move when possible no doubt about that.