Kid's football - pitch sizes

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The local under 13 league plays on full-sized pitches and full-sized goals. Results from the weekend include 1-13 and 18-0. The game that I watched my son play was almost farcical. 2 lads on the oppo who were nearly 6 feet tall, a hoof from the keeper, steamroller through, *BANG* and a goal.

I've written an email to the local league, should I also send it to the FA?
 


I am a coach and the club secretary for my own club down here in Northampton. Regarding the issue of pitch sizes/goals the FA set out "recommendations" to the both but at the current time finding the adequate amount of appropriate, age related pitch sizes and goals on public pitches is extremely difficult. The facilities are just not there, unless clubs are lucky enough to have access to private grounds and can set them up themselves plus have the funding to purchase appropriate goals (21ftx7ft) for 11v11 at U13. It is a nightmare trying to follow all the recommendations the majority of the time impossible. The money in football needs to distributed correctly, look at he £800 million plus just spent in the last transfer window in this country!!!! Professional clubs should have to put a percentage of their transfer activity back into grassroots football.

Please could everyone sign this epetition concerning funding in grassroots football. It will only take two minutes of your time- epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/668354

and also have a look at www.savegrassroots.co.uk

Regarding the 6 foot players and hoof up field unfortunately that is down to very bad coaching and playing style. Some teams/coaches play to win at all costs without any understanding or commitment towards the development of the individual players game or the development of the team game. Unfortunately the majority want to win win win regardless of how they accomplish it.
 
Why ? Your gonna get bigger lads than yourself at every level of football. The test is to learn and try to deal with it. I feel that this country protects our kids to the extent that when they step up to different age groups and playing levels, they are found wanting. What about the big lads? Do they get banned from playing in their age group?

Instead of wrapping them in cotton wool, let them Learn, let them solve problems and become better with a bit of coaching pointing them in the right direction.

Not having a go, far from it, but I've had quite a lot of discussion about the way we coach our kids. At every level, we seem to make it easy for them but never address the problems.

peil said:
Same issue up here in Scotland, my son's team play on full size pitches, it becomes a joke with teams playing oddly large goalies and the like.
Had one tournament over the summer and when we asked a lads age, he just replied "2002" :lol:
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Bit shady lol
 
I remember hearing one of the ex-pros on Talksport saying how the Italians he had played with despaired when they saw English youth football being played with full sized balls on full size pitches. You would think that with the scarcity of playing fields they would be eager to divide up full size pitches and play more than one match at a time on them.

It is not just that you get so much room on a full size pitch. I was one of the smallest kids in my year and I could just not cover the ground on a full-size pitch, and I certainly struggled to pass the ball the kind of distances required. It becomes about who is the physically fittest rather than who has the best skills, and who can hoof it the furthest rather than who can pass it. This is probably why in this country in particular some many players that dominate at youth level are absolutely cack when they get to a certain age and the playing field levels up.

I genuinely do not believe kids should play even on a half size pitch until they are 13 or older. I would play them on a five a side pitch with a small ball until they are 10.
 
South Americans deal with it through futsal it seems, universal across ages as it's hard to gain a size advantage etc
Be interesting to see transfer fees having a mandatory 1/2% of the fee for a player given to a fund for grassroots football, probably nothing to most clubs aswell but would create a sizeable amount
 
My 10 year old son played his first competitive match at the weekend. 9 a side on smaller pitches will smaller goals (where the Northumbria Centre used to be). Surely it's not that hard to arrange these goals and pitches ?
 
Narraback said:
My 10 year old son played his first competitive match at the weekend. 9 a side on smaller pitches will smaller goals (where the Northumbria Centre used to be). Surely it's not that hard to arrange these goals and pitches ?
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That been knocked down like :eek:

Washy comp have 9 a side pitch and goals..
 
The problem is that the seven aside mini-soccer pitchs start being way too small for the lads at about ten year old but when they move to U11's and full size pitchs they seem huge, however by the time they're about 13 they can cope easily enough. In Nottingham a few years back they trialled transitional 9-aside pitchs for U11's but the uptake was very limited and the availability of pitches was very limited.
Whilst I agree that more funding at grass roots would be good I don't get the complaints about the current facilities. I don't know what it's like back in the North East these days but certainly down in Nottingham the facilities are generally very good and getting better year on year as clubs get Sport England funding and Schools are redeveloped. The vast majority of pitches are as good as many league teams used to play on in the seventies
 
Billy Fish said:
The problem is that the seven aside mini-soccer pitchs start being way too small for the lads at about ten year old but when they move to U11's and full size pitchs they seem huge, however by the time they're about 13 they can cope easily enough. In Nottingham a few years back they trialled transitional 9-aside pitchs for U11's but the uptake was very limited and the availability of pitches was very limited.
Whilst I agree that more funding at grass roots would be good I don't get the complaints about the current facilities. I don't know what it's like back in the North East these days but certainly down in Nottingham the facilities are generally very good and getting better year on year as clubs get Sport England funding and Schools are redeveloped. The vast majority of pitches are as good as many league teams used to play on in the seventies
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What are the facilities like at that academy on the way out of West Bridgeford towards the dual carriageway?
 
Stevie Freestein II said:
The local under 13 league plays on full-sized pitches and full-sized goals. Results from the weekend include 1-13 and 18-0. The game that I watched my son play was almost farcical. 2 lads on the oppo who were nearly 6 feet tall, a hoof from the keeper, steamroller through, *BANG* and a goal.

I've written an email to the local league, should I also send it to the FA?
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Yes
 
JumpingAnaconda said:
What are the facilities like at that academy on the way out of West Bridgeford towards the dual carriageway?
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If you mean West Bridgford Colts place at Regatta Way near Holme Pierrepoint they're top class. We had them done about eight year ago as part of a deal to give up our old ground (which was awful) for a school development. Three good pitches, one of them with floodlights for the Academy side and a decent clubhouse. Also gets used for cricket by another club during the summer. There are around about 1000 kids signed up to the club from 4 year old up to 18+ boys and girls.
 
Narraback said:
My 10 year old son played his first competitive match at the weekend. 9 a side on smaller pitches will smaller goals (where the Northumbria Centre used to be). Surely it's not that hard to arrange these goals and pitches ?
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My son played there on sat - 9am kick off. First time I've been and the pitches were really good.
 
Narraback said:
My 10 year old son played his first competitive match at the weekend. 9 a side on smaller pitches will smaller goals (where the Northumbria Centre used to be). Surely it's not that hard to arrange these goals and pitches ?
Click to expand...

For Under 11 and Under 12 they play 9v9. It isn't hard to set up the facilities it is just very hard getting the right people to help fund and spend some money.
 
I sent an email to the secretary of the league as that was the only email contact I could find.

Later I received an email from the club Chairman that was basically a warning to me:

ANY communication from parent to league is strictly forbidden and would result in termination of your registration with us if it were to be repeated.

And a veiled threat (?)

I'm sorry if any of this seems a bit hard Freestein but I think the world of Freestein Jr. and wouldn't want to risk any misunderstandings that may result in you having to leave the Club.

I'm not sure how to react to be honest. A parent isn't allowed to directly contact the junior league with a polite question/observation?

Sebasaurus II said:
What size balls are they using?
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Size 4 mate.
 
Stevie Freestein II said:
I sent an email to the secretary of the league as that was the only email contact I could find.

Later I received an email from the club Chairman that was basically a warning to me:

ANY communication from parent to league is strictly forbidden and would result in termination of your registration with us if it were to be repeated.

And a veiled threat (?)

I'm sorry if any of this seems a bit hard Freestein but I think the world of Freestein Jr. and wouldn't want to risk any misunderstandings that may result in you having to leave the Club.

I'm not sure how to react to be honest. A parent isn't allowed to directly contact the junior league with a polite question/observation?



Size 4 mate.
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I'd be checking the terms of association and the club rules they provided you with - sounds like they are at it.
 
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