Youth coaching

My youngin plays for Washington Porto u11s.and got other family involved in the u9s up there. Washington athletic is a good friendly set up. Our team could do with another coach , manager left and one of the parents stepped in. Where u training at? I'd assume its same place as is, some school near sulgrave
 


Again though, without parents volunteering where would the sheer amount of coaches needed come from? Just in our age group in Russel foster there is 120 teams and over 1000 kids. Parents can't stand pitch side now. Tbh we've been lucky a suppose, as parents have been really supportive. Club I coach, coaches are all DBS checked and level 1 minimum qualified. I'd be lieing if I said I haven't watched some coaches or heard other teams parents and though wtf they on about, but it's not very often tbh. Facilites and opportunities to play for these kids has never been better imo. Also, why would I want to coach another team and not be involved in my own sons team? If anything I'm more harsh on him than the rest, but he loves me being his coach and I love being involved in his team. I would still enjoy coaching, but wouldn't have that same connection as I do with it being the team he plays in. If my son played for a team or was at a club, where the coach was ranting and being a dick, I'd just take him somewhere else. There's literally hundreds of clubs to take him too.
 
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John J Rambo said:
Again though, without parents volunteering where would the sheer amount of coaches needed come from? Just in our age group in Russel foster there is 120 teams and over 1000 kids. Parents can't stand pitch side now. Tbh we've been lucky a suppose, as parents have been really supportive. Club I coach, coaches are all DBS checked and level 1 minimum qualified. I'd be lieing if I said I haven't watched some coaches or heard other teams parents and though wtf they on about, but it's not very often tbh. Facilites and opportunities to play for these kids has never been better imo. Also, why would I want to coach another team and not be involved in my own sons team? If anything I'm more harsh on him than the rest, but he loves me being his coach and I love being involved in his team. I would still enjoy coaching, but wouldn't have that same connection as I do with it being the team he plays in. If my son played for a team or was at a club, where the coach was ranting and being a dick, I'd just take him somewhere else. There's literally hundreds of clubs to take him too.
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Cant stand pitch side? It's fine at our games
 
Moneyball said:
Works in Holland and Iceland that I’ve experienced.

But then again those are countries that actually want to educate coaches and players even at grassroots level. We’ve an FA that is a greedy, money making entity.

Just because it’s the current situation doesn’t mean it’s the right way to do it!

Why can’t these parent/coaches move up or down an age group? They don’t have to manage their own kid.

And I that you are involved in kids grassroots football? If so would you agree that the biggest root cause of issues come from parents?
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I run a club of 27 teams/400 kids and every side is managed by a parent coach all of which CRC'd/EA'd/SG'd and many L1's and 2's. I have brought one team from 5v5 @ U6/U7 to 11v11 @ U13 and learned a lot in the process. The early years are the most difficult when boys get told how good they are, and get chances at academies and heads get turned for them to go to clubs with better facilities/coaching. Let them go, do not pander and concentrate on the mass. Parents are an issue but if you have a strong club philosophy you can overcome that. From our U9's down we periodically (every half tern) move kids up and down teams, within the age group so they are playing at the appropriate level. We also rotate positions in my U9's and often throw games away when the top striker gets moved into defence. But it's kids football and what does it matter what the result is. The FA insist on each kid getting 50% of a game, in any case, but there is no instance on moving positions. I have a Man City kid in my team and I feel his dad about to explode when he is put in defence or subbed. But he will be off soon, if they sign him, so why focus on the short term.

You are talking about an ideal world with paid coached looking after teams which will never happen. Do you have kids? Why would I coach the U8's when my lad is U9's. How does he get to the games when U8's are at a different venues. It's just nonsense.
TopCat said:
Don't try and be Guardiola on day one. Depending on the age group, just keep things simple.
Win the ball, give it to a team mate, move. It's a simple as that

My lad plays u12s football and the coaches are making constant,. rolling subs so that each player plays 3 or 4 different positions each game. It doesn't help the team at all and more often than not, everyone runs up front leaving the keeper exposed.

Give each kid a position, let them learn how to play that position. Keep it simple. Pass and move
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I disagree. A lad wanted to come to me in the summer - his dad says he plays right mid. I politely declined as the last thing I need is a kid that they only play one position. My own lad can play ST, 10, LW, CM, LB. My best player can play LW, RW, 10, ST....another can play CH, LB, RB, CM, LW, GK..... Fixed positions is fine for school teams but to take an 11v11 side through a season (as your U12 lad will have next season) you need kids who can play in different positions. I am not rotating for the sake of it, but the boys know they could be asked to play any number of positions.
 
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Did it for 8 years, and it’s one of the best, most fulfilling things I’ve done.
You have to strike a balance between keeping your best players happy, and the not so talented ones interested and engaged. Remember you can never please all the people all the time, but it’s important that people understand and respect the decisions you make. It can be a very lonely place when things aren’t going well, a good number 2 who you can trust and bounce things off and will help out when you need it is essential.
Number one thing is always have a plan, for training sessions in particular plan them out beforehand and vary them as much as possible.
 
Good luck mate that's all I can say. My 10 year old lad plays for Washy and some of the behaviour I've seen from grown men and women is embarrassing to say the least. Only 3 weeks ago the opposition manager abused the 15 year old ref, screaming and calling him a "dickhead" and "spa cker" right in front of all the kids. Needless to say he was sent off and had to watch from 3 pitches away. All this because he claimed a goal was offside, when in fact it was clearly onside.
 
pfoz88 said:
Did it for 8 years, and it’s one of the best, most fulfilling things I’ve done.
You have to strike a balance between keeping your best players happy, and the not so talented ones interested and engaged. Remember you can never please all the people all the time, but it’s important that people understand and respect the decisions you make. It can be a very lonely place when things aren’t going well, a good number 2 who you can trust and bounce things off and will help out when you need it is essential.
Number one thing is always have a plan, for training sessions in particular plan them out beforehand and vary them as much as possible.
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yep. Crucial. There are times where for one reason or another I haven't had the chance to properly plan sessions I've done and within 5 minutes it's an instant regret. I always curse myself when it happens and insist it won't happen again. Players will sense when you're making it up as you go along and as such they believe they can also make it up as they go along and don't take it seriously.
 
Been doing it 3 years now, from u8's to 11's.
It has to be fun, for you and the kids, that needs to be the centre of everything. Kids improve at different rates, they always surprise you.
Don't be put off by horror stories, most other teams and parents have been great so far, there is still too much 'get rid of it' from the sidelines, but it doesn't really matter.
Get ready to spend a lot of time on whatsapp.
 
A few thoughts based on my limited experiences managing a newly formed under 9 team this season.
(1)You need to set out your expectations of parents from day one; you can’t set up the goals, respect line, refreshment table, meet the ref/opposition manager, lace the boots and get then kids warmed up. You need an assistant coach and a rota for help with the rest.
(2) As a new team with widely differing abilities, and where everyone wants to play in attack, I am finding it helps to set up the formation As 2-3-1 as it allows you to easily switch right defenders with right wingers etc. It means you can share our defensive and attacking roles, whilst avoiding chaos. (Also the best means of defence is attack - note to Sunderland managers).
(3) keep some spare water bottles and second hand shin pads and jumpers in your kit bag. Parents always forget.
(4) be clear on what you value (perhaps attitude and development) and recognise it ie x gets player of the match this week because he did y as we discussed in training.
Good luck!
 
Doberman said:
yep. Crucial. There are times where for one reason or another I haven't had the chance to properly plan sessions I've done and within 5 minutes it's an instant regret. I always curse myself when it happens and insist it won't happen again. Players will sense when you're making it up as you go along and as such they believe they can also make it up as they go along and don't take it seriously.
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True true, no structure and it can quickly run away from you!!
I found one of the best things I did each year was devote 1 or 2 sessions to player appraisals. Get them in for a chat 1 at a time, (center half’s together), and discuss how they’ve done, what you’d like them to work on and improve, and the role you see them in, emphasise their importance, all of them.
First did this at the beginning of a season where we had been promoted, but lost our top scorer, (he eventually went to Sunderland, but is now at another league 1 club). There was the usual “some of these lads aren’t good enough” from some parents, and I knew it was affecting the lads. So the appraisals helped them see that we weren’t a one man team and they were all good enough. They had their best season that year, in a higher division, just missing out on winning the league on the last day.
Bottom line is you have massive influence as a coach/manager in their development and outlook. So try and keep it positive and inclusive. Won’t be easy all the time but will be worth it. I envy you starting out, wish I was again.
 
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kingmonkey said:
Been doing it 3 years now, from u8's to 11's.
It has to be fun, for you and the kids, that needs to be the centre of everything. Kids improve at different rates, they always surprise you.
Don't be put off by horror stories, most other teams and parents have been great so far, there is still too much 'get rid of it' from the sidelines, but it doesn't really matter.
Get ready to spend a lot of time on whatsapp.
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What would we do without WhatsApp 😂
 

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