May 23, 2007
Is this the future?
This footage was shown on SBS last weekend. I would appreciate your thought on this concept and ask if it should be introduced by all junior associations and if so, under what time frame.
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A great idea…get the kids actually playing the game. The sooner swarmball is replaced by football at early ages the better.
You can see the gap - the primary school “superstar” who uses the kick-and-sprint technique is outplayed when they hit full size grounds and is faced with an opposition that understands positions and can control the ball.
But - I would imagine that this would take a couple of years to implement - junior coaches would need to be coaching using games rather than drills for this to work (and most drills could be replaced by game-related play). This in turn places more pressure on FFT to provide the training, framework and monitoring of this type of activity….not impossible, but it would need a commitment, a champion and $$.
Well, you’ve missed the point Roundball. Just let the kids play. You don’t need all the infrustructure, structure coaching, $$ . The more touches the more opportunity to learn how to control the ball. See the difference? BJ
Comment by roundball — May 23, 2007 @ 11:17 pm
Well, it’s a no-brainer. Of course more football at a young age is going to improve the level of skill. In Europe every kid plays football at lunch break, after school and on the weekend pretty much every minute of spare time. It’s the same in South America and Africa arguably the most prominent continents in terms of raw talent. By the age of ten, most kids in Europe have acquired more skills than the average 18yr player in Australia, including most of the tricks (cryuf turns, step overs Etc.)
The reason is that its part of the culture and so it fills every aspect of sporting life, here it is is almost separated from the norm - hence most Aussie sides a physical (our cultural norm) and being skillfull appears out of the ordinay when it should be one and the same. The average side in Europe is has physical players, who are all technically adapt.
There. That’s my 2 cents.
Comment by Mohand HUFC — May 23, 2007 @ 11:39 pm
This MUST be the future. There is nothing more repulsive than to see a bunch of kids like a flock of seagulls over a chip.
If you make then small sided games kids can’t hide among his/her team mates and MUST get a touch on the ball/ With every touch comes improvement.
I’m hoping this scheme will be introduced as early as next year. Who’s got the intelligence and drive to kick it off??
Comment by Lionheart — May 24, 2007 @ 8:18 am
I saw the footage and totally agree, 4 on 4 is the ideal size and great for the game. 500% more touches can only be a good thing.
Only query I have is…is this going to limit the amount of kids even more so that do not want to be goalkeepers?
Comment by charlie white — May 24, 2007 @ 9:49 am
Smaller grounds definatly but i dont think 4v4, i watched an u/12 game last week end and there were definatly stand out players that were far better physically and technically than the others but the ground size was far to big for these kids. The ground size is the major issue for me, must be smaller
Comment by Borat — May 24, 2007 @ 7:45 pm
Just from a logisitics point of view (and having not seen the footage)….how many teams would that give each club (school) and therefore how many in each roster. Therefore how many different sets of shirts would be needed for teams in the same roster to play each other, how many managers to look after teams etc. Not against the idea at all….but are there some resources issues here?
Comment by A whisper — May 25, 2007 @ 10:21 am
I think it is a fantastic idea and I hope we can implement it in Tassie in time for next season.
I think it is equally important that if/when it is implemented the FFT and Junior association coaching and development staff make an effort to get around the clubs and schools and explain the rationale behind the concept to coaches and parents.
Comment by Ben — May 25, 2007 @ 12:48 pm
Copy of part of the notes we are providing to our clubs
why play small sided games?
1. Because we want our young football players to touch the soccer ball more often and become more skilful with it! (individual technical development)
2. Because we want our young football players to make more, less-complicated decisions during the game! (tactical development)
3. Because we want our young football players to be more physically efficient in the field space they are playing in! (reduced field size)
4. Because we want our young football players to have more individual teaching time with the coach! Less players on the field and less players on the team will guarantee this! (need to feel worthy and need to feel important)
5. Because we want our young football players to have more, involved playing time in the game! (more opportunity to solve problems that only the game presents)
6. Because we want our young football players to have more opportunity to play on both sides of the ball! (more exposure to attacking and defending situations)
7. Because we want our young football players to have more opportunities to score goals! (pure excitement)
Best of all, the game is simple, can be played without adult involvement and it’s FUN!
These are the reasons why we adults must foster “Small-Sided Games” in our youth football programs. The “Small-Sided” environment is a developmentally appropriate environment for our young soccer players. It’s a FUN environment that focuses on the young soccer player.
It just makes sense doesn’t it?
Comment by smudger — May 25, 2007 @ 2:53 pm
You wouldn’t need to play in a roster as such. With the larger clubs you could almost play intrarclub or barring that you would have interclub gala days, eg. South Hobart v Taroona or Kingborough v Clarence with the youth and senior teams playing each other as much as possible at the same venue.
Above all you have to get away from the competition mentality where you play as part of a roster. Most of the kids don’t give a toss if they’re leading the ladder or not they just want to kick a goal or two (and in the larger teams how do some of them get to do that?), stop a goal or two, head the ball, emulate the Vidukas, Kewells, Gerrards, etc. etc.
Comment by Lionheart — May 25, 2007 @ 3:20 pm
I’m not going to prempt this statement other than to say I received it from an identity that does not wish to be identified. I’m just going to put it up:
.
Comment by Blackjack — May 31, 2007 @ 11:04 am
Good to see my old blue and white team, Chatswood Rangers running around, albeit juniors. This is currently in effect being played in Launceston through the Christian Schools. Its a set up initiated by Northern Rangers juniors to enable children more time with the ball at their feet. The method is in place but lacks the technical coaching required - at this stage. By age 11 they then join the NTJSA and play the eleven a side game in the under 12’s.
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Hope this system is in place for all juniors before our next World Cup. Still the Clubs will need to work hard to offer suitable technical skills to all juniors.
Comment by Tassie_Devil — June 1, 2007 @ 4:03 pm