Comments on: North vs South Challenge

By: interested spectator

interested spectator — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 20:10:54 +0000

BJ One thing better than a couple of old plonkers remembering how great they were!!! When those old plonkers are putting back into the game..keep up you good work on the coast Hugo and KC if you had 20 with the same passion and drive the debate over the standard of rep soccer we have had would not be happening..too few doing too much I suppose thats always the way.

100% agree. BJ

By: Hugo

Hugo — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 07:38:29 +0000

PS. thanks for the compliment K.C. you and I once were a feared duo up front for Burnie LOL

Nothing sadder than a couple of old plonkers remembering how great they were!!! BJ

By: Hugo

Hugo — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 07:21:19 +0000

Yes Kev as I said (only joking) we had no real structure or technical coaching, we just did our best, I was lucky enough to have spent my first 13 years in England. My rep teams were not up to todays standard and my rep coaches were not up to todays standards either. We were strong in NW though and won all our carnivals

By: Kevin Considine

Kevin Considine — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 05:13:02 +0000

Matty, Chris, Shermo, and Chisa have all come through State and regional programs over the last few years, they were great kids, terrific players, easy to coach (at times), but they all had that desire to improve further and showed more determination than all the others, thats why they have moved away to see how far they can get., and we wish them all the best

Hugo was a champion player, even at a young age, he showed enormous potential, but Hugo’s dig about the old day players being better skilled etc, was i hope a tongue in cheek dig, as the kids of today are faster and more skillful, but most lack that passion of the old days.

By: interested spectator

interested spectator — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 02:34:34 +0000

Hugo your not wrong when you played rep soccer it was better the only thing we need to work out is how to get it back to those days.
The Matt Sanders and Chris Sanitas came through the same programme though a few years later.I remember those days and several years after when the NW was a feared opponent as were Devonport and Burnie powerhouse sides for many years in the now defunct statewide league..however time marches on and it seems we are just left with memories of the past and hopes for the future..My hope is that you and those of your ilke keep working with these kids the future is only as good as those shaping it , change takes time and if you persist I am sure we will turn the corner..just hoping it sooner rather than later..

By: Hugo

Hugo — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 01:56:03 +0000

I.S. I think maybe you have a point when you said that you are not involved anymore and therefore not watching with the same intensity. I suggest that if you were you would see that at least half of the rep players are using both feet, not equally but they can use their non-preferred when needed (more than one could say for Maradonna). Before passing judgement you should have a really good look, there has been some great football played over the past fortnight, well done to all concerned. I remember backin the eighties when I was playing rep soccer, the standard was heaps better (only joking) Too many people believe things were better back then, I don’t think they were, the kids are getting better.

By: interested spectator

interested spectator — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 00:54:20 +0000

I sympathise with you Hugo..you and many like you are doing the best with the players you have available and as you conceed things break down when you have a much smaller population to select from.
However from a totally neutral standing (having not had an involvement with this series for a year or two ) the overall standard was not what I remembered..That may have something to do with the intensity one has went actively involved watching your own children and friends children but this time round sitting back and watching I didnt really see any team rise to any great heights..As I have already said I didnt see all teams and wasnt there all weekend but my personal opinion is that the general standard is not what it once was..Not sure I have an answer as to why but with more kids playing our game than ever before you would hope the standard would go up but somewhere the system is breaking down. sadly I think its a lot further down the years than some might suggest…Rep players at 14 and 15 should be able to use both feet and from what I saw saturday the players who could were few and far between.

By: Hugo

Hugo — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 23:43:15 +0000

It frustrates mw alot to keep hearing that all we can do in the North and North West is kick and chase. I am willing to conceed that the South Full Time squad U-13 definitely play the best football, however that is not because we coach our boys to kick and chase. We teach all the same things but we do not have the same depth that Southern teams have so our passing often breaks down at a weaker link, whereas the Southern team don’t appear to have those weak links in the passing chain. We have 6 or so really good players in most of our NW teams but the standard drops fairly fast. This is I would say is due to a much smaller population to select from.
If it is only results that interest people at the recent Festival cup after the 4 way round robin U-13
North West 9 Points
South Full Time 3 Points
North 3 Points
South Part Time 3 Points
North West went on to play South FT in the final 2-2 draw North West declared winners on count back.
And yes we play as much of a passing game as we possibly can
Well done South boys at Launceston by far the best team.

By: Brian Roberts

Brian Roberts — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 22:31:53 +0000

Interested Spectator , some years ago I wrote a paper outlining the then current situation of “Soccer Competitions ” in Tasmania .

The following is an extract , I wonder if any thing has changed.
The registration system perhaps.

North-western State Schools Soccer Association.

The Northwestern Section has remained a School based competition with no direct involvement by Clubs although coaching and material support is provided.
This body is responsible for junior soccer up to age 15 in the Northwest of the state. It is self-contained having its own registration and records systems. The area controlled is effectively west of and including the city of Devonport and its environs. The area under control is further divided into four sub sections for competition purposes.
These are: -

U/7 to U/15 Burnie Junior Association
U/7 to U/15 Somerset Junior Association
U/7/to U/15 Ulverstone Junior Association
U/7 to U/15 Devonport Junior Association

The only area in common that this body shares with Soccer Tasmania is a child aged 14 years. Under Soccer Tasmania rules these players are allowed to play in the local Soccer Tasmania under 17 competitions. The NWTSSA holds the view that for these young persons to represent their locality in “ junior” carnivals they should also be registered with their body, thus the problem of dual registration rears its head.

The administration of this Association is also convoluted. The “Regions “register the players and administer the Primary segments however the NWTSSA runs the “High Schools “league.

It should be noted that Adult Soccer Clubs are not members of the NWTSSA.

Northern Tasmania Junior Soccer Association.

This body is responsible for junior soccer in the North of the state although its constitution has no upper age limit. The area controlled is effectively east of Deloraine. It is self-contained having its own registration and records systems.

The only area in common that this body shares with Soccer Tasmania is a boy aged 14 years. Under Soccer Tasmania rules these players are allowed to play in the local Soccer Tasmania under 17 competitions. The NTJSA holds the view that for these young persons to represent their locality in “ junior” carnivals they should also be registered with their body, thus the problem of dual registration rears its head.

From time to time The NTJSA sees fit to expand its league structure by conducting an under 16 league. This cuts across the Soccer Tasmania under 17 leagues.

It should be noted that Adult Soccer Clubs are not be members of the Northern Tasmania Junior Soccer Association. Therefore each adult soccer club has to have a separate Junior Club, which is self-contained having its own registration and records systems. These Junior Clubs compete against their Adult colleagues for funding etc.

Soccer Tasmania Under Age Competition (South)

This originated as a High Schools Association. As stated above the Southern Tasmanian Soccer Association decided that all Premier Clubs had to have a junior development program that consisted of each Club having at least two sides aged between under 13 and under 17. This new competition ran parallel to the then existing High Schools Association.

Fortunately common sense prevailed and the two organizations combined to form Southern Youth. Southern Youth was eventually absorbed into Soccer Tasmania.

By: interested spectator

interested spectator — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 20:05:26 +0000

KC also sorry I didnt see you at Churchill..In fairness to all teams
represented I tried to see as many games as possible in the 2 or so hours I was there and therefore had more of an overview than focus on the NW teams.You are right when you say overall they may have been a bit shabby..and you are also right when you say the senior clubs need to work closer with the juniors..Having little to do with your neck of the woods I am unsure of what is rumour and what is fact but I heard recently that the NTJSA (either had to or is about to) change its consitution so that senior clubs can actually have junior teams..It was suggested in the past you could only be a junior club not both..horrific if true.Enough kids drop out when there is a logical and natural pathway to follow let alone being seperate.I also acknowledge (from one of your posts to sj) that the NW has produced many talented players..sadly as with southern players the number of these that have gone beyond the blue water to bigger things is too few to mention.Our leagues both North and South are social leagues at best as indicated by other postings of recent days.Accross the state more needs to be done or the decline will continue.
Best of luck and hope next time I get to a junior carnival I dont leave as dissillusioned.