Reply about Coaching/Managing Youth Soccer Teams/Clubs

[Boxertony]

I would like to reply to Suzer about her blog she wrote on her webpage called: FISH OUT OF WATER - Titled: Nepotism - or something very like it! (See Below)

 

http://h2h-fishoutofwater.blogspot.com/2009/05/nepotism-or-something-very-like-it.html#comment-form

 

I have been coaching semi pro football and profession football since I was 18 years old, now being 40 years old and my son is a professional footballer as well, which hopefully once we have emigrated to Adelaide he can then sign up for a professional soccer club and I would like to continue coaching youths soccer.

 

What it is for a lot of youth football/soccer managers and coaches is that they want the kids to win, so they tend to pick the well known kids who have a good reputation for having good soccer skills and attributes, but most importantly is that their parents are in the click, in other words they have money and contribute in some way to the clubs finances, i.e. they sponsor the soccer team, make donations or the family are generally well known to people.

 

Depending on how old the children are when they are playing soccer, depends on how you choose the players to play for you. When they are under 13 years old I have always played the lads who turn up week after week and those ones who always pay their subs and on time. But it is a natural progression that lads who play football want to win and at 13 years old and above thats the only thing they care about. Hence picking those lads with a good reputation for being a good footballer/soccer player.

As a soccer youth manager/coach you pick those lads who turn up for training, never miss games or paying their subs and their parents come and support team week in week out regardless of the weather conditions and then you start to lose games, because you have picked the good lads and not those lads who have the soccer skills/abilities. The best players lose heart and end up leaving to another club because that team/club always win. The good lads end up playing and getting beat week in week out and end up being laughing stocks to their soccer counterparts/friends. This situation is horrible to be in as a Youth soccer manager/coach especially when you know full well that the lad in question is a really really nice kid, you have gained great support from their family and he plays with all his might in every game. But there is a cocky young lad with all the soccer skills and attributes, who can win games just on his own performances. Depending on how old the team is you just cannot turn him down, because if the team keeps losing games the current players get disheartened and end up leaving.

 

The best thing you lad can do is keep trying for other teams and show that original team how stupid they were to miss out on him. But must warn you later down the line if that team comes for him, your lad will forget about how he has been treated by them and just wants to play for that team, especially if they have a good soccer team reputation and his mates play for them.

 

Sorry if this has has made you feel that I am having a go at your lad please do not think that of me. I am just trying to explain from my experiences. When your lad plays semi pro and/or professional soccer, its even worse, one bad game and it's nightmare, your lad gets dropped and it takes a lot of effort from him to get back in the team, so hard as a parent to watch your lad get treated like this and you have pick up the pieces after every disappointment.

 

Tony from Newcastle upon Tyne (emigrating to adelaide as soon as my home is sold)

[Guest CDJ_Edwards]

Hi buddy, i was very interested reading your reply to suzer about the issues surrounding youth soccer, and have to say i agree wholeheartedly. I did a bit of coaching back in the u.k and understand how hard it is to keep everyone happy.

The reason i'm writing is i have just received a message from my nephew in the u.k saying that he has been approached by a guy saying he coaches a semi pro team in WA called ballacatta, and that this team want him to play for them. Although Ben is exited about the opportunity, he is obviously a little sceptical. So i was wondering first do you have any knowledge of this team, and second do you have any idea if there are teams in Adelaide that my nephew could send his player dvd to, and try get a trial,with them?As it would be so much easier for him if he was living with us, and not stuck out in WA not knowing a sole.

I hope you didn't mind me getting in touch this way, and i really hope to hear back from you.

[Diane]

Hi David (or Cheryl)

 

You might be better off sending a PM to Tony with your question, as this is quite an old post (two years old now) and just to correct - it wasn't Suzer's son or blog, it was mine (not updated it for a while!!)

 

In case anyone cares, the final outcome of that particular situation was that the goalie who was picked (the one who had his arm in plaster at trials) was actually red-carded in the first match of the tournament and sent off, and then banned from the subsequent games. Karma huh?

 

But what also could be karma is that my son has this weekend broken his arm whilst playing in goal for his school team (he saved the goal though, that's what's important eh!?) but luckily didn't try out for Zone this year as we wanted the June weekend off!

 

Diane