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Post by llannerch on Jul 4, 2010 21:57:18 GMT
The reason I ask is that in the Daily Mail article on another thread Hoddle talks about the need for kids to play on smaller pitches. I did the FAW's Football Leader's Award 9 years ago and also coached an U11s team in Wrexham - the use of small pitches was becoming common at this time. I've not been involved for a few years now though
So, the coaches among you, what's the situation at junior level now? Dare I say we've stolen a march on our Saxon friends?
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Post by walrus on Jul 4, 2010 22:06:59 GMT
. Llanerch we may have stolen a march on England but the rest of the world has realised this for a decade. Barcelona, Ajax, Germany many big clubs have for a while realised that modern life doesn't allow for small sided games in the street/park to the extent it once did. So they have reinstated this at training starting with 6 and 7 year olds to counteract this lack of free game time. I was astonished back in 99 that many european nations we played in a big youth tournament had no physical prowess or fighting spirit and relied almost totally on technique and tactics. At that level we were succesful because we outmuscled and outfought. Gawd the horror!
The Australians have just bought , lock stock and barrell, the Dutch coaching method and are adapting it to their own culture. That means all junior teams will play 433 and will play small sided games in the formative years.
wales must take the best from overseas and adapt to suit not slavishly copy.
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Post by llannerch on Jul 5, 2010 7:42:56 GMT
. Llanerch we may have stolen a march on England but the rest of the world has realised this for a decade Indeed, maybe for more than a decade in some acses I'm sure...I couldn't resist the dig  But if the system of small pitches and small teams began to be embedded at junior level in Wales approx 10 years ago, is it fair to say that it has begun to pay a dividend with the U21s success - many of these players would have entered 'the system' at about 7 years of age? I'm sure there's other factors but it must be a reason otherwise why do it at all |
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Post by walrus on Jul 5, 2010 8:14:20 GMT
Ha Ha nice one.
Obviously there are whole lot of reasons why kids turn into good players and maybe you are right that Wales has been on to the small sided games for a while and has produced some good players with flair.
I use the example of Luke Wilkshire to illustrate what might be wrong.
Signed for M'boro as a kid had a few senior games, moved to Bristol City but was on the margins. Was advised by Guus Hiddink to leave Britain if he wanted to improve. He is now playing regularly in the Russian prem. Is now a fixture in the australian team. Point is he was deemed too small for the prem and championship but overseas teams valued his technique, work ethic and pace. How many little ones have we lost? How on earth did Robbie Savage get so many caps?
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Post by flynnfan on Jul 5, 2010 17:51:40 GMT
Anyone know how many mini-pitches there are in Wales all together?
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Post by walrus on Jul 5, 2010 22:38:47 GMT
A mini pitch could be half a pitch with goals on each touchline.
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Post by flynnfan on Jul 6, 2010 13:21:18 GMT
yeah sorry, bit pedantic to ask about exact numbers! In the programme for the Norway game a couple of years back David Collins mentioned that their were plans for another 12 or so mini pitches to be installed in Wales, following on from 40 plus that had been installed in the few years previously. Consdidering we're a small country and must have had quite a few mini-pitches installed already, I think those numbers seem quite healthy. And if it seems to be the general trend in Wales now to introduce children to football via small sided games on mini-pitches then we're absolutely on the right lines.
I played a few years of junior football - 11 a side on full size pitches and I ended up hating it. People would just boot it over the top for the fast kid to chase. The big kids with powerful shots would shoot at distance over the small keepers heads... I don't think I ever really learnt anything about football.
In the last few years I played 7 a side on a small pitch (albeit in the south of England), and the difference is enormous. No slide tackles, so you learn how to stay on your feet, or to defend without tackling (taking up positions to deny passes, shots etc- all stuff I wish Ryan Shawcross had learnt as a kid) Small goals so you have to get your head over the ball to shoot, and be a lot more accurate. No horrible bumpy pitches, so you learn to trust your touch and control of the ball becomes easier. Smaller pitches mean there's no space to just knock the ball over the top for the fast player to run on to....
All stuff it would have been good to learn at 10/11 rather than 29...
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Post by Deleted on Jul 6, 2010 20:22:43 GMT
From FAW directives for the first time this year, at under 7s (first full season for junior football) we have been playing 4 a side - all of the kids are getting on the ball more frequently and by the end of this year are starting to pass the ball around nicely on occasions on small pitches. Hopefully in 10-15 years we will reap the benefits.
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Post by flynnfan on Jul 6, 2010 21:58:26 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Jul 7, 2010 13:34:16 GMT
I think from what we were told the 4 a side introduction was recommended in England but not mandatory and not generally adopted so hopefully we are ahead of the neighbours in this respect.
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Post by llannerch on Jul 7, 2010 21:25:20 GMT
Never thought I'd praise a Daily Mail article but there is some passion gone into that article by Mr Samuel |
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Post by flynnfan on Jul 8, 2010 14:13:45 GMT
It's a shame he's at the daily Heil now(think he used to be at the Times), because Martin Samuel is a quality football writer. One of the few English football journalists actually worth reading. You'll notice that article is from May, so he was on the case there before the world cup, and all the subsequent journalistic soul searching that's since gone on about what's wrong with the English 'system'.
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Post by welshiron on Jul 13, 2010 13:06:15 GMT
I have just started coaching an u8s team and the games will be 5 a side on small pitches with blow up goals.
This will help to improve technique (in time) but also has a downside.
I have had to turn away players as I already have too many and as always there is a shortage of people willing or able to run a team.
Any advice from experienced coaches would be welcome
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Post by flynnfan on Jul 13, 2010 18:51:56 GMT
I'm not an experienced coach, but I'll try and help anyway. 7 a side is great- it's still mainly about core skills but it bumps the numbers up a bit. Rolling subs are good too. Gets everyone involved and kids can try different positions - see which they like best, improves their all round game. Get more than 2 teams playing- play scorer stays on.
Talk to Osian Roberts at the Welsh football trust if you can. Hopefully he'll be helpful- it's his job after all.
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Post by saints19 on Jul 13, 2010 20:00:28 GMT
Never thought I'd praise a Daily Mail article but there is some passion gone into that article by Mr Samuel Have to give credit to Samuel. He is in a priviliged position but, unlike some pundits, actually takes his job seriously (or perhaps he just loves what he does?). His knowledge of football history, statistics and trivia is brilliant, his articles are always illustrated with some interesting fact. Many other pundits, I read their articles and in all seriousness think I could do a better job. Not Samuel. |
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Post by llannerch on Jul 13, 2010 20:58:42 GMT
Hey saints, you've just outed yourself as a Daily Mail Regular |
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Post by walrus on Jul 14, 2010 6:59:16 GMT
I'm from a generation or two above you Flynn fan so i recall the magical days of small boys in the park, jumpers for.........etc. In fact i was managed by Brian Flynn's dad as an aside.
What we didn't have in conditioning, technique and tactical knowledge we made up for in game awareness, team ethic, dribbling, flair and tackling. In those days we could even head well after hours of centering and heading in fact everyone could head the ball. Today someone like Robbie Keane still cannot.
conditioning, technique and tactical knowledge have all gone through the roof in the past 10 or so years but flair dribbling tackling game awareness have gone backwards as the athletic robots take over. Someone like Rhys Williams in fact.
Hopefully the manufacturing of the joy of football through these small sided pitches will bring back the fun for kids and through their coaches can pick up technique and tactical knowledge. Let the little kids play though after all football is for fun and pleasure first by playing not as a spectator sport.
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Post by saints19 on Jul 14, 2010 13:56:16 GMT
Hey saints, you've just outed yourself as a Daily Mail Regular ;D My dad buys it. I just read the sport section, which is actually fairly good (although like the other English tabloids, went way OTT about England's World Cup exit). |
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