How to improve youth development

[Mr Base]

Development up to fifteen is fine. From fifteen on it lacks in many areas.
The yay I see it, coaches have way tomany players. At U18 they sign up to twenty guys. Just think of it how mutch playing time can each player get.
Fourteen max at U15 and up. Kids will develop strength and lugs. And also have to work very hard on mental focus. Skill should be developed before fifteen.
How do some of you other coaches and player see it?

 

[bluebird]

totally agree at the age of 15 ish training has to change and concentrate on the theory of the game ... off the ball movement .... how and when to defend e.t.c. e.t.c. i look arround now and still see grown men even at prem level doing skill drills.
we use them for warm up and then try do do other things

i would love to see this change.

as for numbers i dont mind up to 18 players in a squad it breeds a competative edge just to make the starting line up

 

[johnnybluenose]

Players should not be playing games as we play them until the age of 14 or 15...Players should be playing in scrimmages where coaches are not tracking wins, losses, draws or whatever...

The emphasis should be on development, not winning.

That is the root cause of all evils with footy in Canada in my opinion.

 

[knvb]

Good lord.... no games?

Next you'll tell me hip hip hoooray after every scrimmage is mandatory.

 

[italian_stallion21]

Players should not be playing games as we play them until the age of 14 or 15...Players should be playing in scrimmages where coaches are not tracking wins, losses, draws or whatever...

The emphasis should be on development, not winning.

That is the root cause of all evils with footy in Canada in my opinion.

I agree with you on most things, but not this. Are we to give them participation medals for 10 years? How can you breed and sort of competiveness with everyone coming off the field going "yay, tie!". They need to have some pressure put on them to succeed, otherwise when they turn 14-15 and have to play a meaningful game they choke. See - Canada in the Olympics. I use the USA as an example, and I'm aware there's a funding difference there, but kids down there routinely play in meaningful games in front of thousands of people and they learn to perform under pressure. That doesn't come from 10 years of no games and scrimmaging.

 

[kjohnsob]

He could just as easily be serious as he could be taking the piss...

 

[lfc3]

Players should not be playing games as we play them until the age of 14 or 15...Players should be playing in scrimmages where coaches are not tracking wins, losses, draws or whatever...

The emphasis should be on development, not winning.

That is the root cause of all evils with footy in Canada in my opinion.

That's ridiculous in my opinion. Kids are so self centered as it is, being told there the cat's ass from the age of 9 or 10, academy this, metro that, Y-League and the rest of it. The loyalty to your team or club has gone out the window. Parents moving their kids from team to team thinking they are going to get the magical scholarship and pro contract. Point is, teach them from an early age what it means to be loyal and to be a team mate. So important, way more important than being able to skin a kid in a pair of $300 shoes while making sure his hair is still looking good.

In my line of work I get to see kids from all walks every day, probably better described as all different types of parents and family units. Not a perfect science, but you can peg the good ones at 10 or 11. Mature, respectful, polite and the rest of it. Just as easy to see the rotten ones.

The kids we are producing today have more skill than ever before. Just don't think we are producing good people at the clip we may have been previously. Likely not just a Canadian issue, but a first world issue. Everybody just a bit more selfish than before. Just my opinion.

I always find that the well thought out and insightful posts by Mr Base get me thinking about things in a very refreshing manner.

 

[djones]

I've said it before and I'll say it again... a junior soccer league (mimics Major Junior Hockey). Canadians can't grasp the way things are done in Europe but we do understand and tolerate junior hockey. U17 up to U21 prepping them for MLS, USL, semi pro, University or higher. It will also develop the one thing that is truly lacking... coaches!

Junior hockey has the best developmental system in the country of any sport that we play. We have a knack for developing a good chunk of the best talent in the world whether it's Canadian, American and/or European. It's ruled by Hockey Canada and, although there is a Canadian Junior team, there is nothing above it like Provincial teams or a professional team putting in their two cents and trying to undermine it or raiding it for players trying to create something superior at the expense of other programs.

If we follow the junior hockey league model we would also have different tiers below it that assist in this development process.

Having one, two or three pro and semi pro teams responsible for youth development at this level is going to do nothing. Even Chelsea, Man United and Liverpool with their vast scouting techniques, experience and coaching get it wrong and struggle to get their youth players on England’s U17, U20, U21 and U23 teams. If they can't do it, do we really expect the Whitecaps, TFC and the Impact to do a more efficient job? Please!

The system now (provincial, prospect programs) miss so many players and discourage rather than encourage players. They either don't fit the "proto-type" that these programs are looking for (play a different style or not yet physically developed) or they just get fed up with the system and rejection and choose not to even try (one man's garbage can be turned into another man's masterpiece). With this attitude, no wonder some of our best players who left overseas have turned their back on this broken system and embrace a system that developed them to a higher level! Being apart of a program that helps you develop gives you a sense of loyalty which can also be part of the education process.

As in major junior hockey, we could have a Western, Ontario and Quebec/Maritimes league with 10-20 teams each league. That's 30 - 60 "developmental centers" that coach, train, educate, and apprentices young players and coaches towards the professional game. They would also be responsible for scouting and drafting players from the select leagues across the province and country. (A player draft would be brilliant!)

All these wealthy "philanthropists" applying for MLS franchises and talking that they're doing it to better soccer in this country are fooling some (especially the media and the ones that have drunk the "kool-aid") but if they really wanted to invest in the improvement of soccer in this country, they'd invest in the youth and not the final product that flashes potential $$$$ before their eyes! Maybe then and only then, we will be able to field 'a' team full of Canadians in the MLS and a Canadian team that is worthy of making it out of the group stages of WCQ and into the hex with other "real" soccer countries.

 

[Mr Base]

Thanks guys i do agree with you guys. To add to it, there could be a turnament three times a year to get them in to win lose type of situation. I do agee with a reading of the play movment off of the ball overlaping cutting two man attack three man attack. and read how to defend. Most of the kids here do not see it. They pass and then they think teir pat is done. And the biggest part that I do not understand is parents think the coach is responsable for the fitness of their child. Any here elss you have to be fit or you get choped.
Fom some of you how mutch running do you think kids need in order to play on the gold
club? This is somthing many parents and coaches do not see eye to eye. The word is why does my Johny have to run that mutch. I grew up in a club system where we as youngsters head to run twice a weeek atleast six kliks on what ever speed we could with out stopping. That first started at U12 U 13. Let hear it from you guys.

 

[lfc3]

He could just as easily be serious as he could be taking the piss...

Read his other 6000 posts, I think he is being serious.

Again just my opinion.

 

[lita]

The yay I see it, coaches have way tomany players. At U18 they sign up to twenty guys. Just think of it how mutch playing time can each player get.

U18 has 20 signings because at 17 kids have jobs, other sports, school commitments and trying to field a full team can be difficult.

Yes, maybe they need to show more commitment but when your allowance is cut off and your car payments are due your paycheck looks pretty nice. In my house exams and grades comes before soccer - getting into a good school is far more important.

 

[Captain Shamrock]

There isn't enough emphasis on the developing lugs in my opinion.

 

[peg_rangers]

djones, looks like you have put quite a lot of thought into this. I like your ideas, you make some really good points. I do think having MLS franchises in Canada will not hurt though. The system now seems to be lacking any kind of direction and modeling after the junior hockey system "seems" like a great idea. Who knows, maybe your onto something.

 

[bluebird]

There isn't enough emphasis on the developing lugs in my opinion.

i think its awsome that he wants to include deaf kids in this

to many things to quote from above but there is a reason why at pro clubs in uk they still have to serve an appreticship (sp) clean boots , drag out training gear clean showers for the first team e.t.c. it goes along the route lfc3 is talking about .... being humble and earning the right to be there so when you do you appreciate what you have earned

 

[girth]

Agree 100% Bluebird...earn your stripes and do what it takes to see the pitch.

 

[kjohnsob]

i think its awsome that he wants to include deaf kids in this

to many things to quote from above but there is a reason why at pro clubs in uk they still have to serve an appreticship (sp) clean boots , drag out training gear clean showers for the first team e.t.c. it goes along the route lfc3 is talking about .... being humble and earning the right to be there so when you do you appreciate what you have earned

ok all that does is explain why the current mnt is a bunch of premadanonas not any insight into developing talent cleaning boots does not yield better players

 

[kjohnsob]

2008/2009 CSA Budget

An interesting read

 

[bluebird]

ok all that does is explain why the current mnt is a bunch of premadanonas not any insight into developing talent cleaning boots does not yield better players

i guess what i'm trying to say is when kids have been handed everything on a plate they dont appreciate it the same
i dont know how many kids ive seen come from u/18 try out for prem and be told sign u/21 or even div 1 and play up, earn your time .... and they say no thanks .... 6 weeks later you see them playing u/21 in a team with no teams above to move on to

i know i've still not given the answer you are looking for but i dont have the answer your looking for i just want to winge about the youth of today cos of course we were not like that when i was a kid
spoiled little b@stards ..... need a dam good thrashing

 

[Mr Base]

See guys by reading your posts gives me new ideas. And it will help me to be a better coach. It is not about winning at all coasts stacking teams from select program just to win in a gold level. It is about development and building a better base and lifting the level of soccer. That and that alone is why US is ahead of us and many other countries.
All we need is hundred mebers with seven grad each and we could have onother White Cap type of club for our kids to develop at the higher levels. It all starts with kids.
We need to change as coaches work together to develop the kids. It is not all about winning at all coacts. Now lets hear it from you guys when should the kids be selected for upper Provincial program an even National program? I say U15 that way the coaches at the higher level will have to years to work with kids to prepair them for National tournaments.

 

[Mr Base]

Sorry guys would not guy like Giggs do a woderfull development program for all of us guys? The Pronice or BCSA should pay a guy like him to come out and talk to us to give us new ideas to give us new hope. What is your opinion on this. Place like Swangard could be the place for him to demostrate the practice for all of us. Just small tings to make us better in soccer. What the heck is thiry bucks per guy. I am dam sure we would have tun of coaches present.