KIDS’ FOOTBALL IS CHANGING

I hope by now that most people involved in Youth Football, at least, are aware of the changes to formats of youth football that are being phased in from 2013-14 season.

These changes were ratified by The FA in May 2012 following extensive research, consultation and listening to what the children said over a period of over two years, led by National Development Manager for Youth & Mini Soccer, Nick Levett (link to Nick's blog http://youthfootballdevelopment.blogspot.co.uk/ )

 If you aren’t sure about the details, have a look here where you will see links to documents, videos and booklets with all the information you need.

 
NEW FORMATS FOR YOUTH FOOTBALL.

Some of the main changes to kids’ football and possibly the most obvious are the changes to pitch and goal sizes but especially to the numbers of players on the field of play.

Contrary to some initial beliefs that the FA was trying to make soccer ‘non-competitive’, I think, in the main, it is now widely accepted that the FA is actually trying to make youth football and competition within it, child centred.

Whilst the smaller team sizes have well researched positive outcomes in terms of touches on the ball, shots, saves and simpler decision making and will help the development of players, I personally believe there are even more important considerations in the development of our young players.

The new formats will not, in isolation, allow our young players to develop apace and become world beating players as they reach maturity.

I strongly believe that the key to the development of a new breed of exciting player (at ALL levels of the game) are the coaches and, additionally, the parents of young players.

 

HOW COACHES AND PARENTS CAN HELP PLAYER DEVELOPMENT

The format changes to youth football will provide the platform to a change in the way we develop young players but the approach, attitude and mindset of those people with a significant influence over young players are the ones who will really facilitate the change towards more competent and exciting players.

 

FOOTBALL IS A SIMPLE GAME ?

The view that football is a simple game is, to my mind, a tad over simplistic in itself.

It is true that it is played to relatively few and simple rules and, consequently, is therefore relatively easy to understand, even for young or novice players.

Conversely though, it is extremely complex to play the game well and to any level of consistency.

I think it is recognised that football is what is described as a late developing sport, where male players are at their peak at around 27 years of age and female players perhaps a bit younger.

 

PATIENCE

That being the case, significant adults (parents and coaches, generally) have a key role to play in displaying extreme patience as young players develop and learn the game.

 Consider a player in possession of the ball in the midst of a game (whether in practice or a game against another team) and the complexity of their role.

They are, simultaneously, trying to:

·         Keep control of the ball

·         Advance the ball up or around the pitch whilst running or dribbling

·         Screen / keep the ball away from an immediate opponent

·         Look for a shot or pass

·         Deciding on the correct technique / skill to execute

·         Looking for a team mate to whom to pass

·         Deciding which team mate is free / the right person to whom to play the pass

·         Avoid opponents when shooting or passing

·         Execute the skill decided upon

 All of this whilst the football ‘picture’ is dynamically changing.

Each passing second of the game sees players, team mates and opponents, continually moving and therefore, the player’s activities and decision making mentioned above take on an additional level of complexity.

So, then, considering the degree of difficulty of a single player’s activity in a single action of the game it starts to become apparent that, especially at young ages, we must expect players to make mistakes as they learn to understand the game and to develop the skills to play it well.

MISTAKES

During practices and games players must be allowed to make mistakes without fear of criticism.

If players are not allowed to make mistakes they will play within their current ‘comfort zone’ and will not learn how to find new ways to solve football problems.

If players are taught to ‘get rid of it’ or ‘kick it out’ for fear of conceding a goal, they will never learn how to manipulate the ball under pressure, how to trick and dribble around an opponent when under pressure or how to combine with team mates in tight areas to retain possession and play around opponents to extricate themselves from difficult situations. All of which are skills I believe we recognise in continental teams, yet seem reluctant to praise in teams in which we have an interest

PLAYER DEVELOPMENT

 The game, against an opponent, though, is only one part of a player’s development.

 Practices should be designed to provide a learning outcome related to the Principles of Play (Principles of Attack and Principles of Defence) in a dynamic format.

 I am an advocate of the Teaching Games for Understanding approach (see previous post here ) where adapted small sided games allow players to ‘play’ whilst learning tactical skills related to the Principles of Play.

Line Drills (or ‘Constant’ practices) do not transfer to the game well, are quickly boring for young players and are soon accompanied by the plea “When can we have a GAME coach?”

Coaches should try to design part practices which allow small group practices where everyone is ‘playing’ with targets/goals or challenges for both attackers AND defenders (try not to have defenders just give the ball back when they win it – what do you want defenders to do when they win the ball in a game against an opponent? Keep it and become an attacker!).

Part practices can quickly be transferred to a larger small sided game with two teams without having to relay cones/discs.

Alternatively, from perhaps initially playing ‘the game’ after warm up, it can be broken down into a practice to teach the theme before moving back to a small sided game again (Whole-Part-Whole practice).

Small sided practices that are adaptations of the ‘big’ game are great for giving players lots of goes at something.

Having said all of that, of course, players must be given the chance to test their skills in ‘games’ too. If less well developed players are not given the opportunity to improve their game craft, their development will be restricted.

 For examples of game related practices, try to get or read a copy of the FA’s Future Game document which provides many templates for small games involving attack and defence.

DEVELOPMENT/GROWTH MINDSET

So coaches and parents of young players should try to develop a relaxed approach to games and practices involving young players.

Try to observe, recognise and celebrate (“Well done...”) improvements in game understanding and skills without concentrating on the score at the end of the game.

Goals are relatively infrequent occurrences in the game anyway compared to the number and type of passes, controlling touches, decisions, throws, saves, tackles, headers and so on.

 If practice has been designed over a period to develop players understanding of how, where, when and with whom to make a challenge or tackle, for example, when defending, try to set individual players targets to achieve regarding defending in a game.

Try to provide challenges for all players too, not just ‘the defenders’ by game position that week. How will midfield and attacking players defend when the team doesn’t have the ball? Do they actually have to win the ball to have defended appropriately?

Then, during the game itself, observe, record and praise successes where elements of defending that have been taught in practices have occurred in the game.

Players will gradually become more confident and competent as they are, appropriately, challenged based upon their age and ability.

If coaches and parents can view practice and games as learning opportunities where young players develop their understanding of the game and the skills to play it well, without overt pressure, we can all make a major contribution to player and game development.

It is the process of learning the game that is of utmost importance foryoung players rather than the game outcome.

Player development is a long term process and takes years, not weeks or months. Good coaches and positive parents can help accelerate and enhance that development by providing the right environment and encouragement to be exciting, problem solving and independently thinking players in an expansive game style.

There will be plenty of time when players reach maturity (past 21) where the winning will become the priority.

So, Kids’ Football IS Changing – but what is most important; the formats or the mind-sets? Or do they go hand in hand?

For a thought provoking view of growth or fixed mind sets, try to read a copy of “Mindset” by Dr. Carol Dweck

 

Please feel free to leave a comment

ARE WE SEARCHING FOR A ‘HOLY GRAIL’ ?

ARE WE SEARCHING FOR A ‘HOLY GRAIL’ ? / IS THERE REALLY A “SILVER BULLET”?

There is lots of discussion and opinion voiced through the internet and traditional media currently, (in England especially, but now expanding to Scotland after the Hearts / Tottenham game) about Youth/Player Development.

WHAT CONSTITUTES “BEST”?

There is a general appreciation of Spanish football and particularly the way Barcelona play and whilst the English Premier League is generally regarded as the “most exciting league in the world”, there is a tacit acceptance that it is not the best league in the world. I guess that depends on your perspective…. What is ‘best’? Is it the league that scores the most goals (Bundesliga) or is it the “technically” (?) best league (Spain?) or is it the league that produces the most home grown players or is it the league that generates most international winning sides (Brazil, Italy, Germany, Argentina)?

SPAIN

Spain is, arguably, the ‘best’ team, internationally at the moment and if Heineken did football teams, Barcelona is probably the one they would ‘do’. However, there is a school of thought that suggests that Spain are really playing a derivative Dutch game based on the ‘Total Football’ of the 70’s and which owes a debt of gratitude to the vision of Rinus Michels and Johann Cruijff (who is now 64, would you believe – remember the first ‘Cruyff Turn’?).

NB As of 24 August 2011 new FIFA rankings officially place the Netherlands as number 1 in the World. - Ed




YOUTH DEVELOPMENT

There is a groundswell of opinion against the ‘Win At All Costs’ approach to grassroots football (at the potential Elite level, results have come second to development and performance for donkey’s years).
Coaches and managers are increasingly aware of their responsibilities to teach the GAME not just how to WIN

(“In England, you teach your kids how to win. In Portugal and Spain they teach their kids how to play” - Jose Mourinho)

That being the case, everyone is looking to the optimum way to develop players. Accepting that at Grassroots level you may have players once a week for an hour and a half this is a bit of a challenge.

A great deal of coaches accept that ‘Constant’ or linear, drill based practices are a thing of the past and that this approach doesn’t transfer well to the game.

Increasingly, ‘amateur’ coaches at the grassroots level are creating and using game related practices to teach the game – overloads, under-loads, 2v2, 4v4, 6v6, 5v5+2 and so on to recreate what happens in the ‘big’ game in order to allow the players to develop experience at an accelerated rate.

These “variable” and “random” practices help players to build game memories, which, in turn, transfer better to the ‘real’ game and makes it easier to recall and apply in the weekend match.

“The same thing NEVER happens TWICE in a game – but LOTS of SIMILAR things happen ALL the time” – Paul Holder, FA Staff Coach

CONTINENTAL APPROACHES

Of course, on the continent, game-like practices have been the norm for years. But now we are looking to replicate the best of what the world has to offer in football – Spain and Barcelona are the current ‘Gold Standard’ of football.

But, with a closer look, Spain have won one World Cup and two European Championships (the first in 1964), so, not consistent performers by any stretch of the imagination (although Barcelona and Real Madrid have won a ton of European Cups -Champions League and equivalent- between them over the years).

Most people will accept the Brazilians as probably the all-time greats (5 World Cups) but the Italians aren’t far behind with 4 wins and of course the Germans have 3 World Cups and 3 European Championships and are regular qualifiers in the last 4 of major competitions.

Various nations have tried to mirror the Dutch development, again, as they are recognised as producing some of the best players and coaches, with the exportation of their respective talents across the world as evidence.

Or is it a case of having a Vision and a philosophy of the way to play that is important? After all, if you have no collective vision, how can you plan a developmental programme to which everyone can subscribe and that is intended to provide gradual steps from the grassroots to the pinnacle of the elite levels? If we are all singing from different hymn sheets, do we really know where we are headed?

THE SILVER BULLET / THE HOLY GRAIL OF FOOTBALL SUCCESS

But, aside from the discussions about the merits or de-merits of ‘Variable – Random’ practices over ‘Constant’ practices, are we deluding ourselves that someone has “The Answer” as to the best / one right way to develop players?

With an acknowledgement to “10,000 hours of deliberate practice” to develop expertise and the coincidence of opportunity and desire is the rest of it perhaps cyclical?

Looking at incidences of World Cup and European Championships’ winners, only Italy and Brazil have won back to back World Cups and no team has won consecutive European Championships.

Perhaps the consistency of achievement at the latter stages of major competitions would be a more accurate gauge of success, in which case you’d be hard pushed to better the record of the Germans, but we rarely seem to consider replicating their development approaches / strategies – maybe we should?

But does anyone really have all the answers? Is it more a coincidence and combination of developmental approach/philosophy, the numbers of people available, the quality of coaches (another post, perhaps?), money available, deliberate practice and the cyclical nature of another (I hesitate to use the phrase) “golden generation”?

Teaching Games For Understanding (TGfU) and Game Sense

Various professionals have been advocating a model called Teaching Games for Understanding, for over 2 decades.

TGfU is an innovative way to teach games understanding whilst also enabling players to practice the techniques required to play a game well in a game-like setting.

TGfU places the learner (player / student) at the centre of the learning experience rather than putting the coach at the centre as the fount of all knowledge.

For years, teachers and coaches have approached the challenge of games teaching from a perspective of technique first, game second.
The trouble is that it has been recognised that players who master or, at least, become competent at these techniques do not always transfer them well to the game.
It is as though they have ‘trained to train’ (this is not a reference to the LTPD/ LTAD profile) but have not trained or practised to play the game itself.

When Can We Have a Game, Coach?

Anyone who has ever coached children, whether at school or in a club environment, will be familiar with the question “When can we have a game?”

It was almost as though the game was the reward for correctly practising the techniques through a series of linear, static (or ‘constant’) drills.

TGfU evolved from exactly the notion that players need to be able to combine tactical understanding with technique development and the execution of decision and technique choice becomes the ‘skill’ that is required by the game.

Playing Games

The model requires the teacher / coach to identify the tactical problems of the game being taught and to provide a representative and exaggerated version of the game which will create the problems that the player is required to solve, during the game itself.

The teacher must also prepare a series of likely questions to ask the players in order to tease out their understanding and problem solving skills about the challenges they face. The questions may be along the lines of “What were you trying to do? What did you see? What would happen if that player moved there? What else could you have done? Why did you choose that option?” and so on.

The answers generated by the players will indicate the level to which they understand and are trying to resolve the problem.


Key-Word Bingo

There is always the danger with younger players / children that they can get to understand that the coach is looking for certain answers in order to judge understanding.
This can be a pre-cursor to a sort of ‘key-word bingo’ where the coach asks “What are you looking for?” and the players says ‘Space!’ and coach says ‘ Good answer!’ - The key is to probe the players - ‘So, when you say you are looking for space, what do you mean? Why do you need to find space? Where is the space?’ and so on.

So, the combination of games designed to replicate a specific tactical problem experienced in the game and where that problems arises often, together with an idea of questions we need to ask to test players understanding will, I believe, enhance their overall learning.

Game Sense

Game Sense is a variation of the TGfU model developed by Australian coaches bringing a slightly more structured approach to the concept.

It has been adopted from grassroots to elite level of sports in Australia and its strengths are seen as:
• Development of an ability to work off the ball
• Transfer of training / practice into the game (see above)
• Development of independent players (i.e. not reliant on the coach)
• Motivation of players at practice (playing ‘games’ rather than performing ‘drills’
• The inclusive nature of the type of training / practice

Chaos !

“The Game Sense approach can appear chaotic. The game itself is chaotic. You go out and the game is chaotic and they’re the conditions you have to train for. You have to replicate the game in training and develop players who can make sense of the chaos.” - Les Bee, manager of coaching and officiating Victoria Coaching Centre, Australia.

‘On My Word - Unleash the Athletes….’

From a club hierarchy and sometimes parents of junior players’ perspectives, Game Sense / TGfU approaches to player development can seem chaotic. There can be multiple players with multiple balls (as in football/soccer) all moving around in a smallish area and it can be difficult to see what the learning focus is to the casual observer.

Standing players in neat lines, making them run pre-determined patterns making a particular type of pass, for example looks good and well ordered but as we have examined in the lack of skill to game transference, is it very useful?
Additionally, it tends to isolate the less well developed players by constantly identifying what they can’t do, rather than what they can. Immersion in the game (or a representation of it) allows even the less well developed player to find the joy and expression of the game without having to be ‘an expert’.

If we are to fight the onslaught of child and later, adult, obesity, we must find ways for people to play sport throughout their lives. Game Sense and TGfU, as models help us to provide that in order to engage players in the joy of playing for its own sake.

The use of the Game Sense approach also helps provide coaches with a way to develop more complete players - players with adaptable skills, tactical understanding, vision and an ability to make informed decisions.

Whole-Part-Whole

There is absolutely no problem in providing a game related practice whereby the players begin to understand the need to practice a particular technique and then the coach isolating a practice to work on that aspect before returning to the game again.

Practices

Practices can, simplistically, be said to be on a continuum from Constant, to Variable to Random.

Constant will perhaps represent a simple line passing drill where the inside of the foot push pass is practiced.
A variable practice will perhaps be represented by the ‘Through The Gate Game’ from the FA Level 1 certificate where multiple teams are passing their own ball through a series of gates with no DIRECT opposition but lots of INTERFERENCE from the other players.
A random practice would be replicated by a game of 4v4 with full opposition.

Make A Change

Obviously there are degrees of difficulty across the spectrum which it is the coach’s challenge to find in order to appropriately challenge the players under their tutelage.
This can be done by varying challenges set for the players by changing the size or shape of the area used, changing the number of players in the practice (e.g. maybe have a 6v2 instead of a 4v4) and even changing the equipment used.

So, if you are looking to teach players to find and use space, maybe use an American football in a hand ball game variation rather than having a football at their feet. That allows them to play with their head up and recognise where and when their team-mates move into space and when, where and how to pass the ball to avoid opponents.

It is fair to say that the TGfU or Game Sense approach is a long term development approach and definitely does not provide a ‘quick fix’. However, use of TGfU also allows coaches / teachers in an educational environment to categorise and sample games which are similar in objective for the benefit of students. So, as an example, ‘invasion’ or ‘territorial’ games will have similar objectives and therefore, problems.

Using basketball and soccer as examples, the tactical problems are, broadly speaking, the same. There is also evidence to suggest that players who play both, also play both better than those who only play one game.

FA Youth Awards

The new FA Youth Awards capture a great deal of that which is discussed here and are a great introduction to a way of coaching that, whilst certainly not new, is a definite deviation from what is considered to be a ‘traditional’ coaching approach.

Source: Teaching Games for Understanding - Theory, Research and Practice by Linda L. Griffin and Joy I. Butler