HAS “WINNING” BECOME A DIRTY WORD?

This latest post arises from some thoughts I exchanged with a coaching colleague on Twitter a couple of weeks ago (follow him on @coachbanter – and please also consider following @coachingfamily to exchange coaching ideas).

The original point arose from a question about “non-competitive” sports days and whether or not, as a nation, we develop ‘tough’ individuals.

The question itself comes from a point made in a Telegraph article on the role of Dan Ashworth, the FA’s recently appointed Director of Elite Development , which you can read here .

 

 

SO, WHAT IS “WINNING”?

 

This appears, on the face of it, to be a facile question. Surely, it is the team which, at the end of the period, has scored more goals than the other.

 

Possibly.

 

However, we now have available a plethora of statistics on all aspects of the game from a variety of sources and which are provided for us, especially at the top levels of the game, on TV and in match day programmes.

 

ARE THERE DIFFERENT WAYS TO DEFINE “WINNING”?

 

My previous blog post suggested that the number of goals scored in a game is a relatively infrequent occurrence in the game anyway compared to the number and type of passes, controlling touches, decisions, throws, saves, tackles, headers and so on.

 

 

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS (KPIs)

 

In all forward looking enterprises, statistical analysis forms a significant pillar of measurement by which to judge progress.

 

This may range from profit and loss and the balance sheet of a business to departmental productivity targets and individual personal performance against agreed targets, usually at annual appraisal time.

 

Within this outline structure, there are clearly individual opportunities to succeed (win) against your individual targets even though the company targets may not necessarily be fully met over, say, a financial quarter.

 

So, then, what actions in the game can we measure to help re-define achievement that doesn’t rely purely on the final score?

 

Clearly there is a multitude, some of which are listed here and I am sure you can think of some others to add to the list:

 

• Shots – On / Off Target
• Assists (final pass leading to a goal)
• Entries into the final third (NB ‘Reacher’ – An ‘entry’ is a considered, creative act, a ‘reacher’ is an, often, long kick into a forward area of the field, in the hope that one of your players will reach it before the opponent)
• Completed passes
• Forward passes
• Sideways passes
• Backwards passes
• Diagonal passes
• 1-2s / Wall passes
• Successful turns
• Successful dribbles
• Retained the ball in a 1v1
• No of touches per possession
• Times played out from the back
• Possessions progressed through the thirds of the pitch
• How many members your club has
• How many members are retained every year/season
• How many new members are recruited every year/season
• How many members leave each year….and why?

Etc., etc.

 

However, please consider:

·        WHY you are collecting information.

·        WHAT information is relevant to your club development plan/playing style/INDIVIDUAL player development

·        HOW you will use the data (developing practices,  recruitment / retention strategies to improve)

 

See this interesting video on You Tube form Mark Upton (Australian Rules Football Coach @uppy01 )  on one way of using KPIs in a sport environment.

 

 

IS WINNING MORE FUN?

 

So then the conversation moved to the question of whether or not it is more fun when players / teams win.

 

We rallied back and forth on finding the balance of fun and enjoyment, allowing everyone to participate and develop their skills.

 

We discussed the potential of a ruthless desire to win (A la Woods, Warne, Schumacher) and whilst that is probably true for those striving to achieve truly elite or top level professional sport, all other performers can raise their level of ability through attention to detail, desire to improve and with supportive coaching.

 

Also, we must take account of the place of the game in the players’ life landscape; are they keen to play but see the game as an enjoyable past-time, or are they striving to become a professional, or somewhere in between?

 

Anecdotally, the ‘will to win’ can the difference between good players remaining ‘good’ and less competent players 'making it', through increased desire and application.

 

Whilst it may be in vogue to say "it's all about development", as coaches, surely we are absolutely concerned with development – development of the individual and of the team (though the team’s individuals may change over the seasons).

 

But what are we developing towards?

 

Style, competency, game understanding, ball mastery, expertise… winning? That development may take years but ‘winning’ is ultimately a natural outcome of good development, I believe.

 

RE-DEFINING “WINNING”

 

So I think it is important that we begin to look at how we define “winning”.

 

If we take individual or team targets (which should be AGREED with the player / team, not just ‘set’ by the coach) based upon improving measureable actions within a game or on the practice field and arrived at through analysis that helps our playing style or player competence.

 

Players can then begin to experience a sense of achievement and to build self-esteem as they see they can attain agreed, yet stretching, targets. It also helps to develop a growth mindset as they find that the more they practice with intent to improve, the better they will become – a valuable life skill.

 

HAS “WINNING” BECOME A DIRTY WORD?

 

So, no, I don't think winning has become a dirty word. I think it is a natural consequence of appropriate development...….and all of competence, determination, development, mastery, practice and style come before "winning" in the dictionary!

 

 

You may be interested in this article Winning:How Important is it in Youth Sports (taken from the www.footy4kids.co.uk website).

 

Please feel free to leave comments.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

Ah, But 11-a-Side is PROPER Football - It’s COMPETITIVE, now!

OPEN AGE FOOTBALL

I started out as a coach to coach adults in an open age game - as a player, I loved the cut and thrust of competition, striving for 2 points (well, it was 2 points when I started!) ….and then 3 and I saw coaching as a way of giving something back.

I started with a men’s reserve team, then took on an under 18 team before going back to open age football with reserves and then a county league first team.

The open age, especially, was about setting up a team to maximise its strengths, minimise its weaknesses and provide additional knowledge of tactics and strategy, set pieces in terms of free kicks, corners and throws-in and providing some technical input to improving individual and team skills.

I have to say, it was great fun - at U18 and reserve levels, especially, it was about providing some structure and helping to teach players how to compete and win and at first team level, it was, without doubt, almost all about the win.



But owing to circumstances, I moved towards younger age groups - centres of excellence for girls and boys, community / recreational teams at a variety of ages.

CHILDREN’S / YOUTH FOOTBALL

There are different nuances and responsibilities to this type of coaching. Primarily, it is about enjoyment.

(I’m not THAT keen on the word “Fun” used as often as it is - you can have “fun” on a slide or at the beach, but if you want to learn football, you have to learn the techniques and skills of the game. So, I set my practices up to be enjoyable, rather than necessarily “fun” though of course there is some of that in there too!)

It’s also about giving players an environment to learn physical skills, (running, jumping, twisting etc) that were perhaps more easily and autonomously obtained in a bygone era, as well as the skills of the game and the game itself. It is also about giving them the opportunity to learn life skills of respect, teamwork, commitment, ethics, diversity, consideration and so on. That environment needs to be enjoyable.

Kids play football for a variety of reasons - when asked, children will tell you it is to play with their friends, to keep fit, to learn new skills and to have fun (D’Oh! there y’go!). Rarely do young children tell you it is to win leagues or trophies.

For boys football, the general tendency is for players aged 10/11 (U11 - Year 6 at primary school) to play 11 a-side on big pitches with big goals*.
At U11, they now enter a league, where games are played for points and a league table is kept and published.

And this is where you start to hear the verbal expression of the phrases of the title of this post.

Well, of course the games are competitive - my experience is that players (nearly) always all play to win, that’s the point of the game after all - they did at U10 in mini-soccer and there will be no change now they are U11.

But as for ‘Proper football’, well, it depends on your interpretation. Of course, they were playing proper football in mini-soccer - it’s just that there are fewer players on a smaller pitch, with smaller goals. And there are specific reasons why we do that.

It’s to give the players more touches on the ball, to be on an around the ball more often; to be able to make more tackles, shots and passes, blocks and interceptions, so that they can learn the game and the skills and techniques which are needed to be able to play it well, in terms relative to a child. It also gives players easier decisions to make because there are limited numbers of players.

But to return to ‘proper’ football - it is only proper inasmuch as there are similar dimensions to the pitches and goals (sometimes, infuriatingly to my mind, the SAME dimensions) and the number of players, plus an appointed official, as the adult game.

So, it is representative of the adult game but, at the risk of stating the obvious, it is NOT the adult game.

It isn’t the adult game because, well, they aren’t adults; they’re children playing the game. They are still learning the game and now they have to learn a whole bunch more decisions, consider a different set of problems, caused by extra players, the size of the playing area and the imposition of the full Laws of the Game.

But it is the representation, or possibly the imitation, of the adult game that can create problems.

Attendant adults - parents, coaches, managers etc, can, if they are not very careful, translate the feelings, perceptions and actions they have for their favourite or local professional team and project them into the children’s environment.
I have seen and been told of sad stories of parents and coaches screaming and shouting at children of either or both teams at the sight of mistakes, fouls, missed shots and so on, as though they were watching / managing a professional league team.

Young referees have decisions questioned by spectators which eventually (sooner rather than later it is sad to report) rubs off on the young players.
It teaches indiscipline, attempts to influence decisions they are unable to control, a loss of concentration, control. Constant intimidation / abuse etc forces officials from the game, some so young they have hardly started.

And do you know why referees referee? Because they LOVE the game every bit as much as a player, a fan or a coach - I know…I’m also a qualified ref !

And how often are professionals criticised in the media for not respecting the officials and opponents? Where does it start….?

This type of behaviour does nothing for the development of young players. In fact in can actively inhibit young players’ development as they become afraid to take a shot or try a dribble. Consequently they can become ‘safe’, but unimaginative, players who play to a perceived style that reduces the chance of a loss.

DEVELOPMENT IS A CONTINUUM

Another nuance related to player development is that of the “better” or “weaker” player.

Development is a continuum - it starts at birth and (as far as I’m aware) ends at the obvious point ! Players develop at different rates, at different times and in different ways.
Players who develop ‘early’ physically and technically, may develop later socially and psychologically and other players may develop in a different combination of those development criteria.

So, players who develop early can be perceived as being “better” than those who develop later.
But within an age group, players may be as much as eleven months younger or older than team-mates- which, at age 11 is more than 8% of your total life span.
Even if players did develop at the same rate, (which they don’t) if they start with an 8% deficit, that will have a noticeable effect on their technical, tactical and psychological / decision making ability in the game itself. There are exceptions of course, but it is the exception that usually proves the rule.

The problem of seeing players as ‘weaker’ is that the coach / manager may choose, or come under pressure, to leave those weaker players on the sideline or bench for longer, for fear that to include them would weaken the team, possibly lead to goals being conceded or even lose the game.



Now, the problem with leaving the less well developed players out of the team for longer means that their individual development will be truncated.

Practice is one thing, but if practice AND the game are tools for player development, the player will miss out on, possibly, up to half of their development time if they are not played in games.

BIRTH BIAS

Consequently and especially if they have a late birth date in the academic year (say, August), they will fall further behind the older players who, having more playing time, will have their development effectively accelerated over the less well developed players.
If those players fall further behind, they get left out of the team more and it becomes a self fulfilling prophesy.

There is an interesting book by Malcolm Gladwell called “Outliers” which examines the phenomena of different biological ages and is often referred to as “Birth Bias”.

I personally know a coach who will happily tell you that the ‘best’ players he had at age 8, were not still the ‘best’ players by the time they got to 18.



OUT OF THEIR DEPTH

Of course there will be players who may be further behind in their development for a variety of reasons (they may not have played the game for as many years as their team-mates, for example) and there may be some, whom if played in a game against “better” players (they are only further ahead in their development, remember!) may have their confidence so undermined as to make it difficult for them to retain their self esteem.

So, I am not advocating that players be played in games regardless - I would never knowingly cast a player adrift on a sea of confusion - but we should be very wary of leaving young players out of teams for anything other than the interest of the players’ development.


THE CHILDREN’S GAME

So, if you are a parent or a coach of young players who is concerned with a win / loss ratio, please ask yourself why YOU are concerned (and I think CONCERNED is the appropriate word) with the win or loss. So long as your child or your player has tried their hardest, has become a better player / decision maker by the end of the half / game / month / season isn’t that what it is all about?

Or do you consider how YOU look as a coach or even as a parent if ‘your’ team loses a game?

No-one wants to get hammered every week, for sure (rating of leagues / teams to allow appropriate levels of competition is a whole different subject on its own!), but that isn’t what I’m on about here. I’m asking coaches and parents not to get hung up on the score - to maintain a healthy concern for the player’s development first and foremost.

I think it was Ted Bates, ex-Southampton manager (and player, scout, coach, president, chief executive) who said:
“We teach them to win before they can play.”


LATE DEVELOPING SPORT

Football is a late developing sport - along with rugby, hockey and American football to name a few others. (early developing sports are those such as gymnastics and swimming).

How many teams at any level have young players who consistently hold their position in a ‘first team’ at open age? Not many - and again, the exceptions tend to prove the rule.
Football players are generally regarded as being at their peak around 27 / 28 (maybe a little earlier for females).
So if you have a player, or a child, who is “weaker” at age 11 than some of their team-mates; please don’t fret - they still have another 1.5 times their current life span to reach their potential.

And if we all help to provide the environment in which they can flourish, they may still love the game and may still be playing when they ARE 27 or 28.





"Young kids should be taught how to play in every area of the pitch, not taught to play a specific role. They don't need to be taught a role because it is innate. Every player has a natural disposition towards one role or another but first they have to learn to play everywhere." Marcello Lippi

* FA Rules allow 9-aside football up to age 14 which, to my way of thinking would be preferable so players could go from 7 - 9 - 11 a side football with a gradual progression in terms of pitch size and, more importantly, the decision making and technical skills needed to play in a full sized game. Unfortunately, leagues are run by adults for whom it is easier to organise football as it always has been, rather than having to be creative in the provision of different facilities.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT - Thanks to Give Us Back Our Game (GUBOG) for permission to use their images in this post.