One of the things that gets mentioned when discussing youth football and developments to the game is the consistent pressure on volunteers and the same few people doing more and more. This is certainly true in many clubs and leagues, with the all-too-willing doing all-too-much. In truth, I wouldn't do some of the roles that some people I speak to have; 20+ hours-a- week on top of having a full time job?! That's a big commitment.
So, what are the solutions to this? Well, a few ramblings to follow might encourage a couple of thoughts of your own, and a reflection of your own situation.
First up, I have spoken to thousands of people around the country all volunteering in grassroots football and there is a fairly consistent message: "We need more volunteers". However, when you get to the crux of it, actually, many of these people are unwilling to give up some of the 'power base' they have. They volunteer loads of time but when someone says "can i help?", the job they get offered is either the rubbish stuff they don't want to do or they don't let them in.
I do think we would be far more efficient in recruiting volunteers if roles were split up. Make that 20hr-a-week role into five jobs of 4hrs, as people might be willing to give up that time, but who wouldn't be scared of an extra 20+hrs a week? I know I couldn't commit that extra on top of my current life.
Secondly, parents take a lot for granted, certainly at junior football clubs. Many will turn up, drop the kids off and disappear shopping. Some don't even stop the car, they'll just open the door and boot them out! I know of some clubs now having success with a "Parent Pledge" - a commitment to giving up some time to support the running of the club. For clubs to be truly at the heart of the community, they need people to pull together, and after all, they are leaving you with their most prized possession in the world. (Mine is a completed 1984 Panini Sticker Album, but that's only because I don't have kids!).
Committing an hour during the week, in the same way you as the coach/volunteer commit loads, to wash the kit, do some fund raising, put up the goals etc can be great support. Also, have a dig into what some of your parents do for a living - an accountant could be your new treasurer, a PR guru could write your match reports (alongside the children doing it?) and a teacher could be a great learning mentor for you.
The next thing, when I delve into where have you actually looked for volunteers, is that the breadth of locations is limited and often in the wrong places.
I came across one Youth League in the Midlands that wanted to develop a website and do some marketing and decided as they were all old(er) and didn't know "any of that technological stuff", they would advertise for two volunteers that did. So, who knows that kind of "stuff"? Young people. And where do they live? Colleges.
So, they advertised to a local 6th Form College and low and behold they had 52 applications for the two roles. Keen, willing, enthusiastic and dynamic young people with modern knowledge. Smart work by the old(er) people there.
This leads me on to the subject title - The FA Junior Football Leaders Award.
Yesterday, Roger Davies (FA) and myself delivered the first of two national tutor training events to develop a cohort of tutors to roll out county and regional training for this new award. These people will deliver a training course locally for teachers and coaches that want to run this award, provided they have met the minimum criteria, and would like to introduce young people to opportunities other than participation.
The course is an introductory 6-10hrs, for young people age 12+, and gives them some basic knowledge around four key areas of leadership:
Organising and managing a football activity
An introduction to refereeing
Helping with a team
Different football events
Our next generation of coaches and volunteers exist within the young people of today. If you would like more coaches for your Mini-Soccer section and have older teams, start there. The under 16's would be fantastic role models for the younger players, complete that pathway of succession planning for future coaches and keep the atmosphere in the club vibrant and energetic. Yes, they will need support, of course, they are young people.
But you could also find some very able coaches and referees that you could also learn a thing or two from. Give them the opportunity, you could be surprised...
19 August, 2011
16 August, 2011
Coaching Week 2, the Saturday session...
Things are starting to settle down at the Club, the merry-go-round of staff is coming to end and it looks like my coaching partner for the year is confirmed and we worked together for the first time last Thursday and then again on Saturday. We are still in limbo awaiting the new syllabus so roughly working to the end of last years, ramping up the tempo and intensity of training as the games programme starts in a few weeks time.
This Saturday I led the session, with my partner having not worked in the Academy for a few years, he needs to find his feet again. Having still not seen the boys in games, it's very much learning about them still, what they can and can't do and know or don't know. Therefore, the session was to see what they understood about defending principles.
Session went as follows:
15mins - Tag games.
These have a great focus on agility for the boys, require real quick feet and dodging and weaving skills to get themselves out of tight areas. Interesting to observe who the boys were that are good at this, and often the smaller ones. It also teaches them some of the principles of defending, linking to the main body of the session. Does this also equate to dribbling skills? Maybe.
15mins - Passing square.
As part of the syllabus there is a reptition circuit that is done twice a week. Essentially this is about technique development, pass and follow around a square. Four cones, whatever distance you feel is right apart. The boys did this all last season so are familiar with its organisation ergo the instruction was simple; "there's the equipment, in two minutes can you be playing?".
What was interesting then was to stand back and see who led the group, who solved problems, who tried to do their own thing without the rest of the group etc. Real social corner skills. With this you generally have 5 players per square, otherwise you have an empty cone once the passes have been made. There was 8 boys and set up two squares...until one bright one sussed they needed one square! He is very much the thinker and the leader.
It was then a case of watching technical work in practice; who cheated and used their stronger foot, who did a pre-move and checked away to lose a defender, who had the biomechanics to punch a pass in...
30mins - Try to put into practice the principles of defending during a small-sided game.
Set up was as follows; a pitch big enough for 7v7, in this case about 60x40, split into thirds and then the middle third I split into four channels with flat rubber discs. The challenge was "when defending, can you defend three channels but attack across all four".
It then gave us as coaches the opportunity to watch the players understanding of defending principles; who closed the ball down quickly, who got side on to predict play, who covered and offered support, who tucked across and left the far channel where there wasn't any danger, who recovered when the ball had gone past them etc.
I then coached WITHIN the practice - asked questions during play using a variety of different coaching methods from command ("you need to get across when the ball is on the other side") to guided discovery ("what happens if you turn side on and why different sides - try it"). I'll talk about coaching methods in a future blog.
Anyway, for the 30mins they played I stopped the session ONCE. I set myself the target of stopping it a maximum of twice so succeeded. Children don't like adults ruining their game by constantly stopping it! So, just the once, and this was so they could have a drink as the tempo and intensity was high.
In that 2mins (maximum) of stoppage I asked some questions around their understanding and they had some surprinsgly good knowledge, I was impressed. Don't assume they don't know, and then teach them stuff they already do!
30mins - Small-sided game, thirds but no channels.
Could they now recall the information when they didn't have guidance to help them...and they did! Again, stopped it just once during the game for drinks and changing ends. Finished 5-4, very competitive...
...who said kids needs three points and a medal to be competitiive?!
This Saturday I led the session, with my partner having not worked in the Academy for a few years, he needs to find his feet again. Having still not seen the boys in games, it's very much learning about them still, what they can and can't do and know or don't know. Therefore, the session was to see what they understood about defending principles.
Session went as follows:
15mins - Tag games.
These have a great focus on agility for the boys, require real quick feet and dodging and weaving skills to get themselves out of tight areas. Interesting to observe who the boys were that are good at this, and often the smaller ones. It also teaches them some of the principles of defending, linking to the main body of the session. Does this also equate to dribbling skills? Maybe.
15mins - Passing square.
As part of the syllabus there is a reptition circuit that is done twice a week. Essentially this is about technique development, pass and follow around a square. Four cones, whatever distance you feel is right apart. The boys did this all last season so are familiar with its organisation ergo the instruction was simple; "there's the equipment, in two minutes can you be playing?".
What was interesting then was to stand back and see who led the group, who solved problems, who tried to do their own thing without the rest of the group etc. Real social corner skills. With this you generally have 5 players per square, otherwise you have an empty cone once the passes have been made. There was 8 boys and set up two squares...until one bright one sussed they needed one square! He is very much the thinker and the leader.
It was then a case of watching technical work in practice; who cheated and used their stronger foot, who did a pre-move and checked away to lose a defender, who had the biomechanics to punch a pass in...
30mins - Try to put into practice the principles of defending during a small-sided game.
Set up was as follows; a pitch big enough for 7v7, in this case about 60x40, split into thirds and then the middle third I split into four channels with flat rubber discs. The challenge was "when defending, can you defend three channels but attack across all four".
It then gave us as coaches the opportunity to watch the players understanding of defending principles; who closed the ball down quickly, who got side on to predict play, who covered and offered support, who tucked across and left the far channel where there wasn't any danger, who recovered when the ball had gone past them etc.
I then coached WITHIN the practice - asked questions during play using a variety of different coaching methods from command ("you need to get across when the ball is on the other side") to guided discovery ("what happens if you turn side on and why different sides - try it"). I'll talk about coaching methods in a future blog.
Anyway, for the 30mins they played I stopped the session ONCE. I set myself the target of stopping it a maximum of twice so succeeded. Children don't like adults ruining their game by constantly stopping it! So, just the once, and this was so they could have a drink as the tempo and intensity was high.
In that 2mins (maximum) of stoppage I asked some questions around their understanding and they had some surprinsgly good knowledge, I was impressed. Don't assume they don't know, and then teach them stuff they already do!
30mins - Small-sided game, thirds but no channels.
Could they now recall the information when they didn't have guidance to help them...and they did! Again, stopped it just once during the game for drinks and changing ends. Finished 5-4, very competitive...
...who said kids needs three points and a medal to be competitiive?!
08 August, 2011
Engaging young people...
What looked like it would be a fairly quiet week has now got a few things going on, of real variety too. Coaching very much in the diary on Tuesday and Thursday, along with the England game on Wednesday night too.
Spent the day working from home today, adding some new elements to the 'Your Kids Your Say' roadshow presentation and making a few amendments. One of the key drivers behind this whole agenda is about ensuring young people have a voice for their game. The question is, in your club, league or coaching setting, do you give this real credence and value as something important?
There is an academic model, put forward by Shier (2001), that talks about different levels of engagement for young people in their activities and I'll give you the highlights of this, so you can then think about your own setting.
In a nutshell, adults organise football for children but we aren't very good at engaging them within this process. I've visited about 300+ youth leagues over the last 18 months and I have come across two, just two, that have a young person still playing in the League, on their Committee. Yet they organise football for kids, so how do they know what to organise if they don't allow them some kind of input into the decision-making process?! The power stays firmly with the adults. Because, of course, they always know best.
Shier's work breaks down policy into five very simple levels;
1. Children are listened to.
2. Children are supported in expressing their views.
3. Children's views are taken into account.
4. Children are more involved in decision-making processes.
5. Children share power and responsibilities for decision-making.
At each level there are three questions to ask yourself around openings, opportunity and obligations. For example, at Level 1, are you ready to listen to children? If as a club or league you aren't even willing to listen to the views of young people, then you really should question your motives.
At Level 3, are you ready to take children's views into account? It's all very well giving them a platform to speak and engage with you, but if this is a tokenistic, meaningless gesture, what's the point? Do your decision-making processes enable you to take into account their views and if so, how do they inform developments? Level 3 is the minimum if you are going to meet the United Nations Convention regarding young people, too.
At Level 5, it's about sharing the power with young people, having procedures and policies in place that ensure this has to happen.
This isn't about letting the kids do what they want; otherwise it would be pizza every night followed by ice cream. Although, come to think of it, that sounds alright and isn't far off my regular diet anyway! However, it has to be about shared decision making; not adults tell, tell, tell.
Link this into your coaching - do the children have any input into what they learn? Why not? They should have a role in setting their own goals and outcomes, the objectives they want to achieve as an individual and as a team. This is because their goals might be different from yours. You want to win the league. The children just want to have fun with their mates. This could lead to clashes...because you haven't met their expectations.
So, have a think about yourself, the club or league. How do young people not only inform direction and choice, but actually share in its inception and outcome? Like to hear some examples of good practice, or changes you might make.
Speaking at the England Badminton Coaching Conference at the end of the week with Sir Trevor Brooking, not due to our in-depth knowledge of badders thats for sure, but more on principles of coaching. I'm going to chuck a few grenades in to challenge some thinking, that's for sure. Should be fun.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)