Tag: let the kids play

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Coaching

CHILDREN’S SPORT

Geraint Davies is an Academy Lead Rugby Coach, here are his views on Children’s sport. 5 Brilliant and very simple ideas to implement!

I’ve spent the last 2 years watching my own children play Football, Rugby, Cricket & Tennis. Standing back watching them as a father is a very different experience to coaching, teaching or coach development. Here’s a summary of my thoughts…

1.Children should play games that are appropriate for both their physical, social & mental stage of development. – 6v6 football at U8 is too big. Make it 2v2 or 3v3. 9v9 rugby at U9 is too big. Make it 3v3 or 4v4. – Young children don’t want to pass & it’s too much to expect them to manage the ball at their feet/hands & to think about their teammates. Let them dribble/run & become evasive attackers. When they pass they’ll get the ball back quickly as it’s low numbers. win-win.

2. Coaches who speak to children with respect & empathy are worth their weight in gold. Children are not stupid, they are children. They need care & patience. They need to be very clear on the expectations of their behaviour & consistency when they don’t meet expectations.

3. Children do like competition & they do like knowing the score. Children don’t like one-sided competition & feeling that they’re not good enough. Change teams up, play ladder competitions (like in Tennis), keep games short & with high activity levels (small sided!).

4. Children like playing. Sitting on the bench is rubbish. EVERY child should get equal game time. The Coach is responsible for creating the environment. Set up the mini pitches, organise the bibs, pump up the balls, help organise the teams….then let them play!

5. Not every game needs a referee/coach. Kids will manage a 3v3 game just fine. Play for 5 minutes, they’ll be ready for a rest! Blow the whistle, change the teams, go again. Support & praise players with feedback & guidance then move onto a different field.

Guest Post by: Geraint Davies: Academy Lead Rugby Coach & Analyst, Ex Teacher and Senior Coach Developer & Coach Mentor Follow him @daviesGDD on Twitter

-End

I always like to hear your opinions and views. If you feel you have something to say, please comment below or email me info@thecoachdiary.com

If, you don’t have anything to add then please forward this on to a friend/coach. As always, thanks for reading.

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Categories
The Coach Diary

My daughter likes football!

I always taught my daughter didn’t like football. Yesterday she surprised me and asked ‘did I want to play 1v1 out the back?’. I answered, sure! As we walked out the back, she turned and said ‘get the goals, I’m not playing without goals.’ A few minutes later I had the goals out and we were ready to play.

To my astonishment she started to tell me rules of the game ( I have never spoke to her about football before). She said, “The keeper can pick the ball up and when you kick the ball out, it’s my ball.” After 15 minutes she lead 4-1. Yelling ‘Score’ (Very American I know) every-time she scored and pumping the air. Again I was surprised how she was able to connect with both feet and with power. We were playing in a ten by ten grid, with small goals either end of the back garden.

“Dad, I’m winning 4-1. Just because you coach, doesn’t mean you can play”

A few things stud out for me. I never once tried to stop the game and coach her. I did ask her if she wanted me to show her how to control the ball. She said, ‘I’m ok, that will take to long’ (She didn’t want to be coached, she wanted to play) so I didn’t persist. In fairness she was doing just fine and I didn’t want our little game to turn into a coaching session. I firmly believe that kids don’t need coaching at this age, what they need is to be allowed play, to discover and learn by themselves. I see hundreds of children in academies every weekend, standing in line waiting to kick or pass a ball, while parents stare on and coaches, over coach & complicate the process (The best players ever, were creations of street game not organised structured football). This is not natural learning and not only that, most of it is boring and doesn’t challenge the children. For me, that is not the game;  it doesn’t’ even resemble the game one bit.

We need to get away from all this adult control and over coaching and allow the children to challenge themselves and learn the game in its natural form. If we want to get back to resembling anything like street football, we need to remove the adult control and create an environment that resembles what street football is; Challenging, Creative, Goals, Fast and Fun. This can only be achieved by letting them play, there is plenty of time to coach but not enough time given to self learn.

My daughter said to be during our game. “Dad, I’m winning 4-1. Just because you coach, doesn’t mean you can play”. In that short 40 minute game she touched the ball more times than any weekend academy would have allowed her too, she scored more goals (she won 9-4) then most kids would in a month of organised sports and she started with a smile and ended with a laugh – at my expense. Most importantly, she created the game, she controlled it and she had fun.

This little game made a lot of sense to me. Children can teach us so much, if we just listen to what they have to say!

I always like to hear your opinions. Please comment below or email me info@thecoachdiary.com If, you don’t have anything to add then please forward this on to a friend. Thanks for reading. I’m also on twitter @Coachdiary

Categories
Irish Grassroots Football

Silent Sideline Weekend Update

Just spend the most productive few days at the Running School becoming a Master in DMS which is Dynamic Movements Skills. If you have’t heard or seen DMS, then check this out > DMS. Dynamic Movement Skills will be coming to Ireland soon. The results after just 6 sessions are incredible. More to follow.

Silent Sideline

This week I will be marketing the hell out of SSW. Friday I will be talking on the Grassroots Soccer Show at 7pm on Dublin City Radio, followed by Johnny Lyons on 98FM’s “Now That’s What I Call Sport” at 9am Sunday and then onto Today Fm with Matt Cooper on Wednesday 19th March. I’m still looking to get the support from various leagues and clubs around the country including the DDSL Although I’m told I should have an answer from the committee very soon. No sign of the SDFL getting involved just yet, but hey we still have two weeks. In any other leagues need some more information please don’t hesitate to ask.

In saying all that, I have you and the clubs support; the most important people in this entire campaign. After the kids of course. The Silent Sideline Weekend family is growing by the day and with two weeks to go there is still time for more to get involved. If you need any flyers or are interested in purchasing a SS Pack, email us below.

Remember: Criticism is bookmarked in a child’s head in big red writing. It’s not good for their self-esteem and in lots of cases, kids will walk away from the game for good. No-one likes to be shouted at, not even the little kiddies!.

Don’t forget to send on your video clips (short) and pictures of the weekend. I will be doing a video montage or everything I receive. So please, be adventurers!

The Party Is Getting Bigger…

Ashbourne United, Ardee Celtic, Ballymun United, Blayney Academy FC, Blessington FC, Brookfield Celtic, Buncrana Hearts FC, Carlton and Rothwell Ginants JFC (UK), Cashel Town Schoolgirls, Castleknock Celtic FC, Castle Villa AFC, CarlowJuvenileLeague, Carrick United AFC, Coerver Coaching Munster, Cherry Orchard FC, Corofin United FC, DDSL, Douglas Hall AFC, Drogheda Town FC, Dunboyne AFC, Dunshaughlin Youths, East Meath United, Fettercairn YFC, Fingal County Council Sports, ISRS Dublin (Refs), Harolds Cross Y.C, Hartstown Huntstown FC, Howth Celtic, Jobstown Celtic, Kilbarrack United FC, Kildare League, Kildare Yown AFC, Kitchener Soccer Club (Canada), Laytown United, Liffey Celtic Underage, Liffey Valley Rangers, Lusk United, Malahide United AFC, Metropolitan Girls League, Moyglas (TSSDL), Naas AFC, Nireas Paros FC (Greece), NorthDublinSchoolboyLeague, Nor’West Optimist Soccer (Canada), Passage AFC (cork) Peterhead BC Phoenix (UK), Palmerstown FC, Rivermeade FC, Rivervalley Rangers FC, SandyhillShangan, Shannon Hibernians, Shankill FC, Skerries Town FC, Stamullen FC, Strand Celtic FC (Sligo) St.Francis FC, St.Kevin’s Boys, St.Malachys, St.Pauls Artane, Terenure FC, Tipperary Town Ladies Soccer, Trim Celtic AFC, Wayside Celtic FC, Wicklow District Schoolboys League, Woodlawn Sportslink & Your club next…

If you can’t have fun then maybe it’s time to re-think what you’re doing. I really like the point by Mark O’Sullivan an Irish UEFA A coach working in Sweden: 

“Many think that kids can only learn in adult organised environments (school, Organised Sports), what is worse is that kids are now starting to believe it. Modern organised football training has led to a coach led culture resulting in passive kids who don’t take control or ownership of their own development. The safety option is not to have learners as it is a longer process that rarely gives short term results and in the culture of the coach and early elite development there is very little patience.” – Footblogball

Please support the campaign, to help improve participation in Kids Sports.

Sign Up Now

SATURDAY 29th & SUNDAY 30th March 2014

Fill out my online form.

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I always like to hear your opinions. Please comment below or email me info@thecoachdiary.com If, you don’t have anything to add then please forward this on to a friend. Thanks for reading. I’m also on twitter @Coachdiary 

Categories
Campaign Irish Grassroots Football Silent Sideline

SHHhhhh ‘just, let them play’ Silent Sideline

I first heard about this idea some years back even before I set up this blog. I believe it started in the US. It’s something I have been meaning to try and push with all the leagues across the country for some time now and I had originally posted something back in 2011 I think. This year I’m going to make this happen, one way of another but I will need your help.

Too often in kids sports; adults, parents and coaches become overly vocal in their approach to working with young athletes. However well-intentioned some of them may be, the results are not always positive. With a Silent Sideline Weekend, the coaches and parents are asked to keep talking to a bare minimum on the sidelines. One coach from each team will be given the task to instruct (not during the game), whilst everyone else stays silent.

‘If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.’ – Maya Angelou

Supporters are allowed to clap to show their enthusiasm but adults/Coaches are restricted from coaching their kids from the sideline. This is a weekend when kids can make decisions for themselves, without having adults shout 5/6 different instructions at them. When adults scream from the sidelines they’re not just invading the children’s playtime, they’re preventing children from learning the game in a natural manner. Sideline screaming is just ignorance, we need to educate adults on stages of development. We expect far to much from children at a very young age. We must not forget, we are talking about children not adults.

How does it work? 

  • No Shouting Instructions.
  • No Shouting at the ref.
  • No Shouting at the opposition.
  • Absolutely No shouting when a player is about to receive to ball or pass it.
  • Silent at all times.
  • Kids voices heard everywhere.

With the sidelines quiet, players have the chance to make their own split-second decisions on the pitch and learn by them. Instead of being distracted by the stream of noise that usually exists, the kids on the pitch get the opportunity to communicate with one another, deciding who will take the throw ins, the goal-kicks, free-kicks or the corner kicks etc. This also gives them time to think and focus on what they are about to do.

Why? 

The focus of the weekend is not to take the atmosphere out of the kids’ game but instead try and encourage less coaching from the line. I want every team in Ireland in organised leagues in ever sport to conform to the ‘Silent sideline’ weekend. Not everyone is going to agree with this idea, but one thing is for sure the kids will!

‘You should hear children’s voices, not hear parents SHOUTING, ‘Come on ref, what was that?’ ” he said. ”We want to have a positive environment for the kids to play in.’

I’m aware that many teams have some great coaches & parents who may already give minimal instruction and focus on the positives in a game more than others. This exercise is to highlight the over coaching from adults on the sideline across kids sports in Ireland and mainly soccer. I think a lot of kids will benefit from this even if they are use to hearing encouraging words every weekend.

You can be sure that one population that favours the silence is the referees. They will love this, and I’m sure they would love to have it every weekend.

What’s Expected from Participants?

  • To get all clubs and leagues to sign up across the whole of Ireland and other countries.
  • Clubs to manage this initiative internally with our support and the support of their members.
  • Clubs should select 2 sideline supervisors to keep people calm and explain the process.
  • Each club should have a silent sideline ambassador.
  • Absolutely NO shouting or directing from the sidelines
  • Coaching staff to speak to players at halftime and when making changes ONLY.
  • Clapping allowed for goals scored and effort for both sides.
  • No directing or advice from adults at anytime.
  • Absolutely no questioning of referee in charge of game at anytime.
  • Rope the pitches and provide a designated area for parents.
  • Kids voices are all we want to hear.
  • Lollipops could be a fun way of helping people stay silent!
  • PDF flyer available on request.

Can you imagine a weekend when kids voices were heard everywhere……..I can!!

‘just, let the kids play’

Lets make this happen; let’s start talking about it….!! If any leagues and/or club administrators are reading this, please get in touch. I have just emailed you all.

If this doesn’t make you think about the damage we are doing to kids every weekend, then maybe A Players Message To Parents will!

Please LIKE this post or COMMENT below if you’re in!

Weekend of 29th & 30th March 2014

Listen to the first interview about the SSLW by clicking on this link> ‘GAME ON’ 2FM 

Fill out my online form.

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I always like to hear your opinions. Please comment below or email me info@thecoachdiary.com If, you don’t have anything to add then please forward this on to a friend. Thanks for reading. I’m also on twitter @Coachdiary