Brooking bans competetive football for U8's

Sir Trevor Brooking has banned competetive football for the under 8's, which I believe is a great move. The coaching of these kids will now be all about development, rather than winning pts on a meaningless table.

Who benefits from U8's winning leagues? Is it just to satisfy the ego of the coach/parents?

Thumbs up to Trevor!

England U21 friendly and Qualifier

England U21's are set to play a friendly against Slovenia on Tuesday 19th August at the KC stadium, Hull. The match is set to be used as a warm-up for the following European U21 qualifier against Portugal.

England currently sit top of the qualification group, with 6 wins and a draw from their 7 games, and the highly-rated Portugese team need a win to have any chance of catching England's lead. The game will take place at Wembley on Friday 5th September.


TICKET DETAILS – HULL

Tickets are priced £10 adults and £5 from the KC Stadium Ticket Office in person or by phone on 0870 837 0004. For details of group booking discounts click the link here.

(or for a Charter Standard Club form, click here)

TICKET DETAILS – WEMBLEY

Tickets are priced £10 adults and £5 concessions for Level 1 and £15 (no concessions) on Level 2. Tickets go on sale at 12noon on Tuesday 15 July from the Hotline 0844 826 2010 or via www.thefa.com/Tickets where further information can be found including details of group booking discounts.

How do I get started? How much does it cost?

So whats the first step to get onto the coaching ladder? Well, here in the UK, the FA offer progressive coaching courses, leading you all the way to your desired level.

The first step is the FA level 1 Club Coach. This teaches the basics of training, and also FA Emergency First Aid and FA Children Ensuring Safety in Football which is needed further along the qualifactions. This is open level entry, anyone can apply.

The second step, the FA level 2 Club Coach extends this training, and goes alot deeper, including alot of theory work. From the FA's website:

Course Content:
Practical Demonstrations including:

• Basic techniques -
  • passing
  • ball-control
  • running with the ball
  • turning
  • dribbling
  • shooting
  • heading
  • goalkeeping
• Attacking and defending (1 v 1 and 2 v 2)
• Principles of attack and defence - small-sided games (3 v 3, 4 v 4)
• Warm-up/cool down
• Group work and discussion

Theory:

• The Learning and Coaching Process I (including communication and coaching styles)
• Planning, Preparing and Evaluating Coaching Sessions
• Football Fitness I
• Football Food I
• Emergency Aid
• Health and Safety
• Overuse Injuries
• Growing Up: Youngsters in Football
• Laws of the Game
• Attitudes and Ethics

Observed Coaching Practice:

• Three sessions techniques, skills and principles of play in attacking or defending
• Group review of coaching

This is also open entry, but requires those that havent completed the level one to have relevant coaching experience.

These courses can then lead onto your further training, going up to level 3 (which is a Uefa B licence) or even to specialist youth training courses. How can you get on these? Well the first thing to do is contact your local FA (contact details can be found here) and asking them if they have any courses available.

The down side? These courses arent free, and if you intend to get higher up in the qualifactions, they can cost quite alot. My hope is to do levels 1-3 and also youth coaching, with the cost as below:

FA Coaches Association Membership	£39.50
FA Level 1 Club Coach	£65.00
FA Level 2 Club Coach	£275.00
FA Level 3 Club Coach	£785.97 (early booking and FACA Membership)
Youth Coach	£734.20(early booking and FACA Membership)
Total Cost (before equipment/travel etc)	£1889.67

This is based on this years prices, these of course could go up. Without the early booking and FACA membership, these courses are about £1200 each.

As you can see this is quite alot... donations greatfully recieved!!!

State of the English game

Alot of people blame the influx of foreign players into the top level of the English game as the main reason for Englands failings. My opinion? Total rubbish. Have these foreign players been around for 42 years? What then do you blame for all the other years of having no success?

The only thing that having these foreign players in the Premier League does is raise the standard of football played in this country. Should the teams have quotas? Forced to play a certain amount of home based players? This would hurt the national game rather than improve it, due to two major reasons:

• Players should be play based on merit. If your good enough you play. What happens when you throw players in that arent good enough to make the grade, or throw players in before they're ready just to fill quotas? You'll lower the standard of football, and possibly help destroy some youngsters careers before they've even began.
• Secondly, with the way teams are picking youngsters these days, the foreign kids will have been around long enough to be classed as "home based players" anyway. (To qualify, a team will have had to have trained the player for 3 years between the ages of 15-21). Unless the smaller teams begin picking up on foreign youngsters, they will fall behind even further. Imagine Wengers youngters against a team of young English players that arent good enough, but are there to fill the quotas?

On the subject of Wenger, he is one of the people who gets the most blame for the squads he puts out. Did you know that when asked, Wenger said that if he had to pick between an English youngster and a foreign youngster of equal talent, that he would go english all the time because of their passion and hunger? Or what about the fact that the England U16 and U17 teams have more representatives from Arsenal than any other team, and the U18 team they have an equal amount to Manchester UTD?

The fact is we have to stop blaming other people. The blame falls squarely at our own door. English players lack flair, lack ability on the ball, panic when pressed with the ball, and simply arent as technically gifted as other nations. This, in my opinion, is down to the fact that youngsters are taught on a full scale pitch, where winning is more important for the coaches than developing the players. With parents on the sidelines shouting "Get rid of it!!" and a never ending cycle of youngsters booting the ball upfield.

The answer? Small scale games, ie Futsal (If you've never heard of the game, go here). On a recent trip to Barcelona, I was heading into the city on a train via the surrounding towns, roughly an hour journey. In that time I saw two football pitches, and what must have been 50+ Futsal pitches. This isnt the be all and end all our problems, but it's something that needs to be done, especially with our younger players. Futsal teaches the things we as a nation lack. Because the game is so small and fast, it teaches players the need to create space, to not panic when someone closes you down, to keep the ball and go past players, to pick out a pass in a crowded space. Because the ball is smaller and heavier, it teaches better technique and precision. Other nations have been using this for a long time, players such as Deco, Robinho, Ronaldinho, Luis Figo, Cesc Fabregas have all come through in this way.

Is this a new radical way of thinking? No, the nation is starting to realise this, but it needs a further push across the country. The larger scale games in schools and clubs for under 11's needs to be totally scrapped in my opinion, possibly looking at under 14's. First and foremost technique should be taught, postitional skills etc can be taught easily when the child is older and understands the game better.

The FA realises this aswell, but its a hard task breaking the mentality of the amatuer coaches across the country.

It begins.......

Today begins this blog, and with it the beginning of a long time ambition. I am writing this blog to cover a dream I've always had, becoming a youth football developer/coach. I'm writing for two reasons, one to keep me motivated and keep me pushing the dream along, and two to create a record if you the reader want to follow the same path, and tell of the high's and lows that come along with it.

Welcome along on my journey, enjoy the ride!