This is just shameful !!

[Phat Baz 68]

my response in the first reply was and still is correct,we wish not to create aggressive losers who cannot cope with defeat either,yes losing does hurt,but not everybody can win,there will always be losers,it really is in the taking part that counts..

This modern society we live today has one problem,everybody has to win,it simply is not possible..

Do you always think your right and no one else's opinions count ? Oh dear !

 

[The Birdman]

This is only part of the problem the facilities in towns villages and schools need to be upgraded when a council says we need one all-weather pitch no we need as many as we can build including more running tracks and we need to put them in all schools which should be used for clubs in the evenings and weekends which will help the schools maintain them. Go to France every town has a running track in Sussex athletes have to travel miles to train. Go to Holland Spain Germany plenty of flat all weather pitches for all Sports.
Why is Australia so good big country small population invest in sports! Will be top of the commonwealth games medal table. In America the Universities take a big pride in sport. Lets not lose any more playing fields!

 

[Hatterlovesbrighton]

This is only part of the problem the facilities in towns villages and schools need to be upgraded when a council says we need one all-weather pitch no we need as many as we can build including more running tracks and we need to put them in all schools which should be used for clubs in the evenings and weekends which will help the schools maintain them. Go to France every town has a running track in Sussex athletes have to travel miles to train. Go to Holland Spain Germany plenty of flat all weather pitches for all Sports.
Why is Australia so good big country small population invest in sports! Will be top of the commonwealth games medal table. In America the Universities take a big pride in sport. Lets not lose any more playing fields!

I think we do pretty well for sport. 3rd in the Olympic medal table doesn't come from nowhere. Football actually might lose out because of that. So much choice these days for kids and lots of sports more accessible than they were.

 

[Worried Man Blues]

What age are children allowed to be competitive?

 

[The Wizard]

I see the namby pamby brigade are out in force tonight !
Everything that is wrong with this country someone else quoted, totally agree.
Tell them not to compete tell that that winning means absolutely nothing, tell " little Johnny " he's a loser but just as good as the boy that won , I'm sure he will believe you ha ha !!
Strange how kids get so upset when they see their team lose at a cup final etc , but hang on just tell them it's the taking part that counts and nothing else. Unbelievable PC drivel !!!!

Got to be honest I know it's going against the grain of the thread but I really agree with this. There's nothing wrong with competitiveness at a young age, that's nonsense... I referee tournaments for the age groups being mentioned (U11/12) and if anything it's not taken seriously enough and to many kids nowadays have a bad attitude when it comes to football, there are some idiotic managers who shout madly but from my experience in general it's really not like that

As has been said, we've won the u17 championship 2 of the last 4 times, I firmly believe the issue is in this age group, how many great players do we hear about in the 15-17 age group who never quite develop? It's an attitude & culture thing that needs to be changed, I'm not sure it's possible though.

 

[The Birdman]

I think we do pretty well for sport. 3rd in the Olympic medal table doesn't come from nowhere. Football actually might lose out because of that. So much choice these days for kids and lots of sports more accessible than they were.

This is the problem we should be first at every sport not be happy to come second or third the Aussies want to win we have the talent not the facilities it also means we get more people fit and healthy which helps improve our live style.

 

[drew]

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.

Not the ranking, but the depressing reality that there are still people in this country that think that telling 8 year old children that the scores in the games they play matter is a good idea. What this country desperately needs is to identify talent at a young age. Chucking kids into competitive matches and leagues at a frighteningly young age will not help that, because that is the status quo and what has that achieved? Referees abused left and right, pushy parents trying to run the team so that little Timmy is the star player and the big kids that develop faster getting game time ahead of anyone else, regardless of talent because that is ultimately how you win the league.

Surely anyone with half a brain in their head (which to be fair probably doesn't apply to a few people who've so far posted in this thread) can see that none of the above is going to be conducive to nurturing talent. For starters, young kids need to ENJOY playing football, they should want to spend as much time doing it as they can, and not sitting about at home, playing FIFA or Call of Duty. Playing competitively at a very young age will not do that for 50% of kids, because one side always loses, lose often and you're put off the sport entirely.

No. Young kids shouldn't be getting shouted at on a Saturday morning for not doing what the manager wanted them to do, they should be spending as much time on the ball as possible, doing drills and exercises. The ones that show an aptitude for the sport can be identified and passed into a system where they can be nurtured.

This, which is why the FA don't allow any U10s (and from season 2015 to 2016, U11s) to play in competitive leagues where tables and results are published. Phat Baz and the Wizard are totally missing the point. It is not about depriving kids of the will to win, it is about driving out the win at all costs approach at such a young age when coaches will just get the ball to the biggest player to bang in goals. It is about developing skill in all players. Some will progress, some will not. Some at a different rate to others.

Unfortunately, you will still get some adults with the caveman mentality!!!!

 

[Phat Baz 68]

This, which is why the FA don't allow any U10s (and from season 2015 to 2016, U11s) to play in competitive leagues where tables and results are published. Phat Baz and the Wizard are totally missing the point. It is not about depriving kids of the will to win, it is about driving out the win at all costs approach at such a young age when coaches will just get the ball to the biggest player to bang in goals. It is about developing skill in all players. Some will progress, some will not. Some at a different rate to others.

Unfortunately, you will still get some adults with the caveman mentality!!!!

Oh dear Caveman mentality because someone wants to win gawd forbid !!
I think its probably you who are missing the point, you soak up knowledge like a sponge when you area child as you do the teachings at sport you are given too.
Telling a child its fine to lose is utter guff, which is why our country now produce weak and inadequate team players and our national teams suffer because of it.
" Booting it to the biggest child on the pitch " where on earth did that one come from Messi isn't big, Keegan isn't big blah blah blah.
Dear oh dear oh dear yet more PC drivel.
We are without doubt producing a nation of sickly children and a lot of it is to do with the ridiculous ideas some have about what is fair and what isn't.

 

[GT49er]

Football is about two teams competing, whether it's a World Cup final or half a dozen kids with jumpers for goal posts and rush goalies. Stop kids playing in teams against each other, and make them just practice their ball juggling skills, twists and turns, etc, until they're what - 13 or 14? - and you'll end up with bored kids who will leave football in favour of something more exciting than keepie-uppie.

The problem with good kids in the U15's, U17's etc. not coming through has always been the case. At 15, the best players, the ones who'll get picked first, are the big lads, the ones who have grown to almost man-size (and strength) already. Perhaps youth football should remain competitive, but played in categories based on size rather than age.