Kids football

[Whatthefunk]

Just looking for opinions really. My Ds11, plays football for a local team , and has done since he was 5. They have never really been any good, but all the kids enjoy the training and matches. Just recently, they've taken on a few extra players, that have taken the team from zero to hero, and they're winning pretty much every game. Sadly it's at the expense of a few not so good players, who hardly get a look in, and just sit on the bench, for the whole match. Has this happened to anyone else? I find myself so cross as kids being sidelined...or is this just the way it goes in football?

Depends on the club and the coach, really. At that age, I would hope the coaches would still be trying to give each kid equal time on the pitch, in a variety of positions and not worrying about the results.

Sadly many coaches and parents do not take this view. It's probably worth having a chat with whoever runs the club (assuming that it's not the same person as the coach!) and seeing what the 'policy' of the club is.

I think that's the problem, it's all about results, and winning the league... Such a shame that the boys who've been invested for years, are being left out, in favour of better players

It's worth remembering that kids develop complex, multi-faceted skills like football at different rates, and that it's unusual to all develop at the same rate, so changing teams to a more 'appropriate for you at this point' team is really common.

If the league a kid is playing in is too 'high' a level, they will gain little by playing and less by not playing, so dropping a division or two makes sense. Similarly if they're finding it too easy, they are not learning and need to move up.

It can be a wrench if they've been in a particular team for a long time though! Y7 and on can be a little easier as there are new friends at school who might play for other teams that would welcome a new player or two.

that's worth thinking about
Thank you. Its just really hard, as they've been there so long...

DS1 is thinking about leaving a club he's been at for 13 years(!)...it will certainly be an odd experience watching him in a different strip if he does .

It's absolutely the way it is (my two are now 15 and 17 and have been playing since they were 8/9, and have seen team members come and go). Players who are not getting the game time usually find another club

It is hard and can be quite sad when a long term player moves on. I don't think it's 'wrong' though - ds was in a team with some very able players but the keeper was below par. It's hard for a team to accept losing games largely due to a keeper who made frequent mistakes and basically couldn't save a goal unless it was kicked straight into his open arms