to not understand why football has become so non-competitive for kids?

[Isthisoneleft]

The Football Association has made it for the 2013/14 season U9s cannot play in competitive leagues - they play a match against another team, no record of the score can be made, but you still have the hassle of travelling for home and away games, where on earth is the incentive in playing something that no one can win?

In 2014/15 U10s and under will be non-competitive
In 2015/16 U11s and under will be non-competitive
In 2016/17 U12s and under will be non-competitive

AIBU to think this is ridiculous for a sport? These kids are going to get to 18 never having played in a competitive match.

[UptoapointLordCopper]

kim tell me more about rowing club. I fancy being able to go where I want to go in a rowing boat instead of going round in circles. But I want to go slowly. If I want to go anywhere in a hurry I get a motorised thing.

[UptoapointLordCopper]

I want to row in one of those lovely (or not so lovely) wooden rowing boats (failing that anything would do), and I want to row on my own. And I don't want to row like there's a shark chasing me. There doesn't seem to be anything like that. Perhaps I'll have to look for a private instructor!? Are you still rowing?

Sorry for hijack . I'll get into the spirit of the thread and put in my 2p's worth (though have not read entire thread):

If you play a competitive game you play to win. If you kick a ball around with friends you kick a ball around with friends. If you win you win. If you lose you lose. No crowing. No whining. Those are my rules for the DC. As for me, I detest team sports. It's ALL ABOUT ME. ME.

[UptoapointLordCopper]

Sounds good kim. I should get my act together and sort something out (after I sort out the scared-to-fall-in-water-of-unknown-depth business ).

[teacherwith2kids]

To add to what i bsaid above, DS had weekly games against other academies.

Each game was 'competitive', in the sense that the boys wanted to win. HOWEVER, the coaching during and around the game was not about 'how to win against this team'. It was about 'how to put our technical skills into practice in the most effective way. Feedback woiuld be on e.g. specific passes, specific moves, specific passages of play and possible alternative courses of actions or skills, not on 'well, that got us a goal so it was OK'. Also, each game was in quarters, with lots of substituting for each quarter and even within each quarter. However effective a player was, they did not expect to play the whole game. They expected to play a biut, get feedback from the coach about their play, maybe work a little with an assistant coach on something they were finding hard, then be put back into the game again. As well as the score, notes were taken of e.g. how many passes a player did - while the boys did like 'winning' each quarter (or losing by less each time) they were praised for all those other aspects of their game as well.

[0utnumbered]

What a load of old cack! Teaching kids that everything is sunshine and rainbows and no one's feelings are ever hurt, no one ever fails or loses is leaving them severely unprepared for the real world!

I remember when my little brother played football, he never got upset when he lost! He just practised loads with my dad in the garden to get better and win next time! what is going to motivate them to improve?!

Kids don't HAVE to play football, they choose to! If they can't handle losing and get upset then they can quit and try something else. There were lots of girls at my dance school who chose not to compete but went to the classes for fun, can't kids just attend the training to learn how to play but not attend matches if they don't want to?

[BlingBang]

and you've completely missed what people are saying. these new measures are to improve the standard of play and hopefully build more rounded better players and it seems to be working for other countries that put concentrating on skills etc above winning a match on a sunday for 8 yr olds

[Isthisoneleft]

Ok based on the arguments for this new implementation I will go into this season with a more open-mind ready to brace the situation.

But and it's a big BUT I reserve the right to revert it's a stupid idea on a freezing cold February morning when I have no idea who's winning or losing and the kids are not full of the internal drive!!!

[IloveJudgeJudy]

I agree with the new rules. DS is a football ref and the abuse from the sideline (which the players of whatever age copy) is abhorrent. This is the kind of thing, together with the development of skills, that it is trying to promote. The academies do not allow parents to make comments of any kind on the sidelines. They are trying to bring on the players, not have all drive, etc, shouted out of them by the behaviour of some spectators.

The DC will be trying just as hard, except it will be in a different way. They will be trying to show their coach (who also has to have a different mindset now) how skilful they are, even if the result is not a goal. That is what is meant to be praised now, not the "win at all costs" mentality. You hear parents of very young (8yos and younger, even) telling their DC to bring the best player on the other team down. This is part of the reason why we have not won a world cup for over 40 years. We simply do not have the skills. We have the brawn, not the brain. That will only take you so far.