Getting daughter into a new team for competitive football at 15

[mids2019]

So my daughter plays grassroots football for a local team who have just recruited a couple of players who have effectively displaced from the team. She really wants to move to a new competitive side as she is doing football as part of a GCSE but is this going to be easy?

Surely all the other teams at this age group will have an established group of players who do not want their positions threatened (my daughter is a striker) so will either not allow her to join a squad of at least make her feel a little unconfortable.

I have to say this is a sore experience as she really enjoyed football and the amount of. bitching politics surrounding the game is a bit of a turn off but maybe that is just out experience.

When my daughter played at this age there was quite a bit of movement at this age. Often some were available at the weekend and others were not so it all worked out with places not threatened.

So has she been pushed out of her team due to new recruits?

On the boys side of the game, there is still a bit of movement at this time of year. My ds switched teams 4 games into the season once. It can be quite nice because you know exactly which squad you’ll be playing with and what you are being recruited for. We found that our local league had a ‘players wanted’ page on their website. Clubs advertise when they have a gap in their team.
It is perhaps healthy for you to describe your dd as a forward who is good with free kicks, penalties, whatever. It is always good to have a couple of positions up your sleeve, so striker / midfielder or striker / winger. Coaches value that. Gaps certainly do come up for striker!

Thank you. That is good advice.

it certainly would help if there was a vacancy available where a player was needed rather than asking to play for a club and slowly push someone else out. There is a lot of ill feeling within our local club as a lot of girls have been together for years but a new manager actively is recruiting from other sides to push on in the division. There might be some success but it really has taken a lot of the fun and comradery away from the team.

So long story is that the new manager basically took up the role so his a daughter can play and that was a centre forward (my daughter's position). My daughter played behind the managers daughter as a sort of number 10 but a new girl who plays for a large city team and is admittedly good seems to be in the 10 position now. It looks like my daughter may be offered a rotating role in defence but she had s defending having been a striker since 10 (she has also put down striker as a potion for her GCSE)

One slight cometh is that there is a lot of gossip around the game with other teams being described a unfriendly but I don't know if this gossip is just to persuade girls to stay?

Oh yes, the standard dad-coach! I know that grass roots wouldn’t survive without them, but their kid is always going to get their preferred position over yours. Definitely time to try somewhere new. It will be healthy, a fresh start. Any new coach bringing her in will tell the team that they need her. It will be fine. Lots of kids give up in this year too because of GCSE pressure, so honestly, I can’t see her struggling to find a spot. Most teams will have changed beyond recognition from when they were U12s so it is OK to be the new one. Also, just see it as football, don’t worry too much about the friendship side given her age. She needs this for her course!

You might be better posting on the local boards as someone maybe able to suggest a good local team.

Where abouts are you? It sound like you need more of a community club. I manage my DD’s team (she’s younger than yours) and the club she’s at struggles at older age groups to keep enough girls signed up because it isn’t performance-driven so the girls have lots of other activities and eventually focus on one which might not be football. There will definitely be better clubs out there for your DD where she will feel valued and be one of the stronger players. So much better for confidence and enjoyment.

My daughter joined a JPL team when she was 15. She asked for a couple of trial training sessions to see what the other girls were like - they were nice and welcoming and she signed up. She was really happy there. I would do some research to find out which clubs are looking for players - there are FB groups where coaches/clubs post opportunities or you could reach out to clubs directly. Doing some trial sessions to make sure your daughter feels comfortable is a good idea. From experience, good forwards/strikers are always in demand. Good luck, I hope you find the right solution for your daughter.

My daughter is also 15. I know a few of our local U16 grassroots teams folded this season as they couldn't get the numbers. I'm guessing you don't want to advertise the fact you're looking for a new team on FB as the current team may well see it. My advice would be to approach other teams towards the top of your league and see if they are looking for a striker or someone in an attacking position at least. If your daughter has been with her current club for a number of years, the managers of the other clubs in the league will probably already know her.

If you'd prefer a totally fresh start, how about the U16 league in one of the surrounding counties? There'd obviously be more travel involved but sometimes it's worth it. It's worth doing your homework on these leagues as some are dominated by 1-2 clubs winning 12-0 every Saturday which is no good for them or the teams they are thrashing! Have a look at the tables and results to get a feel for how even/competitive it is.