Almost Canadian

My grandfather smoked 20 ciggies a day from when he was teenager to when he died from old age at the age of 90 something. Is this proof that ciggies are not harmful to one's health?

MarylandNed

I agree. If the priorities are right, there's no harm with posting scores/standings at all and it does add a competitive edge.

I currently coach U14s in a very competitive league in the US (many professional players including US National team players played in this league). We have scores/standings and promotion/relegation in 6 divisions in the U14 age group. However the coaches know what the correct priorities are, they are educated and licensed (many are very highly licensed) and most are paid. The kids already have a reasonable degree of skill and the soccer is of a relatively high standard. Posting scores/standings works in this league (although they don't do it U9-U11).

In other leagues where the standard of coaching is much lower and the priorities are all wrong, posting scores/standings can cause problems.

Novocastrian

I accept that my comment was anecdotal. I assume you have solid research for the opposite position?

Tangram

Chelsea and Fulham have taken the hint tonight....everyone's a winner.

Jingsamichty

If my kids' team was getting humped so much every week that the coaches were hiding the scores, I'd be sacking the coaches.

misplacedheidi

We're with you on all of your posts. Brazil doesn't have competitive matches till U14 - they just concentrate on skills. Yes, they do play mini matches for those people going to post ridiculous replies . Brazil aint too bad in the world.
My husband coaches and I am a ex UK season-ticket holder (yes, I do know the offside rule, and yes, that comment was funny - people have lost their sense of humour). Some mothers need shooting. We had a right nut case one year - paid her kid $5 for every goal FFS. He never passed - can't think why.
OH just goes about coaching the right way, concentrates on skills and hopes it comes together.
At the end of the day, our kid will play a good game of football and we hope his teammates will, wherever that may be. The only thing we miss from the UK is a kickabout in the park with whoever's there.

MarylandNed - agree with all your posts

Almost Canadian

I was asking a question. I take it your answer is "No"

flyboy74

if you're looking for research-based arguments, this link might be of interest.

Novocastrian

Ah, the venerable sages of the Canadian Soccer Association. Whose national women's squad are threatening to refuse to play because of incompetent administration.

flyboy74

ug. don't get me started about incompetent sports administration in canada... the canadian soccer association, however, actually had no input on the science that supports this document - that was done by a group of scientists, and this document is just one of a series that's been produced for all of the olympic sports, all based on the same concepts.

it's part of a big realignment of the canadian sport system (www.ltad.ca) and increasingly, all sport funding in canada at the federal and provincial levels is being linked to this model for sport development. which is not to say it's without its faults...

MarylandNed

Regardless of how you feel about the CSA, the document actually makes a lot of sense and mirrors what is being said in other countries. If you read the snippet below, it echos much of what I was saying in my earlier posts regarding (a) the dangers of emphasizing winning instead of player and skills development and (b) coaching kids like they are adults. That's no accident. Similar discussions are underway in the US and in other countries (e.g. the UK). This snippet could apply equally to the state of US youth soccer in particular. The single biggest issue that needs to be addressed is coach and parent education. If coaches and parents continue to believe that the score is the most important thing in youth soccer then we're handicapping our ability to produce skillful and intelligent players.

Development of the Game
Currently, Canada does not have a cohesive, coherent
model for promoting lifelong wellness
and elite achievement through soccer. In this regard,
there are several issues of concern that
soccer shares with other sports in Canada:
• Young players over-compete and undertrain.
• Young players often follow adult training and
competition schedules.
• Young female players often follow programs
designed for males.
• Training/practice in the developmental years
often focuses on winning and not on development
(short-term result versus long-term
process).
• Chronological age influences coaching and
selection rather than biological age (physical
maturation).
• The so-called critical periods of accelerated
adaptation are under-utilized.
• Poor programs between the ages of 6-16 result
in athletes never reaching their genetic
potential.
• The “best” coaches are encouraged to work
at elite levels – they are not recognized as
essential to the success of developmental
programs in novice groups.
• Coach education tends to provide only a superficial
understanding of the growth, maturation,
and development stages of young
players.
• There is no integration between physical education
programs in the school system, community
recreational programs, and elite
competitive programs.

Grah

1st thing that came to my mind was, the coaches who run up the score will still run up the score.

Last year at u11 2 parents complained to the head coach, we have 3 teams of 14 each season we divided the players equally amongst the coaches.
The complaint - I spend to much time developing than winning. Head coach phoned me up and said thank you, refused to transfer the players 1 quit for the season the other played for me. After the city final he came over and said thank you and he was sorry for the problem at the begining of the season.

The problem I see in manitoba is not enough tiering. good players don't have enough competition, so playing with out scores will dilute the programs more and more.

canadablade

Agree with maryland on everything he said too.

England academy and school of excellence teams don't keep track of scores. France the players don't

This is the french philosophy

No matches, games for 1.5 years until technique is perfected
No emphasis on results - each match is a training session
High value on learning and making mistakes and being a perfectionist

Some people need to realize before they form an opinion, it should be a valid one.

BristolUK

Yesterday's U21 was scoreless

maximumthrust

Its football not soccer - this is the Brit expat forum grrrrr

And 12 year old kids should not be kicking a size 5 ball as it was proven beyond all doubt by the FA that it causes joint damage. (This is what ball sizes are for)

Scoreless football - what a politically correct crock of ////. Its in a kids nature to compete.