Grassroots development: the Game is still on.
I was thinking recently about my experience of grassroots football growing up compared to my son’s experience now, and despite the probably justified criticism about whether enough of the many millions of pounds being enjoyed currently by the Premier League makes its way down to Grassroots football, it does seem to me, at least, as though we are on the right path.
Today’s coach as a junior footballer.
I played local grassroots football from the age of 9 to 16 in Essex in the mid 1980’s through to the 1990’s and thanks to the hard work and dedication of our teams coaches and managers (thank you Geoff Petit and Keith Pittuck) I have nothing but good memories of my time with Tiptree Minors Youth Club. This is part of the reason I stepped up and agreed to coach my son’s U6 team in 2015. I remember the camaraderie that being part of this team bought, alongside the benefits of taking physical exercise and actually the enjoyment of winning games (yes children to do like to win as well)
But what struck me when I took time to think about it is the development in the game, bought about by the FA that I do believe will benefit the English game in the future.
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Compare my experience of my first game aged 9, to my sons. Mine was, was 11 a-side on an overgrown pitch where we got changed in a mouldy old caravan. My 6 year old played for the first time on a pristine pitch, playing 5v5 where the opponents retreat to the half way line to allow you to play the ball out to feet, getting changed in a Football Foundation funded changing room. Parents are respectful and behind a safety barrier while I and my fellow coaches are FA Level 1 qualified with all the required first aid/CRB/DBS approvals in place. While I recognise that the club we belong to is well managed and has benefited from Football Foundation grants it does seem to be to be a more preferable environment in which to learn the game.
As a not-particularly gifted footballer (then and now) I played full-back, on a full sized men’s pitch with 22 other 9 and 10 year olds and this meant I didn’t get to see a great deal of the ball, and when it came to me, the chances are that it would get kicked out of touch or as long as I could kick it whenever it came in my direction; ‘clear it’ ‘put it in row Z’ ‘let them know you are there’ etc seemed to be positive traits for a young defender. Again, compare this now to my defenders at 5v5, thanks to the half-way retreat they will be receiving the ball to feet a dozen maybe more times a game and the refrain now is ‘find your pass’ ‘get your head up’, we’ve also even learnt that its ok to make mistakes. The opposition score a goal because you tried a Cruyff turn, or you tried to pass it across your goal to your teammate, that’s ok, because you will have learnt for next time.
Yes there are managers and teams who don’t exactly follow the same ethos and who do still employ the kick it to the big lad upfront ethos however there does seem to be a gradual shift in mindset from managers and parents about learning the game the right way, this is only encouraged by the skills and techniques that our players see on the TV now week in week out.
Today’s players will be tommorow a coaches.
So while grassroots football does continue to need support from the top, it does seem to me that my son will get a different football education from the one that I had and I hope that one day he is fortunate enough to be in my position looking back fondly at his youth football team and bringing through the next set of youngsters.
Terry Lingley
