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<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nIn England, the Football Association (FA) run leagues for\nteams starting at an Under-7 age level, however, the results of these games are\nnot recorded in the traditional sense. No league table is maintained as games\nare played in a \u2018developmental\u2019 system \u2013 this, therefore, removes the threat of\na heavy defeat being recorded which may discourage children from playing. It is\nthe same at Under-8 level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, while there is no recorded league table until young\nfootballers reach Under-12 level, competitive football is introduced at\nUnder-9, when teams take part in cup competitions. Here, games are recorded and\nchildren begin to play for the reward of winning a trophy at the end of the\ncompetition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Development to\nCompetition<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nMany coaches and parents argue that competition is one of\nthe key factors is aiding a young player\u2019s development. When there is something\nto play for, players build experience in playing under \u2018pressure\u2019 which, as any\nsportsperson will know, is completely different to playing without having an\nend goal such as a trophy or medal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the English\nFA\u2019s system<\/a>, the idea is that players are given two years starting\nat the age of six (when they can first sign for an Under-7 team) until the age\nof eight of development games without the pressures competitive football. The\nresult doesn\u2019t matter and players and coaches can focus solely on the enjoyment\nof the game, although it is only natural that teams still aim to win each\nindividual game.<\/p>\n\n\n\nOnce players reach the age of eight and move up to Under-9\nfootball (at this point, the game format moves up from five-a-side to\nseven-a-side), they are gently introduced to competitive football with cup\ngames on selected weekends. The majority of games are still \u2018development\u2019 games\nwhere results are not recorded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Change in Mindset<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nAlthough players will always aim to win, it is the coaches where a change of mentality is most apparent. All, or at least most, youth coaches at junior level try to incorporate equal play, ensuring that game time is shared out as evenly as possible. When the games are \u2018uncompetitive\u2019, coaches are more willing to share game time but, as soon as there is an element of competition, are coaches still sharing minutes evenly or are they favouring the so-called better players?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.alananna.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Junior-football-2.jpg\")
<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nMany do and, at the age of eight, how do players cope with\nsitting out all or a large portion of the game in favour of another child who\nthe coach believes to be better? At such a tender age, there is still much more\ntime to develop, but if such opportunities are taken away as the coach picks a\nteam to win, as opposed to developing players, that player\u2019s development\nbecomes stuttered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s Not Just the\nCoach<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nWhile the coach does make the final decision on who plays,\nparents can often be an influence on team selection \u2013 rightly or wrongly.\nParents can often be split into two groups: those that just want their children\nto have fun and those that believe their children to be the best. Most parents\nfall into the first category, but there are some that come across overly pushy\nand, if their son or daughter does not play every minute of every game, you can\nbe sure that the coach is all too aware of their disdain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What you have to remember is that, at this early stage at grassroots level, coaches are volunteers and do\nnot get paid for what they do. Many take up the role because they have a child\nthat wants to play and no one else was forthcoming, so they decided to step up\nthemselves. They do not hold aspirations of becoming the next Sir Alex\nFerguson; they just want to allow children to play a game they love. So when\nunhappy parents begin to take it out on the coach they are left with a decision\nto make \u2013 do they bow to the demands of the parents? Explain why they made the\ndecision and stick by their guns? Or decide that they don\u2019t want or need the\nhassle?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sadly, competition can and, frequently, does make a game far\nmore serious than it really needs to be and, ironically, it\u2019s not the players\nthemselves that make it that way. Coaches and parents easily get caught up in\ntrying to win, when all that children want to do is play and have fun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Keeping Sport Fun<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nCompetition can be fun and not for one second are we saying\nit is bad because, in many ways, it is good for the development of children by\nteaching them how to win and lose. However, many children do not react well to\npressure at such an early age, which is why parents consciously choose not to\nsign them up to teams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once players reach the age of eight and move up to Under-9\nfootball (at this point, the game format moves up from five-a-side to\nseven-a-side), they are gently introduced to competitive football with cup\ngames on selected weekends. The majority of games are still \u2018development\u2019 games\nwhere results are not recorded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Change in Mindset<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nAlthough players will always aim to win, it is the coaches where a change of mentality is most apparent. All, or at least most, youth coaches at junior level try to incorporate equal play, ensuring that game time is shared out as evenly as possible. When the games are \u2018uncompetitive\u2019, coaches are more willing to share game time but, as soon as there is an element of competition, are coaches still sharing minutes evenly or are they favouring the so-called better players?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nMany do and, at the age of eight, how do players cope with\nsitting out all or a large portion of the game in favour of another child who\nthe coach believes to be better? At such a tender age, there is still much more\ntime to develop, but if such opportunities are taken away as the coach picks a\nteam to win, as opposed to developing players, that player\u2019s development\nbecomes stuttered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s Not Just the\nCoach<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nWhile the coach does make the final decision on who plays,\nparents can often be an influence on team selection \u2013 rightly or wrongly.\nParents can often be split into two groups: those that just want their children\nto have fun and those that believe their children to be the best. Most parents\nfall into the first category, but there are some that come across overly pushy\nand, if their son or daughter does not play every minute of every game, you can\nbe sure that the coach is all too aware of their disdain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What you have to remember is that, at this early stage at grassroots level, coaches are volunteers and do\nnot get paid for what they do. Many take up the role because they have a child\nthat wants to play and no one else was forthcoming, so they decided to step up\nthemselves. They do not hold aspirations of becoming the next Sir Alex\nFerguson; they just want to allow children to play a game they love. So when\nunhappy parents begin to take it out on the coach they are left with a decision\nto make \u2013 do they bow to the demands of the parents? Explain why they made the\ndecision and stick by their guns? Or decide that they don\u2019t want or need the\nhassle?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sadly, competition can and, frequently, does make a game far\nmore serious than it really needs to be and, ironically, it\u2019s not the players\nthemselves that make it that way. Coaches and parents easily get caught up in\ntrying to win, when all that children want to do is play and have fun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Keeping Sport Fun<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nCompetition can be fun and not for one second are we saying\nit is bad because, in many ways, it is good for the development of children by\nteaching them how to win and lose. However, many children do not react well to\npressure at such an early age, which is why parents consciously choose not to\nsign them up to teams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nMany do and, at the age of eight, how do players cope with\nsitting out all or a large portion of the game in favour of another child who\nthe coach believes to be better? At such a tender age, there is still much more\ntime to develop, but if such opportunities are taken away as the coach picks a\nteam to win, as opposed to developing players, that player\u2019s development\nbecomes stuttered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s Not Just the\nCoach<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nWhile the coach does make the final decision on who plays,\nparents can often be an influence on team selection \u2013 rightly or wrongly.\nParents can often be split into two groups: those that just want their children\nto have fun and those that believe their children to be the best. Most parents\nfall into the first category, but there are some that come across overly pushy\nand, if their son or daughter does not play every minute of every game, you can\nbe sure that the coach is all too aware of their disdain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What you have to remember is that, at this early stage at grassroots level, coaches are volunteers and do\nnot get paid for what they do. Many take up the role because they have a child\nthat wants to play and no one else was forthcoming, so they decided to step up\nthemselves. They do not hold aspirations of becoming the next Sir Alex\nFerguson; they just want to allow children to play a game they love. So when\nunhappy parents begin to take it out on the coach they are left with a decision\nto make \u2013 do they bow to the demands of the parents? Explain why they made the\ndecision and stick by their guns? Or decide that they don\u2019t want or need the\nhassle?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sadly, competition can and, frequently, does make a game far\nmore serious than it really needs to be and, ironically, it\u2019s not the players\nthemselves that make it that way. Coaches and parents easily get caught up in\ntrying to win, when all that children want to do is play and have fun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Keeping Sport Fun<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nCompetition can be fun and not for one second are we saying\nit is bad because, in many ways, it is good for the development of children by\nteaching them how to win and lose. However, many children do not react well to\npressure at such an early age, which is why parents consciously choose not to\nsign them up to teams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Competition can be fun and not for one second are we saying\nit is bad because, in many ways, it is good for the development of children by\nteaching them how to win and lose. However, many children do not react well to\npressure at such an early age, which is why parents consciously choose not to\nsign them up to teams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n