Kids Football

[Exigeowner]

Hi All anybody involved in running or managing a kids football team ? I have been asked to help out and wanna get some thougts, idesa, good and bad

[Ferg]

Run away.
Quickly.













But seriously....
It's a no-win and you WILL need the patience of a saint.

[MikeyT]

What age group?

Anything more than U12-13 you'll have a good time.

Under that, forget it - no matter what you tell them they ALL want to play up front and never pass. Throw a net out and you'd catch 'em all ... !

Tactics just don't matter - the games is a lottery.

Edited by MikeyT on Monday 25th May 20:12

[Paul1972]

Nobody has mentioned all the grief you will get off the parents yet!! You'll get at least 11 sets of parents who all now better than you how the team should play and who should be picked. As above - run away..... fast..... unless you are a glutton for punishment

[DocJock]

I agree with all of the above....

But I still love it! My lad's just finished U14s and I am one of the coaches.

You just need to ignore all the parents who think they know best and get on with having a laugh with the lads.
If you don't do it maybe nobody else will?

[Ferg]

DocJock said:

If you don't do it maybe nobody else will?

That's the most important thing to remember. However the trick you NEED to learn is how to keep as many parents on side as you can. This will become critical as they get older and some fall away and expect you to get their children to away games as you turn into a handy way of them getting Sundays to themselves.
You will also have the unenviable decision to make as to how you will keep the 'also-ran' children playing football. in an ideal world you'll play the best kids all the time and win stuff. However, the kids who turn up and don't get much of a game will walk and when your 'star' players have a sleepover or Premiership game to go to you are knackered.

If you are as lucky as me, you'll have years of laughs with the boys and you'll win some games you never thought you had a chance in and it'll be all worth it for you and the boys.

My son played U10 up to U18 and we took them on a three day 'Tour' to Holland.
We're still laughing about that now: The drinking, watching the FA Cup Final in an Irish Pub in Arnhem, the 'words' between members of the party and an American Football guy in the Ajax Arena tour......

Too many give up when things get hard. Starting a season with 10 men anyone?? But it'll come good and the boys will think you're a legend!

Edited by Ferg on Monday 25th May 20:55