Grass Roots tips
Discussion
Morning all
Last season I set up a grass roots team for local boys and girls, this season we are playing in the Local league at under 10s, I've done the FA courses and have a coach and Asst coach however as manager I'm running into playing time muddles.
At my level its 7 a side, I have a 10 person squad, its our first season so still learning and I'm playing everyone every game so we can develop.
I cant find a decent rhythm for changing the players and giving fair game time, most matches I have 6 outfield player and 3 subs (GK is permanent currently).
I've had my first parent moan about there child's playing time.
Googling suggests every 12.5 mins (currently playing 25 per half) but I still can't seem to find a good balance.
Any suggestions from other coaches or managers of youth football would be welcome!
Last season I set up a grass roots team for local boys and girls, this season we are playing in the Local league at under 10s, I've done the FA courses and have a coach and Asst coach however as manager I'm running into playing time muddles.
At my level its 7 a side, I have a 10 person squad, its our first season so still learning and I'm playing everyone every game so we can develop.
I cant find a decent rhythm for changing the players and giving fair game time, most matches I have 6 outfield player and 3 subs (GK is permanent currently).
I've had my first parent moan about there child's playing time.
Googling suggests every 12.5 mins (currently playing 25 per half) but I still can't seem to find a good balance.
Any suggestions from other coaches or managers of youth football would be welcome!
jonwm said:
Morning all
Last season I set up a grass roots team for local boys and girls, this season we are playing in the Local league at under 10s, I've done the FA courses and have a coach and Asst coach however as manager I'm running into playing time muddles.
At my level its 7 a side, I have a 10 person squad, its our first season so still learning and I'm playing everyone every game so we can develop.
I cant find a decent rhythm for changing the players and giving fair game time, most matches I have 6 outfield player and 3 subs (GK is permanent currently).
I've had my first parent moan about there child's playing time.
Googling suggests every 12.5 mins (currently playing 25 per half) but I still can't seem to find a good balance.
Any suggestions from other coaches or managers of youth football would be welcome!
Hi, good luck with this it can be great fun.Last season I set up a grass roots team for local boys and girls, this season we are playing in the Local league at under 10s, I've done the FA courses and have a coach and Asst coach however as manager I'm running into playing time muddles.
At my level its 7 a side, I have a 10 person squad, its our first season so still learning and I'm playing everyone every game so we can develop.
I cant find a decent rhythm for changing the players and giving fair game time, most matches I have 6 outfield player and 3 subs (GK is permanent currently).
I've had my first parent moan about there child's playing time.
Googling suggests every 12.5 mins (currently playing 25 per half) but I still can't seem to find a good balance.
Any suggestions from other coaches or managers of youth football would be welcome!
Back when I used to do this (for almost ten years) I think the key is to not play for development, not results. Yes winning is nice, but you need to set the team up and the parents up that playing sport, being with their friends and having the sporting experience of fair play, skills and team sports is the main goal.
We as coaches, would divide the match into quarters, and then rotate our players every quarter. So that everyone had equal playing time, we'd map it all out before the game and make the changes regardless of the match position.
Don't necessarily start your first team and then weaken it, good to mix it up. Sometime your best players can win matches if they have energy in the last quarter when others are tired.
Or do this.
50 minutes , times six, divide by 9 every player gets 33 minutes.
It’s the hardest thing to manage to be honest.
At that age, we did it completely fairly, every player, every match. Phone alarms, pre determined subs. We played not to win, but to develop the kids. We got a fair few thumpings, but the kids came off happy and the majority of those kids are still with us.
As they get older you can manage it differently. Ours are u15 now so some will have been up late the night before and it shows, so they may not play as much that game but will the next, it evens out over a few games not just one, but we explained that to the parents at the start of the season and everyone is happy with that.
At that age, we did it completely fairly, every player, every match. Phone alarms, pre determined subs. We played not to win, but to develop the kids. We got a fair few thumpings, but the kids came off happy and the majority of those kids are still with us.
As they get older you can manage it differently. Ours are u15 now so some will have been up late the night before and it shows, so they may not play as much that game but will the next, it evens out over a few games not just one, but we explained that to the parents at the start of the season and everyone is happy with that.
TwigtheWonderkid said:
Tell them you're happy to step back and let them take over.
That precisely. We try to split it as fairly as possible but it's never going to be completely even as you have to balance it with coaching, which is the most important thing. It also depends on the balance of the team and the effort a child is putting in. Sod setting timers! If a parent questioned their playing time repeatedly or in anything but the nicest way I would be suggesting they are free to go and find another team for their child, or start one themselves.It’s really great that you’re giving consideration to fitting in playing time, and it’s great to hear of the constructive comments.
My son played for a local village club in Aberdeenshire and when the boys reached 8 the head coach started dropping kids from playing squads, saying they were holding the others back and negatively affecting their development. Really it was just to keep his “A” team in the A league, and have a good strong B team for the A team overflow to drop in and out of. In one meeting where he dropped my son from the playing squad he sat there talking like he was managing a premier league side, telling my 8 year old that he needed to fight for his place. Totally contrary the SFA grassroots football rules of course. Upshot was my son and four others quit football altogether, and suddenly the club could barely cobble together enough people to facilitate a B team.
My son played for a local village club in Aberdeenshire and when the boys reached 8 the head coach started dropping kids from playing squads, saying they were holding the others back and negatively affecting their development. Really it was just to keep his “A” team in the A league, and have a good strong B team for the A team overflow to drop in and out of. In one meeting where he dropped my son from the playing squad he sat there talking like he was managing a premier league side, telling my 8 year old that he needed to fight for his place. Totally contrary the SFA grassroots football rules of course. Upshot was my son and four others quit football altogether, and suddenly the club could barely cobble together enough people to facilitate a B team.
jonwm said:
Morning all
Last season I set up a grass roots team for local boys and girls, this season we are playing in the Local league at under 10s, I've done the FA courses and have a coach and Asst coach however as manager I'm running into playing time muddles.
At my level its 7 a side, I have a 10 person squad, its our first season so still learning and I'm playing everyone every game so we can develop.
I cant find a decent rhythm for changing the players and giving fair game time, most matches I have 6 outfield player and 3 subs (GK is permanent currently).
I've had my first parent moan about there child's playing time.
Googling suggests every 12.5 mins (currently playing 25 per half) but I still can't seem to find a good balance.
Any suggestions from other coaches or managers of youth football would be welcome!
To answer your question I would make three changes every 17or so minutes (so no subs right after half time). Last season I set up a grass roots team for local boys and girls, this season we are playing in the Local league at under 10s, I've done the FA courses and have a coach and Asst coach however as manager I'm running into playing time muddles.
At my level its 7 a side, I have a 10 person squad, its our first season so still learning and I'm playing everyone every game so we can develop.
I cant find a decent rhythm for changing the players and giving fair game time, most matches I have 6 outfield player and 3 subs (GK is permanent currently).
I've had my first parent moan about there child's playing time.
Googling suggests every 12.5 mins (currently playing 25 per half) but I still can't seem to find a good balance.
Any suggestions from other coaches or managers of youth football would be welcome!
It is a little bit disrupting for the rhythm of the game but all outfield players get even game time.
And life isn’t smooth so a bit of disruption is good.
Am now at U14s and this season I’ll be a bit more ruthless with subs but every player will get half a game minimum. Having said that if they’re all on it, which mine have tended to be, I’ll carry on making subs every third of the game. We play 70 minutes so subs tend to be around 23 minutes in.
Obviously injuries can disrupt this but it’s good to have a plan at the outset but be switched on to the fact that the plan will probably need to be adapted.
I’d also say to plan subs ahead so that you can try and keep a balanced team on the pitch.
At 7 a side, you’ll probably find that your forwards also have to play in defence which parents will complain about but believe me, it’s best for the individual and also the team that they get this experience.
Bit of a thread revival this... but it's a great topic, so worthy of discussion. My experiences tally with aberdeeneuan:
And again agreeing with aberdeeneuan, now that they're older we will hoik them off if not demonstrating effort/commitment/concentration, and they might not get back on for the rest of the game.
aberdeeneuan said:
It’s the hardest thing to manage to be honest.
At that age, we did it completely fairly, every player, every match. Phone alarms, pre determined subs. We played not to win, but to develop the kids. We got a fair few thumpings, but the kids came off happy and the majority of those kids are still with us.
As they get older you can manage it differently. Ours are u15 now so some will have been up late the night before and it shows, so they may not play as much that game but will the next, it evens out over a few games not just one, but we explained that to the parents at the start of the season and everyone is happy with that.
At that age, just do it all metronomically, don't worry about the results. Try to put players in different positions, even if you have to force/cajole them in to it (one of our best players is our attacking midfielder... she only ever wanted to play in defence and used to whinge about being forced to play higher up... now she practically single-handedly runs every game)At that age, we did it completely fairly, every player, every match. Phone alarms, pre determined subs. We played not to win, but to develop the kids. We got a fair few thumpings, but the kids came off happy and the majority of those kids are still with us.
As they get older you can manage it differently. Ours are u15 now so some will have been up late the night before and it shows, so they may not play as much that game but will the next, it evens out over a few games not just one, but we explained that to the parents at the start of the season and everyone is happy with that.
And again agreeing with aberdeeneuan, now that they're older we will hoik them off if not demonstrating effort/commitment/concentration, and they might not get back on for the rest of the game.
Do you also base on the game time on attendence at training, been a particular issue for the group of girls at our grass roots club, they dont turn up for training but expect to play in matches, normally the ones where they know they will win or a semi final having missed all the other games.
It must be frustrating for the players that turn up week in week out to see someone playing who isn't fully commited.
Ultimately if the player is good enough they will move on to a better club so wont be your problem for very long.
It must be frustrating for the players that turn up week in week out to see someone playing who isn't fully commited.
Ultimately if the player is good enough they will move on to a better club so wont be your problem for very long.
sugerbear said:
Do you also base on the game time on attendence at training, been a particular issue for the group of girls at our grass roots club, they dont turn up for training but expect to play in matches, normally the ones where they know they will win or a semi final having missed all the other games.
It must be frustrating for the players that turn up week in week out to see someone playing who isn't fully commited.
Ultimately if the player is good enough they will move on to a better club so wont be your problem for very long.
With our team if you are not at training, you will def start as sub - and you may or may not get on. It must be frustrating for the players that turn up week in week out to see someone playing who isn't fully commited.
Ultimately if the player is good enough they will move on to a better club so wont be your problem for very long.
It's enough for a deterrent with our boys and we only have a couple who miss the odd session, and our squad can handle it but if you have a few missing and can't get to a starting 11 then that's a different problem.
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