Many of the comments on here confirm my belief that mini soccer leagues are detrimental. Kids are put under immense pressure by adults to win 3 points; they have little freedom to experiment and develop skills and techniques; they are unable to develop decision making skills because of the constant instructions "get back, go forward, shoot" etc.; many children are rejected at a very young age because leagues only allow a certain mumber of players leading to selection processes; kids stand around in the cold as subs and coaches throw clip boards to the floor in frustration because the pursuit of 3 points is top priority. I firmly support the Give Us Back Our Game campaign which promotes child development, no subs and encourages adults to facilitate the kind of football experiences which allow our children to "fall in love with the beautiful game". In my experience, little Fred comes off a pitch happier if he's played well, back-heeled a pass, tried a Cryff turn and taken a good throw-in and lost the game rather than if he stayed at the back, passes a few times and his team has won 12-0. Let's encourage our children to play football, NOT win 3 points.
Posted 11:04 15th April 2008
Adam Langley says...
im 14 and i was playin a friendly when i got fouled. it was a 2 footed challenge from behind after i had played the ball the challenge was so bad i could not carry on. the ref was about to give the player a card untill all the opponents parents and supporters started shouting at the ref and he put the cards in his pocket 15 minutes later one of the opponents players punched one of our players and again the ref did nothing just last week we heard from another manager that the player that had thrown the punch had attemted to do it again and the has now been kicked out of our league
Posted 11:00 15th April 2008
Bryan Flockhart says...
Dont think the so called role models in football help with the abuse that the close ups reveal on the televised football.
Kids copy things and this initiative should be aimed at the top players as well as the grassroots level.
I manage an under 14 side and the feeling I get from a lot of the managers in our league is that they want to win more desparately than the players.
Developement is being affected as young players are often to scared to express the skills they have.
Posted 10:54 15th April 2008
James C says...
I finished playing junior football 3 years ago and i have to say i loved it and didnt have much trouble from parents off the field at all. The only trouble we got was from opposition. The main reason for this was because i had an ex-pro who mas my manager. Parents respected him and knew that he knew best for the team and for the players...would this not be a bad idea for ex-players to give back to the community. It is one morning for a match and 1 evening for training and a bit of paperwork...they get far too much money, but thats another issue, so surely after they have finished, they can give up a little of their time to help the game that gave them so much!
Posted 10:53 15th April 2008
Tom Sands says...
Please read this,
my name is Tom Sands and i play for Beckly Rangers. Parents can put of the enjoyment of the game because the shout and expectations are high!!!, i think red cards for parents is a great idea and hopefully it comes into use
Posted 10:51 15th April 2008
Anthony Cattell says...
As a coach of an under 12 youth team , i really belive refs do a good job , but the comments and abuse directed by parents towards refs and players is terrible , yes there are people in each club who make the coachs job hard but here on the isle of wight i would honestly say the standard of youth refs are very good , we have a coned 1 mtr area around the pitch which only players and officals can stand in , and any parent who abuses this i through the club have the power to exclude the parent from any game , i think there should in each club be a parent code of conduct
Posted 10:36 15th April 2008
Luc Bailey says...
parents will always be passionate about their kids and how well they play, but i do agree that parents can put too much pressure on kids. referees will always recieve some abuse and i think they will have to live with that fact (accept if its physical). i think there should be barriers to keep spectators away from physically interacting with the game.
Posted 10:25 15th April 2008
Fred White says...
I live opposite an area containing at least 8 pitches for all ages. from saturday morning until sunday afternoon sitting in your garden is not the thing to do the language is terrible,this is from supporters & players of all ages & nothing is ever done about it add to this the litter that is left.In my opinion the councils who rent out the pitches as well as the local FA should monitor this situation & if necessary fine clubs involved.
Posted 10:13 15th April 2008
Malcolm Lee says...
Hi all
I started the Don't X The Line Campaign late December 2003 to bring awareness to what i witnessed as my time as a junior football manager and a parent
I thank Sky Sports for inviting me onto the show twice yesterday to give one or two comments about the state of the game and would like to thank Dan Roan,and Sky Sports for telling the story as it really is ,,Dan has it spot on well done.
I was also privilaged to be invited to Soho Square with give us back our game regarding the FA respect pilot and to add some input as the two campaigns have a good relationship together regarding grassroots football .
We believe that the FA could do no wrong by bringing both campaigns onto the steering group as we have a lot to offer and five years of experience regarding touchline behaviour.
We also believe by making this Respect campaign work we all need to work as a team by doing what we do best bringing everyone together which is you the parents,coaches,referees governing bodies and most of all the children,we have been doing this for nearly five years now and 30,000 members ang growing can't be wrong
Try this when you stand behind that touchline barrier each weekend supporting your child,applaud both teams for entertaining you and encourage the children, remember they are learning they look upto you as responsible adults and role models ,what you do they believe is correct if they see you shaking hands with the opposition each week they will copy if you show Respect they will copy,take this message with you each week
Don't be a bully be a friend, Don.t be a racist that won't mend, Don't be abusive or aggressive, to show Respect is more impressive.
One more thing always remember the Referee's deision is Final when that decision is made just Respect it you won't change it
Great programme Dan
Mal Lee
(FOUNDER
www.dontxthelinecampaign.com
Posted 10:04 15th April 2008
Chris Currey says...
i play under 14s football a and we have had one game abandoned this year but that was because the referee was the same age as us and it was all abandoned because of to much shouting. i know there is a problem with the parents but i think a bit of encouragement on the sideline is good for the game and makes the game a bit more competitive.
Posted 10:03 15th April 2008
Joe Smith says...
I am 16 and play sunday league football i used to play for a team where the pressure to win was so intense if we lost we would be considered failures i beleive it is because the fans at sunday league games also support premiership or other league football teams and forget about the difference in standards and show the same compassion for both sides, i feel sorry for many young referees up and down the country who have abuse hurled at them for giving a penalty against a side, even if it was the right decision. i think the F.A should introduce a rule where if a refferee feels the abuse is drastic they should be sent from the touchlines and banned from future games. i think encouragement and support is important for young players to progress however abuse is just forcing players to quit!
Posted 10:03 15th April 2008
Wayne Macfarlane says...
I have been a football fan for over 20 years, i support Spurs and have 2 sons (5 & 2) who one day i hope will play the nations favourite game, but i worry because they sit and watch football with me and they watch me play 5 a side and i am disgusted by the way the game is treated by professionals and amateurs alike, they all treat it like a reason to have a row, i have had to walk of a training pitch 4 years ago after being threatened with my "head being kicked in" and that by my own team mates, i respect the officials because they have one of the hardest jobs in football keeping everyone happy, Howard Webb is by far the best ref in football and he should help the other refs learn how to deal with players and managers.
Posted 09:36 15th April 2008
Reece Warren says...
Hi I'm 13 and play for Victoria Park Rangers Under 14s. In one match that I played in the parents and managers broke outinto a massive row during the game and there were threats such as "I'll stab you." It wasn't just the parents though, some of the players got involved so in the end the match was abandoned.
Posted 09:06 15th April 2008
Darren George says...
I am a coach in Ireland. We have something called Kickstart, which is run by the FAI with professional coaches, it is aimed at coaching the coaches and bringing the fun element back in to underage football. It covers everything from child welfare to how to deal with parents and has coaching cards etc to help with the coaching. We have non competitive leagues (try telling the kids it's non competitive!) and the results are not posted in the media. In our club we have meetings with the parents before the season kicks off, where they are told exactly what is expected of them, if there are any issues during games the coach would speak to that parent and if neccesary, that child would not be selected again. We don't seem to have any problems in our league
Posted 08:12 15th April 2008
Raymond Tomkins says...
As an Englishman I was quite appalled about the behavior of parents shown in your piece on grassroots football. It reminded me of when I lived in Canada watching parents fighting at Hockey games involving 12 year old players...Unbelievable!
Regarding football, I have been refereeing football (soccer) in the US (North Carolina, South Carolina & Florida) for 5 years in adult, high school & youth club levels. I have rarely seen anything that resembles the behavior show in this feature on Sky Sports. I believe the major contributor to the difference is the club organization here in hte US, to help explain this; I will describe the club I officiate at in Northern Florida (Creeks Soccer Club). The club has 1800 kids and 10 soccer fields, each field is furnished with small aluminum seating stands for the parents with 3 or 4 levels of seating that is located 2 meters from the touchline, the stands are always located opposite the team benches, parents are only allowed in this area. Regarding verbal abuse, it is not allowed by the club, the parents sign a charter that they will follow all club rules and are encouraged to only offer positive support to their kids & their team and criticism of the opposition or officials is not tolerated. Other features of the clubs is that alcohol is not allowed & they provide food & refreshments (a good source of revenue for the club) the club also has a large play area & picnic facilities to support a pleasant family atmosphere, the clubs also have a paid field marshal who is responsible to ensure all club rules are being enforced.
However, high school games are quite different, with parents constantly hurling abuse at the officials; in this case it is mostly lack of knowledge of the rules ... I look at it as being like a "Rock Star¿. You are centre stage... the lights are on you...you blow your whistle and they scream at you!
Posted 02:23 15th April 2008
Joe Harris says...
I am 17 years old and recently qualified as a referee and although i have reffed just 4 games, quitting crosses my mind all the time. I have learnt to take some of the minor abuse such as the odd swear word directed towards a decision i make but there have been much more extreme instances. I reffed an under 12s game and a team of parents and the coach (who was a mother) ganged up on me and shouted abuse at me (it was a friendly and my second game). Their team was losing 5-0 and they had a shot cleared off the line. The coach called me a disgrace and said it was the wrong decision despite her being on the half way line. I stopped the game, had a word with her and tried to explain my decision, but she shouted at me and claimed i should have awarded the goal to boost her teams morale. She refused to shake my hand at the end and a parent ended the argument by saying i wasnt worth the arguing, that made me feel very small. I also reffed a womens game just last week, gave a penalty for a clear handball and was shocked by the reaction. One woman needed to be held back by her team mates and the whole team circled me, shouting abuse. However it was half time that was most shocking, when one of the managers squared up to the other. being only a teenager players and managers think they can push their weight around and they are quick to criticse depsite the learning curve being very steep and not realising that budding referees like myself are the ones who can assure that their games can be played in future.
A lot has been said about fa funding and i am glad to see it being pumped into grass roots football, but if i am honest many clubs dont deserve the support the fa can provide. Before they get funding they should learn to appreciate and co-operate with those who provide them with a game (the fa, and match officials)
Posted 01:48 15th April 2008
Simon Palmer says...
I had to pull my son out of his football club. There was so mch pressure on him/ so much shouting from the sidelines from parents and the managers its wrong. My son use to leave traning nights crying as he was nt picked for his team for the weekend games....being told he was not good enough from his manager knocked his confidence. He is only 9 years old and just wants to play football and enjoy it. My son knows he has skill and has left his team towards better which has been a boast to him.
Parent /trainers/ managers please take note...
They are kids with delicate feelings.
Posted 00:43 15th April 2008
Mark Gowland says...
Having being used to the junior set up for rugby league with my youngest son, it was quite a shock to see how "the beautiful game" compared at grass roots level, when my other son started playing football and then became a referee.
Having observed him referee some 40 games at u11 - u13, it would seem that the source of most of the abuse towards the referee is the lack of knowledge of the laws of the game on behalf of the parents, and indeed sometimes the coaches.
To address the loss of youngsters from the game consideration should be given to not publishing the league tables and having promotions / relagations part way through the season. This would avoid teams having to stuggle through a season being hammered 20-0 every week and would promote enjoyment of the game.
Posted 00:15 15th April 2008
Charlie Pilkington says...
There is too much pressre of kids to perform due the fact they play competitive football too young. There is no requirement for the youngsters to play league football until the age of 13. Children should be encouraged to develop, to copy the positive parts of football - the tricks, the passing and not the "win at all costs". There should be a law passed (some may believe this excessive, but read on) that any body introducing league football before this age can be arrested. It can be a form of abuse when young children are shouted at by parents and coaches.
I am experiencing this at my local club where the aim is to finish as high in the league as possible at the expense of some of the kids who are not considered good enough. Children's confidence is seriously impacted and I am not surprised we have the highest drop out rate in Europe.
The FA and the Government must act before this goes too far. Only 1 in 1000 will make it to professional level, parents must get of the kids back. Let kids enjoy football. Yes, encourage them to win, but it's not everything.
Posted 23:52 14th April 2008
Amanda Street says...
My son plays in the under 12 league and thoroughly enjoys himself. Some of his games end up in disputes and shouting matches between the parents with abuse aimed at the referee. The match yesterday almost ended up in a fight between the managers and coaches of both sides with the referee taking a barrage of abuse. The problem arose as the team they were playing had players who were taught to play like thugs. There were so many blatant fowls, shoving, pushing, abuse and fowl language to my son's team it was astounding so obviously got very heated. My son's team is made up of very decent lads who play the game by the rules but you get odd teams who are trained to play dirty instead. The referee for this match was from our team and whenever he penalised the opposing team for the fowls he got abuse from the manager/linesman. It all got a bit out of hand and I felt sorry for my son and his team mates. There were several players on the opposing team who were really rude and even resorted to calling the adults names.. The referees should be independent instead of from one of the teams playing as this is sure to cause problems. I think that representatives of the FA should randomly attend matches and see for themselves then make reports and name and shame the teams responsible for the bad behaviour. It is hard to watch your son play a game he loves and wants to win when there's blatant cheating going on and you're powerless to do anything about it apart from watch!
Comments (108)
Vanessa Wheeler says...
Many of the comments on here confirm my belief that mini soccer leagues are detrimental. Kids are put under immense pressure by adults to win 3 points; they have little freedom to experiment and develop skills and techniques; they are unable to develop decision making skills because of the constant instructions "get back, go forward, shoot" etc.; many children are rejected at a very young age because leagues only allow a certain mumber of players leading to selection processes; kids stand around in the cold as subs and coaches throw clip boards to the floor in frustration because the pursuit of 3 points is top priority. I firmly support the Give Us Back Our Game campaign which promotes child development, no subs and encourages adults to facilitate the kind of football experiences which allow our children to "fall in love with the beautiful game". In my experience, little Fred comes off a pitch happier if he's played well, back-heeled a pass, tried a Cryff turn and taken a good throw-in and lost the game rather than if he stayed at the back, passes a few times and his team has won 12-0. Let's encourage our children to play football, NOT win 3 points.
Posted 11:04 15th April 2008
Adam Langley says...
im 14 and i was playin a friendly when i got fouled. it was a 2 footed challenge from behind after i had played the ball the challenge was so bad i could not carry on. the ref was about to give the player a card untill all the opponents parents and supporters started shouting at the ref and he put the cards in his pocket 15 minutes later one of the opponents players punched one of our players and again the ref did nothing just last week we heard from another manager that the player that had thrown the punch had attemted to do it again and the has now been kicked out of our league
Posted 11:00 15th April 2008
Bryan Flockhart says...
Dont think the so called role models in football help with the abuse that the close ups reveal on the televised football. Kids copy things and this initiative should be aimed at the top players as well as the grassroots level. I manage an under 14 side and the feeling I get from a lot of the managers in our league is that they want to win more desparately than the players. Developement is being affected as young players are often to scared to express the skills they have.
Posted 10:54 15th April 2008
James C says...
I finished playing junior football 3 years ago and i have to say i loved it and didnt have much trouble from parents off the field at all. The only trouble we got was from opposition. The main reason for this was because i had an ex-pro who mas my manager. Parents respected him and knew that he knew best for the team and for the players...would this not be a bad idea for ex-players to give back to the community. It is one morning for a match and 1 evening for training and a bit of paperwork...they get far too much money, but thats another issue, so surely after they have finished, they can give up a little of their time to help the game that gave them so much!
Posted 10:53 15th April 2008
Tom Sands says...
Please read this, my name is Tom Sands and i play for Beckly Rangers. Parents can put of the enjoyment of the game because the shout and expectations are high!!!, i think red cards for parents is a great idea and hopefully it comes into use
Posted 10:51 15th April 2008
Anthony Cattell says...
As a coach of an under 12 youth team , i really belive refs do a good job , but the comments and abuse directed by parents towards refs and players is terrible , yes there are people in each club who make the coachs job hard but here on the isle of wight i would honestly say the standard of youth refs are very good , we have a coned 1 mtr area around the pitch which only players and officals can stand in , and any parent who abuses this i through the club have the power to exclude the parent from any game , i think there should in each club be a parent code of conduct
Posted 10:36 15th April 2008
Luc Bailey says...
parents will always be passionate about their kids and how well they play, but i do agree that parents can put too much pressure on kids. referees will always recieve some abuse and i think they will have to live with that fact (accept if its physical). i think there should be barriers to keep spectators away from physically interacting with the game.
Posted 10:25 15th April 2008
Fred White says...
I live opposite an area containing at least 8 pitches for all ages. from saturday morning until sunday afternoon sitting in your garden is not the thing to do the language is terrible,this is from supporters & players of all ages & nothing is ever done about it add to this the litter that is left.In my opinion the councils who rent out the pitches as well as the local FA should monitor this situation & if necessary fine clubs involved.
Posted 10:13 15th April 2008
Malcolm Lee says...
Hi all I started the Don't X The Line Campaign late December 2003 to bring awareness to what i witnessed as my time as a junior football manager and a parent I thank Sky Sports for inviting me onto the show twice yesterday to give one or two comments about the state of the game and would like to thank Dan Roan,and Sky Sports for telling the story as it really is ,,Dan has it spot on well done. I was also privilaged to be invited to Soho Square with give us back our game regarding the FA respect pilot and to add some input as the two campaigns have a good relationship together regarding grassroots football . We believe that the FA could do no wrong by bringing both campaigns onto the steering group as we have a lot to offer and five years of experience regarding touchline behaviour. We also believe by making this Respect campaign work we all need to work as a team by doing what we do best bringing everyone together which is you the parents,coaches,referees governing bodies and most of all the children,we have been doing this for nearly five years now and 30,000 members ang growing can't be wrong Try this when you stand behind that touchline barrier each weekend supporting your child,applaud both teams for entertaining you and encourage the children, remember they are learning they look upto you as responsible adults and role models ,what you do they believe is correct if they see you shaking hands with the opposition each week they will copy if you show Respect they will copy,take this message with you each week Don't be a bully be a friend, Don.t be a racist that won't mend, Don't be abusive or aggressive, to show Respect is more impressive. One more thing always remember the Referee's deision is Final when that decision is made just Respect it you won't change it Great programme Dan Mal Lee (FOUNDER www.dontxthelinecampaign.com
Posted 10:04 15th April 2008
Chris Currey says...
i play under 14s football a and we have had one game abandoned this year but that was because the referee was the same age as us and it was all abandoned because of to much shouting. i know there is a problem with the parents but i think a bit of encouragement on the sideline is good for the game and makes the game a bit more competitive.
Posted 10:03 15th April 2008
Joe Smith says...
I am 16 and play sunday league football i used to play for a team where the pressure to win was so intense if we lost we would be considered failures i beleive it is because the fans at sunday league games also support premiership or other league football teams and forget about the difference in standards and show the same compassion for both sides, i feel sorry for many young referees up and down the country who have abuse hurled at them for giving a penalty against a side, even if it was the right decision. i think the F.A should introduce a rule where if a refferee feels the abuse is drastic they should be sent from the touchlines and banned from future games. i think encouragement and support is important for young players to progress however abuse is just forcing players to quit!
Posted 10:03 15th April 2008
Wayne Macfarlane says...
I have been a football fan for over 20 years, i support Spurs and have 2 sons (5 & 2) who one day i hope will play the nations favourite game, but i worry because they sit and watch football with me and they watch me play 5 a side and i am disgusted by the way the game is treated by professionals and amateurs alike, they all treat it like a reason to have a row, i have had to walk of a training pitch 4 years ago after being threatened with my "head being kicked in" and that by my own team mates, i respect the officials because they have one of the hardest jobs in football keeping everyone happy, Howard Webb is by far the best ref in football and he should help the other refs learn how to deal with players and managers.
Posted 09:36 15th April 2008
Reece Warren says...
Hi I'm 13 and play for Victoria Park Rangers Under 14s. In one match that I played in the parents and managers broke outinto a massive row during the game and there were threats such as "I'll stab you." It wasn't just the parents though, some of the players got involved so in the end the match was abandoned.
Posted 09:06 15th April 2008
Darren George says...
I am a coach in Ireland. We have something called Kickstart, which is run by the FAI with professional coaches, it is aimed at coaching the coaches and bringing the fun element back in to underage football. It covers everything from child welfare to how to deal with parents and has coaching cards etc to help with the coaching. We have non competitive leagues (try telling the kids it's non competitive!) and the results are not posted in the media. In our club we have meetings with the parents before the season kicks off, where they are told exactly what is expected of them, if there are any issues during games the coach would speak to that parent and if neccesary, that child would not be selected again. We don't seem to have any problems in our league
Posted 08:12 15th April 2008
Raymond Tomkins says...
As an Englishman I was quite appalled about the behavior of parents shown in your piece on grassroots football. It reminded me of when I lived in Canada watching parents fighting at Hockey games involving 12 year old players...Unbelievable! Regarding football, I have been refereeing football (soccer) in the US (North Carolina, South Carolina & Florida) for 5 years in adult, high school & youth club levels. I have rarely seen anything that resembles the behavior show in this feature on Sky Sports. I believe the major contributor to the difference is the club organization here in hte US, to help explain this; I will describe the club I officiate at in Northern Florida (Creeks Soccer Club). The club has 1800 kids and 10 soccer fields, each field is furnished with small aluminum seating stands for the parents with 3 or 4 levels of seating that is located 2 meters from the touchline, the stands are always located opposite the team benches, parents are only allowed in this area. Regarding verbal abuse, it is not allowed by the club, the parents sign a charter that they will follow all club rules and are encouraged to only offer positive support to their kids & their team and criticism of the opposition or officials is not tolerated. Other features of the clubs is that alcohol is not allowed & they provide food & refreshments (a good source of revenue for the club) the club also has a large play area & picnic facilities to support a pleasant family atmosphere, the clubs also have a paid field marshal who is responsible to ensure all club rules are being enforced. However, high school games are quite different, with parents constantly hurling abuse at the officials; in this case it is mostly lack of knowledge of the rules ... I look at it as being like a "Rock Star¿. You are centre stage... the lights are on you...you blow your whistle and they scream at you!
Posted 02:23 15th April 2008
Joe Harris says...
I am 17 years old and recently qualified as a referee and although i have reffed just 4 games, quitting crosses my mind all the time. I have learnt to take some of the minor abuse such as the odd swear word directed towards a decision i make but there have been much more extreme instances. I reffed an under 12s game and a team of parents and the coach (who was a mother) ganged up on me and shouted abuse at me (it was a friendly and my second game). Their team was losing 5-0 and they had a shot cleared off the line. The coach called me a disgrace and said it was the wrong decision despite her being on the half way line. I stopped the game, had a word with her and tried to explain my decision, but she shouted at me and claimed i should have awarded the goal to boost her teams morale. She refused to shake my hand at the end and a parent ended the argument by saying i wasnt worth the arguing, that made me feel very small. I also reffed a womens game just last week, gave a penalty for a clear handball and was shocked by the reaction. One woman needed to be held back by her team mates and the whole team circled me, shouting abuse. However it was half time that was most shocking, when one of the managers squared up to the other. being only a teenager players and managers think they can push their weight around and they are quick to criticse depsite the learning curve being very steep and not realising that budding referees like myself are the ones who can assure that their games can be played in future. A lot has been said about fa funding and i am glad to see it being pumped into grass roots football, but if i am honest many clubs dont deserve the support the fa can provide. Before they get funding they should learn to appreciate and co-operate with those who provide them with a game (the fa, and match officials)
Posted 01:48 15th April 2008
Simon Palmer says...
I had to pull my son out of his football club. There was so mch pressure on him/ so much shouting from the sidelines from parents and the managers its wrong. My son use to leave traning nights crying as he was nt picked for his team for the weekend games....being told he was not good enough from his manager knocked his confidence. He is only 9 years old and just wants to play football and enjoy it. My son knows he has skill and has left his team towards better which has been a boast to him. Parent /trainers/ managers please take note... They are kids with delicate feelings.
Posted 00:43 15th April 2008
Mark Gowland says...
Having being used to the junior set up for rugby league with my youngest son, it was quite a shock to see how "the beautiful game" compared at grass roots level, when my other son started playing football and then became a referee. Having observed him referee some 40 games at u11 - u13, it would seem that the source of most of the abuse towards the referee is the lack of knowledge of the laws of the game on behalf of the parents, and indeed sometimes the coaches. To address the loss of youngsters from the game consideration should be given to not publishing the league tables and having promotions / relagations part way through the season. This would avoid teams having to stuggle through a season being hammered 20-0 every week and would promote enjoyment of the game.
Posted 00:15 15th April 2008
Charlie Pilkington says...
There is too much pressre of kids to perform due the fact they play competitive football too young. There is no requirement for the youngsters to play league football until the age of 13. Children should be encouraged to develop, to copy the positive parts of football - the tricks, the passing and not the "win at all costs". There should be a law passed (some may believe this excessive, but read on) that any body introducing league football before this age can be arrested. It can be a form of abuse when young children are shouted at by parents and coaches. I am experiencing this at my local club where the aim is to finish as high in the league as possible at the expense of some of the kids who are not considered good enough. Children's confidence is seriously impacted and I am not surprised we have the highest drop out rate in Europe. The FA and the Government must act before this goes too far. Only 1 in 1000 will make it to professional level, parents must get of the kids back. Let kids enjoy football. Yes, encourage them to win, but it's not everything.
Posted 23:52 14th April 2008
Amanda Street says...
My son plays in the under 12 league and thoroughly enjoys himself. Some of his games end up in disputes and shouting matches between the parents with abuse aimed at the referee. The match yesterday almost ended up in a fight between the managers and coaches of both sides with the referee taking a barrage of abuse. The problem arose as the team they were playing had players who were taught to play like thugs. There were so many blatant fowls, shoving, pushing, abuse and fowl language to my son's team it was astounding so obviously got very heated. My son's team is made up of very decent lads who play the game by the rules but you get odd teams who are trained to play dirty instead. The referee for this match was from our team and whenever he penalised the opposing team for the fowls he got abuse from the manager/linesman. It all got a bit out of hand and I felt sorry for my son and his team mates. There were several players on the opposing team who were really rude and even resorted to calling the adults names.. The referees should be independent instead of from one of the teams playing as this is sure to cause problems. I think that representatives of the FA should randomly attend matches and see for themselves then make reports and name and shame the teams responsible for the bad behaviour. It is hard to watch your son play a game he loves and wants to win when there's blatant cheating going on and you're powerless to do anything about it apart from watch!
Posted 23:00 14th April 2008