Youth Development

[w pilton hibby]

Interesting interview with Eddie May in yesterdays' Daily Mail.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/foo..._campaign=1490

[GreenCastle]

There has been a few pieces on the state of Scottish youth football in the news this week...

I disagree with Eddie - you need to widen the number of people playing football in Scotland and give more a chance to succeed (varying development rates). Think of it as a pyramid - smaller base - less at the top.

Strachan said he things youth football should be more about winning - develop competitive edge - basically the opposite of what most youth coaches are now doing.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/foo...ournament.html

http://www.skysports.com/football/ne...scotland-squad

I don't like what he's saying about luck and keep doing what we are doing - as manager of the national team he should be overseeing the system and not just hoping talent lands at his feet.

Jim McInally - http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/f...ed-ace-6820756

The way I see it...there is still no clear direction from those in charge. The performance schools are failing and it's not all about the facilities.

Still too many jobs for the boys and narrow thinking from those coaching in youth academies. If you want good players you need to make sure they have basic intelligence also - as it will help the learning and problem solving.

[greenlex]

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There has been a few pieces on the state of Scottish youth football in the news this week...

I disagree with Eddie - you need to widen the number of people playing football in Scotland and give more a chance to succeed (varying development rates). Think of it as a pyramid - smaller base - less at the top.

Strachan said he things youth football should be more about winning - develop competitive edge - basically the opposite of what most youth coaches are now doing.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/foo...ournament.html

http://www.skysports.com/football/ne...scotland-squad

I don't like what he's saying about luck and keep doing what we are doing - as manager of the national team he should be overseeing the system and not just hoping talent lands at his feet.

Jim McInally - http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/f...ed-ace-6820756

The way I see it...there is still no clear direction from those in charge. The performance schools are failing and it's not all about the facilities.

Still too many jobs for the boys and narrow thinking from those coaching in youth academies. If you want good players you need to make sure they have basic intelligence also - as it will help the learning and problem solving.

Far too early to be judging the performance schools IMO.

[Ozyhibby]

Too early to judge performance schools but more competition would be welcome.
We've been doing the non competitive thing for 20 odd years now and it hasn't made any difference.


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[bingo70]

Enjoyed that interview with Eddie May, unlikely to be a popular view but I agree with him, too many footballers are getting hoovered up as clubs are scared to miss out on a good one.

Should be the elite that get through and focusing on a smaller group should give the coaches the best opportunity to work with them and improve them.

[Billy Whizz]

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Enjoyed that interview with Eddie May, unlikely to be a popular view but I agree with him, too many footballers are getting hoovered up as clubs are scared to miss out on a good one.

Should be the elite that get through and focusing on a smaller group should give the coaches the best opportunity to work with them and improve them.

Not involved in youth football at any level, although like to watch our development team. Celtic as an example have hoovered up most of the good Scottish talent for years, and win the development/youth league year after year. Yet they rarely allow this talent to make the breakthrough at their club. Maybe there is something in allowing players to be coached properly, but not connected to elite clubs.
Heard Jim McNally on the radio today, tearing into clubs who charge kids to join clubs. His point was that most of our great players came from housing schemes, and would unlikely be able to afford to join clubs that you have to pay to join

[GreenCastle]

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Enjoyed that interview with Eddie May, unlikely to be a popular view but I agree with him, too many footballers are getting hoovered up as clubs are scared to miss out on a good one.

Should be the elite that get through and focusing on a smaller group should give the coaches the best opportunity to work with them and improve them.

I don't understand the thinking of coach smaller groups.

I understand coaches don't want to work with 50 players at one time but surely coaches have the time to work with several groups and develop them.

Like an A, B, C group - at the end of a season there will be change and you move players appropriately or you can move them during season if really required.

Scotland needs more elite players - not less by narrowing our player pool. There are good coaches out there who aren't given the chance as a lot of coaching is done by ex pros and people in the game.

Counties can produce talent like Iceland qualifying for the Euros with a small population but quality of coaching is so important.

[bingo70]

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I don't understand the thinking of coach smaller groups.

I understand coaches don't want to work with 50 players at one time but surely coaches have the time to work with several groups and develop them.

Like an A, B, C group - at the end of a season there will be change and you move players appropriately or you can move them during season if really required.

Scotland needs more elite players - not less by narrowing our player pool. There are good coaches out there who aren't given the chance as a lot of coaching is done by ex pros and people in the game.

Counties can produce talent like Iceland qualifying for the Euros with a small population but quality of coaching is so important.

Imo when you play with better players you tend to play better yourself, if there's a group with a large number of them just making up the numbers then there's a danger the better players could get dragged down to their level, if you then add in the problematic parents May is talking about taking up the coaches time I can totally understand Mays desire to get the numbers down.

Surely the Iceland example proves its not simply a numbers game, that's what clubs seem to be doing just now.

[NORTHERNHIBBY]

Always confused me why the quality over quantity position only gets called out when managers talk about the finished article. Like any process, what you get out is impacted by what you put in.

[GreenArmy1875]

The amount of boys that go in and out the youth system is a joke. Signed in August for 2 years and released by Christmas. Seen it Happen to so many players, totally knocks their confidence and can cause many to chuck the game. Scouts bring in players for the set up but coaches don't fancy playing them regularly, again the players confidence is shattered and some never recover.

Some of the pro youth players are very arrogant and think they have made it already and can be clique when welcoming new players into the group. Which for some boys with great ability find it hard to break into. Both as a coach and as a player in the youth set ups in Scotland it's often the boy with the attitude problem that gets chance after chance and special treatment which harms the progress or confidence of others. This has an effect on the whole age group as coaches preach attitude and hard work but don't put it into practice.

Moulding players into Scottish footballers which will never improve our game. This is based on my experience as a coach and a player I may not be right across Scotland but can only base it on my experience. I do think it has got better if you look at the type of players coming through in Scotland at the moment it's not huge guys which is good.

[GreenCastle]

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Imo when you play with better players you tend to play better yourself, if there's a group with a large number of them just making up the numbers then there's a danger the better players could get dragged down to their level, if you then add in the problematic parents May is talking about taking up the coaches time I can totally understand Mays desire to get the numbers down.

Surely the Iceland example proves its not simply a numbers game, that's what clubs seem to be doing just now.

I agree with you about to get better you need to be with the best and tested.

But I think it's a dangerous game to say work with less players and try only develop a few elite.

Players develop at different rates due to when they are born in the year etc.

Iceland does show it's not a numbers game - I used that example to highlight how the importance of coaching.

Lower the numbers here with the same coaches and I can't ever see us qualifying for a tournament anytime soon.

[greenlex]

I'm watching Portsmouth v Wimbledon and the only quality I see on the park is the boy McNulty ex Livingston. Just saying.

[Brightside]

Pro-Youth is killing young talent....far too many "Pro" teams just think they must have a Pro Youth set up and most of it is done half arsed. I really wish Pro clubs weren't allowed to take kids till at least 14 yo. When i see 9yo kids joining pro team and just see another player ruined.

[JimBHibees]

Is it right that Belguim play kids in groups according to their physical size rather than their ages to try and take away the big kid running over the top of smaller kids and more focus on technique. Whatever it is they are doing it is working as is Iceland.

[Ozyhibby]

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Is it right that Belguim play kids in groups according to their physical size rather than their ages to try and take away the big kid running over the top of smaller kids and more focus on technique. Whatever it is they are doing it is working as is Iceland.

Yes, the Belgians do do that.


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[mjhibby]

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Always confused me why the quality over quantity position only gets called out when managers talk about the finished article. Like any process, what you get out is impacted by what you put in.

Indeed. Kids are a blank canvas and the values and the habits they are taught will stay with them. It's heartbreaking still seeing so many youth coaches still wanting to win trophies instead of trying to improve each youngster. The culture of launch the ball is still very prevent at youth level and game and awareness almost non existent. We will never produce players like John mcginn unless we get the right coaches doingvthe right coaching. The standard of football in Scotland is shocking and is shown in our euro results. Its going to be at be a long slog to undo the coaching for m the likes of Craig levein.