Start of season 2008/9

Dates for start of season

I appreciate that many people will be on holiday for the first few sessions, this is not a problem - I will not be there at the very first one, and it will be a very low key event. However could you let me know if you won’t be able to attend the first Saturday training session.

Tuesday 19th August 6pm-7:30pm at the Closes, training
Tuesday 26th August 6pm-7:30pm at the Closes, training
Saturday 30th August 10am-noon at the Closes, training
Tuesday 2nd September 6pm-7pm at the Closes, training
Saturday 6th September 10am, first match

Training sessions will be 6-7pm Tuesday at the Closes until the clocks go back, and then at Tilsley Park, Abingdon (same time).

Touchline behaviour

I think the behaviour of our parents, and coaches is pretty good, and I would like to thank you and the coaches for that. However I want to move us and the players to a new level!

It is very tempting for people (and I include myself and the coaches) on the sideline to offer advice to players on the pitch. This is done with the best of intentions, and because we believe that it will help the team.

Unfortunately, the opposite is true! By doing it, we distract children, we take away their self confidence, we create an atmosphere of dependency which does not allow them to discover for themselves how to deal with situations which arise during a match.

Hence, next season I am asking everyone to refrain from giving advice to children while they are on the pitch. This applies to the manager and coaches as well!

The coaches have a role to play where a child is confused about what they are expected to do, or have completely forgotten where they are playing; they will have a role to play if they wish to make a tactical adjustment; at the start of the season they have a role to play with some general advice; but over the course of the season, I am hoping that the amount of advice which comes from them declines to the odd tactical refinement. I am encouraging them to brief the children before the match, leave them alone during the match, and reflect on what went well (or badly) with the team after the match.

This does not mean you or they should be silent! Any positive celebration is encouraged, however the following type of comments should be banished from your football phase book:

“You take the throw Tom”
“Close him down Harry”
“Wake up George”
“Push up on him Charlie”
“Max what are you doing”
“Kick it!”
“Close them down Cumnor”
“Mark that man!”

My philosophical view is that children will move rapidly to a higher level of attainment if we reserve advice for training sessions, and allow them as much freedom as possible during matches.
In order to aid this, I am going to introduce a barrier (poles and tape) along the touchline to keep the spectators back, about 3-5 yards from the touchline. This will also help people to see what is going on without craning their necks. I am asking parents to remain on the side of the pitch with the barrier. The other side of the pitch will be reserved for coaches.

The Oxford Mail league

We are in the Red division of the Oxford Mail Boys League. The Red League is the top league, and means we will be playing the best teams in Oxford. I think a realistic ambition is to come in the top half, however we will see; it will be a considerable step up from the Witney South League.

The format of the league is also different. We still play two 30 minute 7-a-side matches, but the scores from the two matches are added together to get an overall result. Win 7-0 and lose 0-8, and you lose 7-8. Both games count, and it is almost certainly not the best policy to select all the best players for one team. The better players will need to work with the others and not try to do it by themselves.

Team selection policy

I am sticking with my previous (self imposed) target of trying to ensure every child plays in at least 2 out of 3 matches outfield. There are a few minor adjustments to this, but the principle remains; I would be very uncomfortable running a squad where children were not able to participate fully if they so wished.

Because we are trying to run with a relatively small squad, this gives us a little lee way to allow the stronger players to play most weeks. This is necessary to keep us competitive.

Because we have such a small squad (18 players), and we need 16 people each week, it will be helpful if most players are available almost every week. There are a few people for whom this will not be possible, and I am aware of those situations.

If it comes about that we are struggling to get 16 players each week, then I will expand the squad. The consequence of this is that I will not be able to guarantee each child plays in about 2/3rds of matches.

Substitutes

This is very different from last season!

Because we are not allowed to use players from the first game in the second game (and vice-versa) we do need substitutes. In fact, you cannot even be a substitute for both teams i.e. if you are substitute for the first game, and didn’t play, you still wouldn’t be able to play in the second. This is a bore for everyone, but a rule of the Oxford Mail league.

My intention is to pick 16 children each week for a match, of which 2 will be nominated as substitutes. If we do not have 16 children available, then we will just have to make do (the number of times someone has had to come off for a whole match through injury are few and far between), but it is possible we may end up with only 6 on the pitch. This is not bad management (at least not in my opinion) but a reflection of valuing inclusion within the squad. I do not think it will have a significant effect on our end of season position.

In reality this means for some children that they may be a substitute 1 in 3 weeks. However even when children are substitutes, they will take part in the game for around 10 minutes.

Goalkeepers

We are trying a new strategy this season, and it is our intention to form a goalkeeping squad. This will consist of 4 players who wish to play in goal. At the moment Adam and Charlie are included in this, and I have had Matthew and Joseph also put their names forward. If anyone else would like to be considered then they should let me know.

Goalkeepers will play in every match, and will play 50% in goal and 50% outfield. I suspect they will alternate weeks, but we may also vary it for tactical reasons.

Attendance and unavailability

Last season, I asked you to let me know dates when your child wouldn’t be available to play. I will do this again this year and I do understand that things crop up.

However last year I tried to organise when your child sat out to coincide with parents had other obligations. This will not be possible this season. This is because I do not expect there to be many weeks where anyone sits out! Hence if your child is nominated to be substitute, and you decide to go away for the weekend, they will be nominated as substitute the following weekend.