Match Reports - Good or Bad Thing?

We have all read them - match reports. From the World Cup all the way down to grassroots football. Normally, in the case of adult football, there may be a biased opinion; dependent of the allegiance of the writer. However, in the case of grassroots football, how should we truly be writing reports?

Already throughout the course of this season, I have read numerous match reports - both positive and negative. I have read things that are insulting grassroots players and I have read those that compliment grassroots players; but in my opinion may not necessarily be a true reflection of the game. 

So if we aren't writing to put a true reflection on the game, what are we writing for? Isn't that what a match report is for? Or are we writing as a grassroots coach to fill our own ego? Are we writing to paint a false image to potential players that are thinking about joining our team? Are we trying to make excuses for why we didn't win at weekend?

My worry and my concern is that it is no secret how many children are on the internet these days and read these match reports. You could see this from either perspective.

Scenario:

My team has just lost 4-0 at the weekend. The opposition weren't fantastically well behaved. It also seemed that the parents encouraged their aggressive behaviour.

So as team manager I decide to write a match report on how I thought the opposition was an absolute disgrace...

From writing that report you're going to ignite a response from so many people including:

• Opposition team manager - It's natural to want to find out what the opposition thought of yourself and the way that you played, but by writing a report in the heat of the moment like that, you are creating animosity in a game that you claim is for the kids. 
• Opposition team players - Now take a long hard look at yourself, you are slating children on the internet. You haven't thought for a minute whilst writing that match report who might see it.
• Other members (teams) in your league - As a result, they're forming an opinion on you and they're forming an opinion on the team you're playing. Unnecessary.
• Your own team - Is your match report an attempt at defending them? Is this you setting an example by writing a match report slating the opposition and their parents? Wasn't part of the role as a coach being a role-model?
• Parents of your team members - The worst of them all. Parents are so supportive. Why get them rallied up? Especially when you will likely come up against the same team again at another stage. Again, you're fueling animosity around something that is meant to be enjoyable. The game is there for the kids to ENJOY. It's not a battle. They aren't going to war. 
• Potential Players - If I was new to football would I want to play against the team you have just described? No, I'm probably going to avoid playing in that league at all costs...
• The League - Links very similar to the above point.
• Referee's - How are they going to take it? Again, considering the large amount of young referees are officiating grassroots games, are you not slating a child once more, online? And if you aren't offending them, are you not suggesting they didn't maintain control of the game and therefore insulting them? Still not very nice...

So next time you write your match report whether you win 5-0, lose 3-2, or draw 0-0, think about who's reading your report...Are you really being true to your team? Are you being true to the opposition?

So if we think about who's reading...

Compliment the opposition. Whether it might be that they outplayed you, one player scored a screamer or they never gave up.  You'll please opposition team players, parents and their manager. The league will also be happy that fair play is being promoted.

Think about your own team: did they play well? Did they perform something really well in training? If they didn't play well, you might set targets for them for the following game that both parents and the girls can see. It's another learning style, it's another form of helping them develop but another positive - is the parents can actively encourage what you're searching for in the next game. Stop worrying about the opposition knowing what your "tactics" are next game. This is kids, not the professional game. 

You may even decide to compliment the official; after all, without them the game wouldn't exist.

Remember as a coach, you're promoting the game, you're promoting fair play, you're encouraging young players to keep playing football.

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Parental Involvement in Grassroots Football

This is always a controversial subject. For me, I've experienced both highs and lows in every aspect, from a spectator of a game, coaching a game and actually playing football. Parental involvement is absolute key in the grassroots game, no matter how much anyone likes or dislikes it. Here, I try to analyse the good and the bad.

As a player, I have played for 5 clubs and 1 Centre Of Excellence. During this time - I have only been managed by 2 parents. If I had to describe those experiences at that club, it wouldn't be a good description. Now let me explain...

As a parent taking your child to a grassroots team, you normally either think one of two things:

1) I want to get my child playing football as their showing a keen interest (though they may not be a fantastic player)

OR

2) My child has a real talent at this sport and I want them to pursue this as far and as long as they can.

When I was managed by someone who had a daughter in the team I was playing in, unfortunately she happened to play the same position as myself and I found myself sacrificed to come off the pitch. It could have been due to them wanting to get their daughter the same amount of playing time as everyone else (1) or wanting their child to excel in their favourite position (2). Either way, I was the only other central midfielder - it was going to be who was to be sacrificed.

So as a parent...the manager had an option..

To be disliked by his own child for playing her out of position?

OR

To be disliked by another for being substituted? 

I think their decision was only natural.

You also get the other situation - my dad managed one of my teams a couple of times due to the team entering two leagues which would sometimes require the squad being split and some going to play in the Liverpool league and some playing in the Lancashire league. Unfortunately, this was my second club and the parent situation described as above happened at my 1st club - so my dad was very conscious of the way in which he managed the situation. SO MUCH SO IN FACT THAT I SPENT ALL OF 15 MINUTES ON THE PITCH!!!

Dealing with parents can sometimes be somewhat of an art. During my time at my current club (coaching), I believe I now have a set of parents that will back me 100% in any decision I make. They advise me about fundraising, we arrange things as one and they understand that with any decision I make, I try to do it with the girls as first priority.

However, it is not always the case. As I said - dealing with parents is an art. I have been coaching for 5 years and in that time I have had very few issues. What I have had is parents lying, being dishonest, putting their daughter first. By "putting their daughter first" - imagine this...

Your team is playing on a match day and all you can hear is someone shouting the name of their child. They aren't interested in the team or encouraging anyone else but simply their child doing well. Maybe I'm being picky...but I don't like it.

I've witnessed children by the age of 11 having played at 4 or 5 different teams and yet the parents claim that its the coaches causing the issue? What? At all 5 teams?

I have been hurled with abuse down the phone, been sworn at and been told that "I'm going down". I have been described as a b***** and when I responded to the rants that I am "only a volunteer" - I got...

"I am sick of hearing that you're a volunteer".

Well the truth is...volunteers do it for free and I actually pay money out to coach some of my teams - so in truth - I am not a volunteer.

I have had parents laughing with me on trips out and stab me in the back as soon as they get the opportunity. Some have been so evil and cunning to actually twist things into something they are not.

BUT

I can't imagine my dad was the easiest of people to deal with when I was playing and he was a parent. He's still loud now - and I'm the manager!! He's louder than me and to put it short - he gets on my nerves BUT my dad helps. He is part of that group of parents that will do anything to help you as manager or coach without expecting to receive control over something in return.

I have parents that help with the following:

• write match reports
• record minutes of goals/goalscorers/assists/goal ratio
• half time snacks brought to training
• match facilities arranged
• sponsorship's brought in
• goals being put up before matches

But more importantly, they support me, they support the team and they support their daughter to do what they enjoy.

So here's a big thank you to the parents at Academy Juniors - for it has been a tough few months for me, but thank you for backing every decision I have made. I look forward to helping your daughters be the best they can be.

2014; Time To Reflect

So Christmas has been and gone. It's New Years Day. I'm preparing to start the next half of fixtures - though we are just over half way through them. My U12's sit top of the table and though my aim is to develop the girls, I still feel a sense of pride. After the countless courses I have been on - I feel as though I should not feel this way, but lets reflect on the year and see if I can justify a reason for being proud of my team for sitting top of the table.

Our first game back last year should be a target to try and maintain this year. We played Blackpool in the quarter finals of the cup on a 4G surface in what could only be described as baltic conditions. The game went to extra time - the girls went 3-1 up, but Blackpool managed to bring one back which got everyone's blood pumping around their bodies!! It was a great game to bring in 2014. Blackpool are a great side and regardless of whether things are going their way, they try to play football. I enjoy playing them more than anyone else.

The following week we played Blackpool in the league. I felt I had been unfair with the way I had rotated my squad the week previously, so I gave those that didn't have much game time, much more game time. Wrong of me as a coach? Quite possibly. However, I feel if you come to training twice a week - you deserve to have more time on the pitch and in the more important games. It's my morals; not my philosophy. As a result - you could tell these players were not coming to training twice a week and we lost the game 3-0. Not because we didn't put the effort in, but because we were simply outclassed by the same committed group of girls that we beat the week previous.

As for the remainder of the season - we obviously made the cup final after narrowly beating Wigan after extra time. We had a game the day previously against Crosby Stuart and the girls put in an absolutely fantastic performance. It was excellent. Some of the football they played was magnificent and a sign of what was to come in the 2014/2015 season. They won 1-0, but we could have lost - we was excellent.

I have spoke briefly about the loss to Manchester City in the final of the cup. My girls were winners that day in my eyes. We stuffed our face with Rocky Road, applauded Man City and left Burscough FC knowing that just by getting to the finals we had achieved. The effort they put in was outsanding. We showed why we were physically the best side in the league - we did not stop running or working; something which is also giving us an advantage this year. Lets not beat around the bush - whatever age you are, to be good at football, you have to be athletic.

At the end of the season, I wrote the reports and I looked at the players we had gained. I thought back to the Crosby Stuart game. We had played on a huge pitch that day. The girls had more time and more space to play within and as a result, passed the ball a lot more. The signs were there - I could build on this.

Throughout summer, we entered 3 tournaments. All of which we won. I do not enter tournaments to win them - I absolutely love the team bonding that comes with the day of tournaments. To spend a whole day with your team mates should be the most fun day on offer in summer. We played some good football in the tournaments at times, but we still did not look fantastic and their was clear work that needed to be done. Our goalkeeper saved us in one tournament at a penalty shootout - every single one of the girls contributed to the victory's.

The girls had a fitness programme to work on after the tournaments had finished, and before it began - I arranged their first 9 aside game against a team aged U13. The girls learnt quickly why they had a fitness programme. Needless to say, they had not trained in a few weeks, but they understood that 9aside involved a lot more running and more important, they had to let the ball do the work. We lost our first game 2-1, not through lack of effort, but a lack of understanding. Not my fault, not their fault - but it was an opportunity to find out what it was all about.

We played a few more friendlies as the summer progressed - and we was looking better/sharper. Our passing was improving, we won 2 and drew 1. The best performances was the one of which we drew. The passing was slick and the girls were a joy to watch. Our 2nd win was two weeks before the start of the season. We returned to play the U13's side we lost too and beat them 4-1, despite missing our normal goalkeeper. Our progress was beginning to show.

The season started and we looked good. We was playing football and we was playing it well. As mentioned previously, I set the girls targets. I want to see them practicing what we have been doing in training - whether it be 1 v 1's, pressuring, short passing - I want to see it. We didn't achieve our targets every game and I told them. We won one game 7-0 and the girls came off the pitch chuffed. The manager came over from the opposition and congratulated them. He said:

"Girls, I hate losing. But I do not mind losing to a team that play football. If it's played the right way, I don't mind. You are a fantastic side. You are improving constantly and you are a credit to this young lady, your parents, your club and yourselves. I hope you win the league, you are the best side we have played. Good luck, Academy Juniors".

After he left, my words to the girls (and I have been quoted on it since) were:

"You won that game because you're good players, not because you played well".

And it was true. The parents agreed with me and I think the girls agreed with me to a certain extent. We have been victorious in every game bar a draw at Blackpool, but not every performance was at the quality they are capable of. Not every target was hit in the matches.

The Blackpool game was a nightmare for me. We arrived on an executive coach arranged by one of the parents. It was a fantastic experience for the girls, but on the way down they was stuffing their sides with sweets. On arrival, I could not grind them down. They weren't focused on their performance, though it could be argued, they was focused on their targets. Despite a poor performance, our recovery runs which we had been working on in training was outstanding. Our passing game failed though. We did not play well - and the girls knew that. However, to draw with a team I admire so greatly when not playing well is an achievement within itself - but I'm looking beyond results. I'm looking at performance levels and targets met. The targets were met, the performance level wasn't.

And I think having read through this again - I'm proud of where we are in the league but everyone has recognized how far we have come in the space of a year, let alone 3 years. The girls have recently been invited to a national tournament sanctioned by The FA. I know what they are capable of and I will do all I can to make sure they play like they are capable of, but will they be officially crowned "The Champions Of England"?

2015; The Year That Will Tell

When your Philosophy clashes with your players development...

Most coaches have it, although they do not always realise it - a philosophy. I have not so much written my philosophy as a coach (as I am not sure if I'm ready), but I know I like my players to play attractive football and most importantly, behave as a team on and off the pitch. 

My team are a TEAM. The picture above is of a final they lost to Manchester City. Can you tell? I certainly can't. They narrowly lost 2-1 and was very unfortunate to not bring it back 2-2 in the last 5 minutes, but in my eyes - the girls look more like they have won.

The attractive football comes with the territory. I ask them to play football, to link up and be creative and 9 times out of 10, they do exactly that. Some of the passages of play are nothing short of outstanding when we play and for 11 year olds, they are fantastic. Nevertheless, my players bring their own attributes individually to the team, but as a whole, they compliment each other.

I hate individual play; I hate players who are only out for themselves. Who can score the most goals? I'm not interested. I always paint the picture to my players... If your team are drawing 1-1 and in the final minute one of your team mates score the winner, are you bothered who it is? Of course you aren't. However, this week I was looking at 1 v 1's in training; something I have only ever touched on a couple of times in the two and a half years I have coached these girls. Wrong of me? Quite possibly.

I'm very open minded as a coach and a colleague/friend of mine taught me the importance of 1 v 1's. The importance of making your players feel comfortable in a 1 v 1 situation and I realised how important that was to my own philosophy, despite however much I thought it contradicted it. In a 1 v 1 situation, you either have to make sure you stay on the ball, or beat your player, its a simple as that. It's OBVIOUSLY about the individual and as a coach, I always ignored this. Now, I've realised that if I can teach my players to be comfortable in a 1 v 1 situation, it will allow my players to be much more confident to receive and play our attractive football even when under pressure, so it is something I looked at this past week. It was simple 1 v 1 variations, recovering defenders etc.

So as always...I took what we had done into training to our weekend game. I asked the players first half to play their normal game - attractive football. Make sure everyone touches the ball. The 2nd half, I wanted them to beat their man and pass it off. What I didn't consider was that we was playing bottom of the league (my team are sitting a very comfortable 2nd place). As a result, my players went 5-0 up very quickly. On the sidelines, I was BORED. Why? Because my players were beating player after player after player in 1 v 1 situations and I hated watching it, so I made them aware that I wanted them to play their passing game. 

However, surely my philosophy has just overrode player development? Surely I should have let them continue or challenged them further, but I just could not stand watching goal hungry players demolish what was a considerably weaker side without (in my eyes) playing good football.

Bad or Good coach? I'll let you be the judge.

How Do I Keep A Losing Side Focused?

On every course I have been on, the debate has always been “you should not be trying to win, but trying to develop the youth of today”. We should be trying to encourage players to stay actively involved in the game. But when does losing begin to hurt? When does it become too demoralising to continue? Realistically, players will either leave a club and go to a better one (which will result in the age group folding and players no longer being able to play) or people will just stop playing because they can’t see the fun in losing every week. This is the reality of coaching. My philosophy is and always will be to develop, but how do I stop players from becoming demoralized if they continue to lose every week?

STRUCTURE YOUR SESSIONS

What do your players need to work on?

I always believe in starting from basics, no matter what stage I take a team. I need to know what I am dealing with. When I first took my U10's side, my first session consisted of them bouncing a ball in a 7x7 yard area. I asked them to get used to the way the ball bounced and how would it make it easier to react if the ball went in a different direction? Eventually I got the answers I was searching for in that the players need to be on the toes and have a low centre of gravity to move quickly.

The session progressed slowly because my players needed to progress slowly. However, if I did the same with an U12's side...I may move the practice a bit quicker. Either way, my focus is still seeing what each individual player is capable of. They need a ball, whether it be in hand or at their feet.

After basic ball familiarity, I started to look at movement - could they move like a footballer? Was anyone struggling with their ABC's? Naturally, some will be better than others but I needed to structure sessions about what my players needed, not what I wanted to coach.

FOR EXAMPLE

I want my players to play out from the back. 

This didn't mean I had my U10's doing a SSG on playing out from the back. I had to develop the individual before the team. How was I going to get the players to receive on their back foot to actually play out from the back efficiently? They have to check their shoulder before receiving and have an overall awareness.

Too many coaches throw their players in the deep end and ask their players to practice something they are not capable of. Start from basic - link your sessions together..this will allow you to..

GIVE YOUR PLAYERS REALISTIC TARGETS

If they are not going to win the game, how can you challenge them?

How can you challenge your players without asking them to win the game? If I have been working on possession prior to a game at the weekend, I may time how long my players are in possession during the game with a stopwatch. As a result, before a game, I may give them a target to either half time (recommended) or to full time. My target might be: I want my players to have a total of 5 minutes possession in the first half. 

This gives the players something to achieve. If they're losing 5-0, they still have a focus and if they achieve their targets they are not only developing but they are gaining confidence from it. You will be surprised at how much a players reaction reflects their coach reactions. If you're happy, they're happy. If you're impressed, they know they have done well.

However, you have to make sure your targets are realistic. Give them something they can achieve. You may even challenge individual players if they are finding their focus too easy, but give the players a focus on something other than winning.

Know your players; Know your formation

I am a firm believer that with anything in life, you start from the bottom and work your way up. You have to work with what you have. If you don't have a car and you work 30 miles away; deal with it. Get the train. Change your methods of transport. If you don't have a whistle at a coaching session...Clap. Improvise. You will never get anywhere if you do not adapt to what you are given and change your beliefs to suit what you particularly need at that moment in time. Which leads me to my next blog...

"7 v 7? U10's? I'm gonna play a 2,2,1,1"
"9 v 9 - flying wingbacks"

You can never teach a team to run before they can walk.

When I first started with my current U12's team over 2 years ago, thinks looked bleak. I entered a local tournament and got beat every game bar one. I was starting from basic and I knew that. I had limited resources, players that had never played competitively before but what I did have was players that wanted to learn. However, when you start from basic, you have to do basic things.

In my first competitive season with my team, we constantly played (7 v 7) a standard 2-3-1. I did not have any specific instructions for my players. No central midfielder lying forward, or defenders bombing on. This is not to say the players did not know their role, but I did not play anything out the ordinary because my players had to learn to play the basic way before I could throw anything advanced at them. That being said, my team finished 4th out of 12 teams that year in a very strong league. I'm never one to judge on a league position but considering our starting point, the position did highlight just how far the team had come in the space of a season.

Because I had done the basics and in my eyes it was done successfully, the following year I had chance to build on that. Despite a positive finish, I remained the same with a basic 2-3-1 at U11's. I thought of other ways to challenge my players rather than changing the formation. As the season progressed, I gained two new players who offered us a completely different dimension. As a result of the two new additions, from time to time I changed my formation. My team had played a year and a half at 2-3-1, they knew their roles in that formation and when I went back to it, nothing had changed. They learnt the foundations of the game by playing it.

In the season at U11's, my team played Manchester City in the cup final. By this stage, we had adopted a brand new formation in the shape of a 2-1-2-1. We lost the game 2-1 in the end, but it was a match that could have gone either way, especially in the dying minutes. I was extremely pleased with the performance. Anyone that follows women's football can understand that Manchester City are not an easy side, so for a team like mine to come out with a runners up medal and compete with a technical side such as City for a full 50 minutes was nothing short of magical in my eyes.

The new 2-1-2-1 formation suited us and we have managed to adopt it into a diamond at 9aside. However, does that mean a box standard 2-3-1 should not be used? DEFINITELY NOT. The formation taught my side the foundations of football. It was basic. It needed to be basic. My players were brand new. But most importantly, when I played that formation it suited the needs of my players.

My formation will always be picked on what I have available on the day of a game. I have a lot of central players in my current squad all of whom are quality players. As their coach, I want to give them the space to play in so I opt for the diamond when I can. If I don't have many central players on the day of a game, I will change it up a bit, BUT I NEVER ASK PLAYERS TO DO AND PERFORM WHAT THEY ARE NOT CAPABLE OF.

I ask my full backs to push on and allow my defensive midfielder to drop in when they do so. I can do that because I have the players to do that. I'm not at a basic level anymore, my players have progressed and advanced in the two years I have coached them. I know what they're capable of. However, for any new coaches that are working with new teams, I would always go with the following formations at 7 v 7 and 9 v 9:

2-3-1 (7aside)
3-4-1 (9aside)

Let your players become famaliar with what different places require of them before asking them to become an attacking midfielder.


You have to know your players, before you know your formation.

What do you mean "Upfront", Coach?

Welcome to my blog. The idea and principle behind this blog is to share ideas, for myself to learn and reflect off sessions and possibly learn from other coaches.

As I write this blog, my U12's girls team have just won 9-0 in a match that they totally dominated. A parent on the side said to me whilst the game was going on..."and you will still find something to say that they can improve on". Yes, I will. My role is to develop and girls of 11 years of age have not yet developed properly and there will always be something for them to work on. I am by no means negative with my girls, I push them to their limits but I guarantee that every training session they will leave with a smile on their face.

My methods of management may not always be admired, but I have a great relationship with the girls I coach. I always plan my sessions in advance in a specific structure. When they turn up on a Tuesday evening for a session, they know that they will be doing the same topic in a more advanced situation when they turn up for Friday's session. They also then know this will be my focus and what I am looking for at weekend. For example, throughout the past week we have looked at our shape when we haven't got the ball and judging by the clean sheet, even outsiders can tell we are hard to break down.

During pre-season, we had a friendly to kick things off before we had even begun training. It was our first attempt at 9aside against a team that was at least a year older than all of our girls and in some cases 2 years older. Considering we had no practice, we put up a good fight but did eventually lose the game 2-1 in what was a very even contest. On the sidelines however, I was frustrated. Not because my team played badly, but because I could not give any feedback to my players. Asking them to keep their 9aside shape when they have been playing 7aside for the past 2 seasons when we have never even attemped a 9aside training session would be extremely difficult. My back 3 were as flat as a pancake, but what else did they know? I had no rights to critique any of them when none of them had played 9aside before...Which will now take me to my point...

How many grassroots coaches at weekend do you see shouting:

"BILLY, YOU'RE UPFRONT!"
"CREATE SPACE, ISAAC"
"GET GOAL SIDE OF YOUR PLAYER, KATIE! NO, NOT THAT SIDE, THE OTHER SIDE....OH NEVERMIND"

Meanwhile, they child is thinking "Well, what is upfront?". Have you told them their role? Do you want the player to press the back 2 defenders? Do you want them to not getting sucked into the crowd when defending? I have witnessed coaches with my own eyes shout "ABI, YOU'RE PLAYING UPFRONT". That's fine, if she understands what that is. But considering she was defending in her own penalty area, took one look at you and moved backwards 2 yards, that does not tell me she knows what you mean. In a situation like this, it might require a more simplified instruction such as "Halfway line, Abi". Be more specific and then explain why you have asked her to do that.

You cannot expect a grassroots footballer to know what you mean (especially at a young age) when you tell them to play upfront. If you are going to give them the freedom, let them play...But by putting them in positions and then shouting at them without telling them what their role is...is beyond me.

The best of all is when I hear coaches shouting "Get goal side!!" and the amount of blank expressions on players faces is just a picture. You cannot shout instructions if you have not coached it. How can you give feedback on something if you have never coached it? How can you critique someone if you have never coached it?

And most of all, how will it make your players feel when they have no idea what their coach expects of them?