There is a keen debate raging in the UK right now about style of play and its affect on the lack of success of their NT. My concern is that lazy youth coaches here are following the UK and may set the stage here for disappointment down the road for our NT.
The debate about style of play in the UK, as I understand it, is about style (1) which focuses upon strength, aggression, disruptive fouls, and the long ball versus (2) which focuses upon speed, ball handling skill, passing, and fluidity. There are many proponents of of (1) in the UK including well known and not so well known managers such as Sam Allardyce and Steve Cotterill. This style has its roots in the Howard Wilkinson school of football, who in turn, was an avid disciple of Charles Hughes, the former head of FA Coaching in the UK. My friends believe that (1) has managed to denude two generations UK footballers of any actual footballing skill, leading to their current frustration in international football against the likes of Spain, Brazil and the like.
Why bring this up? Because I see a worrying trend in youth football here in the NCR following the path of the UK. Let me explain. I have two boys, age 9 and 11, who play varsity football for their respective age groups. In these age groups kids are still developing their ball handling skills and in this respect are quite immature. Thus there is a disproportionate degree of success to those teams which focus upon (1) at this level, versus (2). IMHO this shows a lazy coach who favors the quick fix versus the long term development of the youth. Worse, it sets a pattern of play which starts at an early age and unfortunately perpetuates. In the UK, the quick fix route to success has had an insidious effect on their overall game, until now over two generations they have the frustration of lack of success at international levels.
Is there a solution? I think there is. I have watched my kids play football here since they were 5. In all these years, I have watched some less skilled teams emerge victorious on a regular basis because they literally push our kids over with their hands, an action which is clearly a foul. In all this time I have only seen one yellow card issued by a ref for unsportsmanlike fouls. I'm sure many who read this forum and have followed youth football at early ages have NEVER seen a yellow card. I think the solution is simple. The game is being played differently. Some coaches are taking advantage of the lax nature of refs. Solution: the refs need to evolve as well, and start calling the fouls more aggressively so that the play at an early age is allowed to grow and flourish along the lines of (2). Take away the "quick fix" or easy route to success, and maybe our real footballing skills will have a more proportionate degree of success and thus be encouraged. After all, everything starts at the grass roots.
studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing
or learning to do." Pele
