Coaches Battle Against Children’s Natural Development

Why Won’t they Spread Out?  A Coaches Battle Against Children’s Natural Development and Benefits of Being “Bunched Up”

 
“Spread out” or “Find space” I’ve heard this so many times shouting by coaches working with children. What happen? Well, yes kids will be spreading out, but for how long? Since the ball will be rolling into active play, the same scenario will occur time and time again. Moreover, children won’t do it themselves. They will do it because they’re being told. Therefore, I can’t see any benefit in doing so. Asking foundation phase children to go against their natural development instincts, selfishness and wanting the ball all the time can do more harm than good and here is why?
 

 Hey Coach – is it really okay to be selfish at our age?

• Children age 5-11 are very selfish. For them having fun means where the ball is, not the other way around. Crowd means kids learning to solve problems, develop their creative nature in tight areas and give them a fantastic opportunity to learn how to stay on the ball under pressure. Expect very young players to do opposite means they will lose the opportunity to try new things and more importantly having fun whilst playing the game.

Team game-not really for us coach, at least not yet

• Children do not have the capacity to understand fully team concept yet. For that reason, coaches really waste their time to try to force kids to spread out. The only interest children have is where is the ball and how quickly they can get it. 

Dear coach, we love the ball, don’t we? 

• We all won’t creative, problem-solving and difficult to take the ball away under pressure future players. Well, let me tell you children will naturally learn these skills when they bunched up rather than hopeless waiting for a pass, that rarely or never arrived. 

Dear parents and coaches-we have no clue what organized team looks like! We all love to chase the ball same as we love queuing for ice creams.

• Why do adults expect such young children play like a mini version of professional teams? Perhaps this comes from lack of understanding children and their natural ways of development? Is never too late to learn more about it and allowed children simply enjoying their time with the ball.

You see mess and chaos on the pitch-don’t worry, this is how it should be in our age

• I am sure you have witnessed how children eat. Is messy, food is everywhere. By all means is no near perfect and won’t be because learning is messy in such a young age. Let the kids learn their natural way. In the end, the game belongs to them, not us.