Kids’ football issue - advice needed

[Cellarite]

i know a lot of you will have been or still will be, involved in youth football. I want to get an idea of how people view the issue going on in my club at the moment.

One of the teams (under 8’s) has a newish coach. He seems ok but possibly a bit cock sure of himself. He came to me a couple of weeks ago for advice. A player keeps turning up for training late, matches occasionally and if the weather is bad, isn’t keen on going on. His mum has also been speaking on behalf of the other parents saying the coach is asking for too much for subs.

I advised the coach to talk to the mum (whose fault it ultimately is for the boy being late) to say he can’t continue this way and there needs to be an improvement or he might not be re-signed in the summer.

At the very next training session, before there was any conversation, the boy was late. The coach has told him not to bother coming back.

There’s been a bit of an argument since and the coach has accepted that he has made a mistake and let the boy come back.

We now have one side saying the coach should be kicked out for treating a 7 year old like this. The other side are saying he knows he’s made a mistake and should be allowed to continue.

I do believe that he is only admitting to the mistake because he’s been pulled about it and has he been allowed, the kid would remain kicked out.

What does the court of the Kippax Kings think?

 

[oldius]

Your advice was good and he chose not to take it.
Kids football is tough but the problem is with Mum. Her kid shouldn't be turning up late and she should be discussing sub-issues with the club, not with other parents. I would uphold the ban on the kid, or the coach is badly undermined, putting the Mum in a strong position. I would then be having a word with the coach to say that he did do the wrong thing and should have talked to Mum first. There is no point in seeking advice if you then allow your emotions to relegate the advice beneath its rightful position.

 

[Cellarite]

Your advice was good and he chose not to take it.
Kids football is tough but the problem is with Mum. Her kid shouldn't be turning up late and she should be discussing sub-issues with the club, not with other parents. I would uphold the ban on the kid, or the coach is badly undermined, putting the Mum in a strong position. I would then be having a word with the coach to say that he did do the wrong thing and should have talked to Mum first. There is no point in seeking advice if you then allow your emotions to relegate the advice beneath its rightful position.

I see where you’re coming from but would you really kick a 7 year old out without any warning?

 

[quiet_riot]

Surely at that age it's still supposed to be fun - if he doesn't have fun in the cold, wet or whatever that's his prerogative.

 

[super_city_si]

He should have talked to the parent. It’s not the kids fault at that age. Should explain to the mum that she is hurting her sons chances of playing for the team and if the timekeeping doesn’t improve you will be forced to give himposition to someone else.

 

[Cellarite]

He should have talked to the parent. It’s not the kids fault at that age. Should explain to the mum that she is hurting her sons chances of playing for the team and if the timekeeping doesn’t improve you will be forced to give himposition to someone else.

That’s exactly what I advised. The issue now is what do you do with the coach? Do you forgive and move on or deem his treatment of a 7 year old unacceptable and stop him coaching?

 

[PannickAtTheDisco]

needs to accept it's U8s and not Riyad Mahrez, it's frustrating for him but it's about enjoyment and trying to nurture talent. He should focus on developing the players he has and get the kudos for developing promising talent than wasting his energy on a kid who's late who he just needs to put up with.

 

[PannickAtTheDisco]

That’s exactly what I advised. The issue now is what do you do with the coach? Do you forgive and move on or deem his treatment of a 7 year old unacceptable and stop him coaching?

I'd suggest he make a group apology to the parents, but in the process reach an agreement/understanding with the group that from now on this will be the process and what he's looking to achieve. Lay the ground rules and if he diverges then get him gone, but at least an agreed set of "rules" in place within the group.

 

[super_city_si]

That’s exactly what I advised. The issue now is what do you do with the coach? Do you forgive and move on or deem his treatment of a 7 year old unacceptable and stop him coaching?

Depends on what he’s like. If hes a bit of a prick anyway then yes let him go. If he’s generally ok then call it a learning experience and move on. Just let him know he needs to communicate with parents. Maybe have a parent volunteer to be manager to handle the parent interaction and leave whim to coaching. I had to do this on one of my sons teams, the coach was very good but a dick and the parents had difficulty communicating with him. They only agreed to stay if I’d be the intermediary.

 

[Groke]

The coach is 100% in the wrong, it's a 7 year old ffs - so what if they don't like the cold , or miss 10 mins of training. I suspect that the real reason there is an issue is that the kid isn't very good and the coach wants to get rid to give himself a stronger team.