Kids’ football issue - advice needed

[cleavers]

For me, and I have coached this age group in the past, you need to judge it on the facts.

If the kid doesn't fancy it (cold shouldn't be the real issue), then it will be obvious, and maybe the lateness is the parent pushing the kid ?

If its the parent can't be arsed getting the kid there in time, and the kid is keen, then its a parental issue so talk to the parent.

 

[Cellarite]

For me, and I have coached this age group in the past, you need to judge it on the facts.

If the kid doesn't fancy it (cold shouldn't be the real issue), then it will be obvious, and maybe the lateness is the parent pushing the kid ?

If its the parent can't be arsed getting the kid there in time, and the kid is keen, then its a parental issue so talk to the parent.

I think for the time being at least, the kid is back in at least until the summer. If there’s no improvement then the coach doesn’t need to sign him back up.

There’s two schools of thought about the coach now though. Should he be given another chance or has he gone against advice from the Welfare Officer (me) and ruthlessly kicked a kid out and should be replaced as coach?

 

[cleavers]

I think for the time being at least, the kid is back in at least until the summer. If there’s no improvement then the coach doesn’t need to sign him back up.

There’s two schools of thought about the coach now though. Should he be given another chance or has he gone against advice from the Welfare Officer (me) and ruthlessly kicked a kid out and should be replaced as coach?

Its clearly a tricky situation, but common sense should be the over lying route. From what has been posted I don't think he's done much wrong, but you clearly know far more than I will.

I personally think the world has gone PC mad over common sense, I've not been involved for about 15 years now, but I just think things have gone too far.

As others have said, at that age it should really only come down to whether the kid enjoys it, maybe he does, but the parent can't be arsed, or maybe the parent is pushing a kid who really isn't interested. That is what you (or coach) need to find out really, but it won't be easy.

I found I had both when I did it, and there were kids who obviously really keen, and others who were less so, and some who were obviously sent, and didn't want to be there, and/or who's parents were just using it as cheap baby sitting.

I'm glad I gave up doing it.

 

[chaddblue]

He’s too young for that. Until they’re under 11 (I think) the league don’t publish results or tables, it’s all about fun

I do a bit of kids coaching myself and my lot have reached under 12’s and its only now we’re trying to install a bit of discipline for things like missing training, being late for games, etc

Obviously more serious things like violence or racism would be sorted at any age group

 

[Pubteam Lomas]

As others say it's all about fun. Should be asking mum if she needs help getting the child to training. If she's a single parent there maybe other issues/kids to deal with.
Similar thing happened to me, where the coach told the kids (not the parents) if they couldn't get to training on time to not bother turning up. I told him it was my fault as I had to work late, so not to punish my son, but speak to ME about it! Sorted. That was a long time ago and I still see him about now. He's good bloke who asks my lad, but some coaches think they're in charge of Premier League players.

 

[inchy14]

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?

Don't blame the kid for any of this, all down to the parent if they can't be arsed getting him there on time or not turning up due to weather.

From experience of something similar there's only one real way forward, fuck the parents off, get someone who is committed and keen to pick the other kid up, i had to pick one lad up for training and games for 7 years as the scrote of a father wouldn't come as it was too cold the only time he turned up, meant sometimes the lad staying at ours with my son on Friday nights to get them to games on time. It's not ideal but sometimes sacrifices have to be made.

As for subs, they'll always be a family who complain about it, some can afford whatever some can't, one of the other parents of my team used to manage the subs, we'd work out what was needed over the whole year not the season and spread the costs over 12 months, worked a lot easier that way though there was always some one unhappy at times, can't really win.

 

[Nebuchadnezzar]

Dock him 2 weeks sweet money and have him pick up litter at local school playgrounds

 

[Tanzeylee]

Has anyone mentioned smashing the mums backdoors in and petrol bombing her car.

 

[avoidconfusion]

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.

This!! I would be fucking livid if a coach did this to one of my kids (not that mine would be late). The sooner the coach realises that he is not coaching a Premier League Team but a bunch of under 8s (for fuck's sake) the better.

 

[mcfc1996]

It's as much a learning curve for a new coach as it is the kids. I'm assuming, apologies if wrong, that he is relatively new as he came looking for advice. If this is his only misdemeanour then hopefully he will learn from it. Some coaches take it too seriously too quickly, me included. I learnt a number of lessons as I went along and hopefully this lad does to.
He should have followed your advice and had a word with the parent about his lateness and perhaps the club assisting him dealing with it may help. All parents moan about subs, I did with my kids and lots did to me when I did a bit of coaching. At our club it was set throughout so I had no control over what was charged. Unfortunately not many parents, or players in open age, realise the cost of running football teams and clubs.