Coaching a kids football team

[Doon frae Troon]

Sometimes the parents get a bad press.
My grandsons team played a match in a 'staunch' Rangers supporting area, I went along expecting the worst.
The home team team lost their first match in 22 months to my grandsons team. The match was strongly contested with a lot of skill on show from both sides.
2-1 and the last 10 minutes was non stop pressure from the home side.
Despite their loss the whole set up could not have been more friendly and supportive from players/coaches/parents/supporters.

I usually do not pre-judge but on that day I was very pleasantly surprised.

 

[ColchesterFC]

Hopefully, we're looking at eventually having 7 kids per "squad" for the 5-a-side matches. They play 40 minute games of 4 periods of ten minutes each with rolling subs permitted. So our general approach will likely be to try and give everybody equal playing time and get the kids to rotate around positions so they all have equal chance

I'd recommend a minimum of 8 in each squad. My younger boy played 5 a side in a 7 man squad and quite often only 5 would be there for the matches. One would be away for the weekend and another would be ill leaving the team with no subs and all the players on for the whole match which wasn't great for them especially on cold, wet days in winter. And even if all 8/9 can make it they still can all play over half the match each.

 

[pbrown7582]

I'd recommend a minimum of 8 in each squad. My younger boy played 5 a side in a 7 man squad and quite often only 5 would be there for the matches. One would be away for the weekend and another would be ill leaving the team with no subs and all the players on for the whole match which wasn't great for them especially on cold, wet days in winter. And even if all 8/9 can make it they still can all play over half the match each.

also bear in mind in 2 seasons you@ll move to 7 a side and then 2 more 9 a side so keep one eye looking forward so you bring the children forward as a group and don't have to keep recruiting as team size changes