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RE: Pet hates that could be changed

SCW Editor — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 11:02:07 GMT

One of the problems is that parents give referees so much hassle they give decisions the wrong way. In a tournament last season my under 10s were being refereed by a mature fully qualified ref. We were playing a team from a rough area of london and as he came on the pitch a parent (rather large parent at that) shouted "if he gives any bad decisions against us I'm gonna deck him". The ref ignored this but late on in the match an opposition defender caught the ball in his own area but quickly dropped it, the ref waved play on. We lost that game 1-0, it was a semi-final and my players went home feeling cheated. The ref would not listen to me at the end of the match even though i was politely asking him why he didnt give the penalty. He just kept saying "dont make a fool of yourself go away". His patronising tone made the situation even worse. My parents joined in and in the end it spoiled what had been an excellent day.

RE: Pet hates that could be changed

Dwyer — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 16:27:37 GMT

In a tournament match on Sunday the opposition were given a penalty for a perfectly good tackle. The opposition coach came over to me and apologised - mind you, they were 6-0 up at the time.

RE: Pet hates that could be changed

Noel — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 13:44:10 GMT

Had under 7's tournament at the weekend. My c team were in a particularly hard group but had won 1, drawn one, lost 1-0 and were getting beat 3-0 when a couple of things happened in the space of 3 minutes that sum up for me most of my pet hates with mini football. Firstly a rule that was specific to this tournament. Goalies are not allowed out of area. If they do go out, free kick. (Its a penalty from Under 11's onwards). My goalie goes out. Opposition coach shouts penalty and ref immediately awards it. I get the refs attention and ask if it should be a free kick. He says no. I tell him that I have the rules in my hand and its a free kick. He says no so I drop it. This is a 7 minute match, we're 3 0 down after 3 or 4 minutes and were simply being outclassed by better players. Theyt score and the coach is jumping up and down in celebration. Next minute, one of my players from our own area runs the length of the pitch taking on virtually every player before being pulled down and tripped at the same time in the area. Penalty? Free Kick even? Nothing. Ref I say, surely thats a penalty. Nothing. I leave it. 1 minute later, the ball is played down the wing on the side of the pitch where both the opposition coach and myself were standing. The ball is played quite hard but clearly goes out of touch by about 1 foot right where the opposition coach was stood. No call from him, one of his players plays it back into the field of play and the game continues.

Its guys like this that make me so mad and disillusioned about junior football and what we should be trying to achieve. I can onyl assume that he drinks horlicks.

RE: Pet hates that could be changed

Frankie — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 17:32:00 GMT

YEH agree with last few, its about managers who are on some sort of EGO trip or management is just an extention of their sad little life which revolves around giving people stress.

RE: Pet hates that could be changed

SCW Editor — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 15:47:58 GMT

A couple of seasons ago my under 10s were playing the last match of the season which we had to win to win the league, the other team only needed a draw to win the league. We were at home having lost to them away. It all started so politely their manager came up to me and told me how excited the kids were and nervous because it had been nip and tuck between the two teams all season. 0-0 at half time we gave them oranges still nice and polite. But all that changed with 10 minutes to go we scored and their coach went beserk. He was screaming and shouting that we were cheating, he came running across the pitch towards me and had to be restrained by other parents. To make matters worse we won a penalty with about 5 minutes to go, and missed! The noise from their parents and coach was amazing. One woman was on her knees beating the pitch.

We won the game and my players came across wondering what they had done wrong and what should have been a celebration was ruined by the coaches shouting. His wife came across to me and congratulated the team on winning, her husband was in the background shouting at his son who was in tears.

We did celebrate of course but only after they had gone. It left a bad taste in my mouth. A month later they refused to turn up to the presentation ceremony. That's sportsmanship for you.

RE: Pet hates that could be changed

Fi — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 15:32:11 GMT

The opposition coaches are one of my pet hates too. Especially when they either have a go at the ref (who is a volunteer parent trying his best) or they are yelling at their own team. I've been at a match where the coach was yelling at the top of his voice, telling the team that they were a load of morons! Luckily some of the parents for our team were equally mortified and so began to offer encouragement to the opposition players.

Some people just shouldn't be let near a group of children!!!

RE: Pet hates that could be changed

Noel — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 09:38:48 GMT

I have experienced most of the above but wouldn't describe them as my pet hates.

My pet hate is opposition coaches who are basically arseholes.

As soon as the opposition arrive (when we are at home) I make a point of going to their coach and shaking his hand. I do it in front of my parents and kids to try to set an example. Some are fine and friendly but I would say at least half of them are just complete !%$£%^^%".

One example. Our final rearranged match last season was played on a very hot day. This is under 7's. I suggested to the other coach that due to the heat it would be a good idea to maybe play the 40 minute match in 4 quaters rather than 2 halves. Not to have a long break but to merely get liquids inside the kids.

He looked at me with complete disgust and wnated to know if my kids have ever managed to play a full half before which if course they had. he missed the point completely and refused my suggestion. The reuslt was the kids from both teams didn't play as well as they could and were constantly subbed in the 2nd half just to get a drink.

This isn't me spitting my dummy out because I didn't get my own way, the other coach was not only unreasonable in my view but also very aggressive in his response infront of his kids and parents which I found rather intimidated and rather sad.

RE: Pet hates that could be changed

George Black — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 01:17:27 GMT

my pet hate is parents who offer payment to kids for scoring goals and i would not bet that i'm alone, i've even had a parent bet her child he could not score from a kickout, he eventully did, (cup final 1-0 to us) not a joke.

George Black, Airdrie Utd U14s-U17s now back at U14s

in sport and friendship

RE: Pet hates that could be changed

Frankie — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 00:04:12 GMT

My first pair of decent boots were my white Alan Ball boots, didnt make me play any better but I felt good.

NO SHIN PADS SO WHAT, A ROLLED UP LIVERPOOL ECHO DOWN EACH SOCK. :D

RE: Pet hates that could be changed

Nick — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 13:01:31 GMT

I think the best boots to get are Puma King's.

They are an affordable price, they look good and they havent changed a bit since they came out years ago. Not as lightweight but your foot feels more protected than the new lightweight boots.

You can get moulded studs or screw-ins and its just an all round solid boot that doesnt look any worse than Nikes etc.

I found that the new boots are too soft and if someone stands on your toes its like wearing slippers as far as cushioning the blow. also when you kick the ball with the top of your foot it hurts until you are used to the boots and there isnt much protection all round compared to what there used to be.

The lighter they are the more vulnerable they feel.

RE: Pet hates that could be changed

Dwyer — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 10:23:22 GMT

On that point, does anyone have information on what kind of boots kids should be wearing? Remember the debate last year about whether or not blades were the cause of the dreaded metatarsal injury?

£150? Yikes! Do clubs recycle their boots for youths and minis? In our club we usually donate boots to the coach to pass onto new players coming through to save them forking out for new boots in case they don't take to it. Obviously you can't do this for older players.

RE: Pet hates that could be changed

SCW Editor — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 09:46:48 GMT

Tricky that one. All the boys in my team are wearing these very expensive boots. By the time i've bought my sons boots i'm left looking in the bargain bucket for my own. Not only that I got my eldest some Adidas boots that cost £150, he got a niggly calf injury that wouldnt clear up and the doctor said it was his boots and he had to cut a bit out of each heel!

Whatever happened to plain black moulded studded boots from Woolies?

RE: Pet hates that could be changed

Frankie — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 18:55:48 GMT

pet hates that could be changed,

kids getting their parents to pay crazy money for their boots.

RE: Pet hates that could be changed

Dwyer — Wed, 23 May 2007 14:56:17 GMT

Wanderers Coach's keep away game works well for me too. As he says keep the group small and they get plenty of touches and good communications going.

We'll look at publishing a parents code of conduct in the very near future.

RE: Pet hates that could be changed

Canuck — Wed, 23 May 2007 07:09:23 GMT

Codes of Conduct definitely get my vote. Feel free to check ours out at www.calgaryrangers.com, under Club Info. Full credit to a soccer association in Saskatchewan, who gave us permission to adapt theirs. It definitely spells out what we can expect from our players, parents, coaches, age group coordinators, etc. With respect to pet peeves from the sidelines, I hate loud-mouthed coaches and parents who yell mostly negative stuff. To be sure, sometimes there are occasions when you need to tune your kids in to what they're doing wrong on the pitch, but like everything else in life, there is a right way and a wrong way to do that. On the pitch, my biggest pet peeve is poor sportsmanship, such as when kids refuse to fetch a ball that's gone out, even though they're much closer to it, instead leaving it for the opposing team that's won the restart. As a variation, I've even seen kids who do fetch the ball, only to see their opponents throw it in or take the kick before they've returned to the field. As an O45 player and a goalkeeper, there were two occasions last season when I ran a considerable distance to retrieve a ball behind my net that was to be a corner kick, threw the ball to my opponent, only to watch him take the kick before I was back between the posts. Unbelievable!! Where has the sportsmanship gone?? Now, if I have any doubts, I'll yell to my opponent as I toss or kick him the ball that I expect him to wait until I'm in position. How sad is that?

RE: Pet hates that could be changed

paulm — Tue, 22 May 2007 21:25:27 GMT

Codes of conduct aside, I have found if you speak to the parent and point out that in training Johnny was asked to play in a particular way and practiced it well, and now there is a danger that Johnny will get mixed messages BUT if the parent encourages him solely by encouraging/praising 'relaxing on the ball' or 'head up and look for the pass' (whatever you rehearsed) then this will benefit the team as a whole - it always works, they either shut up or get onside with you.

RE: Pet hates that could be changed

Wanderers Coach — Tue, 22 May 2007 17:30:18 GMT

I know that this isn't what you are asking for but I have found that my most effective 1st warm-up for my team are a few small games of keep away. I limit their touches to 2 or 3, keeping the group to a max of 5. They all get a lot of touches, they start talking, they act and re-act under pressure and they learn how to defensively apply pressure without over committing. We do this for about 10 minutes before we break up into either a three person weave or some more passing exercises.

As far as sideline behaviour, my parents have all signed a behavioural contract that I got from PCA. It details what is acceptable language and behaviour by those on the sidelines. I really appreciate it because it allows me to focus on the game not on the parents watching the game.

RE: Pet hates that could be changed

Dwyer — Thu, 17 May 2007 15:41:23 GMT

I know what you mean. Little Johnnie receives the ball in defence and the parents chant as one "clear it" when in fact you would rather he took his time and didn't just give it away again. You can't win a game if you don't have the ball.

RE: Pet hates that could be changed

Graham67 — Thu, 17 May 2007 15:34:48 GMT

I suppose what annoys me is what annoys most coaches and spectators - and probably players too. Loud mouthed parents "coaching" their children. By all means praise and support, but don't they realise I've just spent months trying to get little Johnnie to play a certain way?

Pet hates that could be changed

SCW Editor — Wed, 16 May 2007 14:49:30 GMT

Watching the last game of the season a couple of Saturdays ago I realised there were things that coaches did that annoyed me and that with a few words of advice i could change.

The coach in question got his under 12 players to turn up half an hour before kick off, as he should. His warm up however I realised had always irritated me because he had three lines of five players and he scuttled around passing to each in turn who shot at goal. Over the course of about 20 minutes the coach had around 50 touches of the ball and was well and truly warmed up while the players had a few touches each and were standing around with the cuffs of their shirts pulled tight over their hands talking about TV or school, anything but focus on the game.

I also realised why it wasnt until the team had played for 10minutes or so that they got into the game. I talked to him about it, he was surprised by my thoughts but promised to change. So why didnt I do this earlier in the season??

What annoys you watching from the touchlines? Are there things you would and could change?