All my lads have been with me for 3 seasons so far but they arent as good as some of the lads whove come over to me. I have the problem now of do I play the strongest side (yes I think I have to) and how do I keep us strong and give weaker lads a game - too many players. 1 of the 18 is an autistic lad that i've already told his parents I cant play him all the game and will only be able to give him 10 minutes her and there.

So thats 17 - 6 substitutes and 6 Substitutes parents to deal with as well. Would you rotate , guarantee them all a game or be hard and only make substitutions if required.

I totally sympathise with you on this one. I'm sure we've all been there. I think there's always pressure from outside to play your strongest 11 and to do your utmost to win games. But at the end of the day you're probably doing this to provide all the boys with an opportunity to just play and that rightly comes as a higher priority than winning (for me anyway).

Of course the weaker lads will only improve if they think they can break into the team. Perhaps the way forward is to set targets for the weaker lads. Perhaps draw up a list of objectives for each of them separately. For example, if player A is a striker, tell him when he can score 3 goals in a practice game he'll maybe get to start a game. Make it achievable, realistic and measurable (so-called SMART objectives). Make sure everyone in the squad knows what you're doing. Make them fight for their place and make the first 11 work hard to keep their place.

Make sure that all the parents know your plan upfront too. Write them a letter. Stand by your principles and explain to them that you're taking this approach for the good of the development of ALL the boys and I'm sure they'll respect you for it because you're putting the needs of the players above your desire to be seen as a successful coach in terms of league position.
And good on you for playing the autistic boy. I know many wouldn't, and I know it's hard work, but you're making a real difference to the boy and his parents must count themselves lucky to have you as the coach. 

Good luck with it.

Dwyer

Dwyer

 Last season in under 17's we started the season with 15 players then another two joined during the season, the league we were in only allowed 16 players per squad for any one game, due to someone always being missing due to injuries etc this didnt pose a problem until we got to a cup final.....surprise, surprise everyone is fit and available....Leading upto the final i had one out injured and one who i hadnt seen for three weeks and couldnt contact so i didnt envisage any selection problems.

  That one lad who had been with the team since it started five years before had been gradually losing interest and i had been seeing less and less of him each week, anyway cup final day there he was in his correct kit (for a change) and eager to go. During a gentle warm up the particular player in question was really struggling as it was obvious his fitness wasnt up to scratch, so i took him and the captain to one side to explain why he would have to miss the match, we were only allowed to use 16 and every other player had been regular all season regardless if they were new players or not!!

 Anyway the lad missed the match although i hear he had great pleasure making use of the bar, the ref even warned someone about holding a beer glass too close to the pitch but i didnt find out it was this player until afterwards. Everyone who stood with him commented on how he was stood laughin, drinking and smoking without a care in the world.

 Anyway we won a tremendous final 1 - 0 with a goal in extra time and as we were celebrating a certain players dad came over to me to tell me i had ruined all his sons dreams by not letting him play and that he would "see me afterwards".....Luckily this was over heard by a number of our players and parents who immediatly put this particular parent straight as to exactly why his son hadnt played, although the parent just stormed off calling everyone a waste of time and saying how we didnt deserve to win etc, etc. This dad had been around he team from the start yet it just goes to show how quick people can change and how blinkered some parents can be....

We won our 1st game 3-1 , we were 3-1 up in our second game with 20 minutes to go so i decided to make changes. I made 5 substitutions in the space of 5 minutes and the game fell apart and we lost 6-3.

The parents of the stronger players were complaining (not to my face) about me runining the game and the hard work the 1st 11 had put in. I've had parents on the phone to me complaining about their son not playing enough and to be honest a this moment in time i'm thinking of knocking it all on the head as this isnt what I want out of a Sunday afternoon - let someone else have all the grief.

Shame the parents can ruin someones love of the game isnt it - shame all they care about it is their own son and not the little lad whos stood next to them. I have two moms who havent had a good word to say about hardly anyone this season so far and stood behind me on sunday openly slagging my son off for not scoring when he had half a chance (at best).

 The problem is its the parents of the players who dont put as much effort or commitment in as other players and the sort of players who sulk if they are singled out for advice which is always friendly and productive but they always seem to know better so you can see where these sort of players get it from!!!

 The best parents are the ones who regulary come and watch & support but accept that you are the coach / manager and leave you to it which the vast majority do.

 The problem is like you say a lot of the critiscism is not directly to you so you are just going off what you hear is being said, but every course i've ever attended has told me that parents are the biggest problems you will experience.

 The problem with impressionable kids is if their own parents are constantly knocking you it can easily sway their opinion of you however well you do things.

 Stick with it though mate, if you are doing a good job the majority will notice and appreciate it. The moaners will moan whoever their sons managers are.....if you know you are doing the righ thing for your team and its players stuff the ones who dont support you!!!

I myself too have 18 players and I have the same difficulties.

To get round this I decided to manage each players stats personally and record practically every last minute they play with an aim that by the end of the season every player spends equal amount of minutes on the pitch as each other. I have however singled out a pool of 6 or 7 strong players who will probably play a little more because they deserve to as they are hard trainers and good players who to enable the team to win you need on the pitch, after all winning teams are happier teams.

Also by 2 or 3 games into the season you can look at the other teams in your division and maybe single out games where you can use the weaker players more as the opposition shouldn't prove too much of an obstacle.

3 games into the season we have won 2, lost 1 (against a very good side) and every player has played a part in at least 2 of the games, 14 players have featured in all 3, in addition to that next week some of the so called weaker players will be starting as they have risen to the challenge and came off the bench last week and proved there worth in the squad by working hard and performing well.

The first game of the season I had a player in tears because he was stripped and ready to play, but I had played my 5 allowed subs and he unfortunately missed out, I took him to one side and explained that his time will come and he played exceptional coming off the bench last week and is down to start next week.

Up to now things are good and moral high, obviously if we need to play a semi final or even final I am sure 1 or 2 parents might have something to say, but as I said earlier you cannot please everyone all of the time.

Stick with what you believe in and if you can provide facts that shoot there opinions to the wall.

Good luck

Stevo