Ha! Waiting for me in my email this morning was a forward. This email has bounced back and forth among several coaches and parents at the club with everyone getting their $.02 in. It started with one coach questioning how my team ends up near the top of the standings every session if teams are picked fairly. Several people piled on with the "yeah!" type of huffing and puffing. Then one glorious example of intellect and integrity stepped up and informed everyone that my team has/had 8 different club players on the roster over the last year. One person did step up and point out that some of those kids just went to tryouts for the first time this month and weren't officially on the team yet.
I got to thinking about that and composed a simple reply acknowledging that I have, in fact, had 8 different club players in my squad over the last 12 months. Then I pointed out that not a single one of those players was a club player when they came to my team. In fact six of them just went to there first club tryout this month. I picked kids I liked, often who had parents that I had witnessed being good sports around the complex. I coached them, encouraged them, and where I saw something extra I encouraged the parents to consider club tryouts. I begged, borrowed, stole, and in one case paid to get them all a tryout with the club team when they were completely under the radar. Then I ran through the individuals.
Lil Lookout:
Then:When he first stepped on the field nobody wanted him because he was too small. One of the reasons I stepped in as coach - no one wanted to be responsible for him getting hurt. Even now people who don't know him say he's too small because he easily gives up 15 lbs to his peers.
Now: People complain he should move up an age group even though he still has a year and a half eligibility in this league.
B:
Then: No one wanted him because he is hyperactive and ADD.
Now: they comment about how he is a tireless fighter with a lust for goals.
They are both on my team now.
C1:
Then: He was never picked by the same coach twice in a row because they didn't know what to do with him.
Now: He is a 1st choice defender or midfielder and a 2nd choice keeper.
C2:
Then: No one wanted him because he's just happy go lucky and not competitive.
Now: he's an excellent midfielder who is willing to play any position you ask him to.
K:
Then: No one wanted him because he is even smaller (a year younger) than Lil Lookout and doesn't have the nose for goal that he does.
Now: He's an awesome natural left footer who leads the league in assists.
L:
Then: Too slow. Too quiet. Not a fighter.
Now: Knows he isn't fast but has developed awesome positional awareness and is an excellent defensive midfielder and a decent keeper.
M:
Then: Good player but uninterested.
Now: The total package. Big, can shoot, pass, dribble, and is unbeatable as a defesnsive midfielder. Just don't yell or he shuts off and is done. Don't make him tie his shoes either, he is uncomfortable with anything tight on his feet. weird, but true.
G:
Then: Big and good positional sense but doesn't shoot well.
Now: The single most powerful striker in the league. I don't like blocking his shots because they HURT. The key is he may be left handed and do everything else as a dominant left... but not shoot a soccer ball. His right foot is deadly anywhere from center field in.
All of these boys has been moved from my team for one reason or another. Two of them moved when their dad/dad's friend started coaching, two moved to the next age group, one only plays club now, one was taken to another team this session.
I suggested that instead of assuming I had stacked teams, consider that I saw kids whose talent wasn't being tapped and then gave them some encouragement as they became confident in their skills. I suggested that in the developmental league MAYBE we shouldn't be so concerned with the final score as we are with giving kids confidence to step out of their comfort zone by giving them permission to make mistakes without worrying about the consequences. I pointed out that my current team has less skill per child than the other teams in the league but can still hold it's own in games. Why? Because they are having fun they play hard and work as a team, this leads to them winning. It works in that order. They don't work hard, play as a team, and have fun because they win. Get the priorities straight.
It didn't take long for the replies to come flying back in that it is easy to have an attitude like that when my team is unbeatable.
OK, seriously? Did you not even read what I wrote? I invited them to come to the tournament on saturday and watch what happens. It is a club tournament that Lil Lookout would have played in anyway, but some kids were getting left out because the rosters are locked at 7 players. So I took (with the director's blessing) Lil Lookout and formed a second team to put in the tournament.
Lil Lookout and D (the keeper) are the only two regular club players. K, J, C1, C2, and B all just tried out for the team but haven't played for a club yet. So I am effectively taking a team of rec kids to a club tournament. The tournament is for all players 8 years and under. I'm taking one 8 year old, two 7 year olds, three 6 year olds, and a 5 year old(almost 6). They've never played or practiced as a unit, but each one has played at least a couple games with at least one other person on the team. We won't win the tournament but we should win at least two games out of the five we are guaranteed. I think we will at least be competitive in the others. I guarantee they'll walk away smiling regardless of the point total.
Anyway, I threw down the challenge that if I can take this group into this tournament and win at least two games the haters have to drop the issue until the end of the session. Then we will discuss what changes we can make to our coaching program instead of trying to fix the problem by moving kids all over the place and separating them from their friends. We will work on coaching personalities and kids instead of jamming skills and drills down their throats like they're all little clones.
Keep your fingers crossed.