The development of young players is more about learning and loving the game first and foremost. Winning is not the priority.
The players should still be aiming to win and coaches are advised to create an ethic of striving for excellence in games. This is a part of a player development focused program.
A results driven environment can very quickly become about the coach rather than the coaching process. I would be appalled if coaches were putting the result of a game over the learning process.
Tactics that bring success in short term at the expense of the development of players in the long term are simply unacceptable to what a development programs should be about.
I would not want to develop robots who blindly follow coaches instructions at the expense of not developing an understanding of the game or worse still, not learn on field problem solving skills.
Players should be recruited or retained for their technical ability, not just their physical attributes.
Technique should be the primary focus. I understand that young players still want to win games but it is critical that coaches communicate to parents and players that the emphasis must be on development.
I do NOT expect young players to feel any stress, anxiety, or fear when playing football, certainly not because of a match result. Young players ought to have a strong desire to learn new skills, to compete, to be with friends and to have fun playing football. There will be enough stress about results when they play first team football where it is indeed about the result.
Naturally players are encouraged to play to win but good coaches will look at performance in terms of the technical, tactical, psychological and physiological development of players.
Coaches value the importance of player motivation, and work with players to ensure that the greater interest is in playing well, learning new skills, improving, and enjoying the atmosphere of the team. It is often the parents who judge “success” in terms of win-loss records in junior and youth sports.
At good clubs the focus should be firmly upon technique. These clubs have in place systems that allow players maximum one vs. ones all over the pitch. The more touches on the ball the more competent and confident a player becomes.
Players should train and play because they love the game first and foremost, and then strive to be the very best that they can be.
All this can only be achieved if coaches value performance over results in junior and youth football.
