Winning at all cost

[Unregistered]

How do you define it?

A poster in the thread on loyalty made a point that I would consider one way of defining "winning at all cost".

"players who continue to ride the pine and be abused because this team wins"

[Unregistered]

What happens when they aren't winning?

[Unregistered]

What happens when they aren't winning?

Some will say it's the coach's fault because he didn't develop all his players equally.

[Unregistered]

How do you define it?

A poster in the thread on loyalty made a point that I would consider one way of defining "winning at all cost".

"players who continue to ride the pine and be abused because this team wins"

Some coaches will play their top/favorite 11 the majority of the time, no matter what.

If the coach keeps a player on the bench, it's telling you the coach has no confidence in them or their ability. The coach might tell you things about development, but actions speak louder than words.

How many of the bench would really hurt the team if they had more playing time?

How can any player get better or contribute when a starter goes down, if they ride the bench most of the time?

Unless it's the pro level, players shouldn't ride the bench all year. If your player rides the bench all season, it's doing them no good and may be causing psychological harm. Find another team.

[Unregistered]

If they were good enough to make the team then they are good enough to play for the team.

[Unregistered]

If they were good enough to make the team then they are good enough to play for the team.

Not at all. Clearly development is important at all ages and winning is far too emphasized at the younger ages. But, if a player is on a team that should not automatically guarantee playing time in games at all, other than in the showcase years at a showcase event. There are plenty of cases where a player is on a team and fails to keep up developmentally with the rest of the team. There are cases where a player goes through a bad stretch of time or made a team based on a try-out but could not play at the level the team stepped up to.

In these cases it is not a policy issue about playing time or beating a coach into submission that is the right course of action. The answer is to move to another club/team and find the level of the game that your child is able to play consistently and enjoy themselves. Not every player is right for every level of play. We as parents have to see this and understand it and cope with it. Playing time is the perfcet wake-up call to see it. It's not someone else's fault. It's just time to move on to better fit.

[MASC]

If you roster a player then you should give them fair playing time.

It takes courage for a coach to put on the field player combinations that might be weak. Coaches who are unwilling to do so do not belong coaching youth soccer.

Below U15 there is no excuse not play every player. Too many here and through out youth sport are turning it into professional sport mimicking what happens at the highest levels of the sport. This discussion has been rehashed so many times it appears that the message has not gotten through to coaches and parents.

[Unregistered]

If you roster a player then you should give them fair playing time.

It takes courage for a coach to put on the field player combinations that might be weak. Coaches who are unwilling to do so do not belong coaching youth soccer.

Below U15 there is no excuse not play every player. Too many here and through out youth sport are turning it into professional sport mimicking what happens at the highest levels of the sport. This discussion has been rehashed so many times it appears that the message has not gotten through to coaches and parents.

at the u13 and above ages, I belive it all starts at tryouts. the coaches need to identify players who are a fit for the team and unfortunately cut players who are not. if this process is handled correctly, then their really should be no issue about play time. the issue that is difficult to resolve is having a group of players who are clearly not as talented as the rest of the team and having to play them equally. one could make the argument that is not fair to the rest of team.

[Unregistered]

If you roster a player then you should give them fair playing time.

It takes courage for a coach to put on the field player combinations that might be weak. Coaches who are unwilling to do so do not belong coaching youth soccer.

Below U15 there is no excuse not play every player. Too many here and through out youth sport are turning it into professional sport mimicking what happens at the highest levels of the sport. This discussion has been rehashed so many times it appears that the message has not gotten through to coaches and parents.

Then change how MAPLE operates.

[Unregistered]

at the u13 and above ages, I belive it all starts at tryouts. the coaches need to identify players who are a fit for the team and unfortunately cut players who are not. if this process is handled correctly, then their really should be no issue about play time. the issue that is difficult to resolve is having a group of players who are clearly not as talented as the rest of the team and having to play them equally. one could make the argument that is not fair to the rest of team.

There is a difference between EQUAL and FAIR playing time. Fifteen minutes per half is fair at just about every age group.

[Unregistered]

There is a difference between EQUAL and FAIR playing time. Fifteen minutes per half is fair at just about every age group.

Go to the paying time thread and identify yourself as another idiot!

[Unregistered]

Go to the paying time thread and identify yourself as another idiot!

Only if you'll go there and identify yourself as an a-hole.

[Unregistered]

Fair is about performance at any age. A player does not earn time by being on a team. A player earns time by practices and performance on a team. If you want equal playing time play town travel. If you want to develop as a player play club soccer. If you are not getting playing time on your club team, then find another team. Its simple.

[Unregistered]

Fair is about performance at any age. A player does not earn time by being on a team. A player earns time by practices and performance on a team. If you want equal playing time play town travel. If you want to develop as a player play club soccer. If you are not getting playing time on your club team, then find another team. Its simple.

“We are asking our players to compete before they have learned how to play.”
Jay Miller, U17 Men’s National Team coach 2001

Besides the fact that no one has said anything about equal playing time, only fair playing time, do you understand what Miller is saying here? The higher level soccer is supposedly club, yet you want to emphasis competition over learning the game at the club level. This is exactly why NEP was formed and clubs are abandonning Maple. It also has a lot to do with why the US is struggling to produce quality soccer players for higher level play.

[Unregistered]

“Developing the U11-U14 Player”
Brian Page – Masters in Education, Region II ODP Staff Coach, NSCAA Premier diploma; USSF National Youth License

To be clear, winning is important. I don’t think that we are being fair to the kids if we do not recall our own emotions as young athletes’, and the passion that each of us had to win. Soccer is a competition - - kids want to win - - that is the player’s priority.

As adults, we have to lead without ego, teach responsibly and behave with enough emotional intelligence to make winning our second priority. Our priority is to either build a program or be a part of a program that provides curriculum based instruction designed to
develop players to be the best they can be in the late high school ages. This must be the driving motivation for every team and player goal, every season, every game, and every practice. Our challenge is not to compromise these principles - - and win.

I sincerely believe that there are two approaches at these ages. The ‘Team Centered Approach’ teaches’ players to function in systems that win now. Your training sessions are consistently designed around making your team function better to win the next game. You are then creating habits in players to function in your system not necessarily the
‘free-flowing game’ or in a multitude of systems. This is the appropriate approach for the adult player, not the youth player.

The appropriate approach at these ages is the ‘Player Centered Approach’. The ‘Player Centered Approach’ is designed to develop players that can play in multiple systems and positions to win later at the highest levels. In this approach your practice designs and team/player goals start at what a player should look like at age 18 and flow down year by year with age appropriate activities and goals designed to make each player the best player he or she can be at age 18. This is the appropriate approach for the U11-U14 player.

The problem with the ‘Player Centered Approach’ is it makes it harder to win at the early ages. I am not suggesting that you cannot win, it’s just harder. Anytime you promote sophistication and creativity, you are increasing the likelihood of mistakes, thus increasing the likelihood of losing. This is a quagmire for many, especially those motivated by winning first.

It also requires parent education, and parents who believe and are supportive of your message. The best person to lead this message is someone who has the playing and coaching experience that has developed players to reach collegiate and professional soccer, and the coaching education that is appropriate to lead all of the ages within that club. If you do not have this kind of experience then lean on this type of person to help you, both with parent and player education.