Pressure to win too much for kids?

[kinboshi]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2202452/Football-Association-bans-competitive-matches-between-under-eight-teams.html

The Football Association has ruled that young children must no longer play in competitive leagues, because the pressure of winning is too much for them to deal with.

Under-eight teams will be stopped from taking part in knockout tournaments where cups and medals can be won, and no results will be publicised for any matches.

Junior teams across Britain will have to adopt the new policy from the start of the 2008/9 season in September.

[Swordpoker]

Quite right, there's no place for competitiveness in football and we certainly don't want children growing up thinking it's important to strive for success.

[gatso]

Quite right, there's no place for competitiveness in football and we certainly don't want children growing up thinking it's important to strive for success.

yeah too right. and no good can come of kids getting medals. wp the FA

[bolt pp]

and if you've got a natural talent it will come throughanyway, first year of secondary won the long jump with no pressure what so ever, come on ship!!!!!!

i do remember the whole year cross country 150 odd kids and year 9 i came 6th, year 10 i came 4th, year 11 i didnt turn up too much to school and was a tad preoccupied with drinking ravers and 20/20 on a friday night, i dont remember exactly where i finished but it was 60+, my long distance running career never recovered.(although it has been resurected on occassion when running frm the old bill, mistaken identity of course but i was scared of police brutality so i thought it best to run)!

[Sark79]

I am not an expert on Kids, however if I think back to when I was a Kid, I was insanely competitive and always wanted to win.  I am sure most Kids are the same, all my friends from my childhood were exactly the same.  Trying to win is what sport/football is all about.  Having fun while playing is very important, however knowing your place on the ladder is vital in order to move forward and improve.  

Can you imagine a Nation such as Australia adopting this attitude?   It wouldn't happen


One positive for the kids concerned could be a calming of their overly pushy parents.  

[AndrewT]

Can you imagine a Nation such as Australia adopting this attitude?   It wouldn't happen

That's why Australians are such shallow creatures.

You only really find out who you are when your eyeball is pressed up against the millstone of adversity.

[nirvana]

Not sure about you chaps but having watched  my son thru junior football, the league and trophies element aint that positive a thing.

Chav coaches that are reminiscent of Barry Fry shouting 'they don't like it up 'em', 'squeeze' and 'shape' to 8 year olds.

8 year olds will compete and run their hearts out each and every game whether there's a league to play for or not.

Too many fat parents in 'sports' gear also living their lives vicariously - not pretty

[Longy]

Having been through the whole Junior Football and cricket thing as a kid myself, some of the kids are under undue pressure from parents who seem to start living their lives vacariously through their offspring. So this might not be the worst thing in the world and the sight of 8 yo playing on full size pitches is laughable. Tactics are down to who has the kid who can lump it the furthest and shooting high as the keeper can't reach the bar, hardly great training for producing skilled footballers of the future.

[AndrewT]

Chav coaches that are reminiscent of Barry Fry shouting 'they don't like it up 'em', 'squeeze' and 'shape' to 8 year olds.

The last time I told an 8 year old to 'squeeze' I got arrested.

[Sark79]

Can you imagine a Nation such as Australia adopting this attitude?   It wouldn't happen

That's why Australians are such shallow creatures.

You only really find out who you are when your eyeball is pressed up against the millstone of adversity.

Tony G and Lleyton Hewitt are both down to earth nice competitors 

[Swordpoker]

Not sure about you chaps but having watched  my son thru junior football, the league and trophies element aint that positive a thing.

Chav coaches that are reminiscent of Barry Fry shouting 'they don't like it up 'em', 'squeeze' and 'shape' to 8 year olds.

So give the coaches better training instead of taking competitiveness away from the kids.

[suzanne]

I used to dread sports day every year with my son, hes so competitive and would throw a complete hissy fit if he didnt win a race. He wasnt the only one though so it was nice when it was someone elses kid throwing a tantrum.

Ive noticed over the last 10 years that individual games have been phased out and its now more a team effort which I think is good. Not so good for the kid with 2 left feet who lets the team down though.

[Laxie]

Not sure about you chaps but having watched  my son thru junior football, the league and trophies element aint that positive a thing.

Chav coaches that are reminiscent of Barry Fry shouting 'they don't like it up 'em', 'squeeze' and 'shape' to 8 year olds.

So give the coaches better training instead of taking competitiveness away from the kids.

  There's a coach in our wee village who is a complete psycho!  Granted, he's a brilliant coach with great results for the older County teams, but he talks to U8's the same way he would U21's.  During a match, the man runs up and down the field like something possessed.  By half time, the froth has already started to form on the sides of his mouth and by the final whistle, the kids know to keep at least 10 feet away from him if they want to stay dry while he speaks.  The kids cry when the match is over, regardless of a win or loss...just relieved to be done with it.  The opposition would feel bad for our kids after every match because he was that much of show to watch.  That can't be good for anyone, never mind an U8. 

Parents and other coaches still talk about the day Sinéad had enough of him.  She was 10 and in goals and he roared at her to kick it out to his son every time she collected a ball.  Problem was, the other team knew who to mark and his son was having a bad game.  Lost every race.  After half time, Sinéad was officially fed up.  She kicked the ball out the opposite wing.  Well, the man nearly lost the life!  Next time she collected a ball, he was roaring his head off on the sidelines at her, jumping up and down like a lunatic.  She paused.  He roared some more.  She turned, looked at him, smiled, waved and said, 'Hi John.' and proceeded to kick it the opposite direction yet again.  Well, there wasn't a dry eye on either side line.  The parents were in fits of laughter and so were all the subs for both benches.  He never spoke to Sinéad like that again...for fear of what she might do next. 

At that age, it's no harm to let them learn life lessons about winning and losing, but I think coaches for those teams have to be a bit special to work with them.   

[DUNK619]

and people wonder why  great british national teams are crap at most sports   

[roverthtaeh]

There's nothing wrong with playing to win, providing that if you lose, you lose gracefully.