Ella (6) - one of my triplets. That was the advice tonight as we trailed by a goal and all I had managed to do was annoy the ref to the extent he was ready to kick me off the very next word I said. Oh well. I hope she'll enjoy the 'Brian Clough' style I'll be using as I coach my kids. (wiggly lines as we move to 2015 and I now speak with a sour northern accent...)
" Alright lass, not bad but most of the other kids are a lot better, aren't they? Let's face it, you'd be cleaning boots for my team - not playing lass..." (click here for Brian...)
They were happy to see me home after a week at National Camp in Rome, GA. I've said it
So, after a magnificent week at the WHUIA National Camp, working with Tony Carr MBE, Paul Heffer (Sir Paul in my book), Ian Yuill, Mark Phillips, Tracy Duxbury, Ian Bishop, James Meara and all the gang I came home to Indiana to reality.... This is how it went.
Firstly, after an eight hour drive back, during which Brian Greggs (from Indiana and ISI) and I discussed and resolved the entire domination of Indiana High School Soccer for our team - we returned to a post-nuclear apocalyptic Indiana. 100F. Come on folks. People were cooking pizza on the sidewalk. Ritters was sold out.
Secondly, my tomatoes were not doing well, not due to the diligent watering from Jilly, but due to a couple of monster green caterpillars that were having a field day. OK - let's see you (the caterpillars) escape across 20 feet of red hot concrete. Birds got them. 'ave some of that.
Thirdly, I was thrust back into the world of Indiana High School sports, and Indiana sports in general. A rather brutal kind of 'earth's atmosphere re-entry' coming straight down kinda of thing.
OK, for all of you who have picked up the blog since National Camp - fear not. I am a fruit cake or off my trolley. Oh no. Let me lay the facts out and I'll be using my 33 years of teaching and coaching in England. Oh, and sorry. This is going to be a long blog. So, put the kettle on and suck it up.
Let me start by making two statements.
1) Paul Heffer, the Assistant Director of the Academy at West Ham United, has been coming to the US for 5 years. Each time we challenge the expectation that young players should have as much soccer each day as possible. National Camp moved to a morning and evening session each day. There was an indoor skills hour or a swim also in the middle of the day.
2) Indiana does not allow student athletes below College age to participate in the 'Track & Field' event Triple Jump.
OK - is there a connection? Maybe not. But it got me thinking. The lack of triple jump is based upon the incidents of knee injuries in young athletes. This I have gleaned from the very cream of coaches at the Indiana State Track & Field annual event. I am very lucky to manage the hurdles for this event and see some incredible young athletes. We teach and coach triple jump in England from 11 years onwards. Paul is absolutely right about the over training of US based soccer players. In the UK, once a talented player is attached to a club, there is a finite number of games that player can participate in over the year. The club they play for control this - and playing everyday is simply against the law. Children are far more protected in the UK. If you go back and read my blogs in late Feb, you'll see no video footage of the lads at West Ham. It is against the law to video children without the formal written permission of all the parents. The US? At the pool - all those parents taking shots of their, and your kids swimming etc. It would be illegal in the UK. Makes you think, right?
So, I am asking myself this. Is Triple Jump really that bad for 'athletes' or is the problem compounded by US student athletes being pummeled for twelve months and enduring three 'seasons' of multi-pressurized practice expectations which result in knees blowing out? The pressure on student athletes in the US is so great - to gain scholarship dollars, that I wonder if any parents really weigh up the pros and cons of an aggressive practice regime to bring home the money.
So, at the very heart of this blog is my problem. There are two weeks in the Indiana High School Sports calendar when you cannot practice (summer). Why? Is it to protect players? Maybe, but I can make my players attend practices as much as I want the rest of the time. Even two on each day. The human brain doesn't work well under such conditions. Neither does the cardio-respirartory system. I simply do not understand it
Last year my team limited runs to a mile. This year no running without the ball at all. Less injuries and better players.
Check out: http://www.aap.org/advocacy/releases/june07injuries.htm
Now, my Ella talks endlessly about 'signing up for soccer'. Here is my dilemma. Nice guys coaching but some - no idea what they are talking about. Me? I played against my mum. At 8 I joined the cub scouts and played a little soccer too. At 10 I played school football and played at the weekend. Twice a week tops. Kids are over scheduled in the US. Everyone needs to back off. My opinion, of course....
OK. A bit heavy this blog. Next one ( on Sunday, I promise) will have some good pics and vids from the last year. Some outtakes and funnies too. Sorry for the heavy message here. It really bothers me that we don't have the balance right.
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