Knowing Your Players: Playing Up And Down Age Groups

Written by Steven Crane Oct 3rd, 2017

The traditional model for organising teams is by school year (UK) or by calendar year (USA and RoW). This means that there can be a wide variation in biological age (there could be almost 1 year age difference between your oldest and youngest players). Professional clubs are now identifying late developers and are creating strategies to help individuals develop and reach their full potential.

1. My player is finding it difficult because he/she is too small, what can I do to help him/her develop?
2. My player is not strong enough to compete, what can I do to help him/her develop?
3. My player is finding it too easy at his own age group, what can I do to help him/her develop?

We are asked these questions by users of The Coaching Manual regularly. It’s a big issue in the game and a lot of coaches choose to ignore it which prevents players from developing or, in the worst-case scenario, causes them to leave the game. Encouraging players to play up or down an age group can have a massive impact on a player’s long-term development and enjoyment of the game.
 What are the implications for player development?
There are two possible implications for the development of your players, which are determined by where they are in their individual development pathway.

 Scenario 1: Player is more advanced than his/her team-mates:

1. Has too much success in matches – Don’t enjoy it as much and become frustrated.
2. Games aren’t physically demanding– Develop bad habits/become lazy.
3. Believes they are the best – Become over-confident/arrogant, doesn’t involve team mates and alienates them.
4. Games aren’t technically demanding - Don’t achieve potential.

 Scenario 2: Player is less advanced than his/her team-mates:

1. Has little success in matches – Don’t enjoy it as much and become frustrated.
2. Games are too physically demanding– Risks injury.
3. Believes they are the worst – Loses confidence, gets upset in matches and withdraws from team mates.
4. Games are too technically demanding - Don’t achieve potential.

Why have they not progressed?

It could be due to the physicality (height, weight, strength) of the player, a comparative lack of technical ability to the rest or their social and psychological maturity.
Physicality– Due to various legislation, not everyone will be able to move players up and down age groups to aid their development. So, here is how you, as coaches, can help the player.
1. An under 15 player is not able to meet the physical demands of the game. Encourage them to train with the U14s as well as the under 15s. This will allow the player to play with players of their own physicality and will give them an opportunity to develop.
a) Be careful when you do this. Be truthful with the player and make sure they are fully aware that this is not a punishment, it is more of a challenge to see if they can improve the u14's and challenge them to be a leader in that age group.
b) If the player has to stay with their own age group for games then allow them to play in the less competitive games, and surround them with stronger players. This will help them get some success on the pitch.
c) Use the examples we give in the interview to illustrate how even great players have benefited from this approach.
2. An under 15 player is too strong for their age group. Challenge the player by moving him/her to play up a year. This will allow the player to use their body in a more realistic environment.
Technical Ability - If the players are physically able to compete with their age group but are lacking technical ability then here are a few things you could do.
1. Encourage them to play in the league/team below. Still, allow the players to train with your team as a lot of their friends will be there. However, the league/team below may be best to help his/her development.
a) Set goals and simple challenges they can do away from training that will help them improve their technical ability, for example, passing with a friend or against a wall. Please take a look at our 1 to 1 coaching content.
2) A player is technically better than his team-mates and is at risk of his technical development stagnating.
a) Allow the player to train with an older age group, where their technical ability is put under pressure, forcing them to improve both their technical level and their speed of play.

Psychological Age

1. An under 9 player is enjoying training but getting upset every time it comes to game day.
a) Sit down with the player before a game and discuss all the great things they are going to do in the game ahead which will give them confidence.
b) Consider starting the player as a substitute and allow them to watch the game from the side so they can get a feel for the environment. Also, consider allowing the player to play games with the younger age group to build his/her confidence.
c) Give the player certain roles and responsibilities in the team to motivate them.

Social Age

1. An under 11 player is superior to their peers and they are not passing the ball in training. His friends have started to get frustrated with him/her and alienate him/her from the group.
a) Set the player individual challenges during training sessions, for example, can he/she make 20 passes in a game. He/she can only score with a one-touch finish.
b) Allow the player train with the age group above to challenge the player. 

Why Futsal Will Accelerate Your Player's Development  

•        

The England DNA wants coaches to work towards helping players develop outstanding technical ability. This starts in the Foundation Phase and playing Futsal is a great game to use.
The Foundation Phase is the perfect time to introduce players to the benefits of playing Futsal. The constraints of the game really do help to challenge the players, regardless of age, and it is the perfect game to supplement the involvement many young players will have with football. The England DNA demands that a different kind of player is developed and Futsal has a very important role to play.

DNA Foundation Phase Futsal Intro

vimeo.com

In the information that follows I have made reference to a feature of the game and aligned this with the DNA headlines that you will become so familiar with as you use this resource:

If you are indoors in the winter and have limited time – just play the game.

• The players will have increased touches and decisions to make (master the ball)

• The players will have increased opportunities to: accelerate, decelerate, change direction, stop and start, dodge and feint (master your body)

• Players are under constant pressure and have limited space (seek creative solutions)

• The players will have more tactical challenges to overcome (instinctive decision making)

• There will be more opportunities to shoot, pass, move, dribble and play 1v1 (be exciting with the ball)

• The players will have to react to transition more often (instinctive decisions)

• The players will have to defend as an individual and a team (intelligent defending)

And whilst all this is going on the players are having fun and enjoying the game.

 

As coaches we have to consider the balance between structured and unstructured practice time during the week. For our Foundation Phase players the training time in the grassroots game is likely to be between an hour or two hours per week (if you are lucky). If this is all structured, coach led and quite formal in nature then the players will miss out on the problem solving, decision making and improvisation needed just to cope with the game of Futsal. 

If you take your team indoors for the winter you have to consider using Futsal. It is a great option for development and the FA now has a range of qualifications from Level 1, Level 2 to UEFA B Futsal which will help coaches develop both themselves and their players using this game.
You will find lots of Futsal practice ideas in line with the England DNA within this section so make sure you consider Futsal as an option for your players and you will be amazed by the results.

In possesion foundation phase , "stay on the ball and master the ball u/5-u/8"

Master the Ball

In the Foundation Phase, we must promote a real connection between the player and the ball. 

Young players want to improve and develop their skills so they are ready for this intervention. Mastering the ball includes building the capability to manipulate and manoeuvre the ball in any direction, at varying speeds and by using any part of the foot or body. 

This capability can then be utilised when dribbling, travelling with the ball, turning, receiving, shielding or screening the ball during any subsequent practice activity or game. This kind of practice cannot be skimmed over, rushed or (at worse) overlooked. Developing these fundamental skills will form the basis for all of the development that follows and the Foundation Phase provides the perfect starting point as young players are primed and ready to explore and experiment. 

Coaches should encourage this exploration: use a wide range of small-number activities and games to ensure that your players have lots of opportunity to spend time on the ball and make decisions.

A wide spectrum of methods can help to begin the process of ball mastery: from isolated ball-familiarity exercises that promote touch, feel and manipulation aspects (but require very little decision-making capability), to small-number activities, games and formats that will bring returns in all four corners (Technical, Physical, Psychological and Social). 

As a coach, your position on this spectrum should be determined by the needs of the group and within that, where possible, the needs of each individual player. 

Futsal must be included as a game format during this phase whenever possible. The game will provide massive returns in all areas of development, and the repetition involved in lots of situations that are similar (but never the same) is exactly what is needed at this stage of development. Please make sure you visit the Futsal section to learn more.

Stay on the Ball

It is difficult to say which part comes first - master the ball or stay on the ball - because, in promoting one, you are almost certainly working on the other. However, once players grow in confidence because of their improving ability on the ball, then we need to encourage them to stay on the ball for longer. This does not mean “hog the ball” or dribble until possession is lost. 

This headline is about the player knowing that they are able to keep the ball for longer regardless of the pressure from the opposition or from the lack of space available. 

Once you develop a confidence in your own ability, time can be spent on thinking about how you might attack and score for yourself or help others do the same. For our under 5-8 players this must be established in such a way that their technique is still good even though there’s more pressure. This could take years of practice, so ensure you give the players lots of variety and opportunity to begin to develop these important fundamental techniques.

A greater technical capability means that you can look for more attacking, threatening and creative options, rather than the easy or predictable ones. More time on the ball means that the game may change whilst you still have possession; supporting positions could change into more attacking ones, or the player on the ball may suddenly turn or dribble out of pressure and the whole pitch could open up before them.

These situations never occur if the player is told to pass the ball early and to the easiest option. 

This is probably the hardest part for the adults to deal with let alone actively encourage and promote. This is because we may feel frustrated as we wait for these skills and abilities to develop. It’s vital that we adopt a patient and consistent approach so that players feel supported when developing this aspect of their game.

It will be well worth the wait. Remember that development is a long-term process and by staying on the ball players will develop their dribbling skills, their turns, twists and their spins away from pressure. 

The young players will have to become good at “hiding” the ball away from opponents, and brilliant at not only knowing when to release the ball, but who to release it to. This capability will stay with them for the rest of their playing time as the DNA aims to promote this aspect of development right through the phases. 

The part you play is important because you will start the whole process off and, if done with real passion and enthusiasm, will be your legacy and your massive contribution to the development of our young players.

To summarise, stay on the ball when:

• you have no positive or threatening passing options, and you’re prepared to stay on the ball and see if one appears

• there is space in front of you/to the side/behind you and you can change the situation in the game to a more positive, attacking one by travelling with the ball

• you have recognised that the situation is 1v1 and you are going to dribble with the ball

• you are under pressure, passing options are compromised and you are willing to relieve the pressure and change the situation by screening, shielding or turning with the ball

• all of your options are sideways and backwards and staying on the ball may allow the situation to change and present a forward, positive more attacking option.

There is no particular order to these points - they are all equally important.

 

Stay on the Ball (Futsal)

vimeo.com

The mastery and staying on the ball headlines are perfect for those players at the youngest end of the Foundation Phase, so please make sure this development is prioritised.

Before you consider the other ‘in possession’ headlines, remember that you will have players who are still at the stage where managing the ball is all they can cope with. This is fine and just means that they need more time and more enjoyable ways to practice these things. Make sure you provide this for them. 

Get over Yourself !

“What makes a good coach?” He swiftly replied, “The realisation that it’s always about the players and never about you.”








https://playerdevelopmentproject.com/get-over-yourself/

By doing away with ‘fixed’ positions......................................................

 • “He changed football. We were the Naranja Mechanica, Clockwork Orange. He changed the mentality. We were not just guys moving forward and backward. We played with a lot of pressure on the other team, with a lot of risk in the back. The defenders went forward, the forwards came back. We played football. He even used the goalkeeper … as a libero, playing outside the area.” Wim Rijsbergen, Member of the Netherlands 1974 World Cup squad • •






By doing away with ‘fixed’ positions and making the team the star, football found a new identity. The inert, gelatinous pace of football gave way to something entirely different – a game of positions, of movements and constant circulation. The game of Total Football.




http://thesefootballtimes.co/2016/01/28/rinus-michels-and-the-total-football-rebellion/

Buckhurst Hill Lioness signs for Arsenal

Buckhurst Hill Lioness  signs for Arsenal

Faith Mensah from Buckhurst Hill u 12 blacks will be wearing the red and white of Arsenal for the up and coming 2017/2018 season after a successful trail. Faith was selected out of 150 girls including 20 current academy players. Faith had trained with the Buckhurst Hill Lionesses on Friday nights but opted to continue playing with the u 12 blacks. Stuart Blake (coach) has coached Faith since she was 6 years old. Faith's ability to read the game was always 18 months ahead of the rest of the players add that to her pace, strength and tackling ability made her very hard to play against. During her 4 seasons with Buckhurst Hill blacks Faith has won either parents player or the players player award.

Laura Mensah  said "I would like to thank the club for their continued support whilst playing for Buckhurst Hill FC. This had been a fun, exiting and, at times, challenging experience. The team, Buckhurst Hill Blacks, has always been dedicated and committed which makes it a great environment to play in. I would especially like to thank Stuart Blake for being so dedicated and supportive over the years, thank you for teaching Faith so much and driving her in the right direction."

Faith's attitude, willingness to learn and coupled with her playing ability gives her every chance of a career in football. She has been an absolute pleasure to work with.

Buckhurst Hill Lionesses announce a 2 nd player to sign an academy contract

Buckhurst Hill Lionesses
announce  a 2 nd player to sign an academy contract


It is with great pleasure and sadness that Buckhurst Hill Lionesses announce that Hannah Luxton will be continuing her career wearing the Yellow and Red of Watford Ladies F.C for the 2017/2018 season.

In the newly formed ladies team this season, Hannah joins her brother Michael as an academy player at Watford as a Ladies Under 12 player. Both Luxton children have been involved in the Buckhurst Hill set up for many years with Michael training since the age of 4 years old and Hannah training with the Lionesses since the inception of the girls team. Finishing runners up in their 1st ever tournament last year.

  An avid sportswoman for many years Hannah was recently selected to represent Watford after attending two trails of over 80 girls in her age group. Keen to test herself against the best teams in the area she is looking forward to putting into practice the skills and work eithic she has learned at the club.

Roger Luxton said “Both kids have been given an excellent basis and education in playing the game in the right way, with an emphasis on doing the right thing at the right time, every time. They could not of had a better introduction to football at grassroots level. The club encourages the players to develop in excellent facilities ensuring that all coaches and managers maintain a fun and educational atmosphere synonymous with the family tradition of the club. As always we will look to stay involved with the club as a former coach and two former players with many great memories and friends made in our time there”
"Hannah has been a pleasure to have in our girls section , i also think playing Futsal has helped her progress . Having 2 girls signed from our newly formed Lionesses section in 6 weeks the other Being Faith Mensah who was recently signed by Arsenal  is a massive achievement and something i Stuart Blake , Craig Sherrin and Alison Marsh are very proud of . Our Lionesses are increasing in numbers by the week , if you want to play football contact our girls section . email girls@bhfc.co.uk