Articles & Useful Tips

This section has been put together to help players and parents to learn more about the development of football in general and more about young players’ development in key ages. If you come across an article which you think should be shared by others then please let us know by emailing teekay7777@hotmail.com

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If you have any comments you wish to share with the BPSFA community, please email me to join in the debate.

27th Nov 2007
Tim Kirk writes...
Bath Schools was founded 5 years ago on the basis of developing technique whilst also nurturing the social and physical development of the under 11 age group. In that time, over 30 players have been involved with professional academies.

We have never dismissed 11-a-side, but have always preferred to play 9-a-side until at least after Christmas in order to ensure some form of progression. However, it must be stated that it is a constant battle to persuade teams to break with tradition and try an alternative to 11-a-side.

Moving to 11-a-side is not as simple as most people think. The FA has now adopted a Long Term Player Development plan which is geared towards teaching our children the appropriate details, in the appropriate way depending on their stage of development, and not just depending on their chronological age. What is now needed is support from the FA to ensure that local clubs can benefit from this plan. Local clubs need help in purchasing the goals, providing the appropriate size pitches and equipment, training the millions of volunteer coaches, and controlling the ‘winning is everything mentality’ which still dominates even with our youngest players. However, it is not just the FA who is accountable. The professional clubs have a responsibility to promote and support the local clubs from which they happily take the ‘best players’. With all the money that has gone into the Premier League and the Championship over the last decade, I think the leagues and their member clubs should feel at least slightly embarrassed by their token efforts in the community. The final group of people which need to take a good look at themselves are the parents and coaches themselves. Unless the biggest role models in a child’s life can promote and practise the right ethics in terms of winning V development (because the 2 are not always synonymous), then we will continue to miss opportunities to get the best out of our young players.

It seems like much needs to be done, but there is something small we can all do to help. An answer can be quite simple when you ask the right question. The next time your son or daughter plays football, do not ask them the score, but ask them firstly if they had enjoyed it, and secondly, ask them what they did well and why.


27th Nov 2007
Kevin Smithies writes...
There is definately a problem when moving from mini soccer to 11-a-side. All of a sudden you spend a whole season watching little goalkeepers in big goals with opposition managers shouting at their boys to shoot high from outside the box. Having youth sized pitches would be a solution but is difficult for teams to justify. There is a pressure on getting decent pitches already. If you had to have a mini soccer pitch, a youth sized pitch and a senior pitch at every club it would be too much. Maybe we should just disallow goals scored from outside the penalty area for U11's and 12's?