FA must 'nurture' children as young as two

Francie Barrett

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/28476062

A leading football coach, who believes in "nurturing" children as young as two, has been invited to tell the Football Association how to develop a successful England national side.

Tom Byer, credited for revolutionising youth development in Asia, will advise the FA on creating elite players.

He told BBC Sport: "It should be much more about manipulating the ball.

"I believe with children from the ages of two to five, that you can start nurturing and conditioning them."

Same applies to the Irish system as well.

Whether people feel it's morally right or wrong, I've always said that if you're looking to get players playing to the best of their ability, then starting young is absolutely critical. When you look Spain and Germany, the commonality between their youth systems is that they get their kids training with professional outfits at an incredibly young age. It's not uncommon for many of their internationals to have been with a top club from the age of 8 years. I know from my local team here in Galway, a lot of the lads who would head over for trials at 16 or 17 are finding the competition fierce. How can our lads be expecting to compete with players who've had 8 years of development at a much higher level?

keith16

I'd tend to agree. It seems like Ireland is standing still, or even moving backwards when it comes to development.

Too Tough To Die

Tom Byer, credited for revolutionising youth development in Asia, will advise the FA on creating elite players.

What does this guy know about elite players?

LeBash

Too Tough To Die wrote: »

What does this guy know about elite players?

He trained the North Koreans who beat Portugal in the World Cup final.

OwaynOTT

What they need is less coaching and more of the playing of football on the streets and roads of our fine country. Playing in the parks and playgrounds with jumpers for goalposts. Take away their distractions and then we will see the likes of Giles and Brady again.

DubDani

2 is probably too young, but in Germany they start often with 4 within a club environment (called Bambinis, and sometimes also called Pampers league).

Usual German youth setup would be:

4-6 => Bambini's (2x20 minutes, 7 Players on small pitches)
6-8 => F youth (2x20 minutes, 7 Players on small pitches)
8 - 10 => E youth (2x25 minutes, 7 Players on small pitches)
10 -12 =. D youth (2x30 minutes, 9 Players on reduced regular pitch, usually Box to Box)
12 -14 => C youth or U15 (2x35 minutes, 11 vs 11 on regular pitch)
14 - 16 => B youth or U17 (2x40 minutes, 11 vs 11 on regular pitch)
16 - 18 => A youth or U19 (2x45 minutes, 11 vs 11 on regular pitch)

dreamers75

keith16 wrote: »

I'd tend to agree. It seems like Ireland is standing still, or even moving backwards when it comes to development.

What makes you say that?

gimmick

As far as I know the youth set ups her are actually quite progressive.

eyescreamcone

OwaynOTT wrote: »

What they need is less coaching and more of the playing of football on the streets and roads of our fine country. Playing in the parks and playgrounds with jumpers for goalposts. Take away their distractions and then we will see the likes of Giles and Brady again.

Giles and Brady never played in any world cup finals

Don't look to the past for answers to where we will produce our future players because we never produced enough quality players.
The 1990 team was full of foreign born players - this should be our first port of call. Then we should implement coaching systems where excellent young players receive excellent coaching as early as possible.

Richard Hillman

OwaynOTT wrote: »

What they need is less coaching and more of the playing of football on the streets and roads of our fine country. Playing in the parks and playgrounds with jumpers for goalposts. Take away their distractions and then we will see the likes of Giles and Brady again.

We need more poverty Bill

LuckyLloyd

keith16 wrote: »

I'd tend to agree. It seems like Ireland is standing still, or even moving backwards when it comes to development.

Ireland has made huge strides forward in its development of youth players over the past few years.

And I think the article in the OP is nonsense - kids before the age of four or five shouldn't be involved in organised coaching.

CSF

OwaynOTT wrote: »

What they need is less coaching and more of the playing of football on the streets and roads of our fine country. Playing in the parks and playgrounds with jumpers for goalposts. Take away their distractions and then we will see the likes of Giles and Brady again.

They need less coaching? Bull****!!!

pickarooney

Too Tough To Die wrote: »

What does this guy know about elite players?

He'd know most about players ending their careers prematurely I'd say, given that he's an expert on youth in Asia.

AllGunsBlazing

Two year olds?

The lengths people are willing to go to in order to produce a (maybe half decent) footballer are becoming increasingly disturbing.

yohan the great

DubDani wrote: »

2 is probably too young, but in Germany they start often with 4 within a club environment (called Bambinis, and sometimes also called Pampers league).

Usual German youth setup would be:

4-6 => Bambini's (2x20 minutes, 7 Players on small pitches)
6-8 => F youth (2x20 minutes, 7 Players on small pitches)
8 - 10 => E youth (2x25 minutes, 7 Players on small pitches)
10 -12 =. D youth (2x30 minutes, 9 Players on reduced regular pitch, usually Box to Box)
12 -14 => C youth or U15 (2x35 minutes, 11 vs 11 on regular pitch)
14 - 16 => B youth or U17 (2x40 minutes, 11 vs 11 on regular pitch)
16 - 18 => A youth or U19 (2x45 minutes, 11 vs 11 on regular pitch)

I don't think we should necessarily be looking at the German system, they have a way higher population than us and maybe we should be looking at what the likes of Croatia and Belgium do, countries with smaller populations

I am pie

None of those countries have GAA & Rugby to compete with. Ireland has a smaller section of players to develop. My experience is that kids are more likely to be at a local GAA or rugby club on a saturday morning than a football club.

Here in Argentina a friend was showing me a video of his kids first football match, 5 yrs old. Playing in a small sports hall with a smaller ball and goals. It was for a club with a coaching structure and emphasis on playing with the ball. Similar happens in Uruguay.

No point having kids out running a field kicking a massive ball as they aren't developing skills to control and use the ball.

The Lost Sheep

I am pie wrote: »

None of those countries have GAA & Rugby to compete with. Ireland has a smaller section of players to develop. My experience is that kids are more likely to be at a local GAA or rugby club on a saturday morning than a football club.

Here in Argentina a friend was showing me a video of his kids first football match, 5 yrs old. Playing in a small sports hall with a smaller ball and goals. It was for a club with a coaching structure and emphasis on playing with the ball. Similar happens in Uruguay.

No point having kids out running a field kicking a massive ball as they aren't developing skills to control and use the ball.

As much as rugby has grown in recent years there is still way more playing soccer at age grade level and they are more likely to play soccer than rugby. Other countries do have plenty of other opposition from other sports as much as we do.
Small sized pitches with smaller ball and goals is way to go.

I am pie

The Lost Sheep wrote: »

As much as rugby has grown in recent years there is still way more playing soccer at age grade level and they are more likely to play soccer than rugby. Other countries do have plenty of other opposition from other sports as much as we do.
Small sized pitches with smaller ball and goals is way to go.

Rugby is the red herring, although it is growing, GAA will always limit the growth of football in Ireland. That's not a criticism of the GAA.

I dont think there is a similar sized country which has 2 major competing team sports which drain players in away from football the way GAA (principally) and Rugby (to a lesser extent) do.

Donnielighto

pickarooney wrote: »

He'd know most about players ending their careers prematurely I'd say, given that he's an expert on youth in Asia.

Do asian players have shorter careers?

taidghbaby

This could probably be the worst idea I have ever seen!

Royal Irish

Richard Hillman wrote: »

We need more poverty Bill

Okey doke.

losthorizon

I am pie wrote: »

None of those countries have GAA & Rugby to compete with. Ireland has a smaller section of players to develop. My experience is that kids are more likely to be at a local GAA or rugby club on a saturday morning than a football club.

This is bull. In FIFAS big count in 2006 Ireland had 6000 clubs. We were 13th in THE WORLD. Holland and Argentina were behind us. The fact is Relatively few people play Rugby. Hurling is strong in only a few counties and we play very little other games to a strong degree. Witness our lack of success at the winter Olympics (no, you dont need snow) and at other team games in the Summer Olympic games.

WE also very rarely feature at many single discipline sports either except boxing of the top of my head and Golf (and most of them are from NI).
.

Dempsey

So they want to give sub standard coaching & pressurize kids at 2 years of age...

I reckon it will cause more kids to drop out of football during their teens if anything.

Ronan|Raven

Sure why don't we just keep farming out the teenagers to England and when they fail to make the grade watch them pack it in.

El Weirdo

Donnielighto wrote: »

Do asian players have shorter careers?

godtabh

I have a 2 year old. He can kick and run after a ball. He enjoys that so leave him to it for a while.

I also coached under 8s a few years ago. The majority had ver little coordination so the focus was playing as a team rather than 12 lads all running after the same ball. We had matches with no score. I thought it was a very good set up

Boskowski

yohan the great wrote: »

I don't think we should necessarily be looking at the German system, they have a way higher population than us and maybe we should be looking at what the likes of Croatia and Belgium do, countries with smaller populations

I'd say I have to agree with that. I played through the German youth system in a big urban area myself and the depth we have can't be compared to anything Ireland has. Depth as in 3, 4, 5 or even 6 leagues deep with reserve teams and 3rd teams and all coached by qualified personnel - mostly unpaid but yet qualified volunteers I must add. Not even GAA would have that depth I imagine.

England should have that though. Not sure what their problem is.

Whatever it is I don't think singling 'elite' players out before the age of say 12 is the answer to anything. Elite player in the teens means nothing anyway. I have known lads whole played for Germany when age 16, 17 and age 21 they were laying bricks.

The way we 'single them out' is quite natural btw. They are simply drawn by the bigger youth clubs and play therefore in the higher youth leagues. We don't really do academies or such. Its more of a natural progression, the standard in the top youth leagues is quite high.

Donnielighto

El Weirdo wrote: »

I know :(

What's it about?

Edit: hardly about lads heading to China et al at the end of their careers is it?
(If I'm wrong I'll look like a complete goon wont I)

Francie Barrett

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

Ireland has made huge strides forward in its development of youth players over the past few years.

Have we? Which of these youngsters will be playing in the Champions League next season?

Richard Hillman

Richard Hillman wrote: »

We need more poverty Bill

And dont forget war and dictators....of course they have no video games in Germany or Spain :pac:

Sir Gallagher

Something very off and sinister about this line of thinking, fcking Brave New World sh1t. Alan Shearer there training foetus' off his shiney nut head on Soma.

Neil3030

Ridiculous idea that completely contradicts the latest research showing that a broad exposure to many sports at a young age is far more conducive to developing top athletes than putting them on a conveyor belt of specialist coaching.

El Weirdo

Donnielighto wrote: »

I know :(

What's it about?

Edit: hardly about lads heading to China et al at the end of their careers is it?
(If I'm wrong I'll look like a complete goon wont I)

Read pickarooney's post again, this time concentrating on the last bit.

COYVB

Donnielighto wrote: »

I know :(

What's it about?

Edit: hardly about lads heading to China et al at the end of their careers is it?
(If I'm wrong I'll look like a complete goon wont I)

Youth. In. Asia.

Youth in Asia.

Youthinasia.

Euthanasia.

LuckyLloyd

Francie Barrett wrote: »

Have we? Which of these youngsters will be playing in the Champions League next season?

Yes we have. The FAI youth development teams see young elite players receiving more top class coaching time; the advent of a national U19 league (and eventual creation of a national U17 league) will help to bridge the gap between the LOI and the elite level youth game; there is a huge focus at the sharp end of the youth club game and in youth squads on playing football the 'right' way.

The success or failure of youth development will not be judged on how many Roy Keanes come along, but in gradually feeding better players into our domestic game and seeing a higher number of players permeating the upper echelons of the English league system.

OwaynOTT

CSF wrote: »

They need less coaching? Bull****!!!

Yeah, just give them a ball, make sure it's one of those hard plastic ones, and tell them to let the bigger lads on the pitch run the show. and as a defender always to 'get rid of it'.

anncoates

Francie Barrett wrote: »

Have we? Which of these youngsters will be playing in the Champions League next season?

Go back to the armchair. The adults are talking