U14 squad numbers.

greenspurs

Hi all, Anyone have info/advice on how many players is too much on a U14 d league squad?

We are the clubs 2nd team, playing in a D division.

At the moment i have 18/19 players in the squad, 2 of us coaching.

My pov is that i have enough players, to give them as much playing time as possible, and i have turned away 3 people since we started back training in August.

Obviously, i dont want to turn away players, but i think the main priority is that the 18 i have ,get as much time to play, and not have 10-11 players standing on the sideline.

The chairman is giving me hassle about not allowing more players in, but they just want the €€€ for membership, and dont care about boys playing on B teams !

So, does anyone know what the recommended number would be ?

I saw on the FAI pdp that the number is 16 ...

Killed

From my experience with an U16 squad I'd say you already have too many if you're intent on giving meaningful game time to players, I certainly wouldn't be adding to those numbers.

greenspurs

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120334660#Comment_120334660

Exactly, but the 'commitee' would prefer higher numbers over lads getting proper playing time.

Killed

If that's the case have them get 2 more coaches and set up a C team

greenspurs

half way through the season now, so they wouldnt be able to enter any league.....

Soups123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120335626#Comment_120335626

Not sure what league your in but DDSL would allow a new team mid season from a pre-existing club at lower levels

you’d need another 16 players or so to make a C team viable

As for squad size, if all are committed your already loaded, too heavy, if you have a reliability issue then you have another problem to consider.

Midseason it’s hard to solve. If it was pre season and it’s a community level team I’d put a cap on the number and tell parents all kids will train and you’ll bring out 16 each week, rotating. Having 8 on a sideline does nobody any good

greenspurs

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120335718#Comment_120335718

Im glad im not alone in thinking that... Re numbers.

But unfortunatley its "club policy" to take everyone??

Even at the expense of the 18 boys that have trained 22 times, and played 6 matches ....... 🙄

Soups123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120335737#Comment_120335737

I get clubs like that, community room for all is the selling point but has to be within reason.

If you have 19 already, all fully paid, they are entitled to get what they paid up for, changing that mid season and offering less game time will cause problems. If you end up taking on more reality is come the summer you lose more, usually when you accommodate all some get fed up and leave and if there is another local option your better players will move on so the club doesn’t get any richer….

What I have seen been done at community clubs mid season is a partial 1/2 season fee and allow the new players train until summer when the squad is reset or new players sought and another new team added.

If it was me I’d stand my ground with the club and advise your already overloaded and the club has a responsibility to signed up and committed members

greenspurs

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120336129#Comment_120336129

that is what i told the committee member is happening.. i will not take on more at this stage of the season...

jacool

Just saw this.

We are at U12 and have a squad of 15. With as many substitutions as you want rule it suits as everyone gets a runout in a 9-a-side game.

I am assuming you are 11 a side. Note that there is an FAI "guideline" that says that everyone gets 15 minutes. I don't think this is a rule, but we apply it simply to reward people who turn up to training in all kinds of weather. You would be hard pressed giving everyone 15 minutes if you bumped up the squad any more, without the team going to s**t by you making 6 or 7 substitutions at one time. We are lucky too, that I manage and have 3 coaches. I certainly don't envy just the two of you, with the challenges of new drills, keeping them all interested etc.

greenspurs

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120358421#Comment_120358421

I agree,

I stood my ground and said i was not taking on anyone else...

So the committee member that was trying to 'bully' me into taking him , took him into his team......

The academy/schoolboysgirls are the cash cow for the club... so they just want the €85 - 'fcuk you and how much playing time you get!!'

Mars Bar

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120358421#Comment_120358421

Can I just bump in here and zone in on something you said?

For some background, I am a full time football coach working exclusively in the U5 to U9 age group. One thing I have learned in the past 10 years of coaching is you do NOT need to keep changing your drills or exercises. If your exercises relate and look like the game (1v1, 2v1 etc...) and you have a good reward system (lives, levels, steals etc...) then you can do the same thing multiple times over.

I do the same session with minor tweaks for three weeks (six sessions). When you change the set up of the session you end up coaching the organisation of the session as opposed to coaching the game. So my first session is getting the organisation and then the following five sessions is layered learning. Actually, I can go a full 12 week block with the sessions looking similar and the kids still love it.

greenspurs

'Drills are for spuds' ? 😂

Mars Bar

😂

We call them activities or exercises. Arrival, acquisition and application.

Drills is an awful word

jacool

I said "drills" - mea culpa!

We use the exercises to coach in new formations, and to train them in certain skills.

Anyone can let the kids run around and kick a ball but we have an onus to improve them year on year. We get a good kick out of when they actually use something from an exercise in a game but don't realise until you ask them about it afterwards.

Have to go outside now. Its getting dark and them spuds won't plant themselves :)

Ashbourne hoop

AFAIK 18 is the maximum you can register on a DDSL 11 a side team ? Certainly wouldn't be taken on any more than that. Usually you'll have at least 1 missing for some reason or another so it would be rare you'd have the full 18 out for a game (hopefully).

I have no issue with the word drill fwiw.....