Should Coaches Stay With Players as they Grow Up ...

[povman_2009]

I have been asked by my club to consider a different approach to the one currently employed where a coach moves with a team through the age groups, eg if my son starts at under 7s i stay with the team right the way through up to under 17s ...

The new model suggested is to appoint coaches to year groups and have them specialise and stay with the same age group ...

A few questions...

What is the model employed at other clubs

What issues arise with players and parents who bond with a coach and then are told "you have to move on to a new one"

Do long term coaches at clubs get bored with coaching the same level year after year

Would a 2 or 3 year cycle similar to the breakdown of school years work better , junior primary, senior primary, middle school , high school etc

Are coaches capable of going from under 6s to under 17s , I would think there are considerable shifts in skills required over time

Any thoughts would be very much appreciated

[johnydep]

I believe that, at a certain age, it is beneficial for a child’s mental and football development to experience different coaches and coaching styles. However, that’s easier said than done, at the moment.
First you must find a coach that will concentrate on player development, rather than team winning. A coach that will teach children how to play, move, positions, technique, tactics, etc. rather than teach a team how to win.
There are coaches that concentrate on development, the problem is that there are to few of them and parents end up doing the rounds to keep with the coach or find a similar coach.

As my sons coach, I’ve been planning to allow him to move to another coach for the past few years but so far my plans haven’t come to fruition. So I've had to go the expensive route of soccer academies.

I coached my son’s team from at U8’s, twice U9’s and U10. Last year I decide to move my son up to the U12’s and I stay with the 11’s; things didn’t work out. The 12’s coach changed clubs, so it was decided that I’d coach the team, however the parents of the U11’s weren’t happy, they had become to accustomed to me and started looking at new options.
So there are pros and cons for everyone, including the club, with staying with a team through the age groups.

I don’t recommend a coaching jump from U6 to the U17’s; think of it like jumping of a bicycle onto a powerful motor bike

Well that's my 2 cents

Watch this video; The World Game - Youth Development Discussion

[RIDER]

i dont think that thier is anything wrong with a coach coaching the same group for three to four years.
sometimes as a coach you start off with a team which is very weak in all areas,and it takes him a whole year to get the team wright and work out what he needs for the following year.
the second year he gets what he thinks he needs and starts to devellop the kids. play as a group teach them the
team structure and put in place the formation that you think that the kids and cope with.
this will take another year.
the third year you hope the kids have learnt what you have put in place and the team should start to understand the way you want them to play as a unit.how each other play and so on.
i think when you take a team from nothing you need three years to get thier.
if you keep changing every year or two the kids do not benefit from it.
only my opinion.

[fossil]

coaches moving up with kids is ok if at each level they (coaches) can develop as well, it gets a little different when they get to 13-14yrs as they (players) need to be taken to the next level like it or not, i say this because they become board and get distracted (if they were not commited at an earlier age) and unsettle the players who are ready to embrase the challange by moving ahead to that level.

the clubs and development coaches need to be given further guidance and assistance with the older levels, to be shown the newer methods that work better on the desired age, or coaches will need to go back to get new theory lessons each year just to remain up dated, for this to happen the coach will be constantly out of pocket or struggle to find the time.

[povman_2009]

Some good thoughts guys, thanks...

[liverpool09]

I coached the same side for 3 years then let them go to another coach who has brought there level up another spot on the way to being a good side