Evening Express Today

[diamondsr4ever]

Of course I support the youth coaches and I

[StandFree1982]

AFC are producing very good young players, unfortunately we aren't protecting them with any decent professional experienced men around them when they reach the first team. Also, the players aren't coming into a winning side, they are coming into a struggling team thats been playing shite football over the last 10 years. I hope that we're going to improve this year and I know for a fact we're playing much better football which can only be a good thing for the younger players. We still need a bit more experience though to help the youngsters out on the field.

[Foster14]

AFC are producing very good young players, unfortunately we aren't protecting them with any decent professional experienced men around them when they reach the first team. Also, the players aren't coming into a winning side, they are coming into a struggling team thats been playing shite football over the last 10 years. I hope that we're going to improve this year and I know for a fact we're playing much better football which can only be a good thing for the younger players. We still need a bit more experience though to help the youngsters out on the field.

 

I think that is an opinion actually.

 

I do think we have our best batch of youngsters coming through in a while though and agree with most of what you are saying.

 

With Templeton, it ain't like we punted him and he walked in to the youth set-up at a rival SPL club. He worked hard at Stenhousemuir and it is guesswork from most about Aberdeen's decision to let him go.

[StandFree1982]

My opinion is fact. FACT.

[ollie1903]

It was mainly down to Chic McLelland the whole released if you were small came about. He is long gone and good riddance.

 

Aberdeen's gain is now Celtic's loss, as he is now employed as their head scout for the North East area

ive heard from guys who had kids at dundee united and at st mirren that they rate aberdeens systems as one of the best.

 

I know guys who have removed their kids from united because he didnt believe he was progessing as he should, that may just be 1 parent, but he spoke highly of AFC.

As do the powers that be who are soon to afford AFC's youth academy elite status.

 

The only people who do not speak highly of them are, no offence intended, bitter parents of rejected children, and people too easily blinkered by hearsay and chinese whispers.

[baconman]

You know my (my sons

[King Street Loon]

Aberdeen's gain is now Celtic's loss, as he is now employed as their head scout for the North East area

 

As do the powers that be who are soon to afford AFC's youth academy elite status.

 

The only people who do not speak highly of them are, no offence intended, bitter parents of rejected children, and people too easily blinkered by hearsay and chinese whispers.

 

What's the Elite status represent ollie?

The title gives alot away, but what do AFC gain (if anything) from it?

Is it just a title or do we benefit in any way?

[ollie1903]

What's the Elite status represent ollie?

The title gives alot away, but what do AFC gain (if anything) from it?

Is it just a title or do we benefit in any way?

Basically,

The SFA

[King Street Loon]

Basically,

The SFA's youth initiative, which involves 17 SPL and SFL clubs, has not produced the desired results. It is to be replaced by streamlined developmental leagues which will have an emphasis on quality and not quantity.

At present there are some 2700 boys in the youth initiative. That number will be halved, with two-year age bands instead of the current one. And, for the first time, clubs will be rewarded by the SFA for producing players for Scotland age-group teams, rather than for merely meeting set criteria.

In the future there will be two types of academies: elite and performance. There will be eight to 10 of the former, and up to 12 of the latter.

In line with the new ethos, the extra money the SFA is setting aside for elite youth development will go to the academies which are producing the best players.

In a wee nutshell, we have been producing enough young players to get recognition at international level to be awarded elite development status. It brings numerous rewards, the main obviously being extra funding.

Money aside, I think it's testament to the job not only the coaches are doing, but everyone behind the scenes. Not forgetting the kids themselves also.

 

All good stuff then.

Cheers

[ollie1903]

From the same piece

The SFA is to spend

[Stoneybloke]

Aye, it soonds ahfey good, but fit happened wi playin keepy uppy wi a tennis ba doon the lane.

[Granite City Reds]

I always wonder why the SFA don't build something like the Aberdeen Sports Village and make money out of it but also put the best youth development through that. They have the money i would have thought

[ollie1903]

I always wonder why the SFA don't build something like the Aberdeen Sports Village and make money out of it but also put the best youth development through that. They have the money i would have thought

I think, but may be wrong, that the Toryglen sports centre in the shadow of Hampden is funded by the SFA

[tommo1903]

...That number will be halved, with two-year age bands instead of the current one.

 

Ollie, I'll bow to your superior knowledge of kids fitba here, but I think the above shouldn't be implemented. A year is still a massive gap in terms of ability at Under 11's to Under 16's. I remember at Primary School/Secondary School being better at fitba than kids a year below me, some of whom are playing a much better level than I currently am.

 

Whats your opinion on this move?

[ollie1903]

Ollie, I'll bow to your superior knowledge of kids fitba here, but I think the above shouldn't be implemented. A year is still a massive gap in terms of ability at Under 11's to Under 16's. I remember at Primary School/Secondary School being better at fitba than kids a year below me, some of whom are playing a much better level than I currently am.

 

Whats your opinion on this move?

Difficult. There's a kid at our 12's, who has turned out for the 13's on occasion and not looked out of place, who has not long turned 10. He would stand out like a blin' cobblers thumb if he went back to the 10's in my opinion and would be of no benefit to him what so ever. At the moment he is rising to the challenge of playing above himself (as others are doing) and it's "toughening him up" no end, but will always have that cushion to go back an age group should he start to struggle in the future.

[tup]

To be frank the SFA coaching initiatives place far too much emphasis on theory, and are never implemented properly.

 

The only way for a country to produce good footballers is for kids to play football constantly, a couple of hours each day, supplemented by periodic coaching sessions where they can get bad habits ironed out. Rest of the time give them a ball and leave them to it, you learn by practice, i.e. practical involvement, nobody ever learned how to play football from a coaching manual, theory is all very well, it never gets turned into reality just by having a knowledgable coach, a good coach with shit players will lose his enthusiasm, same as good players would with a shit coach.

 

The whole approach is wrong. Egg chasing is given more importance in high schools, even though it's elitist garbage, and football is poorly supported from on high in this country, such is the vested power of the tweed jacket brigade who dish out the sporting grants.

[ollie1903]

To be frank the SFA coaching initiatives place far too much emphasis on theory, and are never implemented properly.

 

The only way for a country to produce good footballers is for kids to play football constantly, a couple of hours each day, supplemented by periodic coaching sessions where they can get bad habits ironed out. Rest of the time give them a ball and leave them to it, you learn by practice, i.e. practical involvement, nobody ever learned how to play football from a coaching manual, theory is all very well, it never gets turned into reality just by having a knowledgable coach, a good coach with shit players will lose his enthusiasm, same as good players would with a shit coach.

The whole approach is wrong. Egg chasing is given more importance in high schools, even though it's elitist garbage, and football is poorly supported from on high in this country, such is the vested power of the tweed jacket brigade who dish out the sporting grants.

I couldn't agree more. But it's how it is.

[Stoneybloke]

I wonder how the likes of Denis Law, and other highly skilled Scots who formed the backbone of English clubs in those days ever managed to do it without sophisticated coaching, academies and the like.

[diamondsr4ever]

I couldn't agree more. But it's how it is.

 

instead of hours of Religious Education or fecken Drama or metal fecken work or any of that pish, we should have the kids out in the parks, running, fitba, tennis,golf,grouse shooting...the lot.

[tup]

Ah metalwork, where the kids (or at least us) whiled away their time making home-made shuriken stars to fire at each other.

 

Football constantly. Fuck religious education. Fuck home economics. Fuck social education. And especially fuck egg chasing.

 

If ye dinna want to do that, leave school at 12 and get an apprenticeship, because you're wasting your time studying meaningless pish.

[StandFree1982]

There is nothing for kids to do anymore! It's no wonder they turn to crime, drugs and alcohol! I feel sorry for those poor neds sitting outside of the local Alldays, drinking their White Lightening and pondering the meaning of their existance!

 

Shame on society for letting these poor critters down...they have NOTHING to do!

[tup]

However, now that we have badly let them down, shame on us and all that, I recommend we exterminate them, to prevent future generations falling into the same trap.

[tup]

7-by, a classic encounter, can be played with as little as three people, in, goal to you, wide goal to the keeper, over the bar, goal to no cunt, only stipulation was headers and volleys inside the box only, long shots were permitted, I could play 7-by till I was blue in the face, you dinna see it in coaching manuals.

[robbo]

7-by, a classic encounter, can be played with as little as three people, in, goal to you, wide goal to the keeper, over the bar, goal to no cunt, only stipulation was headers and volleys inside the box only, long shots were permitted, I could play 7-by till I was blue in the face, you dinna see it in coaching manuals.

 

actually you do.

 

its a level 1 drill for when you have small numbers.

 

theres a very similar one in fustal where you get put into 2 teams vs 1 goal wi 1 keeper. you go 1 by 1 and get 2 balls rolled at you. the 1st you strike from the edge of the D, the 2nd from the penalty spot. If you miss with both, your out. If you score 1, you stay in. If you score both, you either get to revive one of your dead team mates or kill off one of their players.

 

Game keeps going till 1 team wins.

 

Great coaching game. teaches you to give the keeper the eyes and pick your spot. accuracy over power but also has the competitive element so that your not just doing it for shits and giggles

[tup]

Christ I never noticed that and I've done Level 3.

 

Games with one keeper were aye the best when younger, one keeper and two vs two, classic.

[StandFree1982]

Mackie must always have been in goals at world cuppy or "Heeders n volleys". Probably explains his lack of ball control, spends all day in training saving shots rather than taking them!

[ollie1903]

7-by, a classic encounter, can be played with as little as three people, in, goal to you, wide goal to the keeper, over the bar, goal to no cunt, only stipulation was headers and volleys inside the box only, long shots were permitted, I could play 7-by till I was blue in the face, you dinna see it in coaching manuals.

 

 

actually you do.

 

its a level 1 drill for when you have small numbers.

 

theres a very similar one in fustal where you get put into 2 teams vs 1 goal wi 1 keeper. you go 1 by 1 and get 2 balls rolled at you. the 1st you strike from the edge of the D, the 2nd from the penalty spot. If you miss with both, your out. If you score 1, you stay in. If you score both, you either get to revive one of your dead team mates or kill off one of their players.

 

Game keeps going till 1 team wins.

 

Great coaching game. teaches you to give the keeper the eyes and pick your spot. accuracy over power but also has the competitive element so that your not just doing it for shits and giggles

 

Is it dark, deep down in Robbos pocket!

[tup]

 

Is it dark, deep down in Robbos pocket!

 

Listen up fatboy, I already said I skimmed through that, and I will be at Largs shortly, six day course, after which I hope to boss the Dons.

 

Your son will be first to get his jotters if/when I do.

[dezzy_dan]

actually you do.

 

its a level 1 drill for when you have small numbers.

 

theres a very similar one in fustal where you get put into 2 teams vs 1 goal wi 1 keeper. you go 1 by 1 and get 2 balls rolled at you. the 1st you strike from the edge of the D, the 2nd from the penalty spot. If you miss with both, your out. If you score 1, you stay in. If you score both, you either get to revive one of your dead team mates or kill off one of their players.

 

Game keeps going till 1 team wins.

 

Great coaching game. teaches you to give the keeper the eyes and pick your spot. accuracy over power but also has the competitive element so that your not just doing it for shits and giggles

 

I've done a variation of that game on 11 a side goals. It's a good wee drill for a bit of banter and keeping team spirits up.

 

Instead, we had a ball pinged at us from one post from which you have two touches from five yards outside the box to control and get a shot away (you can't enter the box). As soon as you strike it, your second is rolled out from the other side and you need to burst in and finish it with one touch.

 

We didn't revive dead team mates if you made both, but got a choice of selecting one of the opposition players. If he didn't score both, he was out.

[tup]

I must say 'reviving dead team mates' is not a drill I've ever come across, nor one I would ever wish to, disna seem like much point to it.