Grassroots Football

[BBG83]

Assuming a lot of you have children playing at grassroots level. When do you all think it will return?

After an horrendous winter and lack of game time as a result of flooded pitches, kids are then hit with a pandemic. In most cases they'll have played a handful of games in almost a year now.

In the grand scheme of things returning to team sports is low priority, I get that, as an adult. But what impact to the game will this (and the previous winter) have on children's participation in the football (and other sports)? Has your child turned to another sport during lockdown?

Interested to know how people feel about it all. Or more so how your children are coping/adapting to life without sport.

[DarkFruitsRam7]

I wonder if it will hinder the development of the much younger players. I imagine we'll find out if there's a particularly poor year for youth in ten years' time.

[BBG83]

1 hour ago, DarkFruitsRam7 said:

I wonder if it will hinder the development of the much younger players. I imagine we'll find out if there's a particularly poor year for youth in ten years' time.

I guess academy players wont be missing out at all. And certainly the really young age groups won't.

But your average kid that play on badly maintained pitches are definitely going to be affected. And whilst they might be average now who knows where they could get to and its those kids who will be missing from the game.

Now, more than ever clubs should be pumping money into grassroots and scouting. They can't go back to spending millions and there has to be a positive come from this year for every child regardless of ability going forwards.

As a football fan I'd much rather pro teams were brimming with local lads playing again.

[EnigmaRam]

Well it looks like training will commence this month which is good news. 
 

my lads team were undefeated and guaranteed promotion so it was sad that they won’t get that promotion party but we go again when the season starts. 

[G-Ram]

We were back last night with the under 9s (season stopped at under 8s) so we move up to 7 a side and  a squad of 9 kids to a team. We have three under 9s team each with two coaches. 

It worked quite well with our team. We set up four circuits. Dribbling, shuttles, shooting, cross passing. All social distanced. The 9 was split up into a 5 and a 4 each group with one coach and worked the stations like a circuit. Moved round after five mins or so. And each mini group on opposite circuits. 

It worked well. One way system in the club house and only used club house for toilets. We have two full size pitches so easy to keep the different teams well apart. 

I must admit I thought a load of kids would start running up to each other going mad with not seeing each other but all stuck to the rules and worked well

Rumours up our end the summer league may start in July