Reflection

Occasionally just occasionally you need to reflect on a game after wards, by the tuesday nights training I had thought long and hard at the game that was played. Truth be known I realised I was little hard on the lads after this game. The game was a tough one, the lads did not play well, how ever they carved out so many chances and just didn't bury them. So you have to reflect on why so annoyed and the reason was 3 pts. Plain and simple 3 points, we missed a huge chance to close down the leaders and all I was bothered about were 3 pts. The lads some of them patched up and full of flu did their best and sometimes on the day the ball doesn't flow the way you want it to. However the lads did create chances. I have just taken a step back and remembered the game is fun, and it is a lot more fun when you win but sometimes this does not happen.
Sometimes as well you have to look at a game like this as a manager, coach and a parent. I like some managers am a little different I Sub my own lad, if they are not having a good game, instead of keeping them on no matter what. I had the lucky knowledge of knowing my lad had been ill all week with the same thing I had had previously, so I played him accordingly, he still did ok getting half a dozen balls into the box but sadly no goals on the end of them, and this wasn't a good game. I have another parent who normally lets me know if they have not been so good, then I can play them accordingly. If I only get 20 quality mnutes then great, but what about the pedestal parent, there kids are not wrong everyone else is. How much damage does this parent do to there child, it is all very curious, I have about 8 players who truth be known have been consistent all season, occasionally they play the best on the filed but they have a good level of consistency. Then you have some who have the occasional good game but other wise they are no where near the level they can play at on a regular basis. Are these parents ruining there sons games by not talking to them and making them realise they can step it up a level and they are better than they are performing. If they play in a different position to what they are used to and don't do well, who's fault is it? The manager for putting them there or the child for not trying in that position? What if the child asked to be put in that position and you thought they did ok, but because of the pedestal they are on they don't shine. It is the managers fault. Yes I have answered the question if your child doesn't shine in a match you are losing it is the managers fault. But if your son or daughter is in his or her normally position and doesn't play well but the team wins do you say something?

There are no easy answers in football, I used to do a little thing at training with 3 cones, the lads had to assess there own game, and stand on a cone that represents there last game, the first cone bad the middle average and the last is good. It is a useful exercise to see where when people have played bad where they stand. When we return to training next week Jan 7th I will be doing the exercise based on the season so far. I will find this very interesting to see whose parents have been telling them they are doing well, as kids quite rightly look to there parents but just occassionally they are wrong.

Some links:
Simon Hall
KRS Media
Watts That
KRS Electronics
Dorcas Alice
Beighton Falcons