Football research criticises junior coaching in England

MMU research which calls into question the basis of junior football coaching in England has inspired a nationwide campaign to improve skills and youngsters' enjoyment of 'the beautiful game'.

The campaign, Give Us Back Our Game, aims to reclaim children’s football from the tyranny of pushy parents and competitive coaches, and teach skills without the need to "win at all costs".

GUBOG began on the internet two months ago but is now thought to have the support of at least 300 clubs across the country.

The basic aim of organisers Paul Cooper, a football coach from Gloucestershire and Rick Fenoglio, a sports scientist at MMU, is to rid children’s football of the rigid format of seven-a-side games hectored by foul-mouthed parents and controlled by military-style coaches.

Express themselves

Instead they want children in the six to 10-year-old age groups to play four vs. four, referee themselves and play almost entirely without the influence of adults.

Rick Fenoglio, a researcher in the Department of Exercise and Sports Science said: "In a world where children can no longer play outside without supervision, parents and coaches have taken over. However, the competitive drive adults bring to the game means youngsters no longer have time to fall in love with football, to play for fun or to truly develop their skills."

In studies with Manchester United’s Academy and others, Rick has shown that children who play in smaller, unsupervised games had much more exposure to possession and to different roles on the pitch that they not only enjoyed it more, their skills increased more quickly.

"Manchester United have been doing 4v4 for several years and their under-12 side, the first generation to have done the smaller scale matches, are regarded as the best best in their age group," he added.

Pressure the FA

The campaign is preparing a national launch day in June and is now applying to the Football Foundation for a grant for its work.

“The aim is to apply pressure to the FA for a review of early years football and to raise awareness that perhaps our system is doing us no favours. We also intend to collate and publish examples of good and bad practice.

"Bad practice is rife, everyone I speak to has a tale to tell of parents swearing at children, being overbearing and behaving in ways which make junior football ugly and a bad experience for youngsters."

For more about sport science at MMU, go to www.cheshire.mmu.ac.uk/exspsci