Paul Marin, Gamma, Islandman

[Paul Marin]

Good that your team is doing very well mi bredda. I can share the drama with you.

Two years ago my 7 year and two others made the u9 academy team and the parents ask that they remain as a team with the idea that they would play together as a team in U9 again. They along with some other U8 won the Georgia Express cup wihout losing a game. Out of all those kids only my son remained. The two who was high on the kids playing as a unit went to SSA central as they were top teams. My other son's team had half of them high tail it to SSA central as they were seen as one of the best program in GA.

The good side is our club had to be creative and offer more sessions, individual training with two excellent skill coaches including a Brazillian "Neto" who still play professionally in MISL. Despite we are now playing in lower division but my two sons play up most of the time and come back down when they have a hard team playing against. I can say I have seen marked improvement from some of the boys that were left behind.

Boy these parents nuh easy at all, but my respect and credit is due to you as I know coaching is not that easy at all, it is not the kids but the parents who tell their kids they should be forward and not defense, and they better than all these kids. Bwoy I see it everyday to rhatid.

I could do a story a day. No lie. The one thing though that I am happy about is that the "club" that I coach for on a regular basis is more like a school than a club. We take every one that shows up. The curriculum is clear, required of the coaches and players, and measured. There is no getting away from it. U8 players have to be able to pass, dribble and shoot with their left at varying degrees of proficiency by the time Dec break (last practice was on Monday). Now all ah we getting drape up by the DOC who wants to know why "José can't shoot with his left". LOL!!! None of my team (U10) had any "x's" against them, so I escaped his vexation (he is a young guy - 28 - but with a UEFA A license).

For you - just thank god you have your eye on your kids. The idea is to use the sport to help them become better young men and citizens...professional or college ball is for them to decide - no 8 year old can make that decision - it is ridiculous.

[Islandman]

The whole tryout thing was a major surprise to me this past summer. I had no idea it was such a big deal with parents stressing out about which club they were going to try out for. You would think it was Ivy league college admissions them talking bout. What is really wrong with people?

[Assasin]

Good that your team is doing very well mi bredda. I can share the drama with you.

Two years ago my 7 year and two others made the u9 academy team and the parents ask that they remain as a team with the idea that they would play together as a team in U9 again. They along with some other U8 won the Georgia Express cup wihout losing a game. Out of all those kids only my son remained. The two who was high on the kids playing as a unit went to SSA central as they were top teams. My other son's team had half of them high tail it to SSA central as they were seen as one of the best program in GA.

The good side is our club had to be creative and offer more sessions, individual training with two excellent skill coaches including a Brazillian "Neto" who still play professionally in MISL. Despite we are now playing in lower division but my two sons play up most of the time and come back down when they have a hard team playing against. I can say I have seen marked improvement from some of the boys that were left behind.

Boy these parents nuh easy at all, but my respect and credit is due to you as I know coaching is not that easy at all, it is not the kids but the parents who tell their kids they should be forward and not defense, and they better than all these kids. Bwoy I see it everyday to rhatid.

[Paul Marin]

How the kids them going on?

Hope you had a good fall/autumn season. My youths had a good one.

Thanks for asking Saas. I could write an encyclopedia on coaching ball to little kids after the last 18 months. Both good, and bad.

The bottom line is that I am way more optimistic about our second half to the season than our first. Last year, I had 12 boys. The parents committed to a second year (this year) with me. Based on that 5 boys (including mine) did not bother to "see how they would do" trying out for one of the top travel teams around here. The others (all committed mind you) stated they would try out to see how their boys were doing relative to the travel standard, I said - "No problem, as long as you come back here b/c there are 5 other boys who are going to be without a club, so if you go, and don't intend to come back if you make it, then let me know so we can be fair to the other boys". No one indicated anything but a commitment. Now, remember, last season these boys (then U7) played in a U8/9 league and *destroyed* our competition. We came second losing in the finals 1-0, but it was very gratifying.

Anyway, tryouts came - 95 kids turned up for 30 spots. All 7 of my boys made it and all 7 left me high and dry. One of the parents tried to spin it like ("you should be proud of yourself" - my ass!) I was LIVID. Anyway, I had to restart from my band of 5 who to be honest, were my 5 weakest. We entered the same league as last year, and ended up losing 4, drawing 1 and winning 2. Not great, but I'll take it. That ended in October. We had "recruited" two new very good boys so we went to these games with 7 players, (6v6)...so it was always nerve racking before every game as we were always worried about everyone showing up.

So now fast forward to two weeks ago. The group I have been telling you about is my own side project. I also coach in a school affiliated with AYSO. they have about 150 kids in that program. So last weekend, we had a jamboree and our band of 7 came as a team. Two weeks before the jamboree, I picked up 2 more players. Rasta - dem two bwoy ah balla!!! They have radically transformed the team. We went to the jamboree and played up (again ) and played 4 3v3 games (won all of them), and 2 (6v6) and won both. We are 7 and 8 years old, and our competition was 8 and 9. The addition of just these two players made a massive difference. Plus they are easy going, but aggressive.

So...here comes the drama....we are in a tournament in February where we will be facing the boys who left. LOL!!! Truth is stranger than fiction. As much as I love those boys, the parents are going to have kittens when we play them. I just have to pray that they all stay healthy.

So - there you have it. You think is EPL alone have drama?

[Islandman]

Yes I have that same experience, some teams are definitely win first and others are development first. My daughter played almost every position this past season, she even got to play goalie for a half when she played with the second team.

As long as she is enjoying playing and getting something from it I am OK. There was never one day that she didn't want to go to practice or play the game, and they get over the losses fairly quickly. It made me realise that sometimes its the parents that are taking it too seriously.

[Assasin]

Been an interesting one for us too. First the director left for another job. Some of the players on our team left for other clubs. This affected our teams bad. My eldest played in u11 but helped the U10 out and the other play U9 and 10. There team also lost but as I told my sons to play right to the end. The team may not be as talented as some other but I can see ball movement and improvement. Both boys have become leaders on the field and wanting to do more. They have gotten the chance to train with u12/u11/u10. Overall I am pretty happy with their progression.

Iman I think her been in the stronger group will only help her and while there are stronger teams, I know teams that want to win so badly that they have no time for development, some kids never get to play forward/defense/goalie, they are stuck in one position, they don't involve all the kids in things like free kicks/corners etc. The stronger kid do it all the time. I was please to see a ref walking over to one of my son and said, "it doesn't matter how much your team lose by, You are a very good player" after losing to one of the best program in Georgia. Made it all worth it.

[Assasin]

Yeah swimming is a good sport, I tried to find a summer club for the boys but only in the middle of the day. Wish them all the best, and very good that he is returning to some ball.

[Islandman]

It was actually a challenging season for mine, between new club and playing in a higher division. They lost more than they won but I think she progressed over the season. For the first few games I had some doubts but during the season she was asked twice to help out the clubs team in a division below hers and she was very dominant, so I don't think she would have learnt as much from playing down.She would make any of the top teams in her division so that is where she should be playing even if she isn't winning a lot.

Also, I think the most important life skill she is learning from playing the game is the understanding that you not going to always win or have things go your way. When these children grow up with such a relatively easy life they don't get much opportunity to learn persistence and patience until reality hits them.Sports helps with introducing them to that.

[Gamma]

Well, likkle gamma just getting back him mojo for football after a 2 year sabbatical ... Mek wi si. In the meanwhile he has been swimming and doing fairly well. Di likkle girl into swimming too and just join speedos swim club....

[Assasin]

How the kids them going on?

Hope you had a good fall/autumn season. My youths had a good one.