Post by offdshoulder on Jul 26, 2016 13:44:46 GMT 10
My 20 cents...
Trials and observations are an inefficient means of team selection. They should only be used to reduce numbers rapidly and efficiently. If the Footballing Administrators were serious about identifying the right people they would put their hand up and acknowledge they are incapable of doing so. Statistical evidence of this is evident locally and internationally at all levels of the game and at all clubs as well.
The real solution should be
Pick 30 or so kids in geographically located points (5-6 places with ) throughout the metropolitan areas( or in the regions that go to state titles) and close to public transport. Successful candidates are provided with training / coaching once per week over a 16 week period. The various centres would have the opportunity to play against each other (only occasionally but enough to allow comparisons in a game situation). After 16 or so weeks players are reduced to a squad of thirty for final selection.
Ideally the coaches of the various centres could be rotated after 4 - 8 weeks.
Ideally the coaches could also watch games to invite other players (from youth league) to the group (based on performance).
I feel the errors in selection occur because coaches base selections on performance and performance only. Whilst videos provide a lot of information...nobody includes in videos the stuff they can't do well!
Adolescence distorts performance in the shorter term in favour of some (early growers .. not just RAE Tarzan!!! some kids grow early and they are December kids)There are also intellectual changes and different levels of commitment to training that come in to play over time.
I believe that performance on any day is not the sole indicator of your future footballing capability. I believe there are often many signs evident in some players, despite appearing to perform well in the short term, that indicate they will struggle playing at the 'next' level. e.g. Poor social skills, , inability to accept new challenges , inability to follow instructions, inability to adapt to changing tactics, inability to take advice, lack of confidence to take risks.
Whilst I agree with many of the educational perspectives provided by others on previous pages (EC, Sherlock, Tarzan and others) I disagree with football being a simple game...that indeed is the paradox of football and that is what good players do and that is why they are good players..they make it look simple BUT IT AIN"T SIMPLE. But and this is the big but (not butt) the reason they are good is because they have superior and efficient information gathering and information processing skills as well as good technical ability. Good players are good because they know what information is important and what you can ignore -Is ball watching a compliment? Accusations of 'Telegraphing your passes'... is that a good skill ( it takes a higher level of brain function to realise your need to mask your intent (it is not a technical skill.. it is a decision making skill that does not occur at the point of contact with the ball, it is a skill that happens seconds before the ball is contacted). What about strikers that wait for the ball to be kicked before they make their run? Trust me there are many adults that never ever outgrow that foible. Similarly midfielders that can't release early when a striker has made a run. ( Over the years I have come to think that these kind of players can just not deal with the abstraction of the future i.e see what is going to happen next in a game. As a consequence of this their other deficiencies are ... always pass to players feet not in front of team mate (they mentally can't see where their team-mate will be in 2 seconds) These players also because they can't see the future / game unfold ahead of them ..they can't see a third man play (they can't be the third man). Technically these players are sound, they may even be fast and fit, they are probably nice people but ..they will plateau and have difficulty in the future.
As a coach after spending time with people you learn more about their character and I think it is those aspects of their character that will assist them in developing as a player. Having centres and exposure to numerous talented kids allows this part of their personality to come out too and be included in the assessment /decision about their possible selection. Ideally it should be rated /recorded by more than one person.
Having small select groups is open to extreme bias and there is a tendency to a self-fulfilling prophecy. Some coaches feel compelled to select kids that they have selected previously.
Navigating through football development and maturing as a player is a right of passage in itself. Training is a goal setting exercise ... you make a decision and you the individual set standards. Some players are good at this and some players..... don't give a !*^t about this. Again this is a decision making skill ...the technical skill is the last stage or output of a process. Even in the process of setting a standard you are happy with involves already a higher function, an inherent understanding of key aspects of that skill and it's place in the game. This is not a technical skill this again is a higher brain function. This is why some people are good players and there is a lot of upside to their footballing ability..they get it and they do it . Even if they are not selected for representative teams at a young age. Hence the expression ..'It took me ten years to become an overnight sensation'.
I just wanted to say also .. I saw footage of Aaron MOOY playing against Liverpool in a trial. Game is actually on Youtube. A lot of kudos to the man. Years back, at a successful club..doesn't agree with their perspective on where /how he would be used. Decides to change club, continues to evolve as a player, in the position of his choice, misses out on AFC Squad, doesn't let that deter him. Just goes from strength to strength domestically ..makes Australian Team ..immediately looks like he belongs. Goes OS..... immediately looks like he belongs.
Trials and observations are an inefficient means of team selection. They should only be used to reduce numbers rapidly and efficiently. If the Footballing Administrators were serious about identifying the right people they would put their hand up and acknowledge they are incapable of doing so. Statistical evidence of this is evident locally and internationally at all levels of the game and at all clubs as well.
The real solution should be
Pick 30 or so kids in geographically located points (5-6 places with ) throughout the metropolitan areas( or in the regions that go to state titles) and close to public transport. Successful candidates are provided with training / coaching once per week over a 16 week period. The various centres would have the opportunity to play against each other (only occasionally but enough to allow comparisons in a game situation). After 16 or so weeks players are reduced to a squad of thirty for final selection.
Ideally the coaches of the various centres could be rotated after 4 - 8 weeks.
Ideally the coaches could also watch games to invite other players (from youth league) to the group (based on performance).
I feel the errors in selection occur because coaches base selections on performance and performance only. Whilst videos provide a lot of information...nobody includes in videos the stuff they can't do well!
Adolescence distorts performance in the shorter term in favour of some (early growers .. not just RAE Tarzan!!! some kids grow early and they are December kids)There are also intellectual changes and different levels of commitment to training that come in to play over time.
I believe that performance on any day is not the sole indicator of your future footballing capability. I believe there are often many signs evident in some players, despite appearing to perform well in the short term, that indicate they will struggle playing at the 'next' level. e.g. Poor social skills, , inability to accept new challenges , inability to follow instructions, inability to adapt to changing tactics, inability to take advice, lack of confidence to take risks.
Whilst I agree with many of the educational perspectives provided by others on previous pages (EC, Sherlock, Tarzan and others) I disagree with football being a simple game...that indeed is the paradox of football and that is what good players do and that is why they are good players..they make it look simple BUT IT AIN"T SIMPLE. But and this is the big but (not butt) the reason they are good is because they have superior and efficient information gathering and information processing skills as well as good technical ability. Good players are good because they know what information is important and what you can ignore -Is ball watching a compliment? Accusations of 'Telegraphing your passes'... is that a good skill ( it takes a higher level of brain function to realise your need to mask your intent (it is not a technical skill.. it is a decision making skill that does not occur at the point of contact with the ball, it is a skill that happens seconds before the ball is contacted). What about strikers that wait for the ball to be kicked before they make their run? Trust me there are many adults that never ever outgrow that foible. Similarly midfielders that can't release early when a striker has made a run. ( Over the years I have come to think that these kind of players can just not deal with the abstraction of the future i.e see what is going to happen next in a game. As a consequence of this their other deficiencies are ... always pass to players feet not in front of team mate (they mentally can't see where their team-mate will be in 2 seconds) These players also because they can't see the future / game unfold ahead of them ..they can't see a third man play (they can't be the third man). Technically these players are sound, they may even be fast and fit, they are probably nice people but ..they will plateau and have difficulty in the future.
As a coach after spending time with people you learn more about their character and I think it is those aspects of their character that will assist them in developing as a player. Having centres and exposure to numerous talented kids allows this part of their personality to come out too and be included in the assessment /decision about their possible selection. Ideally it should be rated /recorded by more than one person.
Having small select groups is open to extreme bias and there is a tendency to a self-fulfilling prophecy. Some coaches feel compelled to select kids that they have selected previously.
Navigating through football development and maturing as a player is a right of passage in itself. Training is a goal setting exercise ... you make a decision and you the individual set standards. Some players are good at this and some players..... don't give a !*^t about this. Again this is a decision making skill ...the technical skill is the last stage or output of a process. Even in the process of setting a standard you are happy with involves already a higher function, an inherent understanding of key aspects of that skill and it's place in the game. This is not a technical skill this again is a higher brain function. This is why some people are good players and there is a lot of upside to their footballing ability..they get it and they do it . Even if they are not selected for representative teams at a young age. Hence the expression ..'It took me ten years to become an overnight sensation'.
I just wanted to say also .. I saw footage of Aaron MOOY playing against Liverpool in a trial. Game is actually on Youtube. A lot of kudos to the man. Years back, at a successful club..doesn't agree with their perspective on where /how he would be used. Decides to change club, continues to evolve as a player, in the position of his choice, misses out on AFC Squad, doesn't let that deter him. Just goes from strength to strength domestically ..makes Australian Team ..immediately looks like he belongs. Goes OS..... immediately looks like he belongs.