The life skills gained through the pursuit of ‘success’ are the real wins we should think about in grassroots football, not league tables and cups…
Nick Levett is the English FA National Development Manager for Youth Football, an U10’s Coach and author of the blog Youth Football Development Nick’s Blog.
Recently Nick posted a series of “What about” tweets via his account @nlevett
As a coach involved in the development of youth soccer at grassroots level in Ireland, I liked the fact that his tweets highlighted brilliantly the measures and moments that should truly be celebrated from within the game.
Nick Tweeted:
- “Try not to limit seeing progress as just the league table, it’s by far not the only indicator of success & winning in grassroots football…
- …What about the kid that packs their own bag, cleans their own boots and takes more responsibility for themselves off the pitch?
- …What about the kid that listens better to the views of other people from different backgrounds and communities and respects their opinions
- …What about the kid that develops leadership skills by you giving up some ‘power’ and letting others lead the warm up or team talk?
- …What about the kid that develops increased self-confidence and self-esteem by having a wider circle of friends that like him being around?
- …What about the kid that develops better teamwork skills by playing in a team and can transfer ‘working with others’ into the classroom?
- …What about the kid that can run a little better because you give him/her some handy hints about using their arms in a more productive way? Oh and…
- …What about the kid that gets a little better at passing, or dribbling, or heading, or shooting, due to the practices and games they play in?
Just some the things, that are about winning in grassroots football. The league table is one indicator & certainly not high on the list of priorities! Ask any kid why he plays football and winning the league will hardly even get a mention.
“Grassroots football is not about the amount of trophies you win. It is about the difference you make to young people”. – Nick Levett.
Football for me is much more than just a game. There are so many ‘wins’ to be had outside of those relating to results alone. Some of the words that mean a lot to me are highlighted above but you’ll probably find your own wins too.
‘Do not confine your children to your own learning, for they were born in another time’
By Nick Levett, FA National Development Manager for Youth Football
