Did you know that when your team reaches Under 9, you can write a commentary about each game, making comments on who scored and who played well etc. And now we have completed the first half of this season, I wanted to bring you a coaches view of life on the touchline all rolled up into a Christmas quiz.
The U9's parents will, I hope, have realised by now that I have started using song titles as the title of my match reports, so in similar keeping, I having knowingly buried at least 75 song titles in this review. There may be more, watch out for those one word titles. Just list the song and the artist (1pt each)*, and e-mail/return your answer sheets to me by Wednesday 5th January. The players have received their annual, and now you have something to do during those lazy days at work between Christmas and New Year. The top scoring entry will win a bottle of Champagne, presented on Saturday 8th January. So, start looking for song titles now...
A day in the life of the coach for a home match or training day will begin the beguine around 8:30am, with us going to the field of dreams to set up. Dan will have been there for a while getting the hot water ready. He keeps telling me that when she’s not there (Rachel) he needs more help! selling the teas and coffee and washing the mugs. We set up the goals, benches, bibs and cones as appropriate, and the pitch looks immaculate with John having just repainted the white lines (don’t do it) and the corner flags are blowin' in the wind. All we need now is for the players and parents to arrive to bring the noise. Imagine the noise that Kirsten and Lois will make should the winning start! Tip 1; Get ready before the kids arrive at 10:00am.
I started the season asking the parents to re-read the FA Respect website, it is important that they know that as much as we want the children to improve, we don't beat it into them each week until they start crying, and equally we don’t fill them up with candy. It's not all about winning, maybe just wanting to win. We try and involve as many of the parents as we can; so with a little help from my friends I asked Rob Monk to assist and he said "he was born to run the line", supporting Mark Lincoln as the men in black.
In terms of results I'll feel a whole let better when we win a game though, so far this league season we have played 7, and lost 7. God only knows when we will win one; in fact, in the league we have only been in front once, against Cambourne Rovers, and we lost 1-10. Perhaps perhaps perhaps in the New Years day derby fixture on 8th January against Hardwick. Tip 2; The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.
So it might appear that we train in vain each week, but there is progress, but we never promised you a miracle. You have to remember that we are all volunteers doing this for the enjoyment of the game and for the development of all our children, something that some parents do forget. Ain't it a shame, when parents try and play the game for their kids, it’s about their social and psychological development too.
So we try and get the message across that the training is geared to replicate the big match experiences. That’ll be the day, they all just want to score, from a distance and any angle. So actually, training is exactly the same as a match, so much so that sometimes I wanna be sedated. We try to teach them to make the decisions for themselves in the game. Tip 3; Teach them to pass the ball everyday and then, teach them again.
As many of you know, me and Eddie (our brown eyed handsome man), swapped roles this season, I think he was tired of being alone on the touchline, so when I took over, I asked him to stand by me to ensure we got each substitute on and off the pitch at the right time.
OMG, the match, I nearly forgot… I’m paranoid I’ve forgotten something; it’s normally the stop-watch. I’ve made the necessary changes to the starting line up and I’ve got more than a feeling we are going to win today, but it’s difficult to relax, I can feel the eyes of the parents who stand on the other side of the pitch on me, I’m under pressure, with the weight of expectation on my shoulders. I know they are watching the digestives I’m eating (I nearly got Elvis Costello in there!) Tip 4; (Don’t fear) the reaper, you are not judged on results, I hope.
We kick off; Andrew gets the ball, and confidently moves forward, but finds he has nowhere to run as he is closed down by defenders. He looks up and passes to Henry, who shows unbelievable tekkers in controlling the ball, and then has the imagination to play a beautiful cross-field ball to Tyler. Last seasons top scorer with 19 goals runs forward and tries a shot. Good shot, good save goalkeeper, who then clears and the opposition attack in numbers. So it is up to our man who can’t be moved in defence, Ivan, and he puts in a fantastic tackle, but comes off worst and turns a whiter shade of pale, and he needs to be replaced, but he saved a certain goal. On comes Zachary, making a supersonic tackle straight away, he’s tough like dynamite. The game ebbs and flows, each side creating and closing down chances, with Toby making the reflex saves. Of course the characteristic fist pump follows. We head into the last minute, all square, 0-0. Zendon, our little lion man with the wild thing hair, wins the ball, then he heads for goal, he shoots, but it deflects out for a corner. Josh takes it, swings in a beautiful left footed cross, and who is there to get their strong head on it…. Thomas!! It’s a goal; it’s all over now, Caldecote win. Hallelujah, the end!
I know that not all sweet dreams (are made of this), and that you can lose yourself in the moment, but sometimes it does all come together, even if it is against all odds (take a look at me now). For this and every 45 minutes we play, they are all my little heroes, and we will not view them differently if they are a loser or they are the winners. Tip 5; Enjoy it for them, win, lose or draw.
So for what it’s worth, I love this job, this mad world of seeing the enjoyment both the players and their parents get from these Saturday morning adventures. We started by asking ‘what’s going on?’, but now we are more composed, alright, we still get tangled up in blue shirts sometimes when we tackle our own players. But overall we’ve had good times, fun fun fun, we play with a smile, with heart, with dignity and pride (in the name of love), and as their parents we’ll continue supporting them by wavin’ flag and scarf too. Good luck with the quiz and your continued support for our village football club, remember the club is alive because of you.
Merry Christmas everyone, and happy New Year.
* note; there may be duplicates, but you need to have different artists listed to score. |
