Future players

[paul merson]

Today I was watching a game in which an u/15ish women’s game was going on next to the one I was watching.
As I do, I was watching the GKs warm up, it was painful to watch, another player underarming a ball to the GK barely moving, I’m not sure what the aim off what they were doing was, technically the GKs were no where near where they should be for that age.

Then the whole team lined up for shooting in which they passed to the coach who lauded it off for them to shoot, meaning the coach had more touches than any player about to play.
A missed shot came rolling in my direction, I passed the ball back, it was flat, not soft but flat.
As someone that has & does work with the top end of women’s football I dread what’s coming through if this is the standard.

These were 2 big clubs playing (I won’t mention who exactly) but I can’t see if this is what’s happening at under 15ish any progressing to even be an option when old enough for W League.
You can’t work on game plans if individual skills are not there.
I know this is only one game but the clubs playing make me think this could be the norm, I hope to god it’s not.

[Lucas Leiva]

Today I was watching a game in which an u/15ish women’s game was going on next to the one I was watching.
As I do, I was watching the GKs warm up, it was painful to watch, another player underarming a ball to the GK barely moving, I’m not sure what the aim off what they were doing was, technically the GKs were no where near where they should be for that age.

Then the whole team lined up for shooting in which they passed to the coach who lauded it off for them to shoot, meaning the coach had more touches than any player about to play.
A missed shot came rolling in my direction, I passed the ball back, it was flat, not soft but flat.
As someone that has & does work with the top end of women’s football I dread what’s coming through if this is the standard.

These were 2 big clubs playing (I won’t mention who exactly) but I can’t see if this is what’s happening at under 15ish any progressing to even be an option when old enough for W League.
You can’t work on game plans if individual skills are not there.
I know this is only one game but the clubs playing make me think this could be the norm, I hope to god it’s not.

Not what I've seen, but as you'd expect when there's an explosion in clubs entering the women's game there becomes a stretch on quality coaches. Good coaches go to new set ups, established clubs hire those without experience for their sides they struggle to attract coaches to, and quality fluctuates.

Also, as I'm sure you can appreciate, some clubs put more respect and care into the speciality coaching than others (GK, S&C, finishing, etc).

[M@rvin]

Today I was watching a game in which an u/15ish women’s game was going on next to the one I was watching.
As I do, I was watching the GKs warm up, it was painful to watch, another player underarming a ball to the GK barely moving, I’m not sure what the aim off what they were doing was, technically the GKs were no where near where they should be for that age.

Then the whole team lined up for shooting in which they passed to the coach who lauded it off for them to shoot, meaning the coach had more touches than any player about to play.
A missed shot came rolling in my direction, I passed the ball back, it was flat, not soft but flat.
As someone that has & does work with the top end of women’s football I dread what’s coming through if this is the standard.

These were 2 big clubs playing (I won’t mention who exactly) but I can’t see if this is what’s happening at under 15ish any progressing to even be an option when old enough for W League.
You can’t work on game plans if individual skills are not there.
I know this is only one game but the clubs playing make me think this could be the norm, I hope to god it’s not.

It comes down to the clubs attitude towards GK training. One club provides GK training to all female players with a dedicated GK coach, the next will only train the Prems or Reserves GK's and then others provide no training.
There also seems to be a lack of GK coaches. Cost and course availability may be a factor.

[Rascal21]

Unfortunately, there is a lack of GK coaches out there and even rarer, are GK who know what they are talking about. I have been trying to recruit an experienced GK coach for our club for the last three years without any luck. We pay well, however, whenever I find someone with experience, they want more than what a WNPL coach gets paid and for fewer hours than a WNPL coach will put in, which is not financially feasible.

In most clubs, keepers don't get the training they require and whilst they may be used in training drills, it's for the benefit of the other players, the keeper is a pawn in the drill. As a result, they don't know how to warm up correctly and coaches think kicking some balls at a keeper is a suitable warm up.

The other issue is FFA training, keeper courses are few and far between. Maybe if they were held more often and promoted well, then maybe we'd have a higher uptake?

[M@rvin]

Correct about the availability of courses.
Using https://www.playfootball.com.au/coach/find-a-course
FFA 'C' Part 1 Pre requisite $545 one course is in Vic the other in WA $1230
FFA GK Level 1 $1430 the only course this year in Vic
Then add on travel and accomodation

[juniorsupporter]

Paula merson - that sounds like a very low standard indeed from the coach. As far as the players are concerned, it’s important to note I think, that any 14/15 yo who is serious about their football and motivated, isn’t probably playing u15 at a club. They’re either playing up in U17/Reserves, or in the state system ( and whether or not that’s a quality program is a whole other discussion.). I wouldn’t take a U15 game as completely indicative of what’s coming through in terms of quality. Again, not excusing what you saw...and very good point about the expense and lack of availability of courses.

[KRO]

So we have gone from Paul Merson's sample size of one team's admittedly lame goalkeeper warm up drill - and not being sure of the age group - to juniorsupporter's sledging a whole age group as unmotivated and not serious players just because they play u15s and arent in the WNPL yet.

Well that really escalated.

[juniorsupporter]

Settle petal. Wasn’t sledging anyone.

[paul merson]

So we have gone from Paul Merson's sample size of one team's admittedly lame goalkeeper warm up drill - and not being sure of the age group - to juniorsupporter's sledging a whole age group as unmotivated and not serious players just because they play u15s and arent in the WNPL yet.

Well that really escalated.

Whole team, not just GK, 12 players standing in a line waiting to have a shot, I haven't seen that in over 30 years.
The worry is when you get to seniors & have to teach basics that should be natural, and don't get me wrong there's boys coming through also that have spent their junior years just doing goal keeping training instead of receiving actual coaching.

Everybody is very upbeat about the leaps and bounds women's football is progressing with at top level, which is fair enough, but it wont keep moving forward if this is the norm for the future players coming through.

Yes I understand its one game Ive highlighted (Due to the clubs involved), thats what worries that this seemed exceptable.

[paul merson]

By the way I completely agree with the lack of GK courses done here, we need a junior one done here to cover as many clubs as possible, both male & female so we as a sport can get basics right.