Boxing Clever: Watching your child make their way in the sweet science

 Your first instinct as a parent - aside from boundless, infinite love - is surely to protect. To care for and take care of, this young person you helped bring into this world.

So the idea of agreeing to, supporting and being entirely complicit in that young person participating in a sport as dangerous, barbarian and brutal as boxing is not one that sits comfortably with many parents. I completely understand if people judge me, and I hope that I never live to regret it. I know the risks and I discussed them with my son, who at the age of 13 decided that boxing would be a good sport to try. Once he tried it, he realised he wanted to do more than just try it. It's ok hitting a bag a few times, learning to skip, doing a bit of shadow boxing and practising throwing basic shots with other beginners, but going into full contact sparring and getting whacked on the end of the nose is usually the point at which some decide boxing's not for them. And who could blame them? 

But not our son. And I'm glad about that. I have to confess at this point that I'm a little old school as a parent - I would rather my kids experienced a few falls and bloody noses, both physical and metaphoric, fairly early on in their journey through life so that they understand life can be tough, it can hurt and that you need a plan that reduces your chances of getting hurt too often. 

But GG saw those first few blows as just another part of a learning process, and so the new sport took on a new significance. He's one of those kids who finds most sports easy to pick up, and would have been a better footballer than his old man I think had he continued to play the game he started at 5 years old but by 12 had lost almost all interest in. As a tall, slight and slightly awkward 12 year old, I would say he was much more natural as a footballer than he is as a boxer, though his innate co-ordination and physical literacy mean he has picked it up fairly quickly. Boxing requires hard work, discipline and repetition to master or at least become proficient at the basics. He watched from the corner of the dressing room when I coached or managed football teams and so he understood how it all worked, and that to get better at something you had to do more than just turn up. His mindset is impressive, he just gets it and for the first time in his life, he found something in boxing that he wanted to get better at with a passion.

The changes in a young man at that age come thick and fast, but the ones that I attribute to a large extent to his involvement in boxing have been so positive. The discipline and application he has very quickly learned he needs in order to progress as a boxer have then been seen in other areas of his life - doing his chores and committing to his studies in a way we didn't see from our son before he walked into a boxing gym. He's far from perfect like his father but the impact boxing has had on his life has been welcomed with open arms by my wife and I.

Talking to his mother about the risks associated with the sport was an important conversation and probably made easier by the fact that some of her family have boxed a little over the years. Whilst not an avid sports fan or participant, she also get the process and the many benefits of committing to self improvement linked to sport...so whilst it still isn't an easy one for her, watching her baby boy take a few blows to that pretty face is accepted by both of his parents as an occupational hazard, but one outweighed by the overall benefits of his participation and in the context of the environment within which he boxes and trains.

Like any sport, the environment and people within it are so important. Important in terms of how much the participants progress within the sport and how much they enjoy it, but also in terms of how safe they are as they make that progress.

We live in Spain and whilst my Spanish is ok after a few years here, I still struggle to pick everything up when talking with GG's coach and I am far from familiar with the technical language of boxing in Spanish. Fortunately his coach is not only a very experienced and respected coach of young amateurs, he also has a strong duty of care for the boxers and insists on high standards both in terms of what he demands of the boxers but also what he provides in terms of a safe environment. Furthermore, he has regular sessions with English coaches who have considerable experience in the sport and with whom I can discuss the process in English in and so has the benefit of having mentors in both languages to help guide him.

Whilst I have never boxed myself, at least in controlled surroundings, I have long been a big fan of the sport so being on the journey is great for me. It also makes me realise how little I know.

Firstly, amateur boxing is a completely different sport to professional boxing - different rules, different constraints, different methods that determine success....and much more. It is also much, much safer than professional boxing. If a kid takes 2 or 3 unanswered blows to the head a referee will give him or her a standing eight count. Two or three standing eight counts and a fight is often stopped regardless of which round they occur in. Amateur boxing is only three  imes three minute rounds, or less for younger age groups. Whilst that can still be a huge physical exertion (try just whacking a bag for a minute continuously and you'll realise how long three minutes is when the bag whacks you back and you have to get out of the way whilst also trying to land your own blows!), it means that fatigue and the physical strength required to land heavy blows are not such significant factors - both can be big factors in terms of determining the outcome of professional bouts.

As a fairly experienced coach in another sport, I thought I'd be able to turn my hand to boxing in some way to support my son. The first time I took him on the pads I realised I was starting from square one, at least in terms of training the technical process and skills required. I now know what it feels like for a parent to raise their hand and volunteer to run a kids' football team without any experience of the game! Fish riding a bike stuff to start with, though I'm getting there slowly.

What I have realised though is that boxing doesn't need to involve physical contact, or at least blows to the head, to have a significant positive impact. I believe the sport should be promoted for so many reasons, and to all ages. The physical benefits of regular boxing training are huge - young GG is fitter now than I ever was at any stage of my sporting career, he has muscles on muscles and is so quick now in his movements and coordination as a result of less than a year of boxing training. His Grandad suffered a stroke last year and I'm certain that boxing would benefit him. Any person of any age can benefit from the physical and mental benefits of boxing training. It does not have to include physical confrontation - I think most people who would dismiss the sport due to the barbaric nature of what they may see on their television fail to understand that. As for those mental benefits, it's a natural confidence builder as well as a scientifically proven method of treating many who suffer with poor mental wellbeing.

As for young GG, the benefits are not just measured when he steps into a ring or looks at himself in the mirror...the pair of them have become good friends recently.

He is part of a team that provides a support network, friendship and something to aspire to. He has ventured into inner city gyms, looked complete strangers in the eye and shaken hands with them before stepping in to spar with kids of all levels (and never leaves the gyms without embracing or shaking hands with his sparring partners). He organises his daily routine to ensure he has time to study, to train and to rest. He prepares many of his own meals to ensure his diet reflects the needs of his training schedule and having missed a check weight for what was scheduled to be his first fight he is now aware of what he puts in his body (though as his coaches and his father have said, making weight shouldn't be something to get too concerned about for a beginner).

Most pleasing of all though, he leaves training or returns home with a look in his eye I rarely if ever saw after football - with a glow from the passion that burns inside him for the sport. He's a very privileged kid in many respects and his life is a far cry from many of the kids around the world who box because it may be their ticket out of poverty. They train like they need boxing, not just because they want to box. Who knows if this will remain the case but GG right now trains like he needs boxing, and he's learning so much about the sport and about life as a result. He has been lucky to get the support of some great people who display great human qualities and values - we've met so many good people on the journey so far. The sport is tough, and so are the people...tough but kind, respectful, warm, disciplined, honest...people who set a great example and in whose company a kid like my son can only benefit. Professional boxing has a habit of attracting charlatans and its fair share of crooks, but in the world of amateur boxing where coaches are volunteers and the only currency is respect, respect that must be earned, I have seen very little evidence that would make me question whether the sport is a healthy environment for my son to frequent. Quite the opposite in fact, I encourage any parent to let their kids give the sport a go if they want to. Having worked with young professional footballers, and played with many after they drop out of the full time game, I'm acutely aware that sport should prepare kids for life after the sport has stopped being a factor in their lives because that usually happens sooner than most of us would like. Precious few make it to the top or make a living out of sport so it's not really a career choice. But it is a choice than can better prepare them for life.

Boxing in Spain is not as strong as it is in England so GG may have an opportunity to compete at a higher level in Spain than he would perhaps have done if we still lived in England. George is still an absolute novice - he still needs to learn to throw straight shots properly - but he's improving. Who knows when and where his journey will end (and I'm learning that perhaps I shouldn't doubt him when he sets his eyes on a goal) but I'm extremely happy and proud my son can call himself a boxer.

Retreating into the Shadows

 I'm done coaching

No, this isn't a teenage tantrum or a response to criticism from the terraces or a player's family. I just cannot fit coaching in my life, and to be honest I don't even want to any more. I've spent most of the 12 years I've been coaching trying to juggle other, frankly more important factors with a burning desire to coach/manage.

When I stopped playing I knew I was heading for the dug out. If ever someone who played the game was destined to coach it was me. Big mouth, massive in fact. I'd been telling everyone else what to do for years, giving team talks, helping managers recruit, taking warm ups, leading post match inquests....you get the picture. I felt like I'd be good at it.

I also knew where I thought I'd end up coaching. I mean, level wise. I thought I'd work in the semi pro game and perhaps even in the pro game once I'd progressed and made my way along the journey. I expected to go through the gears so to speak.

In reality I've gone backwards in terms of level, at least perhaps in the eyes of those who view progression as a linear journey through the senior pyramid towards the Premier League.

Right from the word go I had to turn down opportunities I would otherwise have said yes to. My reputation as a leader meant people thought I had something to offer but had to be with a degree of understanding or compromise around my ability to commit. I was lucky to be afforded such flexibility, and lucky to have a family to hold dear and a developing career to help support them.

After two great roles as a first team coach, my first management role as Guernsey's manager was an unbelievable privilege and a prouder man to do it you will not find. Winning two Murattis had very little to do with me and everything to do with a group of players who were exceptional. I got a good group of staff together, did a load of interviews and the players did what I knew they would. It was a steering job and I certainly wasn't an accomplished coach at this point, if ever I have been.

I went on to coach and manage in the UK and I loved it. I took roles at former clubs or worked with U21/Development set ups where I could set the schedule around my work travels and family commitments. I gradually learned how to be a better coach and had a few great years out on the grass, and then we as a family decided to move to Spain.

Football wise I thought this would be great for me, and for 3 years it was. I continued my education as a coach whilst learning the language here which football undoubtedly helped with. Working at a great club with high quality facilities and some excellent young players, I developed my ability to coach younger players. Whilst I still think I'm best working with young adults and senior groups, learning to coach younger players helps smooth off the rough edges a little and certainly made me a much more rounded coach. The experience at CD Rincon helped me and the family settle into the local community that much easier and I'll always be grateful for that.

However, once the initial growth period passed, I found that I struggled to master the final but most important elements of the language. I could plan and deliver sessions, talk before, during and after games whilst getting some key points across in the dressing room and could also coach from the sidelines to a reasonable extent. But my ability to really connect with individuals and help them solve important problems around both football and life issues never developed sufficiently and I felt that I was only half the coach I could and should have been. I adapted, I tried to use different methods and forms of communication which all helped...but not enough.

Even more so, mentally it can be really taxing on the brain trying to coach in a second language and fitting everything in to two or three ninety minute sessions a week is tough. You need time and time is not something you have as a part time coach whether it's in that split second moment where you need to go in and get an important coaching point across or the day after when you'd love to take time to sit down with that player who needs some additional support. Nobody tells you this but by the end of a session delivered in a second language you are very tired not to mention frustrated at your inability to deliver what you know the players need. This feeling lingered and got worse, and whilst others probably thought I was doing ok, I felt I was doing the players and myself a disservice.

Finally, I changed jobs last year and I can't really describe this any other way - it is really hard work. It's a great job but requires long hours and sometimes with little notice of the extended hours. I'd not enjoyed turning up feeling ill prepared due to work calls overrunning or missing sessions due to regular travel with my previous employer, but the new job is with a US firm and I often have calls scheduled between 6 and 9pm.

Working longer hours at my desk also meant I was even less prepared to work at my best on the training ground. I tried to make it work for a few months but honestly I did not enjoy it those last few months and football only added to the pressures of work and certainly wasn't the enjoyable release it should have been. I now know what anxiety looks and feels like, and football wasn't helping.

The commitment that football in Spain requires is probably greater than it is in the UK. They train more and plan less. You often only find out when your game at the weekend is due to be played a couple of days beforehand so that precious family outing you planned can often suffer as you have an away game an hour's drive away. It's not a great deal different but everything stops for football here whereas there seems to be a little more forward planning in the UK. I couldn't quite keep up.

My goals changed over the years. I had to choose between actually coaching and gaining badges so I started but never got near completing my UEFA B. As time went on I realised my choice to live in Spain meant my options in the game were diminished rather than enhanced simply because I couldn't stop the rest of my life to get both the language and the qualifications I needed to progress. I reset and just decided to work on developing young players, but in the end I always felt I was short changing someone...and myself.

So there we are, I think I'm done.

Don't feel sorry for me. I have a family I adore and a career I've worked hard over the years to develop. I can give my family opportunities that I couldn't really have dreamed of years ago and I live in a place where we can do that in beautiful and warm surroundings.

I do feel a sense of loss because I thought this was part of my identity and I don't mind saying I think I had the makings of a half decent gaffer or even a coach out on the grass developing players.

I've coached nearly 500 players in those 12 years and some excellent teams too. I got to manage my country, my beloved island Guernsey in what to me is the greatest and most historic football tournament in the world. I've coached players who have gone on to professional clubs, semi professional football or who have just stayed in the game at an amateur level. Quite apart from developing footballers, I've been able to support players through various moments in their lives. To be in a position to influence young people's lives is a hell of a privilege I have never taken lightly - and the players I've worked with will never truly understand what they gave back to me. I have also coached with and been supported by colleagues who are among the best people to walk the earth....real life heroes and angels. And the move to Spain has been an immense blessing for me and for the family - football here has certainly played its part in making me feel that way.

The coaching community has never been so well connected, well informed and well supported. There are thousands of coaches much better at the job than I am out there and I'm not ashamed to say that this makes me realise just how competitive the coaching marketplace is. There are so many coaches out there willing and able to make enormous sacrifices to progress as coaches.

Football is still a lifeblood, my passion...I wouldn't be who I am today without it and I will always find ways to indulge that passion. But it's not everything...and you can't do everything. It's ok saying "follow your dreams" or "if you want something badly enough" about coaching but for me at least, there are things I'm lucky enough to have in my life that are more important.

So no hard lines messages required. I'm doing more than fine and I'm grateful for it all...particularly to everyone who has supported me in the last 12 years. Good people are everywhere in football, contrary to public opinion! So thank you, and good luck everyone.

The Toughest Job

So this season I'm coaching my son and I won't lie to you, it's the hardest thing I've done in football.

This article is to some extent comment on an important issue, and also to some extent a cathartic process for me!

Football consumes me at times....if you're a coach as well I'd hazard a guess you can relate to some extent. Whether it is relationships with your own players, tactical concepts, planning coaching sessions...it can be all consuming if you love the game with immense passion.

From a young age I was brainwashed - not in a bad way but football was fused into my conscious and subconscious daily life. From a 30 mile detour to visit Crook Town's ground in the middle of summer whilst on holiday, to sharing a freezing cold referee's changing room with my dad and two fellow officials down at Port Soif on a wet January Saturday afternoon, to trips to The Priestfield Stadium, Loftus Road, Dean Court, Feethams and (our beloved) Ayresome Park amongst many other football grounds, and all whilst on family holidays I might add, to worn out video tapes like Keegan's Kids and episodes of Midweek Sports Special with Elton Welsby, to kickabouts "up the club"....I remember it all with fondness.

I love this game.

I guess young George has had a similar experience to some degree - he knows his Taddy Albion from his Lincoln City, and now his Real Jaen from his Real Madrid. But life is more complex these days. Video games, mobile phones and the like have been a real game changer for kids....but the game and the way it has been coached has changed too.

We can all get awfully serious about the game, and in doing so we can take the fun out of the game for kids. Yes....guilty as charged your honour.

Under the watchful eye of his father

Separating your responsibilities as a coach from your responsibilities as a parent is difficult when you wear both hats. The way I see it, as a parent I'm responsible for his safety, his happiness and for guiding his moral and ethical compass. Basic virtues such as good manners, respect and care for others, and always giving his best are things I try to instill if at all possible.

As a coach, it's almost the same, with the addition of the football itself...but the subtle differences are significant.  You have to balance the team's needs and ensure you take the same care over every other child as you do over your own, but you do so without the background you have on your own kid. In my case and I suspect most others in similar circumstances...your own child invariably gets less "care" than others.

If another child misbehaves or has an off day, I put it down to the fact the kid is only 10 and it's perfectly natural. If my son does the same, I link it to him not getting such a good mark in his last exam...or the fact he was mean to his sister...or to the fact he ate shit loads of sweets before his tea last night. It's a school of hard knocks..and that's not always a bad thing but getting the balance right is difficult.

I was told by my old man when I was about George's age I'd probably never make it as a professional....he was right and in doing so he helped me get perspective that I needed. In the end I played as close to professional football as was possible for a few seasons. I did ok, and made the most of what I had ability wise...so to me his approach with me worked pretty well.

I apply the same logic to my own son...we've had the same conversation more than once. I've worked with young professional footballers day in day out and I know where most of them ended up, and I am lucky enough to understand both the statistics and the reality of what broken dreams in a footballing sense can look like for a young kid who has chased it, driven by loving parents....loving but perhaps naive to the realistic prospects for their child.

I have tried to get the balance right with George as a parent with a background in football up to now. My approach was simple...don't push him too hard. Just give him the opportunity to play and to practice if he wants to, with a couple of basic words of advice ("use both feet", just as my father told me). He's been lucky to share dressing rooms with teams I've managed, put cones out at training sessions, watched as I go on my own journey and shared the highs and lows with me at times.

He played grass roots football at a friendly club in England where values and equal opportunities were more important than winning, and when invited has spent time at a pro club which has given him experience of good coaching and a more elite environment.

As it stands now, George is one of the most talented players I've seen at this age....if you know me you'll know that's not something I say lightly or with any bias. His technical ability, understanding of the game and relationship with the ball mean he has the type of profile and qualities that the best clubs look for in elite young players. He is light years ahead of where I was when I was 10.

But rather than jack in my job and wait for the offers to come in from top clubs that will secure our family for life...I am thinking he might need a break from the game.

He is more like I was at his age than I have led you to believe so far, and some people might think he's not actually much good at all.

George is behind his peers physically - skinny, no core strength (like bambi on ice more often than not), no dynamic/explosive capability and very slow over short distances. Mentally he lacks confidence, finds an excuse for anything that goes wrong and will take the easy option every day of the week. In addition, he has just "found" Fortnite - crack cocaine for kids in my experience - and he also seems to have lost his appetite at meal times though I suspect he is eating the sweets his pals give him when he plays with them, and seems to be lacking energy and football fitness as a result.

Football in Spain, and at our club, is more serious - it's part of the culture. In our team, we try and balance fun, learning and technical development with good basic values. George's "respect" for the game is on the wane, and neither Antonio (The Head Coach) or myself (The Waterboy)  are prepared to accept that and allow a prolonged period where George falls below the standards of the team - it would be the same for any of his team mates.

We are near the end of a long season which is one factor, and of course I am mindful kids have ups and downs. However, failing to even try to do your best for more than a week or two is not accepted and nor should it be. The team is of a decent standard, and the boys here prepare properly, work hard and are mature beyond their years compared to teams in the UK.

George may snap out of it, he may not. There is a part of me that naturally wants him to achieve everything he is capable of in the game.

And this is where I have to step in as a parent and not a coach. As his coach he has to conform and contribute if he wants to be a part of the team. As a parent he has to finish what he committed to do but know that he doesn't have to continue if it makes him unhappy and he'd rather play in a different team where the game isn't so serious or even stop playing all together.

It is easy to forget my role as a parent here, to forget that he looks to me for much more than just guidance as a coach. I've always been comfortable being direct with him, to the point of being harsh. As a parent I think that's worked ok, or at least I've always felt I'm doing what's best for him at the time. As a coach who is also a parent, I have found getting the balance right is difficult because the emotions involved in football can cloud your judgement. This is something that all coaches and managers experience - emotional intelligence is a critical part of a coach's tool kit. But it's the first time I've really experienced it in this context.

I take my hat off to those of you who have been the father/coach for many years...I won't be doing it for as long as you! That said, I am always learning, and the experience can only help me as I continue with my own footballing journey.

At the age of 13, I had a whole season where I stepped away from football and continued to play other sports. When I came back to the game a year later, I had changed a lot and my progression from that point onwards came about quicker than my peers.

A part of me feels that whilst more football, more coaching and more opportunities is good for kids, there is such a thing as too much football...or at least too much structured football. By George's age I had barely played 3 competitive games and attended a handful of "training" sessions.

He has already played over 100 games and attended over 250 coaching sessions...and I'm not sure that is entirely beneficial for him.

George will develop physically. He will become more comfortable with structure. He will grow in confidence and develop a sense of determination and more resilience. He will make mistakes and he will learn from some of them if not all.

When I write that I immediately connect those changes with football....force of habit. But football  will take care of itself in it's own good time and to a large degree I have no control over that, no matter how many detours we take on family holidays :-)

More important for George is the impact it has on his development as a human being...and I'd be well advised to remember that next time I lie awake thinking about my next training session.

Pride Comes Before a Fall

With the exception of some work I did in Soccer Schools over 20 years ago when I was a University student and a few sessions helping the coaches at my son’s grass roots club in England, all of my coaching career has been spent working with senior sides or under 19 groups. My aspirations as a coach remain with those age groups – it’s where I think I am best – but for now football has to work around other priorities and as such, I find myself coaching the Alevin age group (2007/2008 year of birth) at CD Rincon – a Tercera league club near Malaga. I assist the head coach Antonio, and my son plays in the team having moved from another of the teams we have in that age group this season.

It’s not my preference football wise, but there are a lot of positives to be taken from the experience. Helping me to learn the language is a massive benefit…I’d much rather learn Spanish in a football environment than in a class room….and in terms of helping our family settle in to life in a different country and culture, it has helped us make friends and learn about everyday life here much quicker than we would have done so without being involved in football.

In football terms, it is helping me to see coaching through a different lens. I only have a limited grasp of the language, so my non verbal communication is more important than normal. Gaining a general understanding of how to make sessions and themes age appropriate can only be a good thing. I have attempted to replicate some of the work I have done previously with senior teams and frankly I’ve failed and had to adapt. My expectations of the kids have had to adjust gradually too. I’ve always been fairly demanding but I have realised I need to relax a little with 10 and 11 year olds – it sounds obvious but in the heat of Spanish football it can be easy to forget.

That heat is not just a reference to the climate – it is ultra competitive here in Spain at all age groups as I explained in my last blog. The competitive nature is refreshing in many ways – I think football in the UK can be a bit too sterile these days…..retreat line, play out (every team seemed to try to do it the same way), no league tables, trophies for everyone etc etc.

That being said, I think football in England is evolving and preparing young players much better than it used to. Development programmes, coach education and thinking beyond traditional football culture have all combined to give the nation a much better chance of producing the footballers of today or at least the very near future. The FA’s DNA programme isn’t perfect in my opinion but it is producing the goods by way of a consistent coaching culture and a deeper understanding of how kids learn. I'm not sure the same can be said for Spain.

Spanish football is not what many would expect it is. There is a cultural bias towards technical development – I think that is more of an organic process developed as a result of the climate and society enabling more outdoor play as a result but even that is changing. The proliferation of mobile devices and gaming is starting to impact the lives and habits of kids in Spain, perhaps following a similar trend in the UK rather than keeping up with it. Long term, that will reduce the size of the talent pool here. Of that I am certain.

But tiki taka football and the beautiful game? It’s not what I see. I would estimate that 85% of teams from U6 up to senior football that I have seen play predominantly direct football – and I have probably watched over 200 games here now from La Liga down to Bebe (U7) age groups.

Direct football is not a bad thing – in the older age groups and senior football it is an important aspect of the game. There is no right way to play and at the very least, every side at U16s up should have a plan for defending against direct football. However, when direct football is played because of fear…..fear of losing or making a mistake….in the younger age groups, it is the players who ultimately lose out.

When I refer to direct play in junior football, I mean some or all of the following;

-          Goalkeepers kicking the ball long and usually aimlessly

-          Defenders kicking the ball out of play when they could control the ball and try to pass to a team mate

-          Using the biggest and strongest player to try and shoot from the half way line in 7 a side football

-          Playing the quickest player in the team up front and simply asking the other players to kick it to him or in to space for him to run on to

-          Playing aerial balls repeatedly against a side much smaller than your own simply because you will probably score more goals

The bottom line is this – far too many coaches and clubs are too proud to lose. Too proud to let the kids make mistakes. Too proud to get relegated even if it’s only an U12 league. Too proud that their record will be blemished.

But it’s not about the coach and his shiny CV, or the club’s desire to put another trophy in the cabinet.

No…it’s about the players.

All young players should be challenged to develop a foundation of basic technical skills and should then be given the opportunity to practice using them in a competitive environment, on a pitch that is appropriate for their age and size.

That doesn’t mean developing robots – each player will have different strengths and weaknesses but the foundation is key. That foundation can only really be developed in the younger age groups – hence the term “foundation phase” in UK professional academies.

If a 10 year old defender is never given the ball by his goalkeeper, how will he ever know what to do with the ball as he grows older? And if the biggest and strongest player in the team plays as an attacker and scores hatfuls of goals because his coach asks the other players to kick the ball into space for him to run on to, what will happen to that kid when everyone else catches him up in terms of physicality?

I guess we should ask why play football in the first place?

If the club , the coach and the parents all agree that the main reason is for that child to win trophies in the age category they are playing in, then at least they are all on the same page, but you will not find me on the same page as them. Sadly, I think the majority of Spanish clubs and coaches that I see seem to think that way, or at least those with a reputation for being “successful”.

As a result, the players are deprived of a football education that gives them a chance of developing long term, and even worse, in many cases the chance to simply enjoy their football without the pressure of mini Mourinhos and parents prepared to have a punch up in the stands over a refereeing decision. Parents I talk to here who do not send their kids to the local football club often think football culture will have a negative impact on their kids’ behaviour….and I can see exactly why.

Furthermore, Spanish football will suffer – I genuinely think Spain is already starting to fall behind other countries partly as a result of this culture.

Spain is not alone in having these problems but when compared to England, it is clear the game as a whole is not recognising a need for change. There are some great clubs and coaches here as there are in other countries, but there are simply not enough of them and far too many kids are missing out on a development pathway that would see them reach their true potential when it matters rather than win a trophy at the age of 13 and that be the highlight of their career.

Then again, maybe Spanish football culture will decide not to change - that pride might always be the key factor for junior football. It might simply adapt and find a different way...and I might have to keep my comparisons with the game back in the UK to myself!

"Excuse me mate - what's the score?"

Picture the scene…..your team are 3-2 up with a couple of mins to go. Your star centre forward picks up the ball out wide, drives at their last defender and goes past him before crashing a shot across the goalkeeper. The ball looks headed for the back of the net but the keeper does brilliantly to get a hand to the shot and palm it down. A pair of opposing players follow the rebound in and as both defender and attacker stretch desperately for the ball, it’s the attacker who just gets a toe on it and the ball dribbles agonisingly over the line for the opponents. Their players and fans let out a cry of angst in unison.

And what do you do? Play it cool and keep a lid on things? Nah…..a fist pump to accompany that cry of “get in!”, and a quick man hug with your fellow coaching staff.

But then, just as you turn back to the players on the pitch, you catch a glimpse of something you can’t ignore out of the corner of your eye. The defender who failed to clear the ball is close to tears, the emotion of the moment about to get the better of him.

Which is understandable…..9 year olds are allowed to cry.

Yes – it’s easy to act responsible when two junior teams are not so evenly matched. Rest the stronger players, rotate playing positions, set a little target for some keep ball to ensure you don’t run up a cricket score.

How very development focussed of you.

But retaining that focus is not quite so easy when you are playing your local rivals in a top of the table clash and your team want to be the ones who go into school on Monday morning with a smile on their face.

My Twitter timeline is full of British coaches bemoaning their more competitive counterparts, often with some cause for concern or even contempt.  I get it….we’ve all seen the veins popping out of some coaches’ necks as they scream at their defenders to get rid of the ball. Not pretty and not hugely beneficial.

Nothing worse than coaches screaming from the sideline !!

Personally though, I only find that marginally worse than a coach who spends half his life criticising others while his U13 team pass the ball around the park like robots without any sign that the players know what to do in either penalty area or in their 1v1 duals. A bit extreme perhaps but you get my point – you can have all of the text books and animated session plans you like but if your players don’t progress their ability to deal with competition on the pitch in whatever form it presents itself, you are not helping them.

But we’ll never be able to compete with the technical quality in countries like Spain if we just focus on competition right?

Let me tell you about some of the things I’ve seen in 18 months of Spanish football;

•          U7 teams wearing commemorative t-shirts to recognise their promotion to the next level of organised football
•         U9 teams where every single player in the team knows he/she has to stand over the ball when a free kick is given to the opponents to slow the game down and stop the oppnents taking it quickly
•         An 11 year old defender literally rugby tackle an opponent (great technique, waist high and then speared into the coaching staff on the sideline) to prevent the opponents counter attacking when the defender’s team were 4-0 up….for which applause broke out throughout the terraces where parents were watching and even from the player’s coaching staff
•          An U11 team that kicks off by shooting for goal from the half way line because they have a big kid who can strike a ball brilliantly for one so young
•         A group of parents celebrating a victory in the faces of the opposing team’s supporters like they’d won the World Cup…in a league game where the players are all 5 or 6

Not exaggerating – this is the reality of grass roots/junior football in Spain. Of course not every team is as extreme as some of those examples but every team wants to win..badly. Game management and gamesmanship starts early here.

It might not be so great for the kids but then again, I suspect some of the teams I refer to above will produce some very good players who go on to play a high standard of football here.

As for me…I love it. Our young players have to learn to deal with lots of different styles, different tactics and different challenges. As a team of U10s playing in Alevin football (U10 and U11), they are adapting well. We have principles we stick to in possession but when we recently played opponents who kick long from the keeper’s hands and simply fight for scraps off those long balls on a small pitch, our lads looked like rabbits in the headlights. They were out fought and out played, losing any composure or confidence they usually demonstrate because they simply didn’t expect such a tough physical game. Losing 7-2 having been unbeaten all season was a shock to the system, as was the partisan atmosphere in a very tight ground under the floodlights…at least for Graham Jr!

Crowds (and parents in particular) get heavily involved too often....even requiring Guardia presence!

But I enjoyed it more than the games we’ve won comfortably. It won’t be the only game like that this year but next year, when this group are second years in this age group, they will have benefitted massively from this process and this experience.

It’s not just about taking part here…and that suits me fine. Some kids unfortunately are simply not good enough to play and I don’t have a problem with that.

I retain the view that how you coach and how you develop young players is more important than results…and if you get the process right the results will come. Even coaching U21s/U19s in the UK, results were far, far from the be all and end all for me, but I knew that the next step for those players was senior football and so they needed to be prepared for results focused football.

There are some excellent coaches here who I think get the balance right. And of course there are some who use a different approach. Rather than criticise them, I’m grateful that they challenge our group in different ways.

Spain as a football nation may need to think about the long term impact of what I describe here and I think it’s fair to say the UK is much more progressive in its approach – further down the road in terms of educating coaches on skill acquisition, talent development and the benefits of embracing a 4 corner model -  to developing young players.

But for the best players, getting over the line in big tournaments or winning European trophies might just be linked to a footballing education that from a very early age has always valued competition and winning.

Playing Out....

…no, not from the back, just actually playing outside...in the fresh air.

“….in my day we went out and kicked a ball about every day until it was dark”.

Yes, we’ve all heard those words and many of us have said them, me included. The ‘in my day’ crowd look back fondly to their youth and bemoan the fact that playgrounds and playing fields in the UK are largely empty, even during the summer holidays.

Life has changed - and we need to change with it.

IPads, mobile phones, 500+ channels on the television, health and safety, the weather….take your pick as to the reasons but I don’t think we can deny that whilst it represents change, it also represents a problem that impacts on the development of the nation’s young footballing talent.

I’m sure here in Spain that similar changes have occurred…but there is a world of difference between what I see here and what I saw in the UK. Wherever I go, kids seem to be playing outside and I am constantly amazed by the number of public facilities available so that those kids have somewhere safe to play.

A typical Futbol 7 pitch - 7 a side for kids up to the age of 12

Quite apart from the fact there are so many grass roots clubs with incredible facilities here, the public provision in the form of neighbourhood sala courts, beach pitches, tennis courts, basketball courts and much more get used by kids so much. And not just in towns and cities – every village no matter how small seems to have a decent 3G pitch and a multisports court for the local kids.

The village pitch in Frigiliana

The emergence of soccer centres in the UK has been noticeable in the last 10 years or so…there are certainly more facilities around in the UK these days. But you have to pay to use them, often through the nose. And for every soccer centre with local office workers playing on floodlit 5 a side pitches, there’s 10 local park pitches barely used (and probably covered in dog shit).

Of course, the weather here is better…a lot better. Playing outside is possible 300+ days a year in shorts and t-shirt, and though for many months it’s simply too hot to play before 5pm, you have to accept that is a major factor.

But this is a cultural thing too. Local government, parents, teachers, restaurant owners…everyone here is supportive of the kids playing outside. They are a little less concerned about health and safety – not a bad thing IMO – and happy to kick a ball back if it goes astray.

So what are the consequences?

Well, my view is quite simply that it produces kids who are more technically gifted and also more competitive. If a 7 year old kid gets kicked around because they are the smallest kid in a 15 a side game on the sala court, they soon learn to look after the ball with their body or move the ball out of their feet quickly to pass to a team mate. And if that kid is good at sport, they play football. Football is still king in Spain…no other sport comes close. I’d hazard a guess that even if the facilities here weren’t so plentiful, kids here would be out playing on whatever space they could find.

So before they have even turned up at a club or met a coach, the kids in Spain are more physically and technically literate than I am used to seeing.

Is that a reason to criticize the establishment in the UK? Maybe not, but if it doesn’t learn from this I think it’s missing a trick. The concept of street football is a much debated one in UK football development circles. Is it an outdated concept? Is it possible to reinvent it? Do we just have to adapt formal coaching practice to make up for its absence?

The facilities at our club's 4th tier local rivals, CD El Palo 

For what it’s worth, the production line in the UK feels too sterile to me, too controlled. I have an image in my head when this topic comes up, one of a coach admiring all the cones he has set out on the pitch prior to a training session. I’ve done it, many times! But I can honestly say I’ve seen way too many sessions both in the UK and also here where the kids would probably have been better just taking a ball and playing amongst themselves for an hour.

Of course they need coaching too…it’s very important. But you get my point.

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The season here got off to a great start for Graham Jr….a broken arm sustained when playing on next door’s skateboard has meant he has missed the first few weeks of the season. I don’t enjoy coaching him anyway to be honest so I might put a skateboard on his Christmas list 😊

I am supporting Antonio the head coach….picking up cones, getting water etc but I am learning the language much quicker as a result of being there. I get in and coach a little to add to what he does but I’m happy sitting back and taking it all in.

Coaching 10 year olds when you have a limited command of the language is not easy – as I found out when Antonio was sick and I had to take a full session. Understanding what they say is difficult given the speed at which they talk and their strong Malagueno accents (almost every word is shortened) so it was tough to retain control at times. I also had to explain details more as they were not used to my sessions though I’m certain the second time I do it will be easier.

I’ve always preferred coaching senior sides or development/U21/U19 groups…it’s where I think I’m best anyway…but this is a good challenge for me in terms of adapting to the age group.

Hasta luego

KG

Hola - mi nombre es Kevin

We're just over a year into life in Spain.

Life here is great, we consider ourselves lucky to be here and we really hope the children continue to grow in every way imaginable as a result of living here.

Like most English coaches with any desire to learn more about the game, I've certainly spent some time over the past decade or more looking on enviously at Spanish football, or at least my vision of Spanish football based on the teams you watch on the television and the predominant playing styles of those teams. Pep's Barca side started it, the success of the national team confirmed it and now most other countries acknowledge that Spain is arguably the most prolific developer of great players and great teams in world football.

So it seemed sensible to assume that our son might benefit from continuing his football development here - not a key reason for moving here but I'd be lieing if I said the thought hadn't crossed my mind!

Less than 24 hours after arriving, George trained at the Estadio Fransisco Romero and 3 days later played in a friendly for his new club - CD Rincon.

I wasn't sure the image I had in my head of Spanish football was an accurate reflection of the game here or not...but I was going to find out.

His first season was probably better for him in terms of settling in than it was for his football specifically - it took a while for him to get used to it. The language barrier was undoubtedly the biggest challenge, but he overcame that by the new year, and by the end of the season he was making real progress on and off the pitch.

I watched from the stands, eager to soak up everything about the game over here...this was after all an opportunity for me to develop too. Very few people at the club speak any English, and my Spanish is taking much longer to improve than Graham junior's! I did however make a good friend in one of the coaches at the club, Curro, who coaches one of the older age groups. Curro speaks more English than anyone else at the club, and luckily he was willing to give me some time and take the opportunity to improve his English at the same time. A few awkward silences and cafe con leches later, he asked me if I'd like to take a session with his team. The international language of football proved better than my Spanglish and the session went pretty well, and I went on to take some more sessions with other teams at the club.

CD Rincon is a Tercera league club -  their first team play in the 4th tier of Spanish football. It's the level that Messers Guardiola and Zidane started at, coaching their respective clubs' reserve teams in what is actually a regional level of football. In my opinion the standard is similar to the level I played at in the UK, so roughly the 6th/7th tier of the English game, possibly even lower at times. The teams in that league, unless it's a reserve side of one of the La Liga clubs, are all part time and most players at this level get paid less than half of what 7th tier clubs pay in England - there is much more money in the English semi-professional game. This is even more fascinating to me because the first team here train 4 nights a week...impressive.

The stadium is an excellent facility and because it has an artificial playing surface, every team at the club trains on the main pitch, which helps to build the sense of community and family evident at the club. Underneath the main stand, there are a number of excellent changing rooms, meeting rooms, offices and a media room, whilst the cafe behind the main stand is very popular and always busy.

Estadio Fransisco Romero

The coaches at the club all have to be qualified to Spanish Level 1 standard, which is the equivalent of a UEFA B. I could talk about this a lot, but will save the topic for another day. I have only completed Level 2 in England so it does mean that officially I am not able to coach a specific team at the club. I have run sessions here for/with UEFA Pro and A licence standard coaches though, and whilst I still have a lot to learn, my experience in the game and capability means that I can deliver sessions that are useful to the players and the club as a whole.

Due to the fact I have a busy job that requires regular travel I do not expect or plan to be able to take a team anytime soon. Long term there is so much I want to do in the game but for now, I am happy to gain experience when I can whilst other things in my life take priority.

I have however agreed to step up a little this year and instead of sitting in the stands watching, I am now officially my son's team's waterboy/logistics support/assistant vice coach! He has moved to play with another group in his category this season and the coach Antonio works on his own. Knowing a little of my background, he asked me if I could help. I have to be honest, coaching younger players is not my forte (I prefer to work with senior/U19/U21 sides) but it is a great opportunity for me just to gain some understanding at the coal face of the game in Spain and I think the biggest benefit for me personally will be the development of my Spanish language capability. Win win situation!

Thanks to the coaches, staff and other parents, we are settled at a terrific football club, and I'm going to write a regular piece here to explain more about our experiences in Spanish football and how that compares with football in the UK. I'll cover coaching topics like tactics, technical development, coaching development pathways and general communication, as well as more general culture including aspects of Spanish life that are intertwined with the game their nation loves so much.

Un gran abrazo

Kevin