Comparisons & Key Questions
Old System The way things used to be 25‐30 years ago |
Early Skill Development | Leagues | Higher Level |
| Kids played pickup No parent involvement Multiple sports |
Tended to start in 6th grade Loosely organized community travel Volunteer coaches |
Very small # of clubs (3‐4) Tournament focus Most dedicated; most skilled |
|
Current System What we have now |
Early Skill Development | Leagues | Higher Level |
| Structured environments Total parent involvement Tendency toward single sport |
Now starting in U08 Structured non‐local travel For‐pay and volunteer coaches |
Large # of clubs (30) Year round focus Intermediate skills and willing to pay |
Key Questions
- How do we arrange appropriate competition based upon the age group?
- How do we facilitate skill development based upon different ability and commitment levels?
- How do we make sure a player is not “isolated” from team competition if putting in the effort to improve?
- How do we make sure there are multiple opportunities for development when the player is ready to commit?
- How do we make sure players don’t “hate” the sport either from too much exposure to it, inappropriate competition or coaching?
- Historically, we see the players 2 hours per week. How do we help them develop their motor skills and spatial reasoning if they are not supplementing their structured play with unstructured play (“pick‐up sports”)?
- Are we able and should we create “unstructured play environments” that minimize adult direction and maximize self‐directed learning?
- How do we reinforce the player taking accountability for his/her own development?
- How do we avoid creating “set” teams that remain in place season after season where players and coaching staff start to stagnate?