AGM — survey comments and responses (part 1)
In reviewing the responses to the survey that went out in November 2009, it was clear that there were a number of areas where there were questions or issues that need explanation from the club. I’ve pulled together a collection together for this posting (part 1) and the following postings (part 2 and part 3).
In some cases, I’ve paraphrased the issue or combined a couple of comments. In others, I’ve taken the quote verbatim.
Junior Shamrocks
We made a big change in 2009 with our younger (“Junior Shamrocks”) program — switching from 6 or 7 a side to 4 versus 4. This change and how it was implemented sparked a number of comments like this:
I did not like the new rules intitated this season (i.e. kicking the ball in from out of bounds, no goalie, four player team). Although my son is still young, I don’t agree with changing the rules of the game to make it “easier” for him and/or allowing for a smoother/efficient game, as we will have to “retrain” him to play the game appropriately as he continues to learn how to play this game.
And another …
What happened to the 8 v 8 that was suppose to happen at some point? Now we have kids going to play U10 and they have no experience with goalie position, field positions, corner kicks or throw-ins? Shouldn’t U8 teach the kids these basic fundamentals of soccer?
It’s important to understand that soccer development and training methods have changed in the last 10-15 years — based on a significant amount of research in both university and professional settings. In short, what has been shown to be most effective in developing soccer players who continue through their teen years is creating comfort on the soccer ball at a young age — which happens best in a small-sided game environment. The more advanced elements of the game (corners, the goal position, and so on) come later.
Dublin United’s mission is to deliver positive life experiences through teaching the game of soccer. It is important to me as a soccer coach — and as a club administrator — that the club utilizes the most widely used “best practices” in our teaching methods. Over the last couple of months, we have received inquiries about the Junior Shamrocks programs from neighboring clubs that are interested in adapting our methodologies — which validates the high-level direction.
In regards to the “dual-game” model, there were these comments:
The 4v4 for the younger kids does give them more ball time although it’s a bit chaotic and you lose the feeling of being a team.
And …
I don’t like playing on two simultaneous fields. There are not enough kids to fill in and sub but having the team any bigger would make it harder for the coach to work with. The two fields gives more playing time but the kids tire too quickly at the 5-8 age group plus I feel like the team gets separated and not as unified. I don’t like the new set up and would vote to going back to playing on ONE field.
And this …
Did not like the change in Jr Shamrock level 4 v 4 format – not a “one team” atmosphere for kids or the parents. Not enough subs when players didn’t show up – too much play time especially on hot days.
In decreasing the number of field players from 6 or 7 a side to 4 a side, we were left with either shrinking the roster size from 12 to 7 or leaving the roster side and creating the “dual-game” model.
The problem with shrinking the roster sizes is that we then require more volunteer coaches. The “dual-game” model solved this problem by allowing us to transition to the smaller-sided games without an overhaul of the roster structure or coach-to-player ratio.
I understand the “team” atmosphere issue — it’s important to provide the developmental tools within a bonding environment for the parents and the kids.
We also received this feedback on the Junior Shamrock training sessions:
The Junior Shamrocks sessions should be every other week. [It] would allow the teams to have their own team practice on off weeks in their own neighborhood.
We’re already thinking about how to improve the program — roster sizes (bigger? smaller?), field size, training structure and schedules, and equipment requirements.
There were many positive comments on Junior Shamrocks such as these:
Awesome youth program-Junior Shamrock
I like the Junior Shamrock program. I think 4 v 4 is great for their development.
I have seen DUSL’s rec program improve dramatically for the better the last two years. Keep doing what you are doing as there’s a lot of kids who will not ever feel comfortable playing competitive yet the like to play soccer and these children need attention too.
Given that this was the first year of the Junior Shamrocks program, there are certainly some lessons learned in terms of execution. Having said that, I think the program was a major success in giving all of the kids opportunities to play soccer, rather than “puppy-dogging” in front of the goal or standing around waiting for the ball. The effects of the Junior Shamrocks program will be more apparent over the next few years — as our players will have more success at whatever level they compete at.
Referees
There’s a saying that goes something like this:
The great thing about opinions is that everyone has one.
There were a number of Monday mornings this year where I had one or more complaints, issues, or stories regarding referees. It is important to understand, as coaches and spectators, that the role of the soccer referee is not easy. Here is a good metric that I’ve seen elsewhere:
| Sport | # of Players | # of Referees |
|---|---|---|
| Soccer | 22 | 3 |
| Baseball | 18 | 2 to 6 |
| Football | 22 | 7 |
| Basketball | 10 | 3 |
| Hockey | 12 | 3 |
Although the ratio between soccer and baseball looks comparable, soccer involves a much higher degree of contact, a much faster pace of play, and many more decisions to be made by the referees.
Here are a few comments:
All refs need to be told that they NEED to call important fouls. It’s making the difference of the game.
And …
Referees and assistant refs for competitive games should be more focused on the game. We’ve noticed in a couple of our games, refs looking at other games going on and not paying attention to what’s going on in our game and making wrong calls!!
And …
I realize that the referees were kids, but they were extremely inadequate at U10 level. Most of the time, they were inconsistent with their calls, some times they were about to blow their whistle, but didn’t. Our center ref showed no command out on the field. Even the players were frustrated.
The club is working on putting together more education for both our youth and our adult referees. As we invest more in player development (through programs such as Junior Shamrocks) and the quality of play improves, we need to make sure that our referees keep pace. We have brought many new youth referees into the club over the last few years.
Ironically, as a referee with almost 15 years experience, I find the Under-10 games to be the “noisiest” age group to ref — the players require a lot of coaching, the coaches tend to be pretty vocal, and some of the parent/spectators feel a need to protect their children through shouting. In Dublin United, as in many clubs, Under-10 is the first age group where scores and standings are kept — which increases the tension and competitive level of everyone involved.
Having said that, and knowing that we “break in” our newest referees on these Under-10 games, we’re planning to expand our referee curriculum to provide them with the tools to improve game management for all age groups.
Field conditions
I travel all over Northern California for soccer matches — from Turlock (next weekend’s destination) up to Chico and everywhere in between. I’ve also been to Southern California and to Nevada. I’ve seen a lot of fields in all kinds of conditions.
My best comparison is to the cities that surround us — their facilities and their field conditions.
In my opinion, we stack up pretty well.
Especially, when I consider the following expenditures by the City of Dublin in a very lean year:
- $1.1 million for a renovation of the western half of Dublin Sports Grounds (DSG) starting in mid-2010
- $3 million for the all-weather soccer facility at Fallon Sports Park (FSP), also scheduled to open in mid-2010
Even more important is the knowledge that the City and its officials want to work with Dublin United on on-going field maintenance. We talk regularly with the City and its contractors on game-day and tournament conditions. It’s important to understand that in some respects the fields are what they are — thus the need for significant renovation work at DSG.
Having said that, and with the inclusion of FSP, we really have a great collection of soccer facilities here in Dublin.
Here are some comments that I want to respond to — as I think they reflect some common misunderstandings and lack of information about field conditions and maintenance:
Quality of fields: uneven and somewhat risky for small kids, long grass, sloped fields impacted game experience, dangerous sprinker heads in field of play, muddy overwatered in sections.
The area used by Junior Shamrocks will be specifically impacted (closed) by the DSG renovation. We’re working on our field layout plans for 2010 and we hope to address some of these issues by moving fields around.
Emerald Glen fields and facilities are great. DSG should be as nice as Emerald Glen. When we host tournaments, the parking is terrible, the field drainage is bad and the snack bar has previously not been in good shape.
The renovation of the DSG snack bar resulted in some important aesthetic improvements but was delayed for reasons beyond the control of the club. Drainage will be much better after the renovation work is complete. I understand the frustration with the parking. Unfortunately, there is not a lot that we or the City can do, given the constraints on the space that is available at DSG.
The fields are over watered and need to be cut more often. It is dangerous for the kids when the grass is as high as it has been all year.
MCE (the City contractor) mows the fields on Tuesdays and on Fridays. This year, there were a few freak rainstorms midweek that resulted in MCE not being able to get their mowing in. I remember a couple of days where my team had a practice and the grass was too high for this reason. Field maintenance for soccer is a challenge — cut it too short and the grass dies due to heat, don’t cut it short and it looks great but is unsuitable for soccer.
My guess is that out of 10 weeks, 2 of the weeks were impacted by the weather. I thought the fields were in great shape throughout most of September and October.