Perhaps there is another aspect to the discussion I had Co-Ed in my Academy. My coaches were very good at sending the right messages to all children. Bad or overly aggressive behavior was not tolerated. The kids understood that and behaved accordingly. It is more about the signals we send out than anything else that governs their behavior.
- If there was a size difference & the potential for injury was evident, then changes were made to ensure safety.
- While we did have different-gender teams for competition, we had to break down gender differences to suit the rules of wherever we played.
- I can say with certainty that the boys respected the girls’ abilities & there were no feelings of superiority present.
- If a child can play at a given level, let them play. Physicality was a concern in older age groups in competitive competition, and rightly so. In training, all in!
I honestly think we, as a sports community, have an opportunity and an obligation to change the environment. Take the SOCCERevolution project, for example. Progress can be made if more people and organizations push traditional boundaries. In my opinion, the hardest challenges are mindsets. A firm mindset requires no thinking, just acceptance.
It is the atmosphere we work in that can be the game changer. Too many unnecessary rules and procedures are put in place to govern actions that should not be occurring in the first place.
I dare people to be rogue (at least a little). We do not have to react recklessly; just respond appropriately. Change for the sake of change is just rolling the dice again and hoping for the right outcomes. If serious thought with good intentions is applied, everyone, even those who may not agree, should respect that.
Don’t claim that one way is necessarily the right one. If a point of view shows merit and forethought, it should be given a chance. If it doesn’t work, we can likely remove that approach. If it does, we all benefit.
No matter how well we think we are doing, accepting and looking for change ensures growth, which is much preferred over stagnation.
That is why I strongly encourage readers to explore SOCCERevolutions’ “Rules of the Game,” (Links Below) These rules have been shown to foster significant player growth and development, making them worth trying out to instill a lifelong passion for soccer.
FUNdamental SOCCER – U6 Playing Rules – Fundamental Soccer
FUNdamental SOCCER – U8 Playing Rules – Fundamental Soccer
FUNdamental SOCCER U-10 Playing Rules – Fundamental Soccer
FUNdamental SOCCER – U-12 Playing Rules – Fundamental Soccer
