Social media can be a wonderful tool – allowing for communication, discussion and the interaction of people who in the normal passing of life might never cross paths with one another.
Soccer is no different as fans, coaches and observers of the game from around the world have come to enjoy and share their passion for the sport through real time on Twitter, Facebook and other media hubs.
Even Long Term Player Development, the current lightening rod of change in Canadian soccer has it’s own group dedicated to the discussion of LTPD, it’s implementation and the merits and potential problems with it.
As always with the internet the LTPD Group discussions have been at times full of insight, passion and sometimes, as happens, sidelined by the trivial. Overall though the discussions while only observed by most have allowed for a insightful give and take over the challenges faced by clubs, coaches and parents in the implementation of LTPD.
This morning the discussion took a new turn when this was posted to the group.
“hi i’m a 12 year old and I’ve, played soccer since i was 3, i like to compete to win in playoffs, tournaments and of course games. i like to win trophies etc. when i heard about this “no scoring til i’m 13″ i was confused. i played rep soccer last year, and LTPD is taking the scoring out, in my mind its like travel 100 km to play a scrimmage. i have 1 question, how will this help me and my 9 year old brother become better soccer players? we practice all the time trying to get better, we love to compete to win and your taking this out of one of my favorite games, i ask you, why????”
I took the posting at face value and was willing to believe that this was indeed posted by the young man it’s attributed to (I have removed his name for privacy reasons) and not someone posing as a twelve year old simply to raise the ire of group members.
I responded with the following:
Bill Ault: Well first of all Dylan if someone is telling you there will be no scoring until your 13 they are really not telling you the truth and you should ask them about that – Will be there be scoring? Of course there will. Will there be winners and losers? You bet.
Any other questions find a responsible adult who is willing to put your development first and talk to you about it in a reasonable, truthful way.
I then in a separate post added that the biggest problem with the youth game in Canada is not the kids but the adults. Not surprisingly perhaps, but disappointingly nonetheless, I surmise someone has been telling this young man that LTPD means that he won’t be able to score (I assume this is their way of letting the young man scores will not be kept) until he is 13 years old and that there will be no winners and losers in his matches this summer. Really?
Anyone who has bothered to even look at the LTPD structure and plans knows that this is far from the truth but has become the de facto argument for those against the implementation of LTPD and the positives changes it may (I believe will) bring to the game and the development of players in this country.
The effect of this misinformation?
I suspect this young man will stop playing immediately if not sooner due to the fact that the adult(s) in this situation are “bending” the facts to meet their own private, trophy driven agenda.
The result?
Another player lost to the game not because he doesn’t love playing, he clearly states he does, but because an adult has skewed his vision of what is happening to the game he loves and influenced him to quit…
and by that action we involved in the sport in this country all lose.
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