Context. I took over the team effectively in jan after the previous coach left for medical reasons. (U8’s) the team hadn won a single game all season and even with 6 players on the pitch were still loosing badly. They were horribly set up for 5 a side 3 defenders 1 strikers and nobody was told to get forward. The only tactic was kick it long or kick it out. The kids and parents are a good bunch and soon the kids were playing better football some gentle advice and guidance lots of practise at passing and simple technique and we finnished the season winning more games from Jan than we lost. Kids were all enjoying football and it was going good. There are some very talented kids in the team that with guidance have came on leaps and bounds 4 this summer have been picked up by an academy. Moving to 7 aside we held open training and a couple of new players arrived and were good fits to the squad with their personalities and ability. I am an advocate of equal playing time and helping everybody develop and fun enjoyable football and this is where my issue lies.
I have 6 very good players now in my squad I have 2 average ability players. But I have 3 players no matter how much time I dedicate to them how much advice I give or encouragement just are not developing while the rest are flourishing and coming on quicker than I would ever imagine. This is becoming an issue inside the squad where the kids with more ability are not enjoying football so much because with equal time no matter what they do they deem some of the players with less ability to let them down. It’s becoming a bit hostile at times and no matter what I seem to do the kids know and want to win. To the point recently I have had parents saying the kids may want to leave to find a team that wins more.
I really wanted to sign all last seasons players on and give them more time to learn but really fearing it’s having a negative effect on the others if I do and maybe stunting enjoyment and development.
The real question is would it be fare to invite the players with less ability at the current time to continue training with the premise that if they show development they can sign on with the match playing squad but at the current time I am they are below the standard needed. (Worded better obviously than that) genuinely loosing sleep over this because on one hand it’s not fare on these fabulous young kids to not play and on the other the larger part of the squad not enjoying football because they feel let down by others is also not fare. I just don’t know weather to keep going with all of them and keep it fare and equal game time or limit the squad number and try develop the others away from matches until they are ready.
Anyway babbling now just lease advice welcome
