I coach an under-8 team.

They are all nice lads but the behaviour of a few is majorly disruptive to the sessions. When I tell other coaches of the same age group about some of the issues they can relate but they acknowledge my lads seem especially problematic.

I think they've all developed in the time we've had them but I do feel if they were more focused they would have made greater strides by now because we give so many goals to the opposition and they don't seem to be that bothered - I suppose they seem to be enjoying themselves which is the main thing!

The poor behaviour manifests itself in different ways according to the child but the common themes are:

- Running off to parents during warm-ups or when they are substituted knowing they will come back on 

- Talking over me when me and my assistant are trying to coach them - often singing or talking gibberish about something unrelated to what we are doing

- giving silly answers every time we quiz them or ask them a question related to the exercise.

- saying immediately before kick-off they need the toilet (despite being asked earlier if they need to go)

- straying from what we asked them to do in a training drill e.g. if we're passing, they might kick the ball away into a goal we're not using.

- when off the pitch as subs, climbing on fences, play-fighting, playing on swings if in close proximity

It's a case of one bad apple as well, so when one misbehaves, it's like a green light for the other usual culprits to mess.

Tactics we've introduced:

- 2 min sin-bin, which increases to 5 mins if repeat offence

- threatening less game time on a match day

(the lads who mess don't seem bothered by these sanctions although I've not actually had to cut players game time yet but maybe that's because we tolerate too much bad behaviour in training)

Based on approaches I've researched and read on here, I am busy producing a document of Expectations which I intend to share with parents so letting them know the standards we expect and how we need their support. I will introduce 4 key behaviours which we will regularly remind the boys of:

- Be Safe

- Have Fun

- Be Ready to Learn – open-mindedness – willing to try other positions, listen to coaches recommendations knowing we have their interest at heart

- Be Respectful

Since the beginning of last season, in training sessions we provide a certificate to the best behaved/most focussed as well.

If I take stock of how far we've come, to be fair we've made lots of progress (but we did have two players with learning difficulties who have now left) but we still appear far behind other teams we come across as I observe other teams' behaviour.

If my players were good players and in love with the game then we would tolerate poor behaviour less but because I can tell a few of them enjoy football but don't 'love it' I feel like being too strict with them will make them stop enjoying it and stop coming. On the flip side, that might not be a bad thing but its a shame as they have a lot of potential.