Originally Posted by
KITZ
Because that's not what junior development is about. there is NO point going to a bigger field if you can only control the ball with your first touch 50% of the time. If you don't have those 4 core skills nailed (1v1, first touch, passing / striking the ball, and running with the ball) then you will only fall further and further behind. Because they just don't have the time in NPL to go back and teach you ball control, when the ball is kicked from the goal keeper and you consistently can't get it under control. Forget about the type of player, forget about the team. Even if a team is winning 10 nil, it doesn't mean they are nailing those skills, and it will only become really apparent when all of a sudden they play with a different team, or they want to move up a division and play with better kids. Junior development is not about the GAME. that's what the game training phase is for, but they can't teach that phase properly if the kids aren't drilled until their eyes bleed in those four core skills.
The best advice I'd give any parent going into any development program now is to forget about what everyone else is doing and just make sure your player nails those 4 core skills, kids that have poor first touch will fall away from the higher divisions as they get older and the kids that have it nailed are moving onto more advanced game training.