Quote Originally Posted by Jardelsimage View Post
They say we do have an easier path now days, but that's debatable also, how many of the current crop or close to it come out of Newcastle??

Quality over quantity i think is a better path in Newcastle, yes, we need quality coaching by quality coaches etc. and you need to give everyone a chance to succeed in the game, but at some stage we also need to open to the fact.

That not all will make it, no matter how good the coach is, no matter how many clinics they attend, no matter how many games they play, no matter how much the parents pay. they just won't make it.

The really good ones will shine no-matter the circumstances, the fringe go two ways, some attach on the coat tails of the really good ones and succeed, the others get dragged back down by the mediocre without realizing their true potential.

As i have mentioned before there are not enough kids to fill all these so-called youth/elite spots in Newcastle, yes it does work in the major cities, population plays a big part in this.

I don't think there is an easy answer, but obviously the system is not working, raping and pillaging parents to pay for senior players, overpriced coaches and/or TD's etc, whilst blowing smoke some very ordinary bum holes for $$$ is not the answer.

We can still have the youth programs, just don't have to include every kid who plays football in Newcastle go through it.

cheers
A quick look at 2022 numbers (boys/mixed):
U12's

Interdistrict:
10 grades, Avg. 8 teams per grade, 80 teams.
11v11 with a conservative estimate of 13 players per team
= 1040 players

JDL
1 grade, 29 teams
9v9 average of 11 players per team, lets round it up to 12 though.
= 348 players

U13's

ID's
6 grades, avg. 8 teams per grade, 60 teams.
11v11 estimate of 14 players per team
= 840 players

NPL/NL1
2 grades, 10 & 8 (-NIAS, MNC, NC), 18 teams
Estimate of 15/16 players per team. Lets just say 16.
= 288 players

U14's
ID's
5 grades, 8 teams per grade, 40 teams.
Estimate of 14/15 players per team. Lets say 14.
= 560 players

NPL/NL1
2 grades, 10 & 8 (-NIAS, MNC, NC), 18 teams
Estimate of 15/16 players per team. Lets just say 16.
= 288 players

It doesn't look to me like every player is forced to be part of the elite pathways.