Quote Originally Posted by sapdad View Post
I still maintain that its not the program itself thats the problem,its the way coaches are implementing it.To see how many kids are now in NPL youth that have spent 4 years in JDL but cant use both feet, cant shoot and have zero close control is pretty depressing.But they are big and strong and run fast so they get spots and when everyone else catches up physically then are discarded because they arent good enough.Id love to tell every JDL parent out there that if your kid isnt focusing on the 4 core skills of the program then give up now because their shelf life is limited and to save the money.Its hard to blame coaches though when the pressure from everyone involved from day 1 is judged by winning.Theres honestly no simple answer.
Well of course there needs to be better coaching which comes from better coach development, but I see kids who came through the old SAP program (the last of which are currently in U15s and having been involved in the SAP program and now in Div 1 I know who they are) and I still see many of them that can't use both feet, don't know how to control a ball, can't shoot, don't know how to position themselves to make a touch forward as well.