Junior Saturday Club
Hello and welcome to the Saturday club page
The Saturday club for boys and girls split into 2 groups:
- Children starting reception in 2011 are welcome to attend on Saturdays from 9.30 a.m.
- Children starting Year 1 in 2011 are welcome to attend on Saturdays from 10.30 a.m.
The session lasts for an hour and is £2 pay as you play (to cover running costs).
Please remember that F.A guidelines state that all children must wear shin pads. Football boots are advised. All children must bring water/drinks to each session.
All children must be accompanied by an adult at all times.
For any further information please contact Paul on 07879115194 or Steve on 07811445625.
Please call Paul or Steve above if you are unsure if the session is on due to weather.
Finally for now, just a few words that echo the philosophy we have at the Saturday club:
Mental Development for the 6 year olds and under
The key issue for children under six is positive self-esteem. Children will play the game longer, try harder and overcome obstacles if the environment is conducive to building self esteem. The concept of "self" is learned, not by winning games, but by facing progressively difficult challenges. Earning success promotes higher levels of self-awareness, stronger self-image and self-confidence. The child up to the age of 6 is focused primary upon developing the self. At this stage all experiences should allow the child to fully engage the physical domain within the child. It would be destructive to make tactical demands on a six year old when they don't have the cognitive ability to comprehend the concept. "The make believe" ability of the child's mind is dominant at this stage. Most interactions of the make believe world can be unitized successfully in the very small sided game. Every touch can be a resounding success. Youngsters have very short attention spans and can't stand hearing verbal descriptions of observations from a coach. To much verbiage and the moment is lost. Players like to move and require constant opportunity to be successful. The under six player is developing a central nervous system that requires general movement with little refined skill. It's OK if a six year old cannot bend a ball at 40 yards, it's not in their abilities to master such a demand. If we try to teach this demand we waste time and destroy the child's motivation. The world of a six year old revolves around the imaginary victories they create in their realities. This is a normal phase and should be encouraged with corrections and criticisms held to a minimum. Given the correct environment the children will find a way to play. When levels of demand are to abstract in the full 11 v 11 game (tactics) or the physical demands to challenging the result is anger, helplessness and ultimately dropout.
What to expect from U-6s
Coaching pre-school, (i.e., under six), children is a lot of fun! Their enthusiasm knows no bounds, they will turn up for practice in the most severe weather conditions imaginable and they smile all the time!!
Developmentally, however, they are very different from children who are just two or three years older.
For example: Most players will cry immediately when they get hurt. Some cry even when they are not hurt, No matter how loud you shout, or how much they "practice" it, they can not or will not pass the ball,
Somebody will come off the field in need of a toilet. Somebody will stay on the field when they should be going to the toilet!
The only player to hold a position is the goalkeeper. Don't even consider trying to teach positional play, it just won’t work,
Twenty seconds after the start of a game, every player will be within 5 yards of the ball.
Several players will slap at the ball with their hands, or pick it up. Several parents will yell at them not to do that - don’t worry, they will learn,
A model rocket that is launched from a nearby field will get 99% of the player's attention. By all means, stop whatever you are doing and watch for a couple of minutes.
During a season, we will end up tying at least 40 to 50 shoelaces
They will do something that is very funny. Make sure that you laugh.
The final word…
"Victory isn't defined by wins or losses. It is defined by effort. If you can truthfully say, 'I did the best I could, I gave everything I had,' then you're a winner." ---Wolfgang Schadler
