Some late thoughts on last weekends game and about observations in training
The most obvious thing is that i change the structured. My early structures were always going to be difficult to implement, and when i saw the boys lose faith against box hill i knew i had asked them to take a step too far.
The new structure just made players jobs a little simpler, options a little easier to find (in theory) and the players a bit more connected. I will continue you to tweak things until i feel that i can find the best catalyst for a more team orientated approach to the games.
After my lofty hopes for the most advanced system of play ever seen at an U12 level, i am coming back down to earth and will continue to strip back the layers until we reach a level from which we can build.
I am searching for answers to our problem. Namely we have some very good players who are struggling to play well as a team. Struggling to trust each other with the ball. Struggling to use their ability as a tool rather than a toy. There is sometimes an underlying (maybe even subconscious) thought process in some players of 'i am not going to pass to you because you don't pass to me' which we need to root out or else the whole season will be a waste for some. Players need to the 'right' thing even if they might not get the result they want. There is also a little bit of apathy to the ' off the ball' work necessary to play well as a team. In the intelligence based games at training, the boys do really well. They work hard to play with restricted touches when they have to, but the second we remove the rules, the bad habits flood back. They are a tough nut to crack.
Talking about cracking nuts. I know I am being hard (impatient and not overly tolerant) as a coach at the moment. I do however, feel like i have to have an impact to break through and make a change. For the amount of effort and time Dom, Arthur and I have spent promoting a change in the way the boys see and play the game , we as of yet are not seeing this transfer to a way of playing. It is a very difficult challenge.
I also appreciate that this might backfire a little. It is not my intention to dent a players confidence or take the shine off the game and the experience of playing. So if you feel like i have overstepped the mark with your child then let me know (in a nice way obviously) and I will work with you to help them bounce back.
[Note - my thoughts are always based on team i coached and what i expect to see in game [and training] compared to what i do see in games. So if i coached a different set of boys my thoughts would differ. Dom will always have a different take based on the boys he coached and what he saw from their performance.].