It is the culture of our country, not just this sport. It is very slowly starting to turnaround in football but the current emphasis even as low down as 7 and 8 year olds is to get a result, some of the better coaches/clubs place some emphasis on teamwork etc but it is mostly result driven. I have reffed the occasional u11 match and received dogs abuse because I walked a nervous 10 year old through how to take a throw in properly instead of giving a foul throw. I also had an irate manager in my face because I asked him to substitute his star striker so that I didn't have to send the lad off. I understand there comes a point where results become important. I really wanted to win every game I played when I was that young. Looking back do I think I would have been a better player if the European model I'll outline below was employed? Probably not because I was a goalkeeper and that's quite a specialist discipline. But I grew up with some outrageously talented lads, none of whom have made it, and few of whom still play the game.
Occasionally you'll read some ridiculous move against this all out result culture which goes way too far the other way. I read about an under 11 league where results were not allowed to be published anywhere to spare any potential embarrassments for teams who were getting spanked.
Compare this to much of Europe where the only emphasis is keep the ball, learn to be comfortable in Possession, and to encourage the attackers especially to express themselves, not being afraid to make a mistake is a big part of the ethos. Just watched the video of the barcelona academy on the BBC website, and they are like no team of 9 year olds I've ever seen. I know they are the cream of the crop but I have coached/watched young lads at various levels all the way up to elite. I've also witnessed European teams without the stature of barcelona come over and pass the ball around our boys like they were statues. It's not until they get a bit older and physicality comes into it more do the English lads start to scramble back a foothold: u15 upwards.
cricket seems unwilling to take a risk on a maverick talent who doesn't necessarily fit the model, football is the same, to my despair. One of the most gifted players I have witnessed has had what I would call a half career because of it. He was always played away from his natural position for England to fit a balanced team shape, rather than being given license to go and win the game on his own. His spent most of his time on the bench at the only big club he has played for, admittedly under a foreign manager, but one who plays quite a defensive English style. Joe Cole had the ability and the mentality to be one of the best ever, I believe the culture of sport in our country to take the safer option was a major factor in his stifled career.
I don't think the problem is unique to cricket. I've been on coaching courses for football, cricket, I vaguely remember one for tennis and one for rugby when I was younger. They are all the same. Bit of health and safety, reminded not to touch the kids, some very basic coaching drills, reminded to ask the kids if they know what they did wrong rather than tell them outright, and bang there's your certificate.
Level 1 cricket course in our area is 3 days between 9am and 4pm. Probably a day and a half of that is in the sports hall actually doing coaching related activity. The rest is classroom. You then have to get a first aid certificate (3 hour evening course) which is understandable. Then there is a separate 3-4 hour evening course dedicated to further reminders about safeguarding children. I'm not trying to belittle the importance of keeping kids safe from abusers by the way, merely lay out just how many non coaching related extras there are.
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