How can we provide solutions to the barriers in the attitudes, philosophy and style of grassroots football in Australia? (6-12 years)

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How can we provide solutions to the barriers in
the attitudes, philosophy and style of grassroots
football in Australia?(6-12 years)
Problem Based Learning 1 PD112 Group
Presentation of Problem SolutionPresented by
A.S.A.P.Anthony Siokos (5835) Sam Gafsi
(4640) Adam Raw (5741) Paige Grant (5845)
Anthony
Paige
Sam
Adam
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InterviewWe sat down to talk Grassroots
Football withFormer Socceroo SBS Chief
Football AnalystCraig Foster

• Bondi, NSW (31/8/07)

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Overview of Presentation

• Interview Craig Foster
• Background into grassroots football
• How we went about trying to solve the problem
• Philosophy, culture and pathways to change
• National Coaching Structure (now incl. FFA NFDP)
• Survey Online questionnaire of SSFA Coaches
• Case study Paige Grant in reflection

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What is grassroots football?

• Grassroots football is everything that is
  non-elite, essentially all the kids playing the
  game, it is all the junior clubs (Foster, 2007).
• Everyone who has played football started out as
  a grassroots player (Roxburgh, 2004).

Figure 1. The Football Pyramid (UEFA, 2004, p.6)
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Barriers in philosophy development

• The football community has to firstly realise
  that we need change which has been very difficult
  to get across
• The first major hurdle is understanding and
  acceptance from the whole football community that
  we need to change
• Football in this country has been run from ground
  up not top down
• A Federal-State system has meant the States have
  had their own autonomy, Football Federation
  Australia (FFA) needs to change this

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The Crawford Report

• Some key issues
• Lack of facilities at the grass-roots level
• Lack of integration between schools and clubs
• The accreditation programs for coaches in
  Australia are seen to be too onerous and
  prohibitive

Figure 2. Independent Soccer Review (ASC, 2003)
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The key is understanding

• "Australia is a submissive football culture, deep
  in the throws of a colonial mentality, paying
  undue homage to motherland influences that are
  beyond their time and regressive to our football
  interests" (Murray, 2006, p.263).
• The major impediment in this country to
  developing a philosophy is that we havent had
  one (Foster, 2007).

Figure 3. French Grassroots Junior (UEFA, 2004)
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Grassroots key principles

• Everybody has the opportunity to play
• Football is everywhere
• There is no discrimination
• Action must be dynamic, simple, exciting and
  rewarding
• Safety is a priority
• Players come first
• Fair play must be respected
• Relationships, teamwork and skill development are
  key components (UEFA, 2004, p.7)

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Dutch?
French?
Italian?
Football DiversityWhich style do we choose?
German?
Spanish?
Brazilian?
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Developing an Australian philosophy

• If we want to compete with the best in the world
  we have to develop an attitude, philosophy and
  style starting at our grassroots
• Those who argue over which country has the best
  philosophy for Australian football to model tend
  to miss the broader objective
• We need to adopt a philosophy which is focused
  less on physicality and more on technique
• Technique and physicality exist on this mutual
  continuum (Foster, 2007).

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National Coaching Licences

• Bring in the Dutch Youth Licences and focus on
  coach education
• Weve had Guus Hiddink, now weve got Rob Baan
  (FFA Technical Director), it makes sense to
  continue down that path
• This will incorporate better methods with proven
  success and a clearer philosophy
• It needs to be simple for people to understand
• By improving coach education and implementing a
  national philosophy we will then be able to
  produce better grassroots footballers

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Football Federation Australias role

• To stimulate interest in grassroots football
  through promotional activities and materials
• To provide expert assistance, facilities and
  equipment to the associations
• To organise educational courses and conferences
• To create guidelines for grassroots programs
  based on best practice
• To generate new ideas for players, coaches and
  officials
• FFA is not fulfilling its responsibilities at
  grassroots level, in particular the high demands
  of junior coaching and development

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Finances, funding spending money

• Funding has been put into the FFA but distributed
  at the wrong end
• 3m has been proposed for distribution to a
  national Youth League and not where it is
  needed at the local grassroots level
• Federal Government confirm 16m funding boost
• This Australian Government funding will continue
  to cement the further growth and success of
  football in Australia (Brandis, 2007, citied in
  Bernard, 2007).

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Coaching and development areas

• The FFA needs change in 3 main areas
• Coaching Courses (Coaches need re-coaching)
• Development of a National Coaching Structure
• "Ideally, whoever the technical director is, the
  national coaching structure would be under his
  auspices He would establish the culture,
  construct the strategy, plan the program, set the
  goals and implement the model for football in
  Australia" (Warren, 2002, pp.334-335).
• A national curriculum for schools and local
  football associations (replace Telstra Football
  Anytime)

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Figure 4. National Coach Education Pathway
(FFA, 2007)
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Keep the Ball Coaching Program

• 500-1000 touches of the football per training
  session, emphasising more touches of the ball
• Focus on that critical moment the first touch
  of the ball, not to just boot it long,
  activities/games for development
• Creating an enjoyable atmosphere, with limited
  pressure, more focus on game sense skills and
  passing
• Emphasis on keeping the ball (high possession )
• Implementation of the program nationally to
  schools and associations
• Schools are a term-by-term basis, while
  Associations are seasonal from approximately
  March-August

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Other sporting codes

• Competing codes in Australia, for example, AFL,
  have Auskick Development Programs in schools
  and associations (Development Officers NSW Wide
  30), NRL, have ARL Development Programs
  throughout schools and associations (Development
  Officers Australia Wide 250)
• In comparison the FFA has no National Development
  Program/Structure for juniors and has only 20
  paid employees nationwide
• There is no structure in place, can not compete
  and will not beat rival codes if change is not
  implemented, hence producing the Keep the Ball
  Coaching Program

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Other sporting codes (cont.)

• Development for the Grassroots level of
  football should be divided in between 2
  categories, schools and associations
• Approximately 3 Technical/Development Officers in
  the specific areas of each State
• Northern Regions
• Southern Regions
• Eastern Regions
• Western Regions
• One paid Director of Coaching/Technical Director
  for all local Football Associations across
  Australia to implement the Keep the Ball
  Coaching Program and oversee the development of
  Coaches at grassroots level

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Small-sided games (SSGs)

• Critical analysis on how States currently
  regulate grassroots football activities
• Why we need compulsory implementation of SSGs
• What the benefits are in utilising modified games
  for youth skill development
• Its about having fun while learning from highly
  skilled coaches

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Negative results focus 6-12 years

• The focus is on winning not playing good
  football
• Less focus on training to improve technical skill
  and tactical awareness all about the final
  score
• Kids are scared to make mistakes on the field
• Unnecessary pressure from mums and dads
• Successful coaches are only those who win
  competitions, should be who produce better
  players
• Kids have less fun leading to higher drop-out
  rates

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The culture of Australian sport

• Understanding the fundamentals
• No longer seen as a game for sheilas, wogs and
  poofters
• Football is the world game! Can it become the
  number one football code in Australia? Why not?
• Football to be played in the right way is
  actually counter-cultural to Australian sport,
  because all of our sport is based on physicality
  (Foster, 2007).

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National Football Development Plan
Figure 5. National Football Development Plan
(FFA, 2007)
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FFA NFDP

• FFA National Football Development Plan (NFDP) was
  released by Frank Lowy and Ben Buckley on 1/11/07
• Strategic plan, identified gaps in football
  development
• Talent Development Identification Review
• Game Development (introduction of SSGs)
• Review committee conducted detailed on-site
  research in Brazil, USA, Japan, England, the
  Netherlands, France and Argentina

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FFA NFDP (cont.)

• Taking competition points out under the age of
  13, its about pure development, learning the
  game, not playing for trophies, removal of this
  negative results culture
• 13s and over only to play full size/competition
  points
• Every State has signed up with FFA to bring this
  in across grassroots over the next 3 years
• It gives kids the opportunity to learn the game
  while having fun and will increase the standard
  across the country (Orsatti Foster, 2007)

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Online survey of SSFA coaches
Have been coaching for a minimum of 2 years 78.9
Coaches who hold a Coaching Licence (min. Junior) (including Grassroots Football Certificate) 63.1 (73.6)
Parent coaches (i.e. coaching their own child) 92.1
Coaches aware of Clubs philosophy 73.6
Coaches who have a Coaching Director available 84.2
500 touches during each training session 39.4
Use SSGs in training sessions 100
Coaches that value development over winning 100
Experienced parental coaching from sidelines 100
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Paige Grant A reflective case study

• My playing background
• My experience with various coaches
• The different attitudes, philosophies and styles
  of coaching I have received over the years
• How it has impacted on me as a player

Figure 6. Paige on the ball
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Additional material

• This grassroots football presentation and
  additional material can be found at
  www.mrfootball.net/pd112
• The National Football Development Plan produced
  by FFA can downloaded at www.footballaustralia.com
  .au

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We welcome your questions
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Reference List

• Australian Sports Commission. (2003). Report of
  the independent soccer review committee into the
  structure, governance and management of soccer in
  Australia. Canberra, Australian Capital
  Territory Author.
• Bernard, G. (2007, September 11). FFA land 16m
  funding boost. The Daily Telegraph, (Football
  Fever) p.39.
• Murray, L. (2006). By the balls Memoir of a
  football tragic. Milsons Point, NSW Random House
  Australia.
• Orsatti, A. (Presenter). Foster, C. (Analyst).
  (2007). Shootout Grass roots development Online
  Streaming Video. Sydney Special Broadcasting
  Service.
• Roxburgh, A. (2004). Watering the grass
  Electronic version. UEFA Grassroots Football
  Newsletter, 1, 3.
• Union of European Football Associations. (2004).
  Grassroots philosophy. Geneva, Nyon Author.
• Warren, J. (2002). Sheilas, wogs poofters An
  incomplete biography of Johnny Warren and soccer
  in Australia. Milsons Point, NSW Random House
  Australia.

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Illustrations List

• Australian Sports Commission. (2003). Report of
  the independent soccer review committee into the
  structure, governance and management of soccer in
  Australia. Canberra, Australian Capital
  Territory Author.
• Football Federation Australia Community Homepage.
  (2007, August 13). Retrieved September 12, 2007,
  from http//www.footballaustralia.com.au/Community
  /
• default.aspx?scommunity_newsfeatures_news_news_i
  temid10269
• Football Federation Australia Community Homepage.
  (2007, November 1). Retrieved November 12, 2007,
  from http//www.footballaustralia.com.au/site/_con
  tent/
• document/00000540-source.pdf
• Union of European Football Associations. (2004).
  UEFA Grassroots Programme. UEFA Grassroots
  Football Newsletter, 1, 1.
• Union of European Football Associations. (2004).
  What is grassroots football? UEFA Grassroots
  Football Newsletter, 1, 6.