Enthusiastic young players from all over the country took their first steps to a more skilful future this week with the launch of The FA Tesco Skills Programme Development Centres. In 12 counties across England, young players were given their first taste of The FA’s new learning strategy as the team of new Skills Coaches delivered to hundreds of grassroots players.

For players, parents and coaches who turned up at the centres expecting to see a ‘traditional’ football session, there may well have been quite a shock. As players bounced, rolled and twisted their way through movement packed warm-ups, immersed themselves in themed games with pirates, castles and fast cars, onlookers may have been left wondering ‘where was the skill in all that?’

However, as the players went about balancing on the edge of pirate ships, crossing motorways in reverse and exploring bubbling swamps made of coloured cones, skill acquisition was discretely at work. The fundamental movements that past generations have acquired by playing ‘tig’ in the park and getting chases in the street were beginning to be ingrained in the children’s movement memories.

But still no demonstrations of how to catch the ball on the back of your neck or do a 100 keep-ups?

Competition for attention

In a world where children’s attention is a profitable asset, the simple game of football faces the daunting task of competing with the internet, DVDs, consoles and television in the battle for interest. In order to meet this challenge the coaches of our very young players must make capturing a player’s imagination the number one objective.

‘Skill’ will be needed to disguise sound practice frameworks in a way that enthuses a child’s mind, fires their imagination whilst at the same time meets specific technical and physical objectives.

When a child arrives at a coaching session you are sometimes lucky enough to see glimpses of the make believe world in which they live. Quite often you can see robots, aeroplanes and warriors complete with actions and sound effects.

As soon as the practice is over there’s no time to worry about collecting a drinks bottle when there’s bad guys to fight and a world to save. As I was quite aptly reminded last week, it is worth remembering the majority of children between five and eleven still believe in Father Christmas.

So the next time we’re talking to our team of Under 7s about taking ‘responsibility’ for ‘tracking runners’, just stop for a while and imagine all those elves darting around the toy factories whilst the reindeers wait patiently in the cold outside. Maybe then working on the offside trap with your back three will start to seem a little less important and we can all start having some fun.

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