If we genuinely want to change youth sports, we could just 'punch down' & laugh at individual coaching types.

Or we could 'punch up', & challenge institutional lethargy / indifference.

What's more likely to threaten the status quo?

1/ So perhaps challenge systems which permit:

⚽️GR clubs to trial & select children from the age of 5
⚽️GR clubs who 'release' primary school age kids by text
⚽️Kids starting football in kits in leagues from (6) ...yeah we know it;s not a league it's called 'Development Football' .

It's been #IWD2022 this week.

A fairly muted response in football but there's been other stuff going on in the world.

I've run this club for 6 years. Has anything really changed? @WomeninFootball @HerGameToo

I've a right to speak out - whether you listen is up to you 1/ Recently, I was mentoring young coaches in an u18 game.

One lad told me after the game that the ref had said to the players 'stop acting like girls'.

One of the lads said 'that's sexist'.

Yes. It is.

Not sure?

Replace it with a racial description.

It needs to STOP. 2/

A few points....
⚽️we're not here to take the kids clubs won't take while they pretend to be inclusive
⚽️equal playing time means we're more not less serious about football.
⚽️poaching isn't coaching
⚽️if you don't get what we're doing, please don't come to our club. Simple. And some more..
⚽️institutions have power. We rely on them to listen, to act fairly, to reflect & show learning. If they don't, or won't, we can do nothing. There is impunity. So don't act like a victim when your organisation has the power.
2/

Do we confuse being child-centred/led with being nice to children? Do we need to explore the difference? Paternalism and autonomy are different. We need to understand both and where we stand on the continuum between them at any given time. Shall we share some things we have learnt?