Michael Glading

Michael Glading

Michael Glading - can anyone tell me one positive thing that he has done at this stage of his tenure at the head of NZ Football?

By how slow his topic is going I'd say he is about as sharp as carpet.

got SPARC $ for the wimmin (and then is prob going to axe their national league)Feverish2009-06-18 06:51:13

Half the problem is the vested interests that hold sway in NZ football, the attitudes that  'its all about me and who cares that the rest of the game is a shambles'. Everyone is trying to protect their own little patch and power base, you can see it in the Federations and in the clubs (thats not to say there aren't a lot of people trying to improve the situation).

Just turned in my latest FFT blog. Covers this ground kinda. I do spout the predictible "we need our own Frank Lowy" line, but I mean more someone who can go about things the way he has, actually make the kind of headway NZF never has and never will at this rate.

 Michael Glading... the man driving changes to junior footy that entail 11-13 year olds playing friendlies every Saturday on smaller pitches -no competition and goals do not count...reminds me of what Netball was supposed to have done years ago.

My 5 yr old plays football for 1 hour on a Saturday at our local club, they spend 30mins doing drills and then 30mins playing against one of the other teams of the same age group within the club.

They don't keep the score...

My mate's kid (4.5yrs) plays rugby and they play against teams from all around the city and definately keep the score, my mate says all the kids want to know who won etc.

The whole not keeping score thing annoys me, surely it's important.

But i went to a Mainland Football Coaching session (for coaches) and they stress the important of small pitches, small numbers per side and no score for U8's (or thereabouts). In fact they say for kids of my son's age it should be 3 on 3, well we have 8 in our team, so are 5 of them supposed to stand on the sdelines waiting for their turn? What does that achieve?

I personally dont agree with the whole not keeping score thing, and been a teacher i have spoken to many other teachers about this issus as well. And as a fact not a single p.e. teacher i have ever meet agrees with the whole no winner concept.

The point with small teams is more touches on the ball for the kids, and not keeping score is important as kids can focus on skill rather than results and tactics which can be developed at a later age, technique needs to be learned at a younger age. Plus it stops parents shouting on side line and arguing with refs.

I dont really see the point of goalies at a young age, who knows how they will turn out - might never get past 4 ft and then what? played goalie all there life and now either tour as a sideshow midget goalie or try in the outfield where their outfield skills will be underdeveloped.

I reffer people here.

http://www.footballaustralia.com.au/2009GameDev/default.aspx?s=comm_dev_newsfeatures_news_item_new&id=20772
Critical_Lemon2009-07-01 19:00:02

Setts got the womens game up to good standard before Michael Glading came along, The only reason SPARC dished-out money on the womens game was because IT WAS GOING PLACES! and had little to nothing to do with Glading.

Just remember when Setts lost NZ money on a bad choice of grounds, and all you guys would do is give him sh*t, Well at least under him we never lost a Under 17s would cup birth. Oh and he was all for the Nixs and would have got them playing in the NZFC unlike some-one we know.

Also NZF still dont get any money from the kids game, The 7 feds get it all to them self thats why they have money for nothing.....Baby sitting clubs?convict2009-07-02 01:05:37

Two separate issues.  I am 100% behind small sided games on small pithces if we want to develop.  We rush kids onto big pitcjes were the best players get the most touches and half the game is spent trying to take free kicks and corners that no one is big enough to get into or out of the box.  That is a proven formula for success that is widely respected in youth development world wide.  We won't/can't do it because (1) parents think kids are being held back and (2) it means councils have to reconvene pitches. 

Well said.

If we are concern about scoring, all we would be developing from an early age is the notion that long balls games are the way to go.

By having the idea of scoring it has a double edge sword that attacks good technical skills and hence we work on the long ball mentality which the big boys kick the ball up and the physically strong boys run, rush and push their way to the ball and so by the time they reach senior soccer, there is no technical development and lack the skill to make the grade let alone expect our best to foot it against other countries. They would have to resort to the long ball game that relies heavily on running and physical strength and not on technical skill and is limited on tactics. So then why would they continue in the game at senior level?

As they get older, the scoring does come into play but not without sacificing skill and technical development by the coaches or players. Once skill and technical development is sorted for the players, the tactical and the team development can have better grounding later on.

There is no rush and we need to be patient. Players want to enjoy the skill production but they later would naturally be competitive to keep track of the score as they get older because by then it will keep them more in the game.

They end up better team players and being over commit to do their best even if the score goes against them until the last whistle. Or else what you find is that players can't brush off the game-score and focus on the here and now and so when they concede a goal they hang their heads down and then they concede another unnecessary goal immediately. This is a problem for all ages.

If it comes too score oriented, the fun goes out and these junior/youth players will not continue playing at senior level. If it is fun as well as competitive then you will have more players after their secondary schooling.

When representative players were asked why they play senior soccer, it was because they enjoy the skill and the fun of it and that they meet people. They want it to be competitive, but also fun or it is not worth it. It is not just winning.

Asking people who no longer play, they say it is not fun anymore even when they are winning (sound crazy but bear with me), it's not the competitiveness (as there is always is), but rather the environment and the attitude is not good. And these are the best players in top school teams that are turned away from senior football.

So we are surrounded by people with different attitudes, it affect the team dynamics and morale, even in the hard competitive soccer and it draws all back to self absorbed attitudes in scoring in the junior days without regards to the teammates and listening to others. The self absorbed attitudes in the junior years would be best served in skill development and the desire to improve one's skill. Maybe one or two players who are completely skilled up can help others to improve their skill and therefore develops teamwork at an early age. This can all be good for the players overall development and progression.AllWhitebelievr2009-07-02 15:30:31

So they can learn that there are better ways to distribute (by throw) and to accurately find a player without resorting to punting without thought. It also makes they think about allowing the team to build up from the back as a team development.

Can't quite express my fury when my team's (quite good shot-stopping) keeper decides to punt the ball INTO a gale.

Drives me mad. And it's probably because he doesn't trust that throwing is a viable option.

This thread seems to have gone way of topic and is now exploring the merits of player development at a young age.

That is a ridiculous assertion. First of all, how many 5-14 year olds would be able to punt correctly with power and control anyway, even if you teach them early? And secondly, you don't teach a 5 year old every skill set in the book, you build them up over time; and much like passing is more important than sliding tackles, there are more important things for goalkeepers to learn early on, especially if you only start using keepers from around 10-12 years old.

I miss Setts. Things happened whilst he was here (Phoenix for instance).

Even though he screwed up NZF financially, I think under his reign NZ footie made bigger steps then it had in years.  The very fact that we are 2 games away from a world cup has a lot to do with him I believe.

I don't trust these money pinchers in charge now.  SPARC looks after womens footie and unless things have changed SPARC along with the "Golden Arc" takes care of the kids.

All NZF need to worry about is senior mens football.  Its a pity that the NZ Govt couldn't do a daming report on the game like the Aussie Govt did back in the early 00s.