NZFootball Progress
NZFootball Progress
What are you thoughts? are we headed in the right direction or are
we just kidding ourselves?
To use an old cliche:
It won't happen overnight. But it will happen.
Hammer Head2007-08-24 19:57:15
2007 had the potential to be a massive year for football in NZ.
With three teams playing in world cups and the rising of the
Phoenix. To date the U20 and U17's have failed and the women have
been taught lessions against Canada and the States. The All Whites
have the best result of the year...a draw with Wales. Let us not
forget that Wales have not been to a world cup since 1958. That
leaves us with the Phoenix, im hoping for the best!
I think things are on the up i base that not on results from big
events but lookingat grass roots football.
More players and better skills.
Yeah, NZ football's not perfect but it's definitely getting better.
Football has had the largest youth participation rate for sport in
NZ for over 15 years. The drop out at College is massive and then
the drop out after college is significant again. The clubs do
nothing to recruit players that are at school what so ever unless
you are a national rep etc. Unfortunately there are huge numbers of
decent players leaving the game becuase they feel they arentwanted
by anyone.
loyal gunner...how can you say its getting better? what are
you basing that on? Reseults? Performance? Feeling?
we'll get there....eventually.
IMHO if we have each high school/college 'buddy up' with a local football club and keep promising youngsters in the game (ie:1st XI players) we'll be better for it in the long run.
IMHO if we have each high school/college 'buddy up' with a local football club and keep promising youngsters in the game (ie:1st XI players) we'll be better for it in the long run.
IMHO if we have each high school/college 'buddy up' with a local football club and keep promising youngsters in the game (ie:1st XI players) we'll be better for it in the long run.
you pose a good idea. it certainly works with rugby.
everyone that plays for a 1st XI should be asked to play for a
club, even alot of 2nd XI players at some schools. Its not uncommon
for players to be over looked for various reasons.
loyal gunner...how can you say its getting better? what are
you basing that on? Reseults? Performance? Feeling?
[/QUOTE]Not everything's better, but I think things are on the rise in this country. We have now got a professional football team in NZ that is competetive, it has a lot of Kiwi's in it's ranks and it has a kiwi coach. Then there's the All Whites, Ricki Herbert has been able to work well with the few good players he has had. I think the 2-2 draw with Wales speaks for itself (we pretty much fielded a "B" side in that match too). The NZFC isn't going badly at all either.
But yes, things such as keeping teenagers playing the game need to be addressed.
Looking good at the top, but as get lower (under 20, 17) so do
quality of performances
Looking good at the top, but as get lower (under 20, 17) so do
quality of performances
What?
The all whites have played 3 games since march this year
losing 4-0, 5-0 and a 2-2 draw for a total scoreline of 2-11 i cant
see much good in that.
I suggest everyone reads "6-66 could spell the death of
credibility" in the Herald on Sunday.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=86&objectid=10459905
OK, I've read it and?
" New Zealand have sadly proved that they don't deserve to be there." - RUBBISH!!! dairyflat2007-08-26 11:22:01
OK, I've read it and?
" New Zealand have sadly proved that they don't deserve to be there." - RUBBISH!!! dairyflat2007-08-26 11:22:01
The problem is something which has dogged us for 30 years. Its a
simple problem but something the general NZ football scene has
failed to grasp.
Its generally accepted within coaching circles worldwide that a players skill level is virtually set by the time they hit 14. If they dont have the skill set in place by then they have little chance of advancing that skill set as they get older.
We have a situation in NZ where the administering body, regional bodies, franchises clubs and schools have absolutely no logical, progressive, curriculum based approach to teaching our 5 to 14 year olds. There is no money or budget anywhere in the above mentioned t provide any sort of technical based curriculum for these ages.
All coaching in NZ of these age groups is ad hoc. Nobody is following a plan, we are essentially relying on the randomness of good coaches doing good work in little pockets of effort all over the country. The only people supplying any sort of structure to how the younger age groups learn the basic technical skills of the game are the private academies, wynrs and coerver being just two examples.
2 1/2 years ago i attended the NZ Soccer awards dinner. Graeme Seattor did his speech and proudly spoke about how much money was being pumped into youth development and the international age group scene. Thats all well and good except for a couple of things. The youth players are only going to be as good a raw product as their junior development allows them to be. There was no mention of money for the junior scene and since that evening not a single thing has been done apart from an upgrade to the small whites website.
We need a set of skills taught to our juniors in a systematic approach which appropriately works on the various skills applicable to their age and size. We need that approach to be uniform and measurable accross the junior scheme and we need an holistic approach across the whole country where coaches are all heading in a relatively similar direction. We have an ad hoc and random system now. In fact we dont even have a system.
Right now in certain areas we appear to be doing better but the ugly truth is we dont have the Aussies in our way when it comes to qualifying for FIFA tournaments so NZS can claim to have made improvements.
Fortuantely because of the work of the private academies and a small number of coaches around the country we do have some kids coming through with the technical abilities to have a decent chance at the higher levels. However if we had a more intelligent approach to juniors, in fact if we had any sort of planned approach we could do much better.
I wonder how Riki Herbert would do with the All Whites if he had more players available with the technical ability to implement his tactical ideas. Right now he only has a few players capable of passing and receiving the ball at pace and under pressure that would enable us to compete on the international stage.
We will never qualify for another senior world cup in my lifetime again until we take a radically different approach to coaching the 5 to 14 year olds.
You dont understand how to do calculus until you can add and subtract. Our current approach is to try and produce a F1 car with a fantastic body and suspension but fitting a skoda engine to it.
Thats the bad news. The good news is that its a relatively easy fix but just requires patience.
Its generally accepted within coaching circles worldwide that a players skill level is virtually set by the time they hit 14. If they dont have the skill set in place by then they have little chance of advancing that skill set as they get older.
We have a situation in NZ where the administering body, regional bodies, franchises clubs and schools have absolutely no logical, progressive, curriculum based approach to teaching our 5 to 14 year olds. There is no money or budget anywhere in the above mentioned t provide any sort of technical based curriculum for these ages.
All coaching in NZ of these age groups is ad hoc. Nobody is following a plan, we are essentially relying on the randomness of good coaches doing good work in little pockets of effort all over the country. The only people supplying any sort of structure to how the younger age groups learn the basic technical skills of the game are the private academies, wynrs and coerver being just two examples.
2 1/2 years ago i attended the NZ Soccer awards dinner. Graeme Seattor did his speech and proudly spoke about how much money was being pumped into youth development and the international age group scene. Thats all well and good except for a couple of things. The youth players are only going to be as good a raw product as their junior development allows them to be. There was no mention of money for the junior scene and since that evening not a single thing has been done apart from an upgrade to the small whites website.
We need a set of skills taught to our juniors in a systematic approach which appropriately works on the various skills applicable to their age and size. We need that approach to be uniform and measurable accross the junior scheme and we need an holistic approach across the whole country where coaches are all heading in a relatively similar direction. We have an ad hoc and random system now. In fact we dont even have a system.
Right now in certain areas we appear to be doing better but the ugly truth is we dont have the Aussies in our way when it comes to qualifying for FIFA tournaments so NZS can claim to have made improvements.
Fortuantely because of the work of the private academies and a small number of coaches around the country we do have some kids coming through with the technical abilities to have a decent chance at the higher levels. However if we had a more intelligent approach to juniors, in fact if we had any sort of planned approach we could do much better.
I wonder how Riki Herbert would do with the All Whites if he had more players available with the technical ability to implement his tactical ideas. Right now he only has a few players capable of passing and receiving the ball at pace and under pressure that would enable us to compete on the international stage.
We will never qualify for another senior world cup in my lifetime again until we take a radically different approach to coaching the 5 to 14 year olds.
You dont understand how to do calculus until you can add and subtract. Our current approach is to try and produce a F1 car with a fantastic body and suspension but fitting a skoda engine to it.
Thats the bad news. The good news is that its a relatively easy fix but just requires patience.
" New Zealand have sadly proved that they don't deserve to be there." - RUBBISH!!!
The best result we have seen this year from an NZ team is a
2-2 draw with Wales - who havent made a world cup since 1958 (49
years ago) which was 24 years before the All Whites went to
Spain.
What evidence have any of the teams shown that they should be
at the World Cup?
I want to see them in these competitions at much as the next
person but watching games like the drubbings in South America, the
Brazil and England U17 games and the women against the US one has
to wonder if its the best thing.
for every step we take foward we seem to end up going
backwards. Some great events have happened in NZ football in the
last 10 years (Confederation Cup 99 and Qualification win against
Auz in the next one - 99 U17 world cup - danny hay, ryan nelson,
chris killen to name but a few)
Blood on our hands before we make progress. Before we weren't
even getting out there.
Constant exposure to a better class of footie is for the
best.
If we look at our progress through the 70s, it was the same
thing, slaughter, slaughter, success.
Yes, we need better coaches, more of everything in fact.
While we are waiting, there is no substitute for getting on a plane
and finding a club that pays you to play regular, relentless,
hardened football. Some of the teams we have fielded did not
meet the fitness test.
This can be sorted out with 'point' testing, the All Blacks
run back and forth between the 22 and goal line, and do a few
exercises, time is taken off at each point between 1 and 15.
Potential goalies for Chelsea have a turn test, face the back
of the goal, on the line, blow a whistle, turn around as fast as
you can to save the penalty. When you can do that they might
talk to you. The other things is no one would consider
leaving school before going to a club. That might have to
change.
For my own sake, I want to see NZ at THE World Cup one more
time before I die, is that too much to ask?
Check of NZ Football's strategic plan. This is the framework
that they are using to drive the game at the moment. Initiated last
year and looks through to 2010.... - http://www.nzsoccer.com/page/nzf_strategic_plan.html
Yeah and nowhere does it address with any depth the problem of
junior development and our ad hoc approach. Its very very vague.