There is a couple of kids who have a natural propensity to defend anyway - might just tell them to make sure that the opp is never between them and the GK and see how that goes. Don’t want to be overly ambitious - also a few hogs in the team (I blame Messi) - might be my chance to tell them to actually pass the ball
probably depends if you’re going to play inverted wingbacks? Are you thinking playing Gegenpress or something a bit more expressive?
In all seriousness though, watching my nephews play, by 8 they’re sort of starting to understand tactics positions, etc. My youngest nephew is 7 and they’ve had two different coaches. Under the first, they were dominating and winning all game 10-0, with the second, he’s very much more about letting them do whatever they want, and they’re now getting pumped. The first definitely kept a more structured and professional level of playing. My nephew easily knows under which he enjoyed playing more.
100% - find those that mock a strikers inability to run or move to a pass, and make them backs. A couple of years ago they tried to give me a game up front, so I spent the entire warm up pointing at my feet and falling over inside the box until they said I could stay in the back…
They dont enforce offside in U8s but the game leaders should be pulling it up. Its such a dog move to coach the kids to stick on the goalie and pump it long.
So the game went well and to be honest- I got a bit of a buzz from coaching and would be happy to do it again.
Team we played is the only team to have towelled us up this season, beat us 10+ goals in the first game, we lost 2-1 on the weekend - my idea of telling the kids who like defending to make sure that there was never a player behind them really worked. The oppo coach was nice enough, but was not half as nice to me after the game as we was before it.
Yeah actually ok - I gave two sets of instructions thinking any more than that might be too much - one was to look to pass more the other was about defending- that certainly seemed to work and I think there was more passing than normal, one little dude still hogged it a bit, but in fairness, he is probably the one in the team who can get past a few so fair enough.
Had to take my oldest in to get her teeth checked out. When she was around 1, she fell straight down onto our coffee table and smacked/chipped her front teeth very very lightly. She fell straight down onto them. Got them checked out and the teeth were all fine.
Fast forward 3 years and looks like one of the teeth is infected (front left) so needs to come out. Unfortunately looks like she’ll be toothless for a few years until the adult tooth comes out On the plus side, she gets to experience the tooth fairy at an earlier age
She went for a run in pre-school last week Tuesday, tripped and went head first into a chair. Split forehead, thankfully didn’t need stitches, but wife had to take her to a medical centre, plus heaps of blood.
Fast forward to last Saturday, i’m in the garage, wife is in the car as the youngest fell asleep. Wife knocks on the door, all I hear is a massive “dong” followed by crying. Run inside and my oldest is standing at the door with blood pouring out of her mouth. She’d gone for a run, tripped and went face first into our coffee table. Took her to emergency and had to come back the next day for 2 stitches. To her credit, she was an absolute trooper on Sunday. Got there at 7am, only to find out there was an emergency surgery for a new-born. We ended up getting in a 2pm and she didn’t cry even once. Very surreal experience watching her go out under general anaesthetic though.
Yeah, my middle one had some ENT surgery and him coming out of the anesthetic was one of the most harrowing experiences I have had… screaming, thrashing about and then falling back to sleep…
when he finally woke up he was fine, no memories as i was sat their shaking like a ghost!
Hope the little one is on the mend now and figured out where its safe to have a run!