yes totaly agree mate and i think its healthy that kids want to win and think its great when they play matches best training session possible.i also beleive kids to to also need to feel as long as they have tried there best losing is also ok and can still be proud of themselves.we have played some friendlies and won been a great game both teams and the opposition coach shouting at them for not winning think that needs stamping out as i feel kids learn from both

My girls' team's best performance in terms of skill, technique and attitude last year was a 2-0 loss....

You have more than one girl in the team or a rare gramatical error? I know that you like to uphold forum standards (against all odds) and all if it's the latter. Profuse apologies if it's the former.

Interesting one. My initial reaction was to say neither. It is a girls' football team. Should there be an apostrophe there or not? Let the debate begin....

There definately should.

Who gives a monkey, the discussion was about kids rugby / fotball and different ways of coaching not picking people up on spelling errors. In the grand scheme of things does it really matter?

I don't mind, Geordie. You know 71 and I have this love/hate relationship.

It was not a spelling error and yes it does, to me.

A spelling error would have been so embarrassing.

It is interesting TANCW. To be honest I believe you were referring to the team in which you girl plays rather than the team of girls which are in your possession. Geordie - if you don't like it you can...

a) Bang your drum.
b) Not bang your drum yet seek affirmation and secretly invite requests to bang said drum again.
c) Hang a monkey.
d) Tell us you are more Warringtonian than those born in Warrington.
e) Ban me
f) All of the above.
g) Any of the above.
h) Any other sanction you may see fit or otherwise.
i) Take no action and think more.

It's nothing to do with my possession of the team. It's whether girls' team or girls' football should have the apostrophe. Think about it. Women's football has an apostrophe, so girls' football would and therefore girls' team would.

I would say my daughter's team if I wanted to specify the team she plays in. I would never refer to her as my girl.

I can't beleive you just typed all that out! What a complete waste of time and effort

Geordie, back on topic. If you have enough players for two squads, would you split them equally or have an A (strong) and a B (weaker) team?

You would never refer to your daughter as "my girl" - ever?

3/10.

I have it cut n pasted anyway. You should have seen my "wolfette.doc".

No, I don't think I ever have. I would say "That's my daughter over there" or "My daughter does this or that". "My girl" is not a turn of phrase I'd use.

Ah finally a question that I can actually answer with some insight.

When I coached my first team at under 10s, they played 11 aside modified rugby and we had 25 players. The rules in Junior Rugby League are that no matter what any players that turn up on match day must receive equal game time, very difficult to manage those numbers in a 30 minute game.

Myself and the other coach decided it was in the kids best interests to split into 2 and did exactly what you said, I took the "Better" players whilst he wanted to work with the weaker players and develop them further.

Although we all parted on good terms, some of the parents where a little miffed with the split and relations between the 2 teams very quickly went sour. Rugby league will not allow you to have them all train together and hen split into 2 teams for match days (Pretty Stupid imo)

If you have the opportunity too, recruit extra coaches and register as an A and a B team but keep the whole group training together but split them into 2 teams for match days. Match days are only to practice what they have been working on in training and to aid their development and have fun.

Keeping them together will certainly help when they get to older age groups where player numbers tend to drop off. You will also get the benefit of competition for places whereby the better players in team B will be trying to force the weaker players for team A out and it gives every one in B team a target to aim for whilst A team know if they are misbehaving or not doing as asked their are others willing to step in and take their place.

It also gives you control of the development of the overall group whereby you are asking the other coaches to develop the skills that you set out and hopefully everyone including other coaches, Players and Parents will buy into the systems you put in place.

anyone see the kids doing defensive drills in the in goal area in front of the west stand yesterday ....very impressive all eyes on the play the ball, set and in shoulder to shoulder 1,2,3,4 and back..

brilliant stuff ......

then the games kick off .....play the ball, give it to the fat kid, fat kid trundles up nearly scores,.... play the ball, give it to another fat kid,... fat kid scores...

sorry if it harsh calling a them a fat kid but its true...not one pass ALL game other than from the play the ball.......

your team wins if it has a big fat lad....

please first and foremost teach the kids to pass the ball.......

impress us with defensive drills later.....

I didnt see that particulalry but you see it all the time.

Coaches at 8,9,10,11 and even 12s who think that the way to becoming a good team is to actually have a couple of big lads who others find difficult to tackle and just keep giving them the ball or have 1 or 2 quick lads who try and run around the outside.

How these teams keep players when they rarely get a touch of the ball is beyond me.

As you rightly say, develop all of the core skills and then teach them slowly how to open holes up and pass the balls to a runner.

at 14s / 15s its the teams that have developed the rugby skills that prosper when all of the mismatch in sizes even out.

The French have their kids playing by weight to stop that happening in the younger age groups, I wonder if that would be effective over here.

can i just say that i have taken my little boy who is 5 to bank park for the last 2 weeks for training with the wolves foundation and he has thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. THAT IS WOT ITS IS SUPPOSED TO BE LIKE WHEN YOUR A CHILD ENJOYMENT!!!

And again, in girls' football, there is also that tendency - particularly with the speedy ones. There is a balance between getting them to be positive and getting them to play as a team which is one of the joys of junior coaching. Look at Spain - pass, pass, pass, pass, pass, pass.... until there is a clear opportunity, then take it...

you look weird in tracky pants.

I always imagine TANCW to have looked like this when he was younger.

Has he not just gone into the big brother house?

TANCW? Phew dat meens we can spel like dis on ere now, init.