Children playing on the pitch at Turner's Cross. James Crombie/INPHO
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We're missing out on a generation of kids. It's time to start playing football with them
John O’Sullivan believes League of Ireland clubs could be sending players to schools to assist with PE and help lower the age profile of those attending matches.
MY EIGHT-YEAR-old son wants to go to Longford on Sunday to watch Cork City play.
City Calling Stadium is an away ground he hasn’t visited – he keeps a list – and because it’s an afternoon kick-off there’s no excuse from me about how late the return journey would be on a school night.
Basically, he’s a Cork City fan, which is something I’ve more or less driven into him since he was born. He can’t (and never will) remember his first few trips to Turner’s Cross.
He wasn’t yet a year old but I was taking no chances he’d end up liking a rival; constantly at the back of my head was the memory of an article I’d read which stated that children form their affiliation to a team before the age of seven, and very rarely switch allegiances after this age.
So I put in the ground work on my son and two daughters.
When we do visit Longford on Sunday, I don’t expect to see many others within the ground. Longford are struggling in the league, on the field and in terms of attendances, but they’re not alone.
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As Alan Cawley highlighted on Soccer Republic last Monday night, attendances are down all year, with those across last weekend’s FAI Cup fixtures particularly worrying.
Over the years since it was established, 250,000 would be a conservative estimate on the numbers who have passed through that small corner of the ground.
Criticising attendances without offering potential solutions doesn’t really help the situation, so I’ll offer one, which I’m blatantly thieving from my local GAA club – of which I’m a member and an U10 coach.
A few years ago, Cashel King Cormacs made a decision to get into the local primary schools — with the support of their principal — and take PE classes where coaches from the club would teach fundamental GAA skills and techniques.
A couple of volunteers for a couple of hours a week would take schoolkids in small groups and create an enjoyable environment, free from pressure where kids could play.
On Wednesday, Cashel Girls primary school won the Schools U11 county camogie final in Semple Stadium, Thurles. On Thursday, Cashel Boys primary school won the Schools U11 county hurling final at the same ground. Guess which kids were in junior infants when the scheme started?
The best ideas are already out there, waiting to be stolen. Every single club in this league has players who could spend a few hours a week in local primary schools, taking training sessions and ensuring their club is more active in the community.
Never underestimate the effect a “real soccer player” in a “real soccer tracksuit” can have walking into a classroom of young kids, even if he’s from your U19 squad.
Every club has thrown free tickets at schools, every club has tried “U12s are free” but around the league there are very few grounds where you have a lot of kids.
Every time a circus comes to town, every time there’s a panto around Christmas, every summer camp that’s trying to promote itself right now and your kids will bring home flyers and bits of paper. There is no substitute for spending time in front of kids, pieces of paper can be balled up and binned but positive memories stick.
If every club put their players in schools for a couple of hours a week, it will create an interest in the sport, in the club and once it’s done properly, the community around that school will react positively. It doesn’t have to be about player development, it does have to be about fun.
If you miss out on a generation of kids – as some clubs have – you miss out on a generation of adults down the line, and their kids in turn. The current trend and age profile in grounds is worrying, it can be helped by teaching a kid how to kick a ball during PE.
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We're missing out on a generation of kids. It's time to start playing football with them
MY EIGHT-YEAR-old son wants to go to Longford on Sunday to watch Cork City play.
City Calling Stadium is an away ground he hasn’t visited – he keeps a list – and because it’s an afternoon kick-off there’s no excuse from me about how late the return journey would be on a school night.
Basically, he’s a Cork City fan, which is something I’ve more or less driven into him since he was born. He can’t (and never will) remember his first few trips to Turner’s Cross.
He wasn’t yet a year old but I was taking no chances he’d end up liking a rival; constantly at the back of my head was the memory of an article I’d read which stated that children form their affiliation to a team before the age of seven, and very rarely switch allegiances after this age.
So I put in the ground work on my son and two daughters.
When we do visit Longford on Sunday, I don’t expect to see many others within the ground. Longford are struggling in the league, on the field and in terms of attendances, but they’re not alone.
As Alan Cawley highlighted on Soccer Republic last Monday night, attendances are down all year, with those across last weekend’s FAI Cup fixtures particularly worrying.
I got to thinking and fundamentally, we’re not doing the ground work. I wrote last year about the family enclosure in Cork City and how it was a long-term project to get kids into Turner’s Cross.
Criticising attendances without offering potential solutions doesn’t really help the situation, so I’ll offer one, which I’m blatantly thieving from my local GAA club – of which I’m a member and an U10 coach.
A few years ago, Cashel King Cormacs made a decision to get into the local primary schools — with the support of their principal — and take PE classes where coaches from the club would teach fundamental GAA skills and techniques.
A couple of volunteers for a couple of hours a week would take schoolkids in small groups and create an enjoyable environment, free from pressure where kids could play.
On Wednesday, Cashel Girls primary school won the Schools U11 county camogie final in Semple Stadium, Thurles. On Thursday, Cashel Boys primary school won the Schools U11 county hurling final at the same ground. Guess which kids were in junior infants when the scheme started?
The best ideas are already out there, waiting to be stolen. Every single club in this league has players who could spend a few hours a week in local primary schools, taking training sessions and ensuring their club is more active in the community.
Never underestimate the effect a “real soccer player” in a “real soccer tracksuit” can have walking into a classroom of young kids, even if he’s from your U19 squad.
Every club has thrown free tickets at schools, every club has tried “U12s are free” but around the league there are very few grounds where you have a lot of kids.
If every club put their players in schools for a couple of hours a week, it will create an interest in the sport, in the club and once it’s done properly, the community around that school will react positively. It doesn’t have to be about player development, it does have to be about fun.
If you miss out on a generation of kids – as some clubs have – you miss out on a generation of adults down the line, and their kids in turn. The current trend and age profile in grounds is worrying, it can be helped by teaching a kid how to kick a ball during PE.
The42 is on Snapchat! Tap the button below on your phone to add!
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