JUNIOR TEAMS: DEVELOPMENT PLAN
It is the aim of this club to abide by our constitution, and in doing so provide:-
A quality playing and training environment, that enables all players to practice, play and improve as footballers, and as individuals.
We must endeavour to represent: our area of Merton, Wandsworth and Lambeth, and our parent club Tooting and Mitcham United, in as positive a light as possible. In doing so we must attempt to recruit from all sections of our local area, and beyond, in so doing, we must attempt to ensure our membership reflects our area, as far as racial, economic, and gender mix is concerned.
All attempts must be made to ensure our club is accessible, not elitist or exclusivist, and communicates with our membership as much as possible, to ensure everyone is kept in touch with all matters concerning each individual, and involves each member in the decision-making process, thus ensuring each member, as quickly as possible, feels a sense of identity and belonging to the club.
The younger members of the club should be introduced to organised football through mini-soccer, and support should be given to any initiative, by a governing body, which seeks to ensure football is played in the right spirit, and is accessible, in that it maximises the participant`s "skillful" participation in the game. This might be through rule-changes, introduction of equipment more suited to the participant, duration of game, and size of pitches.
The club should endeavour to remain in contact with local schools, to attempt to involve local children in our activities.
The club should ensure all volunteers and coaches are qualified to the highest possible standard. This would involve constantly reviewing their strengths and weaknesses and suggesting courses for improvement.
All coaches
should:
a. Aim to be qualified to at least The F.A. B-License Part
Two award.
b. Be aware of as wide a spectrum of coaching materials
and methods available. This would include, game playing technique coaching,
Coerver coaching, Speed, Agility and quickness training, co-ordination/balance,
flexibility work as well as techniques learned from F.A. courses.
c.
To join The Football Association Coaches Association (F.A.C.A), and keep
abreast of coaching developments through their magazine: Insight, and coaching
sessions organised by them.
d. Attend training sessions organised by
Surrey and London F.A.s, as well as the F.A.C.A.
e. Try to swap ideas
and materials with other Tooting and Mitcham United F.C. coaches.
f.
Be available to team managers to discuss developments.
g. Be prompt,
and warn their co-ordinator as soon as possible, if likely to be absent or
late.
All managers should be qualified to F.A. Junior Team Manager Award level, and to qualify to as high a level as possible.
The parent club should be accessed, where possible, for help in attaining high coaching standards.
The club should attempt to grow, where possible, to meet demand, and link with other organisations which share our ideals.
Attempts should be made to provide access to a higher standard of football, or a standard more appropriate to an individual, if it is felt the club cannot meet the needs of a participant. This would include professional clubs, if a particularly gifted individual were identified, but only if the individual`s emotional development is considered fully, and discussed with parents/guardians, before such a decision is made.
All participants at age 16-17 years of age should be given the opportunity to play for Tooting and Mitcham United Youth Team, and thus progression to the reserves and first team would be possible.
All age groups from under 7 to under 17 (and if possible, beyond) should be provided for, with a new u6 or u7 group being developed each year.