FFA: What about the kids...the 99%

FFA: Justify your changes to SSG's to our vast majority, our children.

How do your changes benefit our Aussie kids, apart from the 1% of telented players.

So when I played football, my first real game was when I was ten. Until then I played 1 v 1, 2 v 2, 3,v 3 and 8 v 8 whenever we could with whoever we could get.

I was tested against older kids continually.

I played on the street, we lived in a cul-de-sac, and cars got booed if they ever interupted our game. The neignbours would knife our ball if it went on their English rose filled garden!

But this was turned to advantage occasionally when the game was often deliberately ended by the losers kicking it on to old Fran Overs, the knifers, garden.


But it ain't like that anymore. Mum drops the kids at training for an hour on Thursday and then joins them for their game on Saturday morning. For most footballers that is football. Right?

And the way Fozzie and co talk and ooze about Futsal, 5 v 5 and the skill it brings to our players the obvious question is why don't we mirror this up to the age of 10 in the outdoor game.

Would that improve of decrease our skills?

If 5 v 5 is so good for skills indoor why aren't we playing 5 v 5 outdoors to an older age. It ain't going to happen but it seems obvious.

However what ain't so obvious is why the FFA has changed the Small Sided Games for Under 10's from 7 v 7 to 9 v 9.

Now many, of course, are delighted. Why I've no idea because if you want your best for your child then bigger fields and bigger teams doesn't help..we know that or we wouldn't be playing any small sided games.

Aussie kids, 99% do not play much football outside their one hour of coaching and game time. Nor will most of them in my view.

So keeping the smaller side games is better for our childs development. Just go and watch our ten year olds at any club in the country, any grade, and see their skill level. Not so hot is it for either boys or girls.

And most of our kids will never play for Australia never mind a rep side.

So come on FFA justify your change to the kids of Australia.

How will they benefit from your changes? Or do you care about the 99% the so-called community pathway.