So much sense talked about youth development by our new youth dude

[bmck 117]

http://www.theherald.co.uk/sport/headlines/display.var.1446738.0.0.php

 

Going nowhere fast ââ?¬â?? why political slow play has to stopMARTIN GREIG June 05 2007

 

Jimmy Sinclair, the Rangers head of youth development, has launched a scathing critique of the Scottish Football Association's Youth Action Plan and blamed political short-termism for its lack of progress.

 

His comments, which focus on the role of the Executive and consultancy firm PMP, have particular resonance in the wake of new SFA chief executive Gordon Smith's assertion that he will hold a meeting with First Minister Alex Salmond to seek assurances on the government's commitment to new facilities for Scottish football.

 

Three years ago, the SFA, in conjunction with the Executive, launched a �£31.1m investment in youth football throughout Scotland.

 

advertisementThe basis for the 10-year action plan came from a damning report by the independent consultancy, PMP, which recommended 55 changes to improve the structure and development of youth football.

 

However, Sinclair, head of youth development at the SFA until last summer, dismissed PMP's findings as "a lot of rubbish" and claimed that former Scotland manager Walter Smith was on the cusp of "going to the highest possible level" to try to shake things up politically.

 

The much-vaunted 10-year programme of investment was branded the "inaction plan" in this newspaper recently, prompting a stout defence from Jim Fleeting, the SFA's head of youth development.

 

However, Sinclair claims that Fleeting's hands are tied by the paltry political funding and misguided recommendations of PMP. "In some cases PMP's findings are not even debatable, but fanciful. And yet, we were bound by the figures," said Sinclair.

 

"PMP would say things like: increase participation by 15%'. So you would say: are there enough children out there who are able and willing to do that?' "Or they would say: improve results by 10% - qualify for more major tournaments'. There was no strategy which says: we need to do X, Y and Z to achieve that.' It was the most frustrating period of my time at the SFA, it was dreadful.

 

"Along the way they were always, to our absolute disgust, trying to pin us down to actions and targets and achievements. We were saying: Well give us the money to do it.' In my view, it was a cop-out."

 

The initial figure of �£31.1m does not look as impressive when broken down. The SFA are dedicated to �£1m a year and the Executive's commitment is to �£12m over 10 years, with the rest made up from grants.

 

The Herald also understands that government cash was not forthcoming for the first couple of years. "A lot of that money isn't new money, continued Sinclair. "The money at the top is going to be spread over 10 years.

 

"In the greater scheme of things, it's a nonsense and nothing which is going to impact to any sufficient degree to make a change.

 

The irony is, by putting that money on the table, they shut down the route to all the grants you were able to access previously. There was a wee bit of smoke and mirrors there."

 

So does Sinclair think that a root-and-branch review of youth football in Scotland is still required?

 

"There's absolutely no doubt about that. I just don't know, over time, how much the Executive will be able to stand by the targets. I think they're a lot of rubbish.

 

"The SFA will now need to manage the expectation of the Executive to say: We've tried all this, but this is what we have ended up with.' Walter Smith was right on the cusp of going to the highest possible level and really shaking things up when he was international team manager but things didn't get that far because he left. He was ready to point out to politicians first hand just how paltry the funding was."

 

Twelve years at the SFA, including spells as children's programme director, head of youth and head of football development, prior to joining Rangers last summer, has left Sinclair well qualified to comment on the most efficient way of developing young footballers.

 

Club academies, such as the one Sinclair is now in charge of at Murray Park, have the greatest responsibility for hot-housing promising talents. With development contribution payments now due for youngsters aged 11 upwards who move between elite clubs, the recruitment age for bringing children into academies is becoming ever younger.

 

Sinclair believes that, in an ideal world, it would be the governing body, rather than the clubs, who take responsibility for the development of youngsters.

 

"The perfect scenario, and we're 100 miles away from it in this country because of lack of investment, is that the governing body have the resources to put a programme in place which allows all young kids to participate," said Sinclair.

 

"And programmes then exist to fast-track the better ones. Sadly, that doesn't exist. As a consequence, through necessity, clubs have to select, but selection at that age is roulette. Clubs are forced into choosing young kids.

 

The consequence of that is, if these kids don't perform, then the club has to let them go. That, in itself, is a sad state of affairs."

 

John Collins, the Hibernian manager and former Monaco player, recently expressed strong views on the deficiencies in the Scottish and English academy systems, compared with the set-up in France.

 

There, elite youngsters are brought into academies at 13, where their football development is intrinsically linked with academic achievement courtesy of on-site education facilities. "They need to get their marks in the classroom to be allowed to train, so if they don't make it in football, they still have their education," said Collins.

 

"Scottish players only come in here to club academies at 16, so already the French have three years head start. That's two or three years of touching a ball every day - that's millions and millions of touches. So by the time they hit 16 they are better technically and physically because they are stretching and eating a proper diet."

 

Sinclair believes that the first step towards the continental model would be a re-configuration of the school day in Scotland to allow for the development of elite young sportsmen and women. "The school curriculum should allow for elite performers to practise and develop within their sport," he said.

 

"A lot of it is to do with access to the kids. In Holland, France and Germany, the school day accommodates the kids working physically. They do something in the morning, something in the afternoon and again in the evening. That alone is a massive bonus.

 

"We in this country are nowhere near that. We are trying to cram in four nights a week here at Murray Park, one-and-a half to two-hour sessions. All of that energy and time and effort is getting taken into kids' bones as much as anything.

 

"We have kids bused here from Dundee after having been in school all day. So they leave school, sit for an hour or more on the minibus, do their training, an hour or more back up the road. The system is actually fighting against them. They are prevailing despite it.

 

"When we see the content of what is delivered on the continent, it is not rocket science. it is not as if we would go to France, Germany or Spain and see coaching methods that were completely and utterly out of this world.

 

"There are very few factors, other than the school one, which you could readily point to. Access to the sport is such a key thing."

 

--

 

the emboldened bit above is a sentiment expressed quite regularly on here. good to know we've got someone who knows the score.

[juffery 0]

Our new youth dude :D

[fraser54 0]

You say your busy at work and you do that

 

A will read it when i have a spare 20 minutes