Rovers youth development team

[Nudga]

Guys, can anyone who has had their kids play or train for the development team tell me your experiences please, good or bad.

I played a charity tournement at the KMS 5 a side pitches yesterday and while I was playing my 6 year old was spotted by a Rovers scout when he was just mucking about with a ball with his mates.
My lad doesn't play football for anyone yet and has only played football with me really but already it's obvious that he knows what to do with a ball.
I am just a tad concerned that at 6 years old it's maybe too young for this. I know how clubs can just chew them up and spit em out if they don't make the grade.
First and foremost I want him to enjoy football and sports.
Advice and feedback welcome and appreciated.

[southwestexile]

Just an opinion with no knowledge of football club youth programmes.

I would find out the intensity he would face, anything more than an hour session maybe up to twice a week would seem too much to me. Also, make sure he carries on playing other sports and taking up the opportunities for other new sports.

However, these days coaching has moved on a lot and in the younger years has a focus on enjoyment and stimulation through play

[Nudga]

He already plays rugby for Bentley and these football sessions are twice a week for an hour or so.

[Dagenham Rover]

Let him do both, don't push him at the moment and he'll naturally sway towards one

[dickos1]

I would let him go, I was at Sheff utd at 9 years of age and the things I got taught then were things that I did during games later in life without even thinking about it.

[Donny Viking]

Personally I'd find a good local team for him to play with, one with a coach that has completed his FA youth badges and creates a safe, fun and self learning environment to develop in.

My lad was at donny from 7- 8 1/2 and he never particularly enjoyed it, he felt pressure to perform all the time, knowing that at any point he could be rejected.  It was almost a relief when he was let go.  He's now 11 and this summer was approached again by a Leeds coach wanting him to go for a trial - just shows he's not missed out playing for a good local team.  He's starting secondary school this week, so we said leave for another season and then see what happens.

On the opposite hand 3 of the boys he was playing with at 9 got signed by Leeds and Donny.  All 3 have been released this year, their experiences whislt great playing against other big clubs, the general pressure and competative edge meant 2 of them have nearly walked away from football completely as they forgot how to enjoy it.  It's only through a break and their dads bringing them back that they have found the fun again.  This is not unusual.

Bottom line for me is until they are emotionally old enough (12-14) then they need to be enjoying footie with their mates.  The FAs own youth programme highlights that young children should participate in a variety of sports at a young age, developing diffent movement and skill techniques.  In the USA kids dont pick a sport until they are 12.  Yet our accadamies fill their time up with football from the age of 6 and stiffle other developments.

One other advantage of playing local football is that he will also play against weaker players, where he can experiment with tricks and flicks, without the pressure of making a mistake and being dropped.  This is much harder to do playing against other good players all the time, and ends up stiffling development as they make the safe pass.   

If he's got it, he'll still have it in a few more years - enjoy football, make friends and learn......