I’m the manager and coach of a parent run club. We started the club from scratch last May and have just finished our first season.
We were unhappy as parents with how the previous manager, coach and club was run so we set up ours for our children to stay together and enjoy football! Our age group by the way is under 10’s.
We had an end of season meeting on Thursday to discuss plans for the future and our presentation night. We decided on the usual managers, parents and players player awards.
Discussions led to most improved and clubman. One thrown in to the mix was Top Goalscorer. There was a mixed reaction as it was seen as a trophy that not every single player was capable of winning.
There are only 4 or 5 maximum in a team of 11 who’d stand a chance of winning and it would go against the club’s philosophy of being a team.
There are no individuals. The team scores not the individual.
After getting a show of votes today to confirm 6 we’re against for the reasons mentioned and 5 for. This has led to abusive texts and threats from a parent whom believes his son has earned the trophy and if the club don’t give it him he’ll not turn up to the presentation and also leave the club.
My assistant has also backed this behaviour and comments from the parent.
I’ve since quit because of this. I’m appalled that I’ve personally been lambasted and blackmailed by a parent.
I’d like you to put this out to people. Let’s see how they see it. Week after week we train and encourage passing, to work together and that most importantly that they are a team not a bunch of individuals. It’s not about winning it’s about enjoying football.
They are just 9 and 10 year olds. Do certain trophies encourage individualism and isolate certain team players from being able to win them?
What do you think?
you are right – on reflection, the top goalscorer is an award that most likely the forward player(s) are likely to get, maybe an exceptional midfielder. Therefore, the defenders and goal keepers are not likely to win it, therefore it isn’t a “fair” award. Goals scored are indeed a team effort. Very sad situation, best of luck with it.
My opinion maybe the league could have a trophy for top goal scorer so then the child competing against others in league don’t agree with it as a club trophy as you say only a few then can compete
Seems a little strange that an under 10 team is playing 11-a-side. Saying that top goal is an award that happens in the senior game and a lot of people do say goals win games. U10s should still be seen as development and therefore the awards should follow the philosophy of the club. I have found across the game that there are some really horrible parents who should know better. The fact that you saved the club should mean a lot than it seems to, shame on them, but don’t give up on the kids.
Football at this age should be about enjoyment. Win as a team, lose as a team but more importantly share equally any success together. I totally agree with other comments that a leading goalscorer at U10’s level shouldn’t receive an individual award. It would just deflate the rest of the team and make them feel less important.
I made the decision a long time ago not to award a top goal scorer award for exactly the reasons set out in the article.
As said it encourages a selfish attitude, it’s bad enough when parents give incentives to players to score goals, be it a £1, £5 or as much as £10 a goal. Parents acting as agents in grassroots development clubs and leagues.
What I do though is acknowledge milestones at our presentations. For example reaching 10 or 50 goals for the club, 25 clean sheets, 50 appearances etc. These are accomplishments any player can achieve, and they’ll all get a chance to, it might take some longer than others, as will each players individual development.
My theory is they’ll all find there own path to where they want to end up, and as volunteer coaches we simply guide them.
I agree with the coach here, for the same reasons as others have mentioned. It’s an award only strikers can get. If the club awarded a “best goalkeeper” award, how would this parent feel?
I agree with you. My daughter played in a team as a defender. She would never be in a position to win this but regardless she is and always will be a ‘team’. She celebrates with the goal scorers because as a player she has contributed to that goal being scored. She left her old team because there were too many ‘ I am god’ players who even from midfield; wanted to be glory goal scorers; not team players at all.
Sorry you had to leave but fair play to you for making a stand against glory hunters.
My husband and I ran a team from under 9s to under 15s and had a similar dilemma.
The previous manager didn’t give this Top Scorer trophy for the same reason you mention and it would have been our own son winning it twice, had he awarded it. Shame but we understood, but our son was recognised with other trophies as he factored in his performance hitting the net with most improved / manager’s player decisions.
When we took over, the general consensus among parents was that they would like to have that award given, so we did. My husband always in his presentation speech would state that this award was only winnable by a few players but also introduced a ‘Best Defender’ award. He would give each kid a mark out of ten every game based on their contribution to stopping goals (rather than scoring them) obviously the goal scorers rarely got high marks – at the end of the season the kid with the most points got a trophy. There were usually 5 or 6 kids in contention for this award (no forwards!) so it evened out the inability to win the Top Scorer gong.
Parents resorting to threats and huffs though – sorry you’ve had to go through that. It kinda tells me they are not team players and maybe football isn’t their sport..!
All constructive, positive replies, so far. I agree this particular Award, should not be given for aforementioned comments given.
Its hard but, then again, clubman and most improved others have little chance of winning also, they are individual awards, so what is the issue?
baring in mind the parents aren’t thinking about the children only themselves on both sides, the parents that voted no were probably the ones knowing it would be their kid and didn’t want them disappointed, in my view in poor parenting. Life is about setbacks and accomplishments, winning and losing, and I’ll be honest i’m a keeper the team doesnt score together one person scores, they finish it. We can say and it sounds nice that we do it as a team but thats because were not comfortable talking about individuals.
I’m reading these comments and I understand the viewpoint, however the reality is with that mindset they will never be winners and wont strive to improve
Top Goalscorer is an award in every league and always has been, stop with the wet wipe society and protecting kids from disappointment, disappointment is part of life and taking away disappointment is harmful to kids, they need to build tolerance. Why not have best defender clean sheets etc. You still have individual awards. It’s about teaching them correctly, not into a false world.
You had a democratic vote, the result should be respected whether it is liked or not. Your philosophy about the way the team is run is commendable at this age. As the children get older they may become more competitive and move on. You are inspiring youngsters and a shame you quit however I understand your decision.
All players should receive a wee trophy as a member of the team .no other awards should be given until they have been together a couple of years .inclusion and participation at that age is far more important. The other rewards like most improved. Best team mate Best trainer top goal scorer should be introduced later.I was involved in coaching kids from 9 yrs old upto 18 yrs old and unfortunately parents can be either a great asset or the biggest hindrance.
I refused to do a top goal scorer award for our team for exactly the same reasoning against the wishes of the person I coached alongside, goal scorer award is only something that should be done across a league not a team, then there is fair competion, if doing for a team you would have to then add top assist, golden glove, etc etc, to give every position the same chance of an award that mainly a striker is only likely to get with a golden boot award.
I totally agree, it should be a team award not an individual award. My son is a defender and hardly ever scores, but what he cares about are clean sheets. He gets just as excited about keeping a clean sheet as the strikers do about scoring. But you never see awards for most tackles, blocks and interceptions. Being defender I think requires more skill and courage than just sticking the ball in the net because you have to read the game and be prepared to go all-in, sliding tackles the lot. It takes real grit and determination but defenders just don’t get the recognition they deserve.
I was always reluctant to give out trophies as I felt it just made life difficult – never done it for my oldest boys team.
My youngest started U7’s and scored a lot of goals…….however, he also passed the ball a lot and set up goals. Parents pushed for trophies so he was awarded Golden Boot.
A few moans after so at the start of season, I said there would be a trophy for ‘most assists’. He’s our top scorer again but also has the most assists and he plays up front. Another boy up front has no assists – but always wants to score a goal or hat trick as his mum told him!!
My boy should have won managers player but he didn’t – I felt I couldn’t.
Whatever you do, you can’t win and why should a boy with a natural talent, who’s not greedy and a good team player be awarded for his efforts. He practices a lot, works up so why not.
We done a golden gloves award, regular keeper obviously wins it but why not – he stepped up and volunteered, works hard so should be rewarded.