JUST IMAGINE!

Just Imagine!



Just imagine for a moment Youth football organised solely for the benefit of the development of children

Where coaches’ desires of living out their football managerial fantasies were non existent

Where parents sporting ambitions were not being lived via their children

A system of sports development that did not focus upon winning over development

Where the improvement of a child learning to kick a ball with his weaker foot was heralded as much as the top goal scorers latest hat-trick (or a 40 yard screamer)

Parents smiling on the touchline, non-judgemental, win or lose

Referees enjoying their duties as official, due to the genuine thanks and respect they receive from players, parents and coaches

Football designed for children and not for mini adults

An environment and culture that cultivated a respect for your opponents

Training programmes that stretched and motivated children of ALL abilities

Youth football matches played in a competitive but aggression free environment

A structure of football that catered for the specific and changing requirements of youngsters as they mature to prevent the drop-out in the early teens

Football facilities that allow the development of football skills all year round

Coach education that maximised the potential in our youngsters

Just imagine! For without imagination great goals can never be achieved

With imagination, belief and resolve English football could truly be “The Beautiful Game!”

Just imagine “England World Cup Winners!”

(c)Mark Edwards

INDEPENDENT ARTICLE

Here is a recent article from the Independent about children's football and GUBOG
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/turf-war-how-britains-playing-fields-became-a-battleground-769949.html

GUBOG ON RADIO 4

Here is a piece about a mum and coach who took the Give Us Back Our Game route.
Excellent piece, very funny and well done Vanessa!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/mainframe.shtml?http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/radio4_aod.shtml?radio4/saturdaylive

COACHES TRIP TO HOLLAND

GUBOG has joined forces with the dutchUK football school in organising a coache's trip to Holland.
The trip is from 10th - 13th April and will include visits to professional and grassroots clubs to watch coaching and games from young children through to adults.
We will have talks and presentations with top coaches and watch a professional match.
The trip includes hotel accomodation, full board, tickets to game and a luxury coach to take you around Holland.
For further information please contact Paul Cooper on giveusbackourgame@gmail.com

THE POPE JOINS THE DEBATE!

Children's football has been in the public eye for a while now, with some excellent debate.
Now the Pope has joined in by saying how important children's football is to their development as people.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7179757.stm

RADIO 4 - YOU & YOURS

Here is the link to the Radio 4 YOu & Yours programme on pressure in children's football.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/youandyours/
30 minutes in from the start

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

GUBOG feature in another article, this time in the Sunday Telegraph
My mother, the football hooligan

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/12/02/nrfootball102.xml

Tommorrow - Monday we feature on You & Yours Radio 4 at noon in a feature on pressure on children in football.