Peer Pressure

Discussion in 'Youth & HS Soccer' started by Cantona's Eyebrow, May 13, 2019.

  1. Cantona's Eyebrow

    Dirty Leeds
    Togo
    Oct 8, 2018
    Peer pressure is often given a bad rep, in life as well as sport, but as children become teenagers I think it can be used as a great motivator in the football environment.

    I saw a great example of this at the weekend....

    My under 12 squad were playing in a competitive tournament (one of only a handful that we play all year) and were progressing fairly comfortably :sleep:. One of our strikers who is a fairly skilful, but selfish and egotistical individual, had scored a barrel load against the dross on the way to the final. Repeatedly though I'd asked him to hold up the ball, lay off to CM for third man runs, or square/cut back the ball from wide areas for a team mate. Repeatedly, I was just given his shit eating grin and a nod of the head. I was starting to wonder if the kid was a retard or just cutting his own detail :mad:. This boy is a world beater when playing against duds, but it was explained clearly that this type of play would be bread and butter for competent opposition. Anyway, we get to the final and he's still trying his circus tricks and just before I can whip him off my left mid opens up on him. Right up in this prima donna's face. Screaming at him. A real barrage of abuse for not finding him with a first time pass (instead he turned into trouble and lost the ball).

    My first instinct was to step in and quiet the left mid, tell him I was the coach and I'd speak to the players, but this time I thought just let it play out :whistling:. The left mid really gave it to the striker tight, calling him a lazy, selfish b*stard, and he was letting the team down. The striker was close to tears. His arse had fell out, confidence draining from every pore. Really welling-up and failing to hold back the sobs. I thought I'll give the kid a couple of minutes of self-reflection and I'll give him the hook, get some fresh legs on.

    Next thing I know, our left back plays a wonderful diagonal to our striker, who kills the ball with one touch (pure Zizou) and provides a deft little touch back to the CM, who plays the first time ball for the third man run from our right mid. Boys spin off their markers, attacking front, back and middle. Ball goes long, left mid headers back across goal for a tap in from our striker. It was beautiful. All the animosity from a moment ago forgotten. Smiles all round.

    The power of peer pressure. It was plain to see. The tears from my striker still drying on his cheek. The spit and vitriol still wet around my left mid's lips. Teeth were bared, the claw were out. The striker went through the rest of the game absolutely majestic.

    Goes to show that sometimes the coaches words don't hit home hard enough. Sometimes the law of the jungle must be enforced and children often react better to their peers' criticism.

    Not sure if you agree, but I'll be heaping on the peer pressure when required in future. Another weapon in the coaches arsenal! :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:
     
  2. sam_gordon

    sam_gordon Member+

    Feb 27, 2017
    Got absolutely no problem with team mates "helping" other players. I do think it's a fine line though that a coach needs to keep an eye out on. If it's a one time thing like this seemed to be) or only happening occasionally, fine. If it's repeated and abusive, the coach should step in.

    I'd also like to know how YOU plan on "heaping on the peer pressure". It needs to come from teammates and "naturally" to be effective IMO.
     
    mwulf67 repped this.
  3. Cantona's Eyebrow

    Dirty Leeds
    Togo
    Oct 8, 2018
    I explain to the squad that they shouldn't settle for lack of effort from team mates, they shouldn't settle for stray passes, they shouldn't settle for lack of movement, they shouldn't settle for mediocrity. If a team mate cannot meet the required standard of effort or concentration then you get in their face and tell them "IT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH!!!."
     
  4. pu.ma

    pu.ma Member

    Feb 8, 2018
    Props to the teammate that called him out. I find the selfish and egotistal kid usually runs the show because the coach keeps playing him at striker or attacking mid and feeds him extra playing time because he is good at scoring goals.
     
    bigredfutbol repped this.
  5. bigredfutbol

    bigredfutbol Moderator
    Staff Member

    Sep 5, 2000
    Woodbridge, VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Co-sign. When the selfish hotdogging player is allowed to do his/her thing, the whole team suffers. And it's much better for peers to call that stuff out at this age.
     
  6. sam_gordon

    sam_gordon Member+

    Feb 27, 2017
    As mentioned, why are you playing kids that are this bad? Actually, why do you even have them on the team? Why not cut them in the middle of the season once you've found they can't perform?
     
  7. bigredfutbol

    bigredfutbol Moderator
    Staff Member

    Sep 5, 2000
    Woodbridge, VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    #7 bigredfutbol, May 14, 2019
    Last edited: May 14, 2019
    I disagree with this. These kids are still pretty young. The player in question seems to have a lot of individual skill and hasn't yet learned that dribbling and one-on-one skills are just tools, not the entire sport. They have the raw material to potentially be good players, but coaches have to take a chance on them.

    My son played with a kid like that. He never learned, and it kept him from becoming the player he could have been. I remember seeing his highlight video he made for college recruiters--tellingly, it was titled "Dribbling skills" and consisted of nothing but that sort of play. Impressive moves at times (although usually not against great competition) but any decent coach or recruiter could see from the kid's own video how often he missed open passes, dribbled into trouble, and generally created nothing.

    But I generally don't fault the coaches so much as the system and in this case unrealistic expectations from the parents.
     
  8. pu.ma

    pu.ma Member

    Feb 8, 2018
    Is peer pressure more or less related to leadership in team sports? If most of the players followed the hotdogger, chances are the kid who spoke up will just be ignored. I guess that is where the coach comes in.
     
  9. sam_gordon

    sam_gordon Member+

    Feb 27, 2017
    Go back and read some of OP's other posts. My post was tongue in cheek based on his previous postings.
     
    mwulf67 and bigredfutbol repped this.
  10. bigredfutbol

    bigredfutbol Moderator
    Staff Member

    Sep 5, 2000
    Woodbridge, VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I'm a bit slow today!
     
    sam_gordon repped this.
  11. Cantona's Eyebrow

    Dirty Leeds
    Togo
    Oct 8, 2018
    You've got literally nothing constructive to say about football. Unbelievable, Jeff. :laugh:
     
  12. sam_gordon

    sam_gordon Member+

    Feb 27, 2017
    About as much as you've contributed. And who's "Jeff"?
     
  13. Cantona's Eyebrow

    Dirty Leeds
    Togo
    Oct 8, 2018
    Unbelievable :laugh:
     

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