Team and squad selection

Getting the right balance when it comes to choosing squads and teams is one of the most difficult parts of running a youth football club. It’s not possible to have a rule that fits every situation, but this statement sets out Cumnor Minors’ standards and approach.

Fundamentals

Our approach is rooted in the Club’s values, which have been drawn up and agreed in consultation with our members. These stress the reasons why we run the Club and that football is for everyone. See The Cumnor Minors Code, which all members must sign up to as part of our annual registration.

A three-way balance

Managers and Coaches have to balance three key issues when deciding who plays and when:

· Having fun (our most important Club value)

· Being competitive

· Being inclusive.

Being fair means hitting the right balance between these, and doing our best for each child and their team. Anything we do to promote one of these three aims has effects on the others. For example, a team that is completely inclusive is less likely to be competitive – and it’s harder to carry on having fun when you lose every match! By contrast, a team that just concentrates on winning will not be inclusive, and will quickly cease to be fun for those who don’t get to take part.

This balance isn’t static – it changes virtually every week according to the squad size, age group and level of success of each team. For example, the job of choosing players and substitutes becomes harder in teams with large squads who compete well in league, cup and tournament competitions. Football naturally becomes more competitive as children grow older. So the game for U15s and above is very different to that at U7s and U8s.

Supply and demand

All of this stems from the fact that we’re a popular Club, where there are often more people wanting to take part than spaces in our squads. Again, we try to achieve a balance between offering football to as many young people as possible, while working within the limits fixed by local leagues and what our facilities can handle.

For most squads, this means having a maximum size of around 20 players at any time. Managers maintain waiting lists for potential new players and offer vacancies when they arise.

Some youth clubs only accept players on the basis of their football ability - demonstrated through trials. We take a different approach where everyone is welcome at Cumnor Minors, regardless of their ability. We’ll do our best to offer everyone the chance to take part in a way that fits their circumstances, needs and availability.

We understand that children and families have other commitments, so players will not be penalized if they are unable to attend training or matches every week. Several of our squads have more ‘part time’ members, who take part when they can, in line with this statement.

Managers and Coaches

Even at this grassroots level of the game, being a Manager or Coach is a demanding job. The people who run each age-group often have to take difficult decisions, on the spot in a charged atmosphere. We recognize that their decisions and actions have ethical implications, which is one aspect of the FA Coaching qualification that we encourage and support all our coaches to obtain. The FA Charter Standard and league rules require us to have at least one FA-qualified coach attached to each team.

We expect Managers and Coaches to be honest and open about their choices and decisions to follow the approach and standards set out here. From time to time, Managers and Coaches will discuss the contribution of individual players with their parents or of the whole squad via a meeting or other consultation.

What parents can do

Parents can do more to help the Club hit the right balance than anyone else. You can:

· Read and understand this statement and discuss it with your child – helping them to appreciate how they can best take part in and enjoy a team sport.

· Support the Manager and Coach in their decisions and discuss any concerns in an honest, calm way in private – preferably face to face.

· Help us to continuously improve by offering constructive feedback on the way we operate and doing whatever you can to support your team and the Club.

Cumnor Minors FC is an FA Charter Standard Club

Affiliated to the Berks and Bucks FA

May 2006