Our Readers' Opinions
June 9, 2015

Female soccer

Editor: Many Moms and Dads looked at the just concluded Female Soccer Tournament, held at Victoria Park in April 2015 and felt happy Team SVG won. Now they must give the necessary support for the sport’s continued development.

What should we expect from our female players when they all start playing in their teens, compared to the males who started at age four or five? That’s because Mom and Dad then saw soccer as a male sport.{{more}}

I hope this article encourages today’s parents, families and fans – especially those who want to see their youth achieve the best of what is left in their remaining years – that “practising with your club team is more beneficial than practising with friends and others.”

Having an outstanding or very good player who is experienced, and now become knowledgeable of coaching, would be the best coach to develop your abilities; also that of a team player, to understand and recognize the various game situations, their possible outcomes and when you and your team should take the initiative; this type of coach knows how long it took him to master those playing abilities.

Then, there are periods in the game, such as possession and its various purposes, delay, recovering, regaining and restarts; only with your team these aspects can be developed in a timely and coordinated manner. If your entire team is aware and practises these aspects, soccer fans and spectators are awaiting to see these actions.

Soccer, like all sports, is a very serious competitive sport. The moment you enter the stadium you are up against your fans, opponents on the field of play, in running for the ball, be it in the air or on the ground; therefore our females need real knowledgeable and experienced coaches to help develop their knowledge and abilities. At present, the best of our female players are at an age when one can expect changes from the passion of playing to life expectancy.

Friends and others do not win tournaments nor develop the sport, but ‘club teams do.’ Therefore, consider your time spend at training as development time.

Women’s World Cup begins June 6th 2015. Let’s all pay attention to the players, team performance and their interviews.

Leagues are opening in many countries, as a means of developing the sport and as a form of an alternative employment for females, so Mom and Dad, I am encouraging you to get the best coaches for your daughters who so love the sport, to prepare them educationally, physically, technically to becoming intelligent players, for these are the players now needed.

We do the same as professionals, but not in an organized manner.

Mom and Dad already prepare meals; now they must become aware of what is required and try to serve what is right at least twice weekly. They also pay the doctor bills, now they must monitor the player’s health, they must visit practice sessions to instill and strengthen love, respect, discipline and to have dialogue and exchange ideas, but most of all, managing time for school work, homework, practice and play, having the right coach I describe, success can be achieved.

The principles of organization need to be adhered to. Stop putting off preparation; stop saying the child hard of hearing; speak so that the child can understand. Please forgive me for not saying more.

While we congratulate the females and male soccer teams, also the U-23 for winning, let’s give them the necessary support, the fullest of attention, so continuity remains on a high.

My previous articles on soccer accountability have never been taken seriously. Do you still feel that way now that we are hearing members of FIFA are charged with corruption?

Good luck on our World Cup sojourn.

Seymour ‘Rollit’ Walrond