My last article covered injuries; mainly growing pains and how common yet undetected they are. In this article, I'm now going to cover the new season, bringing information on new signings, new injuries, and new clubs all within one article.
The problem coaches have before a season starts is the idea of having too many players. Having open trials and being overwhelmed by the number of people that show up, combined with the responsibility of the coach to decide who should go and who should stay, would surely plague their minds for the whole of summer.
The idea of signing too many players and dividing game time would be daunting, and so coaches limit themselves to only the best.
But what if a coach signs too few players?
In just one weekend, I encountered two examples of this.
For my Saturday club, this exact situation happened. Because this team only plays on Saturdays, it forces many players within the team to make a decision whether to play for the team or to play for the school or district.
Most players, like myself, do a rotary system, alternating between school and club. However, what if too many players are playing for school and not enough for the club on a particular day? This situation fell upon our coach, who found himself short of a player and ended up hurrying, making phone calls, and borrowing players from his Sunday team.
There could be many reasons as to why players can’t make it—from playing with school to having injuries; there are a range of possibilities that coaches need to keep in mind when signing players.
As you can see, a consequence of not signing enough players could be as severe as giving up 3 points, which could be vitally important toward the end of the season if you're contending for the title.
Speaking of injuries, another example of a team finding themselves with a shortage of players was a team I was meant to play with on Sunday at my new Sunday club. Fortunately for us, they were plagued with injuries and found themselves unfit to play, and as a consequence had to give up 3 points.
A fractured toe.
Something as small as a metal stud digging into your boot can be costly. And because of it, I'm not going to be able to play the sport I love for a long time. However, I'm grateful that injuries like this are rare for me, considering the number of times I get fouled on the pitch.
Doing preseason all summer to be fresh into this season and come as if I never left all proved to be useless, as three games in and I'm now cursed with an injury, forcing me to stop football, and the fitness I've been working on all summer just goes down the drain.
I know players that have suffered far worse injuries than my toe. From dislocated hips to fractured arms, putting them out for months on end, my toe compared to their broken bones seems like nothing.
In the next article, I'll be diving deeper into these issues by speaking with coaches and parents, getting their take on the challenges of managing player numbers, dealing with injuries, and balancing the demands of school and club football. Their perspectives will shed light on the unseen pressures and decisions behind the scenes that shape every grassroots season. Stay tuned for a closer look at how those on the sidelines navigate the ups and downs of youth football.
