A Winter Break

As we approach the end of another bleak and bitter winter, I reflect on another series of games postponed and called off due to unplayable pitches.

Many coaches around England will be bracing themselves for another weekend of abandoned games and training sessions. So I've wanted to ask a question that I've discussed with a variety of grassroots coaches before. Should Grassroots Football have a Winter Break?

Believe it or not, most children are not big fans of getting up at 8am on a Sunday morning to get a run around on a freezing cold,wet and boggy pitch. Even less should they be starting on the bench. Children actually get up to play football with their friends and have fun. Playing on a boggy pitch on a Sunday isn't the football that the FA anticipate and will surely encourage long ball football, less passing and increased risk of injury.  Are there better ways of doing this rather than playing on swamps of mud each week? Should we be preserving our football pitches over the winter period?

I've never been in favour of many of these traditional myths that we regularly hear on the touchlines and in our armchairs. Below are just some of the phrases I've come across. 

"When I was a kid I played on pitches far worse than this" 

"Kids these days just need to man up"

"In my day we'd play on a bloody swamp and be plastered in mud"

"If the ball doesn't bounce then put it in the air"

In particular, the phrase "man up" annoy me. It's 2017 and we're still encouraging young children to play on pools and puddles of mud. Is there an alternative?

I can not recall ever waking up on a Sunday morning with the desire to take a freezing mud bath.

There have been significant leaps in the amount of astro pitches and the unveiling of the FA's Parklife scheme epitomises this. However, this should only be the start. Gareth Southgate has spoken about this very subject before.

"Having pitches that don’t cut up during the winter helps players develop technique – muddy, boggy pitches are most suited to those players with the most strength. Artificial pitches also mean less matches postponed over the winter, so football can be practiced all year round"

This country has been playing chase with the likes of Germany, Norway, Spain and other around Europe in terms of developed astro facilities. However, the major difference at the moment is that it costs £30+ to high a astro pitch for a hour. In other counties around Europe it's free of charge. Cost is the biggest issue here. It is arguable that perhaps our local authorities should do more to make football more accessible for children. Venues available to go and have a free kickabout are becoming increasingly rare. 

Astro turfs come with their hindrances. Recent studies have been reported in "reliable" newspapers to have discovered that playing on Astro turf can lead to cancer. A questionable concept at best but one that should still be considered. All pitches and playing surfaces come with their own health risks. 

So whilst these facilities are developed then a Winter Football break should be considered? This allows pitches around the UK to be preserved for a better season as well as potentially opening up avenues for adapted sports such as Futsal and 5 a side. I'm an advocate for a winter break. The football season is often considered to be very long and tiring for our children. Spain, Germany, Norway, Holland and Portugal are just some of the countries to allow youngsters a break so they can develop themselves in different sports. 

Typically the grassroots season will call curtains to another season in April around the country. However, I've never understood why the season doesn't carry on through May or June in the warmth of spring/summer. Surely, this would allow time for a winter break and a chance for a youngsters to get a beneficial rest from football. With the weather being more optimistic this time of year then clubs would save money, evenings get longer and pitches less damaged. A no-brainer? 

So is it a no-brainer? Let me know your thoughts.