Underage Awards

[The Gs Man]

Well, what's your opinion on Underage Awards?  What do you do at your club?

Should there be awards for Under-8's / P3-P4?

We normally do Player of the Year and Most Improved Player and then all the kids get a medal.  My preference would be not to have awards at this age group.

[Zip Code]

Well, what's your opinion on Underage Awards?  What do you do at your club?

Should there be awards for Under-8's / P3-P4?

We normally do Player of the Year and Most Improved Player and then all the kids get a medal. My preference would be not to have awards at this age group.

I hate this culture everyone is a winner.  I take U10's last year U8's we give club player of the year, that was person who put in most effort, training matches, had good attitude.  Player of the year and most improved player of the year.  I see nothing wrong with that - all kids got a medal also.

[Zulu]

I wouldn't have any individual awards at U8 or U10, bar possibly having awards for the player who used non-dominant side most, best kicker, best soloer etc. though even then I would probably do it as groups of 5 or 6 for each, i.e best/most improved kickers, tacklers etc. so that everyone can be included in some group.

From U12 upwards I don't think there is anything wrong with some individual awards but again you might look at including a few more by giving awards for best leader, trainer, defender, attacker, most improved. It's a delicate one but I don't think there is anything fundamentally wrong with some acknowledgement of individuals every now and again.

[Zip Code]

I wouldn't have any individual awards at U8 or U10, bar possibly having awards for the player who used non-dominant side most, best kicker, best soloer etc. though even then I would probably do it as groups of 5 or 6 for each, i.e best/most improved kickers, tacklers etc. so that everyone can be included in some group.

From U12 upwards I don't think there is anything wrong with some individual awards but again you might look at including a few more by giving awards for best leader, trainer, defender, attacker, most improved. It's a delicate one but I don't think there is anything fundamentally wrong with some acknowledgement of individuals every now and again.

Sure give the whole squad of 30 a trophy, a medal, meal vouchers, car etc.  Political correctness gone mad.

[rosnarun]

mind you they mean an awful lot more to kids than to adults, great iof they can be spread about without it being too obvious. My nieice got all excited last week as she gor a prize of bubbles for being best speller . they can be a great motivator esp on teams that win feck all , which Mathematically   is most teams

[Zip Code]

Exactly rosnarun, but this shit that you have to thread carefully is bollocks if someone deserves recognition give it to them, if they don't don't irrespective of age.

[The Gs Man]

What about the scenario where coaches may have their own kids on the team they coach?

How do ye get round that one?

[The Bearded One]

Great discussion, a problem most underage coaches will face at one time or another. We give out best player and most improved player at every level from u-6 up. Special recognition awards such as deciation or attendance are also given out, they often get us out of a hole. There is a certain amount of politics with any youth awards night, tread carefully!

Regards parents who coach their own children, they won't be doing this on their own and if the other coaches are strong enough then they will recognise if the child deserves an award or not.

We recognise every child with something be it a medal or certificate at our awards night.

[manfromdelmonte]

Children must learn to be happy for other children. They won't win most of the time as they grow up.

[AZOffaly]

It is an interesting discussion, but I believe there are two topics in question. This idea that 'every kid wins' is a fine line to thread as, yes, it is important that the kids enjoy themselves first and foremost. If they enjoy themselves, they will come back, and if they come back they are more likely to become better players. So as a team, whenever we play games, we keep score and the kids know who wins and loses. Of course they know this anyway, and any adult foolish enough to say a game was a 'draw' will soon be put right. So while we emphasise the enjoyment, we do encourage them to try and win. We just don't go buck mad if they don't win, we try to focus on whether they showed their skills, etc. Competitive instinct is already in kids, so we don't discourage that, and we have winners and losers, we just don't make a big drama out of it either way.

However we do not have individual awards from U12 down. Not so much because 'not every kid wins', but rather because it can encourage bad behaviour in a young fella, or young fellas, too young to know better. Putting the individual, any individual, on a pedastal as the 'best' player can encourage greediness, affect team play, and generally result in lads playing for themselves unless you have very careful management.

I'm not against the 'most improved' player, but I am very wary of 'player of the year' type awards for this reason.

We do have a 'Juvenile Club Player of the Year' and it is open to everyone from U14 to Minor. Usually it goes to a player who has performed excellently on the field, and shown leadership or teamwork qualities as well. I think at that age they can handle a bit of that sort of recognition.

[The Gs Man]

Thanks for the replies lads. It's my first year coaching and it's definitely a steep learning curve, particularly at this age group!!!

I like that idea of taking them up in groups, best tackler, best solo'er etc.

[stiffler]

Thanks for the replies lads. It's my first year coaching and it's definitely a steep learning curve, particularly at this age group!!!

I like that idea of taking them up in groups, best tackler, best solo'er etc.

Il be keeping a close eye on who the award goes to gs man 

[The Gs Man]

Haha! Hence the dilemma! 

[BarryBreensBandage]

I have been coaching at this level for a few years now, and am all for these awards for the following reasons:

As stated before, for a team that doesn't win much, it can be an reward for the players that really try hard and improve over the year.
We give out a player of the week awards as well to ensure everyone on the panel receives an accolade during the season; the player of the year/most improved player of the year again distinguishes the ones who deserve it for their attitude and effort.

It is healthy competition and I genuinely have seen kids improve/gain interest once there is a reward for their effort.

Every other sport does it, I see it as another way of keeping the kids playing Gaelic and not moving to other sports.

Parents love to see their child improve at the sport - of course there is always a few aggrieved children, but it is a good lesson in life!

Players at this age who win the award show the rest the standard that they should/could be at, in terms of development and it adds an incentive for kids to train more, and for parents to become actively involved in that training.

And I agree that it is pure BS about everyone's a winner. Children can see through all that pc crap. They are the first to know when they have won, and lost. And what they deserve, and what they don't. Again, good lessons for dealing with disappointments in life. To get up and go on.