STARKVILLE — “A good workman never blames his tools!”
Billy Paton left the youth players to figure out the drill for themselves on Wednesday night, observing as they played a game with a ball more akin to a dollar store beach ball than a soccer ball. Minutes earlier they had wrapped up playing with a size 2 soccer ball that was smaller than most of the players’ feet. They did so without much instruction apart from forming teams and playing within a smaller field.
Paton traveled from his native England to assist in the trial demonstration for Boardtown FC founder Chris Doss and coach John Miller. In fitting with the ongoing international tournaments, the two sides donned England and Scotland bibs. Reliving that match – an 1872 clash known as the first international soccer match – was a fitting way to represent Paton’s continuing involvement in the ever-evolving cultural exchange within the global game.
The point of the exercise wasn’t just to goof around with a ball that was harder to kick and control. With the tiny ball, the players require a lighter touch with skill to keep it close so as not to lose possession. With the almost balloon-like consistency of the beach balls, the kids required a stronger touch to strike the ball where they wanted it to go.
The basic techniques for controlling, passing and striking the ball had to adapt with each exercise, and the players did so with teams they selected themselves.
“The strategy in (those) little 3v3s is to let them pick the teams,” Paton told The Dispatch, “it lets them do the thinking and strategy themselves, which is what you want them to do in a game.”
The emphasis on quick thinking, adaptability, and independence is the kind of lesson planning that fits perfectly with Doss’ philosophy. He and Miller watched and learned from Paton on Wednesday night as children ranging from ages 14-18 played the game their way, overcoming obstacles with teammates they had played with, against, or met for the first time that evening.
Doss hopes to overcome some of the traditional barriers of age classification and financial cost as well as disinterest and stagnation that he thinks keep youth from playing the game at a level suitable and enjoyable to them.
Paton played as an apprentice for Preston North End in Lancashire, his local professional club, as well as Morecambe and various other semi-professional teams after that. He got into coaching near the end of his playing career and found a passion for youth coaching, when he began coming over to the United States in the 1990s for Major League Soccer camps. Coaching across Europe and the U.S. he noticed some of the same problems regardless of the structure and began looking for ways to break out of it.
“Sometimes it seems as though the adult involvement prevents them from teaching themselves, or prevents the game from teaching itself,” Paton said. “If 10 coaches are thinking the same way they won’t even think for themselves anymore. I knew how I was brought up playing on the streets with other kids, and when I started coaching I saw a lot of kids (standing) about and decided to start incorporating different things. I watched a lot of people who know the game better than I do so I learned, I read, and went across to watch Dennis Bergkamp in Holland and he was referencing street football, and I wanted to do that over here.”
Dutch and German coaching methods have evolved similar methods to encourage independence and improve decision-making among players. It’s something Doss and Miller want to try more of as coaches. Miller talked about letting his players contribute to game plans on his North Mississippi All-Stars team, which won gold in the State Games of Mississippi earlier this month.
Paton, who has worked with several youth programs at professional clubs in the UK, has seen similar methods work for players who have become professionals. The vision Doss has for Boardtown FC fits that model, with the aim of getting as many children as they can playing in an environment that allows them to develop into intelligent players as well as intelligent members of a team.
“I wanted to see how it would work here because I’ve seen the coaching around the U.S. and there’s really nothing like it,” Paton said. “What Chris has envisioned for this club is almost like a British style. It’s such a massive sport everywhere and it’s all for the betterment, and from my experience doing this with kids I see they love it.”
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 33 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
