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St Mirren Junior Trials


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It's only non competitive in name only.

The minute you involve a set of goals it becomes competitive with the players

Absolutely. Once kids learn to count they know who won or lost a match and they always want to win - no matter what the coach says.

I'd also agree with Isabella Duke - not for the first time on the subject of kids football - kids want to play football regularly. If you don't have organised training sessions they'll take their own ball out into the street to play, or to the park or to some other area.

As a club we offer all our players two training sessions per week and one match at the weekend. We do occasionally have midweek league fixtures where you catch up if you've had a run in cup competitions, or a run of matches have been postponed because they were scheduled to be played on one of the appalling grass parks that our councils appear to take pride in running down. As kids get older they can also find themselves being selected for regional or league squads which involves an extra training session or match per week. They may also be representing their school.

What's wrong with any of that? In a society where obesity is a massive problem what is wrong with having kids regularly taking part in excersize that they love doing?

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If they say no maybe you could get them for sexism. Zurich Allan might know. Or you could ask Oaksoft kindly to camp outside St. Mirren Park as a protest that a wee girl was being "victimised" or "repressed".

I just saw this thread, and you're along the right lines. As far as associations go (of which St Mirren FC is legally classed as one for the purposes of the Equality Act 2010), it would be illegal for the club to refuse to allow a female to attend trials and become a member unless it is decided following that trial that she doesn't have the same level of skill as the others that are selected.

Justifcations do exist within the Equality Act that allow sporting associations to discriminate on the grounds of gender, but only where they can show that:

1. There is a clear difference in physical strength or stamina required to succeed in the sport in question: Or;

2. One or other of the sexes would be at a clear disadvantage over the other.

It is generally accepted that neither of these are relevant until children reach the age of 12, and so refusing a girl prior to that age would be on very rocky ground legally speaking.

This legislation doesn't just cover existing members of the association, but those seeking membership also.

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Totally disagree,worse thing that's ever been done in 7 a side non competitive football that the kids now play. It's an utter nonsense,get back to 11 a side knocking f**k out each other and breed winners.

Agreed! In the USA they have an amazing set up all levels all ages covered but they have the 'wrap them in cotton wool' philosophy and not the same desire for the game. That's why they'll never be world beaters. Back to basics, heart on your sleeve stuff in Scotland.

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Utter nonsense. Any proof / explanation to this?

Which part is nonsense.

There are teams that are mixed and indeed have female players. And are until age 11. Would be interested to see how many girls are involved in actually playing games rather than training.

As to the win at all costs that is from watching games involving smfc kids teams in comparison to other teams.

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As far as the girls are concerned, it's good to see there are people now taking girls playing football a bit more seriously than before. One of my Brother's old Army mates had a daughter who was very good at football. She played for her Primary School team with the boys and she really was a standout against most of the boys not just in her team but also in the other teams they played against. Unfortunately when the boys started getting taller and stronger their muscle and power was able to stop her nippy skillful style and eventually she became too old to play with the boys. If girls' football had been taken more seriously when she played she probably could have played for a girls' team and continued to develop. In the end she lost interest because she wasn't allowed to play anymore with boys she played with, grown up and won trophies with.

Scotland is actually one of the more enlightened nations when it comes to mixed football. Two years ago in Scotland Fauldhouse Foxes won the Scottish Cup at our age group. In the heart of their team was a young lady called Alyshia Walker. We played them in a friendly match and she was a real powerhouse in their squad and our boys didn't really know how to deal with it. They treated her as a girl rather than as a football player.

Anyway the winners of the Scottish Cup get to take part in a four way tournament in England and that year the tournament was to be played at the Hawthorns Stadium. Fauldhouse Foxes registered their team - including Alyshia - only to find that the FA banned girls from playing in boys teams beyond the age of 11.

http://www.deadlinenews.co.uk/2011/05/10/football-captain-banned-from-competition-because-shes-a-girl/

I'm not sure who she plays for at club level these days. There was talk that she was joining Celtic girls. She's certainly in the current Scotland squad at Under 17's.

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Which part is nonsense.

There are teams that are mixed and indeed have female players. And are until age 11. Would be interested to see how many girls are involved in actually playing games rather than training.

As to the win at all costs that is from watching games involving smfc kids teams in comparison to other teams.

Sorry, should have been clearer as I have no idea about the part with girls.

It’s the 2nd part which I find ridiculous. It couldn't be further from the truth if you're talking about the pro-youth section. St. Mirren's 'play the right way' is drilled into the boys from a young age and is given a far higher importance than winning the game.

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Sorry, should have been clearer as I have no idea about the part with girls.

It’s the 2nd part which I find ridiculous. It couldn't be further from the truth if you're talking about the pro-youth section. St. Mirren's 'play the right way' is drilled into the boys from a young age and is given a far higher importance than winning the game.

My nephew played pro-youth with Saints for 5 years. That's certainly the spirit that was being fostered on the odd occasion I attended the matches.

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Good luck shulls girl don't care boy or girl its about playing football and enjoying it.

I miss playing more than anything! Still get sad every time I pass places I used to play Ralston,seedhill,mordun,apex and many more.

I say every one who wants to take part in football should be allowed to regardless of sex. I hope there can be a womans st.mirren team she can play for in the future?.

Still think all games should be competitive as technique touch and ability are great but you also need the will to win!.

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is she better than what we already have?

If she's five or six years old and it's a new team being started then it should be done on a first come, first served basis. There is no need for trials at that age and there never should be.

Established practice within the SYFA for Clubmarked clubs is that they recruit players on a first come first served basis. At Wishaw Wycombe we start our waiting list a year before the team is due to be set up and we generally have to close the recruitment after a week because we have our maximum number of 25 in our squad. Any subsequent applications will be placed on a waitlist and they will either be contacted if a place opens back up because the child has changed their mind or whatever - or if we get to 50 we may run a second group at that age level if we can get sufficient coaches to volunteer.

No club should be releasing players at the age of 5 or 6 because someone who is "better" has been found. Neither should a club be bringing in kids only to tell them at the age of 5 or 6 that they aren't good enough for their squad. That's an utter nonsense.

Edited by Stuart Dickson
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