High price to pay for neglecting development (The Malay Mail)

WE reap what we sow.
 In football, the seeds are sown at school and district soccer
tournaments. And right now, we are not exactly getting fertile soil.
 Football fields are badly maintained. There are unqualified people
running these matches, much less teaching the young ones how to do it
right.
 If we are not going to spend at this level to develop players for the
future, we cannot expect the standards of soccer to rise in Malaysia for
years to come.
 If we cannot teach the schoolchildren the basics of the game and apply
its rules, how in the world do we expect to produce players for the
future?
 Only after the FA of Malaysia Council meeting on March 14, its deputy
president, Tengku Mahkota of Pahang, Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah,
had said that they had a good working relationship with the schools with
the representation of the Director-General of Education, Datuk Dr Abdul
Shukor Abdullah in the council.
 But this goes beyond council representation. Work has to be done at the
grassroots, like having proper playing fields, coaches, match officials
and a year-round programme.
 Having a couple of Sports Excellence Schools alone is not enough.
 Just as Tengku Abdullah had called for M-League coaches to produce at
least one national player from their teams, the call should be for each
school in the country to produce one potential national player for the
youth team.
 The State FAs should also work with schools in their respective States
like providing coaching assistance, organising clinics, making match
officials available at nominal fees and even doing their part in adopting
several school fields and upgrading them to make them playable.
 But then again, when the State FAs are neglecting development at the
youth level, to expect them to be involved at school level may be asking
too much.
 Or we may find some State FAs asking for more grants from FA of Malaysia
to be involved in schools soccer!
 It is all fine having national age-group tournaments and all, but basic
work has to be done directly with every school in the country, if we are
to unearth talents or have a bigger base.
 Right now, most players coming through to the youth team are more by
chance than design.
 That is why it is important that the better coaches should be involved
at school and youth levels where players are learning.
 Now, coaches at school and youth levels are regarded as second-class or
insignificant and are more often than not paid a pittance.
 Until and unless we change our concept towards youth development, a
vital link in upgrading the standard of the game, we can go on holding
seminars and not head anywhere.
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