Publications
Partners
Cape Town - Ted Dumitru insists that the continuing existence of the eleven-a-side game at youth level is harmful for player development and has begged coaches to use more small games in training.
Dumitru, who now focuses on youth development after a long career coaching at the highest level of South African football, insists that talent is wasted by coaches who use big games and static drills in training.
“We would never expect that eleven-a-side at under-10 level would exist in South Africa but it continues to be,” Dumitru tells Sport24.
South African footballers are widely recognised to be highly talented but lacking in ‘football intelligence’ (i.e. decision making), and Dumitru suggests that the use of smaller games in training at all age-group levels is the way to change that.
“On top of technical and physical aspects, the small game brings a key factor which is decision making.
“The smaller the space, the more touches, the quicker the movement and the faster the process of decision making.
“Because of that the small game becomes the ideal tool to develop the football brain, that is why FIFA is so happy to see countries who are still encouraging street football.
“Because of the small situation, no space and no time, the brain has to find quick solutions.
“There is a lot of damage done by rigid, conservative coaching who continue to use big games and static exercises to coach youth players.”
Dumitru suggests that the “static exercises”, such as dribbling through cones or the extensive repetition of one skill, create a false sense of balance and understanding that is exposed in a real game.
