|
|
Post by teddyandtimmysdad on Dec 4, 2011 22:07:56 GMT 8
Our family has just come back from the Xavier Cup held on the grounds of the Xavier school. Overall, the cup has always been well run by the Xavier School. However, we are now starting to notice some very worrying trends at the tournaments. This ugly problem has always been around, but it now seems to be getting worse and worse with the sharp increase in interest in football at the grass roots level.
Please don't get me wrong. This piece is not aimed at the Xavier School or their program, coaches, or tournament. In fact if anything I believe that Xavier has always been very concerned and been acting very honorably regarding this serious problem. It is just that this latest tournament seems to have had an inordinate number of these problems, which is very difficult to inhibit without rigorous controls. What is the problem that we should be ashamed of? It is none other than that age old problem of overage kids playing in the younger brackets of tournaments.
I'm very sorry to raise this issue in a public forum, but this problem is now getting very very widespread - we are now seeing the practice in almost every tournament we play in. Why is this worrying? Because we are now starting to see it from some of the biggest clubs (and some of the newer schools) who are now just starting to participate in these tournaments.
I must emphasize that most if not all of the main schools that have been long time participants of these tournaments know better and do not practice this. However I have now seen very specific examples of this practice in the last two competitions we have played - the Fleet Marine Tournament and the Xavier Cup. In this last case we even took video of the overage child playing, a child who used to play in our own program, and who we KNOW IS OVERAGE. The thing that makes this most distressing is that this team is from one of the up-and-coming new club teams in the metro manila area, with vague links to one of the leading UFL teams. I believe the grasp for fame and win-at-all-costs attitude of some of the seniors associated with the grassroots programs (and the money successful programs can generate) are at the root of these problems, and should be a source of shame for Philippines football as a whole.
My mission here is not to finger point. This is not effective in solving the problem. However, the powers that be in Philippines football must recognize that this problem has now achieved epidemic proportions. This problem is really serious. Young boys and girls who work and train hard, who spend long hours learning the game, all of a sudden find themselves faced with ridiculous situations where their kids face a team twice the size of their players.
Something must be done. First of all, the powers that be in Philippine football, whether they are the PFF, the regional football associations, or the scholastic football associations, MUST RECOGNIZE THAT THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM AND GETTING WORSE. I believe that an organization with the gravitas of the PFF, which avows to the principles of fair play, should take the lead in working with the regional FAs and school associations to institute immediate solutions to this problem. One quick solution is to institute a reporting mechanism and sanctions mechanism for teams which break the rules. Schools or clubs which break the rules should be reported, they should be sanctioned, and they should be shunned from respectable tournaments (like the Xavier Cup and so many others) where the kids at least should have a fair crack at the game without being faced by shameful cheating.
|
|
|
|
Post by tabokanon on Dec 4, 2011 22:50:41 GMT 8
if you have the evidence then you can file a case,.,.,its simple,.,.
|
|
|
|
Post by katsky on Dec 4, 2011 23:34:08 GMT 8
i hope it ain't my school coz my brother quit football because of this. they have 3 good players (high school) but the coach fielded them on the elementary team to increase the chance of 'getting trophies' and of course at the expense of the high school team. as replacement, their coach put in 3 players that all they do is stand within their spot and never even try to get the ball. it wasn't the xavier cup, but their opponent was xavier and the final score was 20-1. take note they were able to score a goal, because my brother (defender) stole the ball, went up and then passed it to his teammate for an easy goal. after that game, my brother and his friends quit football and the high school football team was disbanded.
this case is not just a problem for football but in all other sports. i remember before in baseball during the palarong pambansa, the ncr protested against region 4-a (calabarzon) because they fielded overage players for elementary division. what made it more dramatic is the pitcher (overaged) hit the head of the batter. that incident got the ire of the parents.
that is why i think there is a need to professionalize our coaches. as coaches, their first role is not to win or bringing in trophies but to instill values in players that will help them not only win matches but also to become better people.
|
|
|
|
Post by teddyandtimmysdad on Dec 5, 2011 0:14:23 GMT 8
katsky you are so right... youth sports should be about instilling sportsmanship first. Winning is the reward of hard work and good coaching. Coaches who cheat are such a bad influence on the youth and set very poor examples for their kids who hopefully will not emulate these kinds of tactics later in life... coaches are supposed to be important role models in the lives of our youth, what are they telling the kids when thy disregard the rules?  |
|
|
|
Post by teddyandtimmysdad on Dec 5, 2011 0:33:02 GMT 8
tabokanon:
Filing a case against a single school or club addresses an issue, but does not address the root cause. You could spend a lifetime going against individual schools or clubs, and there might be a temporary deterrent effect. However, this does not address the root cause: an ineffective control system on the clubs and schools engaging in tournaments. I understand in the USA there is a much more formal approach wherein kids have to establish their identity, register, and bring their certified id to each match / tournament. the opposing coach can examine the credentials at any time. i know this approach might not be perfect, but it might be a start...
|
|
|
|
Post by narko on Dec 5, 2011 10:24:20 GMT 8
Here's another perspective on the impact about cheating in this manner. When you field an overage player to play at a lower age group, what are you doing to that player's development? Will it benefit the overage player's development where he will not find adequate challenge that will improve him, all for the sake of obtaining an undue advantage in order to win?
At the elementary and high school level, it should be about the kids and their development. An overage player playing in lower age groups won't have the necessary challenge that will motivate him to do better. It is also detrimental to the other players in the team who might feel that their coach doesn't trust their abilities or does not want to invest the proper time and effort to improve them so they can be more competitive. It shouldn't be about the coach's ego or prestige, though when you think about it what prestige is there if you need to cheat to obtain it?
|
|
|
|
Post by xyz1000 on Dec 6, 2011 1:57:46 GMT 8
The specific problem you cite is regarding the Xavier Cup. Then it is the Xavier Cup's organizers to clamp down on such matters. Not an easy task, but that's what organizers are for.
As for the general problem of overage kids, we're still coming out of the dark ages of football so this is not something that will be solved overnight. Heck, it still happens in the Little (baseball) League where Filipinos have been accused of sending overage kids, some of whom were starting to grow moustaches when I saw them on TV. In the USA Swimming association, kids are required to be registered members when entering a meet. Registration means having a record of their birth -- the registration name actually includes the birthday. Perhaps this is something that the PFF should be looking into as you mentioned, that football is now getting more popular.
There will always be cheaters. A national registration system would go a long way towards making it more difficult to cheat on age.
|
|
|
|
Post by kulaspero15 on Dec 6, 2011 11:35:29 GMT 8
The specific problem you cite is regarding the Xavier Cup. Then it is the Xavier Cup's organizers to clamp down on such matters. Not an easy task, but that's what organizers are for. As for the general problem of overage kids, we're still coming out of the dark ages of football so this is not something that will be solved overnight. Heck, it still happens in the Little (baseball) League where Filipinos have been accused of sending overage kids, some of whom were starting to grow moustaches when I saw them on TV. In the USA Swimming association, kids are required to be registered members when entering a meet. Registration means having a record of their birth -- the registration name actually includes the birthday. Perhaps this is something that the PFF should be looking into as you mentioned, that football is now getting more popular. There will always be cheaters. A national registration system would go a long way towards making it more difficult to cheat on age. I definitely agree with this idea. More and more tournaments will be organize because of the resurgence of football and we need to have a systematic way of dealing with this issue. I'm glad that my sons team/school doesnt condone this practice. @teddyandtimmysday, I had the same experience during the recent RIFA tourney in Makati in which all parents from our team were surprised when the coach of the other side made a substitution in the dying minutes of the game and the kid that went in was obviously overage. I asked one of the officials to look into it but not sure if there's any progress with that complaint. |
|
|
|
Post by buddha on Dec 6, 2011 23:15:43 GMT 8
I've had similar problems when my boys played in the 2011 Del Monte Cup.
I think the ID system suggested by teddyandtimmy's is very much workable and should be seriously looked into by the local FAs.
(When i coached in the defunct Bangkok Premier League all league players had to be registered and ID'd. The no-ID-no-game-time was enforced very strictly. We could do the same here with our youth tournaments.)
|
|
|
|
Post by narko on Dec 7, 2011 12:48:28 GMT 8
When my son played in a U9 league in Northern Virginia all the clubs participating needed to register all their players at the start of the season. Birth certificates were required and valid passports for foreigners. Each player had a photo ID which would be in the possession of the team manager. A separate file would be in the possession of the league. During league matches, before the start of the match the match officials would check the ID's of individual players and verify the photos with the players present. If another team has a complaint, the copy of the ID's with the league would serve as a reference if an investigation were to take place in case the team tried to tamper with any of the IDs.
If a particular club hosted and organized an individual tournament, these ID's were also used if needed to ensure proper eligibility and no cheating.
For invitational tournaments hosted and organized by clubs or entities other than the league, they sometimes request in advance as part of the requirements for registration the team roster with photocopies of the league IDs of these players. This way, they have a record and means for determining eligibility issues should there be any complaints.
Also, my son's club fielded 4 teams at U9 level. During league games they can't switch players between teams. The ID's reflected which team they were part of so that there is documentary evidence should this rule be violated.
Perhaps a similar system can be set up using the regional FAs as the repository for the player registry. I think having an established database of players will also facilitate the scouting efforts of the PFF, schools and local clubs.
Another thing, having a registry system in place wherein documentary requirements are required means that those trying to field overage players are not only cheating to obtain an unfair advantage over other teams, they are also now administratively and/or criminally liable for falsification of public documents.
|
|
|
|
Post by xyz1000 on Dec 8, 2011 5:29:26 GMT 8
Looks like we all know what needs to be done. The problem then becomes one of execution. Yet another way for a fan/manager/concerned citizen to volunteer expertise to the PFF......
|
|
|
|
Post by teddyandtimmysdad on Dec 22, 2011 0:25:37 GMT 8
Yet another issue to consider and perhaps change?
Some of the coaches are taking up FIFA classes for higher qualifications. I am told this is the "A level certification", although I do not know the specifics on this. Apparently though, there is a strong requirement for demonstrating success on the pitch to be able to earn the A license. I was talking with another member of this forum recently, and we were trying to assess whether or not this is really a good idea? Does the need to demonstrate success tempt some of the coaches-in-training to cheat and obtain the results required by the Fifa training? Should THIS be reformed or at least assessed for its impact in an unregulated environment such as we have here in the Philippines? Maybe this works OK in the US or Europe wherein players are registered, but what about here where the temptation may be too great for some coaches?
I am not making any specific allegations, but a number of us are wondering if this also plays a role in the problem? Any other thoughts or opinions on this are eagerly solicited, after all we are not involved in the training or the qualification program so someone with more facts at hand is most welcome to help clarify. This would be very helpful since some of us are wondering if this is really a good idea here in the Philippines...
|
|
