As a parent, a youth football coach and school sport
provider, I am fully aware of the affects and influence gaming has on our children’s
lives. #FifaRealDeal
As parents we
know that we have always been concerned about the time spent on computer games.
The effects it has on a child’s social skills, communications skills, the
detrimental effects it has on our child’s education as we battle time spent on
gaming or online versus homework or revising. The biggest concern of course is
the affects on physical wellbeing due to inactivity. As parents, like many we
questioned for years the effects on motor skills and the eyes looking at
screens for hours on end. Of course much of this is hard to prove but our gut
feeling is, it can’t be good for you. One thing that is perhaps more easy to
identify is weight gain and the visual effects on our children. We can easily
identify our children’s mood by their actions and we can see when they appear to
become overweight. Sometimes we even turn a blind eye to it.
The trouble is,
this phenomenon is getting harder to control. Without any question obesity in
the UK is an ever increasing concern with the government yet again committing
its £150m a year school sports fund to try and tackle this and push increased
activity across all children. So its clear activity has to be the primary
factor. Well, along with the ‘fuel’ we put in our body. So leading brands like
McDonalds bring so much to the country in terms of employment etc. But they are
equally having such an huge impact on health. Of course, I don’t want to bash
them. We have a choice. Why don’t we bash the grotty burger van or lesser
performing fast food brands. Only because McDonalds is hugely successful we
target them for criticism. So of course to tackle that McDonalds counter this
by promoting the integrity of their produce and also by giving us a healthy
option. Whether this sells or not in large volumes I don’t know, but at least
they promote. Either way, we can’t stop our children wanting to go to the restaurant
so for us it meant we just tried to reduce the volume and limit it to become a
treat. McDonalds also invests heavily into Football by backing community football,
providing kits for grass roots and supporting coaching. They also do work in
education providing business training and food production education. So in
fact, when you delve a bit, as well as the profit they take they do at least attempt
to give something back and I of course support the football projects because it
promotes burning off the fuel.
Trouble is, I don’t see this from the gaming community. If
they do, then I stand corrected but perhaps it isn’t well marketed. In
particular we are looking at Fifa here. As this is relevant to football which
is of course the most popular sport in the world and my trade. If you look at
the marketing and think about it. It typically uses the world’s most famous
footballers and then puts them in there club kits and sit them in front of a
screen playing Fifa. The messaging is almost like “play this and you could be
like me”. It’s like it has become part of the development pathway. I’m sure
those guys will produce some research figures showing how they increase
interest in football. I don’t disagree with that but what I ask is this. You
now have such an influence on the game through young children, teenagers and
now adults due to the era, what do you give back? So, you employ a lot of
people, you pay a lot of tax I’m sure. But two things have to happen for me.
Your ‘superstars’ have to be shown to mention the importance of real activity
and real practice if you want to be a footballer of any level and certainly if
you want to be healthy. Secondly you surely have some moral responsibility
considering the massive powerful influence you have on now a massive percentage
of the population. Bearing in mind the Fifa product is promoted and deemed
suitable to children aged 3+.
As parents we know that 3 hours could absolutely fly by for
a child playing Fifa and it would be hell to play to get them off. Could the
game or console manufactures create a parent area which gives parents the
ability to create a time-limit? With today’s modern technology why don’t you
give parents that control via an app? Parents sometimes lose track of the time
they are on it so why not be responsible and give them more direct control and
information. This would enable parents to even shut down the console remotely or
set times breaks. Use a tool to control homework etc. I think as a parent I
would buy that add on. Just a suggestion. If you make a gazillion dollars
perhaps you’ll remember who gave you the idea?
As a football coach I
have seen a complete change in culture as a result of this game. I’m of course
a traditionalist. I used to go to the park with a ball under my arm. I used to
be in the street playing football. But times have changed. Also there are so
many alarming stories and disgusting crimes against children that perhaps we
have also become so protective that in fact we take comfort that our child is
inside safe and sound.
But I can’t help fighting it. I said to a child recently “You
do know that you can’t get better at football by exercising your hands and
fingers? You would be better warming up with a rubiks cube than a ball”. I
recently had a full on debate about an Arsenal center back when a young Yr6 lad
was suggesting you don’t have to be quick or fit to be a footballer. I was
saying, I’ll think you will find that player is a lot quicker and fitter than
you perhaps think. He laughed, shrugged his head. He absolutely didn’t buy into
what I was telling him. I pressed further and then he told me. On Fifa he has
only got 29 for pace. So that is his gauge of the player. What Fifa says goes.
Not the coach!
I recently ran trials for teenagers. Now these were players
serious about wanting to still become footballers. Again it’s my view that the
culture has changed. When I was a teenager (I sound like uncle albert) we would
meet up for a kick around in the parks. I remember one Christmas we all met up
and played football in the snow. Loads of us. We needed to get out and play
because all our games were off. But snow wouldn’t stop us. Now, its changed.
Teenagers meet online. They play Fifa online. In fact, If, now as a parent of
teenagers we didn’t bang on the wall at 2am in the morning I think they would
play all through the night.
So, I went around these teenagers on trial and asked them
what position they played. The replies were “CDM, CAM, LAM, RAM” etc. I thought
to myself, wow, these guys all use “Fifa language” This is how they see the
game now. During one of the games we asked why a midfielder had not tracked
back with his runner and he replied “I’m not CDM, I’m CAM”. That was when it
hit me. Times have changed. I can’t fight this on my own. The trouble is, the
kids don’t believe me anyway. But I’m not going to concede to the challenge. I
can do one of two things. I can keep fighting this challenge or I can embrace
it and somehow use it.
There is of course benefits to the game. One of those being
knowledge. Whenever I hear a player’s name I haven’t heard of before I just ask
my teenage son. Now I work in professional football but my lad has got one up
on me. He can tell me stats and history of seemingly any player in the world.
Remarkable, how does he know that? Fifa. So to try to open my mind to change I
took a bold step. Of course I played Fifa over the years, less recently as I don’t
have time. So I know the basics. But I asked my son to show me all the new
training sessions and drills. I recall doing some as you would wait for the
game to load. I was shocked. Actually, some of these drills looked fantastic. Moreover
they looked fun. They also looked like drills I would love to try myself. So I
started jotting some down. Some also looked like a real good cardio exercise. Actually,
overall, to me, if someone was exceptional at these drills in real life I
suspect they would be absolutely fantastic! So, it was decided. I’m going to
bring these drills to life.
In the last few weeks whilst coaching in schools I have now
started to ask the question.
“How many of you play Fifa at home?” Nearly always all hands
go up.
“How many of you would like to try the training drills in
Fifa, in REAL LIFE?” The response was amazing, children jumping with their
hands up, “me me me, when is it”.
So, my organisation has ran football holiday courses for
years now. It’s always been structured within a learning syllabus typical of
academy football. It’s I know, It’s what I was trained for. But I’m going to do
something new. I’m going to completely change our approach. Try something
fresh. We are going to deliver Drills that look like the Fifa training games.
Including knocking down boxes and target rings for crossing. Shooting drills
with balls launched from machines and dribbling challenges. The full works.
We will arrange a points and a prize for leading players in
age range and maybe even talk to football club to see if they would like to
invite a player in on trial as a result. Because these drills are tough!
I think I would also consider a late teens/adult competition.
Purely because I think I would like to have a go myself!
@antmccool7
Coming soon April
2016
Bedfordshire 4th
& 5th April
Hertfordshire 6th
& 7th April
Details will be at:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/2TouchFootball
Twitter: @2touchfootball @FifaRealDeal
Pre register or direct communication: FifaRealDeal@2touchfootball.co.uk
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