SoccerMom

We've reached our first real footballing crisis in our household. The nipper is suffering badly from a loss of confidence this season, and it's affecting his play so much that he's admitted he's 'not enjoying football' at the moment - he looks as if he's close to tears most of the time he's on the pitch. A new kid has come into the team and is scoring goals (nipper was top scorer last year) - and is slightly lording it over the nipper, as ten-year-olds do (not nasty, just proud of himself). Nipper hasn't scored since the first day of the season. It's no consolation to him that he's actually set up all but one of the new kid's goals. I'm nearly at my wit's end with this. His manager is being really supportive and tells him how well he plays, I've shown him loads of videos of himself last year, we've talked loads about how football is a team game, about how he needs to stop thinking about himself and start thinking about the match etc. etc. but he seems to get worse not better. *I* know that this is just one of those 'growing-up' things and that, with a bit of luck, he will get over it, but to him it feels like the end of the world. He says to me, with tears in his eyes, "Mum, I don't just want to score, I really, really need to, now." it's a downward spiral - the more he worries about it, the less likely he is to be able to do it. So, all you coaching types out there - how do *you* deal with a catastrophic loss of confidence in one of your players? All suggestions (apart from shouting, he'll just dissolve) considered.

Not as important as having them available for Norwich the following week (as per the poster above).

If not comp specific, then I suggest they do a Safri and get themselves booked on Wednesday. Not essential for Brighton at home...

Boo hoo.

I stand corrected!

I've always thought McLaggon was left-footed. Certainly played down the left last season.

This isn't offensive, but it's almost gratuitously stupid.

I find this a bit baffling. If I read this correctly, only the proceeds from tickets sold to serving armed forces personnel will be going to HfH. That seems wrong-headed to me!!

I'll say. Their fans were brilliant on that day - ready to celebrate with us, and what a difference from the Leeds fans, was it the week before? Good luck to them.

Jaidi kept patting him in the head! Brilliant. Bet that wound him up no end.

Thanks - that really puts into perspective what Schneiderlin said on the radio; that is, that at half-time he gave them a rollicking so that in the second half they did what he had been telling them to do. Having taken the nipper to a training session last season I can say that I never saw this kind of specific tactical game-play being worked on. Was there ever even a plan A last season? No wonder they've needed strong words to get them back into doing the manager's bidding.

Sat next to a family of skates on the train trying not to feel smug. Oh, go on then, I feel smug.

The layout is not good, it's true, but it's nice to have up-to-date info on the academy. The nipper thinks it's great he can keep up with news of his brother's mate (aw, he's a bit star-struck!). That section on the old site still had pictures and stats from when Bale was a first-year scholar. So, yes, where it has got better, it has got much better...

Should have had at least six!! Their first goal came from Harding's mistake, but when it comes down to it, it could have been goal of the week... So, glad at least that it was just the one. Great match and I thought there was some fantastic play out there today, but the left side is still weak - Harding only "looked good" going forward coz there was no one for him to link up with, and he was off his mark more than once. Methinks he is an LB by default, but would love to be a bit further up the field. Please, AP, get partnerships established on the wings. James and Papa are working on it; Harding and Mills nearly had something before.

Loved "We've got points!" and "We're not minus anymore!!"

The BBC made a documentary a year or so ago about an accident - the dangerous driver was a girl Robertson's age. Her mistake was perhaps even graver than Robertson's, in that she undertook a dangerous maneuver that required some pretty rash decision-making: http://hammadin.blogspot.com/2009/05/bbc-anatomy-of-car-crash.html Interesting that the family of the guy who died didn't see the point in a prison sentence for the girl.

I don't think anyone could say he doesn't deserve the sentence, but rather plenty seem to be saying, "There but for the grace of God go I..." I know the first witnesses on the scene, who telephoned the emergency services. They said that he stopped as quickly as he could, sprinted back to the scene of the accident, and wept uncontrollably until he was taken away. No attempt to evade responsibility or the charges. Unlike some...

Your work is done. Brilliant story.

That's the great bit, isn't it? Best when the pitch is floodlit - and they get the first glimpse of the green. I used to let the nipper run ahead just to see his little shoulders bunch up around his ears in excitement when he got to the top of the steps. Ah, the joys of being six.

I've met other mums at St Mary's with their kids. I even met a family of grandmother, mother and two sons once. SoccerDad only takes the nipper when I'm away.

As mentioned before, make sure you get him an aisle seat- that way he'll still be able to see when a goal is scored. The DS is a good idea, too. And a programme, if you can shell out 3 quid. Where you sit is entirely down to what kind of kid he is - I'd recommend Chapel until he's been a few times, tho. If he's upset by language, or even by noise (there's a maximum decibel count for some kids that ruins their enjoyment, no matter how much they want to be there) then you might want to stay away from the top end of the Kingsland/Northam. If he likes it, then sign him up for Junior Saints - it can really help keep the interest up, and they often do deals, like free tix for their friends. Just take him, you know you want to!!

TBF it probably happened all the time.

Congratulations. You could always do what my mate did, married on the afternoon of the Headingley test in 1981, which is instruct the ushers to have the game on the radio in the vestry. He got updates right through the ceremony....

Aw, c'mon, Perry doesn't have to stoop!

:D:D:D