I recently read about the Goldilocks Rule and thought about how it applied to us as coaches. Sorry for scruffy drawing.
Our aim is always to improve the players and to do this we must make sure that training sessions and matches are at the right level, the sweet spot where the players are being tested to the edge of their ability. Too easy and they lose motivation through boredom which can lead to bad behaviour. Too difficult and they lose motivation as they cannot fulfil the task.
The difficulty we face is finding the team sweet spot when the ability of the players can vary so much.
The question is are we doing the outlier players a favour by keeping them in the team? If a player is finding the sessions / matches too difficult or too easy are we stopping their development? Are we better off letting these players go to teams that better match their ability? It is always difficult to let a player go but are we doing more harm keeping them?
I know the FA line is very much that players are treated equally and that they should all have access to football regardless of ability but I wonder if this is interpreted as mixed ability within a team as opposed to football in general. As a player progresses on their football journey, the gap in ability can become more evident and their motivation to play changes. When do you think we should start talking to parents about the ability of their children and how best they can develop?
I know this is a perennial problem with no easy answer so any feedback appreciated.
Mark