The coaches and committee have endorsed a new set of game day awards. They will be utilised by coaches and managers in suitable age groups. The awards will be determined by the coach and selected advisers - sometimes a player may not shine in the match but they have excelled in performing the role asked of them, which is why we wanted to review the parent-based 3-2-1 system.
In brief:
- Initiative - a player who showed great initiative in the match
- Inspiration - a player inspiring others by their actions
- Leadership - leading the team in their play, their attitude, their sense of fair play and their ability to make the team better by their play
- Game sense - demonstrating intelligence in their play and understanding the ebb and flow of the game
- Team player - a player who played their role for the good of the team, often at the expense of their own individual game
We do not demand that every player receives an award at some stage in the year, however we would expect that they are shared around to recognise players exhibiting the right behaviours - and these are the behaviours that we value in our club.
A more detailed overview:
1. Players who demonstrate initiative are able to make decisions in matches for the benefit of the team by themselves. They do not need the coach to tell them what to do all of the time but can make a decision or a range of decisions in play according to what is needed. This does not mean that they go off by themselves and try to do everything. They still operate within the team structure but can adapt according to the game’s requirements.
2. The Inspiration Award is for the player who raises the morale, the spirit and / or the energy of the team with one piece of play or a series of plays in the game. This could be a chase and tackle, a series of tackles, a gut-busting run from forward to back, a great mark or a dive near the goal to get a hand on the ball to stop a goal. These moments are not necessarily deliberately planned but occur in the moment but inspire the team to do better.
3. The Leadership Award if for the player who takes on one or a number of roles in leading the team. He/she is the player who is always leads in their play, whether in possession or on defence, who is first to congratulate another player, who makes the effort to help their teammate up to their feet, who is always heard encouraging others. They lead by example, both verbally and in their play and make others want to play better.
4. Game Sense is about game play intelligence. The game sense player is the player who regularly does the right thing at the right time. It is different than initiative, where the player has a role and goes beyond it when needed. The GS player is one who is in the right spot before it happens, senses the play before it happens or as it is about to occur. He/she anticipates and reads the play very well and they have great suggestions in breaks in play. They seem to operate in a slightly different time frame than others on the field, often seeming to have more time as they almost know what will happen before it does.
5. The Team Player award is for the player who does the right thing by the team. It might mean, for example, they are asked to fulfil a certain role, run with a player, play in a position they are unfamiliar with or not normally in or play in a certain way. In essence, they play for the good of the team, which may even possibly be at the expense of their own game.
