League Summer Football - Any Comments on Summer Football?

League Summer Football - Any comments on Summer football?

·  Summer Sports people are on holiday. Also matches get postpone for frozen pitches in the summer pitches may become hard (no rain) and also grass needs to rest

·  I think it would be better for spectators & players given the wet & cold in winter. The pitches & therefore standard of football would be better. Also, less games would be cancelled

·  Appreciate the break. Gives him chance to do other stuff, not so committed at weekends. Also exam time.

·  There's a reason my the professionals don't play it. I think it's a very bad idea, football is a winter sport in my opinion. Like Cricket and Golf is a summer sport. You also have the Summer holidays, May holidays, Easter and many families like to go away. I can understand why running a league in the Summer has been raised but I just wouldn't go there.

·  We Think its Great.

·  The biggest improvement would be the removal of games in January and February which are typically the months where games are postponed creating back logs and weekends where games are played on Saturday as well as Sunday. Anything which improves the playing surfaces and avoids children freezing on the side lines during periods of none play would be a benefit.

·  Ridiculous idea summer= summer sports.

·  The ground is too hard to play on for the children. They need a break, also the family may have other children, who also need their parents attention!!

·  I am absolutely against it on the basis that kids want to play other sports in the summer (cricket, golf, tennis, athletics festivals etc etc). It is unfair that they may have to choose between conflicting sports. Kids also need a break from football and even if there is a break in the season, training arrangements are usually block booked so would continue.

·  Give families the summer to do things together without the weekend days being dedicated to football

·  Holidays take place during summer, many players and parents would be unable to attend matches / practice. Summer weekends do not need taking over by football, instead the kids should be able to have family days out which would be very limited by summer football in our opinion.

·  I have played quite a bit of summer football including a league and tournaments PLEASE remember it is more difficult to cool down than it is to warm up the ground is hard getting others to drink lots and not get sunburnt is difficult interruption to other sports and also family holidays

·  Yes - if a team joins a Sunday league then they should be playing on Sunday's & not Saturday's (as caused a problem this year)

·  Like the idea , but would find it impinges on family days out in the summer. Have to consider other family members, as football tends to take over the full day. Regulation 10am kick offs would help , but I realize not always possible.

·  Would encourage better football and skills development as state of pitches would be better. No more lugging it through mudbaths

·  You might struggle to get the players due to holidays and summer sports, also the high temperature may be a factor.

·  Something needs to be changed as too many matches are lost to the weather so we are always playing catch up.

·  Fantastic idea. Would make it both more accessible, and more enjoyable, for both players and adults alike.

·  In relation to Q5, Would this affect any "normal" season leagues/cups etc?

·  If the league ran from March to May, why not have the cup competition in June or an extra cup comp in June, as schools still going?

·  No

·  We need some free weekends, so no football over the summer.

·  Better than having the lads/young siblings spectating frozen wet and in tears. Where's the fun in that? Will make for a more relaxing enjoyable event rather than a sunday morning dread.

·  I have 2 boys who play both football & cricket, it's hard enough when the training overlaps never mind the season, also with the rules over school absence the impact during the traditional 6 weeks holiday would be huge on teams.

·  There is no need for it. Football is a winter sport which needs decent pitches. If that is the issue, why not use astro-turf pitches?

·  I think it will provide a better learning environment for the kids, the weather while being something we expect has been very tricky this year and making it hard to implement what we want to, as well as concentrate. I think it will also be a lot more enjoyable for all.

·  Just needs to be spring and autumn football. Not winter as too many matches get called off and it is too cold for the younger kids particularly when they are spectating the other match in a double team. Alternatively stop double teams!

·  to many players would be missing at holiday times ,not good for team moral or position in league

·  Parents like to spend time with their kids when the weather gets warmer days out etc. Plus kids play football at school from sept - apr if this was to continue through spring and summer it would be too much not to mention missing out on other summer sports

·  Needs to be carefully thought through with regards to holidays. End of July & August need to be avoided due to holidays - this includes meetings as people cannot necessarily attend. If the season start date changes the age groups need to be clearly stipulated if they are different from school years. It would help if restrictions on number of kids who can sign for the league were lifted.

·  I think summer football is a great idea Must still be outside the school holidays though I think it is at least a must for 7v7 mini soccer age groups

·  No games in kids school hols please.

·  I think as long as August is left summer football would work, august seems to be the main holiday time especially with schools charging fines to take children out of school in term time.

·  Good idea, kids will not have to play in poor weather.

·  Crazy idea, teams will end up playing with not enough players or games called off

·  Before Starting Summer football, try sorting out the Junior League and pitches availability during the Winter months, catching up in March/April is a referee's nightmare, especially us Afiliated Referee's. The kids could do with some long standing winter solution, maybe holding Indoor competitions week in week out during these months, abandoning the League altogether. Also Player registration needs sorting out, it needs to be quicker, maybe installing a stand-by period so players don't have to wait weeks to sign and play for teams they are training with. A quick phone call from a manager to the FA should activate this so that paper-work isn't an issue.

·  Excellent idea

·  Should be on 3g surfaces

·  Keep it as it is.

·  Keep football to a winter sport. Leave summer for summer sports

·  good to keep the team together

·  Having a child play for a team is a massive family commitment. Many weekends are taken up by cup runs and the league. In the summer people will be away on holiday therefore making it difficult to have a solid team each week. The league should be played predominantly in the winter but the break in Dec/Jan should perhaps be judged on the weather each year - the weather in Dec 2014 was better for instance than it has been in feb 2015, we could have continued playing and not missed games.

·  I would have to stop my football activities if we went to a summer league as I coach, officiate and compete at athletics as do my lads. This would lead to u11 and U15 teams folding.

·  In principle it sounds like the right idea, but then you think of the summer sports that the kids enjoy too, it becomes difficult. In winter, the main issues are the pitches - that's where things need to change. Summer pitches, during dry periods (we do have them sometimes), can also be a problem and be dangerous.

·  My kids would love it I'd not want much over school hols.

·  personally I think more younger children will play due to the fact its a lot warmer...... when it really cold the kids are not interested when its mild they go for it hell for leather...... this is my opinion as I do several jobs in our club

·  Clashes with other sports and holidays.

·  Lose players (and parents) to summer sports & holidays. Also aware some teams share facilities with cricket teams.

·  6 week holidays family's go away so would be difficult.

·  Think it will attract more players and definitely more parents will be prepared to come and watch

·  My son also plays cricket this would clash

·  Has to be a better option to give our kids the best chance to have fun and develop under the best conditions.

·  Only down side is pitch being allowed to be played by local authorities,and how hard the ground will be, but I think it should be given a try and see how it goes.

·  Our Children go to paid for football camps. I think opportunities to play football over the summer months would be a positive development, especially if it can focus on skill development and small sized teams e.g. 3-5 a side games.

·  I think its a great idea - its too cold for the kids in the winter.

·  I wouldnt get kids not wanting to play because of the freezing weather conditions in the summer and games shouldnt be call of due to weather conditions either.

·  I think it would be a great idea because we wouldn't be freezing like we do in winter football

·  The March to May period should be the best time for kids football. Less chance of postponement. The 2 team set up would benefit because the kids wouldn't be stood around in the freezing cold

·  Only thing would be players on holiday.

·  If played in summer there is the risk of sunburn and heat stroke. Children cannot play in hats to protect their heads/eyes. There are none of these risks when playing in winter - just a bit cold. While I agree with some time out in the coldest months (even Nov-Feb) I feel a change to a full summer program would not be ideal. Also children naturally spend time outside in summer - it is when they are cooped up inside in winter that extra outside time is important.

·  During summer months we go away alot at weekends if football was in summer this would spoil our holiday plans

·  Move cup comps to end of current Sep-April season, so they don't interrupt league matches.

·  Good idea improves technical skill

·  can't beat it!

·  makes sense to play when the weather is warmer and less chance of being cancelled.

·  I'm in favour of summer football or futsal during Mid winter months. The weather splits up the season already and this year we have had weeks on end with cancelled matches & training session which has meant it's like starting the season again in late Feb as the practice effects of training are lost.

·  Ground is generally too hard. Players/parents take a lot of holidays during this time which would affect games.

·  I presume this is in addition to the main league and on this basis I would be very much in favour. We have some boys that play cricket etc, but most don't and I think that they would be keen to take part in a Summer league.

·  I am not in favour as I consider it important for opportunities to exist to participate in traditional summer sports. I would be supportive If wide reaching consultation was undertaken with organising bodies of those sports; tennis, cricket, athletics etc and a common agreement was reached which would enable football fixtures to be played without disruption to other sports.

·  Maintaining fitness whilst out of season is very important so continuing with Summer Football would support this.

·  Kids need time off so do coaches. Family time is summer. Tournament happen in summer this is how clubs keep a float.

·  Avoiding games from Dec - Feb, is not only good for young kids due to the cold but it also protects pitches from being wrecked. Therefore better football on better surfaces.

·  As a parent with 2 children playing football in different age groups I am happy to commit to football at weekends in the winter as we would not be doing anything else. During the summer though this is precious family time and we go away or out for the day most weekends, which we would not want to do in the winter.

·  Leave football as winter sport - my children both play this league and are both involved in summers sports. My children enjoy playing in the Sheffield League but if it turned to a summer league they would have to look for an alternative.

·  Some children in our club do play other sports in summer and wouldn't be avaliable to play football. However, I think it will give other players more opportunities to play and avoid let's of re-arranging of games due to bad weather. I just hope clubs who play on multi-sports pitches aren't excluded due to councils restricting dates of marking out pitches during cricket season.

·  Would mean less games getting called off and kids wouldn't get go cold if we played during sunmer

·  It has to change. The adults were freezing but more importantly - the children did not enjoy it, games were called off so lets face it, winter just does not work! We need to be brave and force the changes needed instead of allowing the dinosaurs dictate a broken system just because its always been this way. Go for it! :-)

·  you would have players unavailable due to holiday and need more commitment from coaches etc