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How is the new Philippine youth league?
As we are writing, posting, talking and sharing all the excitement about the up coming PFL, Global Cebu FC and Ceres Negros FC sitting at the top of AFC Cup 2017 in their respective groups, the summer is here and the youth football league season has arrive again.
While all the great post about PFL and AFC cup are equally very important in Philippine football, to be a successful football nation, youth football development must take a center stage.
Last year we had UFL youth league, this year we are going to have YFL?
Eight teams expected to be in every age group right from U7 to U19?
It is exciting! What is more important in this edition is the inclusion of U19 because we loss too many players every year in this country due to lack of this age group in clubs and academies and competition for these players after 17 years of age.
Games to be played every Sunday at Ayala Alabang Country Club?
This is a great venue for football, however I know from experience how important, how fulfilling it is for young players when they play in a real football stadium in a league such as this.
The first part from April 23 to June 25? The second from September 2 to November 11?
This is a wonderful period for youth players, bad period for those clubs and academies that will not take part in the youth league because big clubs are ready to snatch best players into their teams, parents are ready to drive their kids to any good clubs in the league regardless of distance and pay whatever fee is required to take part in the competition.
With all these excitement, there is danger especially in the U7 to U12 categories when winning at all cost will be the clubs primary focus and success in the competition will be measure in winning the trophy and sharing the pictures on Facebook and other social media and the clubs website.
What would be more important here as a final note to all the clubs interested in the development of Philippine football would be the retention of all the players that will be in their roster after the league to further improve their abilities and performance for the country’s football.
Lerche Njang is an AFC license coach and a writer for Parrot Post. Follow him on Facebook and twitter @CoachLerche
