The Football Association of Wales (FAW) has recently decided to enforce a ban on football clubs running, or participating in, competitive mini-football tournaments for children under 11, ignoring the wishes of the clubs, managers and parents of the players.
Whilst we support the idea of sport for all and encouraging as many children as possible to play in friendly league matches every week during the season, we see no reason to have clubs prevented from organising competitive tournaments after the season has finished. Well-attended tournaments also raise much-needed funds for many clubs, which helps to support grass-roots football.
Football IS competitive. Learning to win and lose is important for childrens development. It is what encourages them to improve. To have children not being allowed to win deprives them of a reason for taking part in sport. Children are naturally competitive, and are able to work out who has won by the simple process of adding up how many goals have been scored.
We, the undersigned, believe the FAW should reverse their decision to ban competitive mini-football tournaments for under 11s, and allow clubs who wish to, to organise tournaments where winning is recognised.