The NPL has interviewed Ron in recent times about the development of talented players and related football matters. Ron is a fascinating subject to interview, so much knowledge to impart on Football and so willing to do it. A national football treasure!
Well, Ron has completed his report and presented it to the Capital Football Board, who are presently considering it's content and recomendations. We are at an important cross roads with the development of our young talented players, and the decisions made following the "Smith Report", are likely ot have far reaching effects in our region.
The President of the Capital Football Board and CEO, with Ron SMith's agreement, kindly allowed the Nearpost Local to interview Ron about his report. The interview is broken into three Parts, the first of which will be broadcast on 2xxfm (98.3mhz) on Tuesday, 28 December 2010.
Let me say right from the off – The introduction of the new HPP arrangements was not an easy process and that did not help anyone in football. Here at the NPL we lent our support to the FFA intentions and CF’s efforts to put them into effect. The new arrangements for the HPP involved some change and some experimentation, and some disagreement across the football community. What some critics fail to appreciate is that the implementation of the National curriculum and development was not negotiable with the FFA. This put a lot of pressure on CF staff and those they rely upon to staff the programs (coaches). CF simply had to get on with it.
As a consequence, some parts of the HPP solution worked well, other parts remain as under-resourced as they ever were, some did not get off the ground, some could not accept the necessity for change, new problems arose, mistakes were made and some good decisions will survive into the future, which is probably about what you would expect. But it can't stay like this and in all fairness, clearly the Capital Football Board, by way of Ron Smith's report on the HPP, seeks to do better. We should support that intention.
Curiously, a few I have listened to declare, in my view quite foolishly, that we should not look back. These people usually never learn from their mistakes and are most likely to repeat them. They are best avoided at all costs.
A healthy Football organisation looks back, looks at others doing the same work and looks carefully at its specific environment before making decisions, gets the resources together to ensure it works, then changes step in an orderly way if new and unforeseen problems arise – but importantly, you keep looking and improving, the focus always on what is best for our young players – all of them. We are being outpaced by some of the other State Federations in the HPP sphere and that gap must be closed in order to give our young players the best opportunities to develop and achieve to the higher levels of the game, if that is their wish. Importantly, we must ensure all our young players are developed, for both their enjoyment of the game and the standard of Football in the ACT region. Why would we do otherwise?
To be frank, the one thing that every person I have spoken to on the subject agrees with is that we should do all that is reasonable and possible to develop of our young players. The difference is the crucial "What" and "How" of it all. And doesn't that generate some heat!
In these interviews with Ron Smith, we do not attempt to tick off every paragraph of the report or recommendations. You do the reading for yourself when the report is released on the CF website.
Instead, we have a long fireside chat with Ron around the major themes or key points in his report and recommendations. Far more important to listen to the author’s thoughts, underpinning philosophy and views on these matters, as it will assist in understanding what he has recommended. There are no hidden corners, what you hear is how it is. Ron’s research is thorough and he has a depth of football experience at the highest levels of the game, which enables him to bring a certainty of observation not available to most of the rest of us.
I must remind the NPL listener, that Ron’s not responsible for implementation of the recommendations. He has tabled his report and now its for others to decide what to do with it. In this case, it is for the CF Board to decide and the new Technical Director to undertake over the next couple of years. As ever, now the report is done, the devil is in the detailed implementation.
And as ever, we at the NPL will keep a weather eye on the "development program" and report it as we see it. Can't say fairer than that!
Don't miss this series of interviews. Hope you enjoy it.