National Governing Bodies by rights, and title, are the authority in their sport. Them’s the rules. Grassroots clubs either follow the rules or embrace their title and do their own thing.
Kids stand in line at practice and coaches tell them what to do and if that doesn’t work for them they can quit and do something else.
Of course, the fear is that people don’t listen. And if we don’t listen we lose the way we do things and the way things are. How else do we pass on experience, rules, and knowledge?
Odd don’t you think that sports and coaches think the best way to pass on knowledge is to tell you and then for you to go away and apply it.
Every coach who has ever coached has said something at halftime only to put their head in their hands 5 minutes later when the exact opposite of what has been said transpires.
Perhaps it’s time to talk about how we actually learn. Because handing down information using the chain of command works well when there are high stakes, rigorous training, and significant infrastructure. None of which are present in grassroots sports.
Learning to crawl, walk and then run might be a good place to start.