Question 1.
If an under 11-year-old rugby player can pass 5 meters sideways (they can’t but let’s keep it easy).
And a rugby pitch is 70 meters wide (maximum width).
How many u 11-year-old rugby players does it take to pass a ball the width of a rugby pitch?
The answer. 14.
Question 2.
If an adult football pitch is divided up into 4 squares each allowing 14 ( 7 v 7) under 11’s players on each pitch.
How many more children are playing football when compared to one game of 7 v 7 on an adult-sized pitch?
The answer. 42.
Question 3.
If we assume that children make on average 3 times as many decisions on ¼ size football pitch compared to an adult size football pitch.
How many more opportunities would be created to help children make decisions by playing on the ¼ size pitches?
Answer. 126 times as many
Now you might be wondering. How come he has so much time to think about this?
Wed nights are usually football training. Over 50 girls ranging in age from u 7 to u 11’s get together and play. Last night the Chairman canceled training because of waterlogged pitches. I had the time.
So, I took a walk to watch the Urdd rugby festival that is supported by the WRU.
Look through the lens of participation and the Urdd and the WRU have done a great job. Hundreds if not 1000’s of kids, parents, and teachers are going to walk away from that tournament happy.
But when we look through the lens of producing active, healthy, and curious kids that changes.
I saw waterlogged adult pitches, one food vendor (a burger stand), and kids who had no choice but to make a decision that would make no sense in the adult game.
We might not like what we see when we ask better questions. But, it does give us the opportunity to do better.