best youth players

[canoe girl]

Hi, theres lots of talk about the best senior players but who are the best U18 youth players in the UK.

[Curious Bod]

Thats a good topic canoe girl ! In regards to U18 has any decisions been made to put together any GB U18 teams this year ?

[Junior]

I dont think that theres going go be any U18 teams, there was supposed to have been a north and south U18 development initiative but i don't think that the numbers were enough to have one. At the moment we just have U21 Men and Women

[Curious Bod]

There isnt currently a GB U18 male or female team, but rumour have been flying about that in order to develop our current youngsters such a squad may be created in the future. As such squads have been to my knowledge in existance in the past !!

[Pru_blyth2]

i dont think there would be an U18 development team as many of the players in the u21s are u18 and there is usually a squad of 14 or so in the U21s. i am 15 and i play for the u21s, and i would ratehr play for an U21 team than an U18 team. there would be no point in an U18 develpoment squad.if you were U18 but were good enough to play for the U21s would you be made to train and play with the U18? would this not bring down the standard of your play down?
cheers pru
:wavey:

[Curious Bod]

A problem could arise though where a player who is as good as if not better than those in the U21s comes through but is only 13 or so .. Physically they are not able to compete with players beyond Yth level but in other departments are more than equipped ? What would be your soloution in this case ?

Physical presence is a big part of not only the men but womens game .. But an under devlopt child cant be expected to compete with Men/ Women no matter how fast or good their game play is ..

[Pru_blyth2]

i started playing polo when i was 13, and playing with men as there is no youth team in my club has improved my standard of play to be able to play for GB within 2 yrs. why can you not compete with men and women at the age of 13? you can be in the GB squad at any age i think but you can only play at a mojor competition when you are 14.

[Curious Bod]

I take your point .. But physically the game can be off putting to some of the smaller canoe polo dudes !

We want 'progressive development' as oppose to a 'whole hearted' push into the deep end . Otherwise we will find alot of our younger kids are going to be put off !

I take your point, Pru !

The best young players question brought up by canoe girl has brought about some interesting talking points . Ha Ha

[Pru_blyth2]

welll they can learn young in my opinion!! lol:thumbup:

[Manc]

I LIKE THE WAY THIS GIRL THINKS !

Let the NIPPERS show the OLD FARTS a thing or two !! Lol

[Pru_blyth2]

:thumbup: lol thanks!!

[Danny]

I think what Curious Bod is trying to say is, that your ball skills, boat skills and speed might all be in place but sometimes you can't compete with older players because they can just muscle you off the ball.

[Curious Bod]

Thankyou Danny . You have put into but a few words, what i have been trying to say throughout this debate .

[Junior]

But there is a U18 National Div 1 and 2 to compete in for youngsters who are good. Also you can still get into the U21 squads even if you are not physically big. The squads are not just there to have a core of 8 of the best players, they are designed to prepare anyone interested who has the talent to do well in polo to play at an international level and to develop potential. Thats why some 14 year olds are in/ have been in the squads.

[MarkP]

Sorry Guys I am afraid I don't agree with you, If the younger paddlers are quick enough they can be competitve with much stronger players. They just need to play a different style of polo to compete. I would suggest that outside of the top flight and by that I mean national teams. a well organised group of young players who have put in the training through out the year can be competitve with most teams . (if you pass the ball and move before the opposition get close enough to muscle you off then its not a problem)

[Junior]

I agree with you on that point. If the players are faster and more Manouverable than the other players then they can out pace them. Obviously at the top level the players are huge and fast, but outside the very top level there should be no real reasons why younger players shouldn't be able to compete with the older guys. Meridian are a great example of this, having younger players who compete at top level but don't get outplayed physically.
So no more excuses about younger players not being able 2 get into the U21 teams :cool:

[LESKI]

There is a lad in our youth team plays wit our tommy hes gonna b a rite special player he is. He is fast as flip and he is the best under 18 iv ever seen. Only thing he needs to work on is his shootin, I have been givin him a few tips but he's just such a good player that I would have to say he is probably nearly as good as me. This kid is gonna take t'world by storm, ee by gum. This kid has gone from ZERO 2 HERO. Also he is a TOP KNOTCH dragon boat person, so watch out world here he comes!!!

[Polo Boy]

Well, in scotland canoe polo is no where near as big, so i think my youth team is the only one, but we have beaten uni teams and are going to be playin in div 2, in a way youths are better than older players. It's not how big your its your power to weight ratio.

[StirUni]

you haven't beat uni teams! You have beat A uni team, and only cos they subbed me off!

Hugs and kisses Keith

[Polo Boy]

and Glasgow thank you very much!!! :D

[TITI]

Im sorry, Uni teams in the UK no matter where they may be are easy meat so i wouldnt go on alot bout that !! Lol

[Polo Boy]

Lol good point, but they are bigger and stronger than youths, so its ur skill level rather than your size

[Bulls***]

Im sorry, Uni teams in the UK no matter where they may be are easy meat so i wouldnt go on alot bout that !! Lol
Thats Bulls***! Nottingham had 2 gb players in their team this year and loughborough had a gb player and some gb white water racing players in it. The standard of uni teams is quite good, better than you think anyway.

[Bulls***]

Im sorry, Uni teams in the UK no matter where they may be are easy meat so i wouldnt go on alot bout that !! Lol
Thats Bulls***! Nottingham had 3 gb players in their team this year and loughborough had a gb player and some gb white water racing players in it. The standard of uni teams is quite good, better than you think anyway.

[Polo Boy]

Its was a joke, i'm just back from playing in Div 2 and Stirling Uni is top right know, thought we're bout 2nd or 3rd, still early days

[clyde]

This is partly a reminder of the original Subject.

Personally I think the ICF U21 Class in Canoe/Kayak Polo is a waste of time.

It would be better for our sport to promote an U18 class.
The ICF seem to think that Sprint Racing and Marathon classings are also suitable for other areas and they are clearly wrong.

In my mind the most competitive and highest standard of polo I have ever seen was in the Ireland 2003 European Champs for the U21 Men's Final between Germany and Netherlands. This was exceptional even for both those Nations, their stregths and skills were very high. The difference beween most of the German U21 and their Senior players was very small and simply a matter of not enough space in the Senior team for so many great players. For the Dutch it was also a case of lack of numbers as they already have a large core of players from one successful club - Deventer.
Anyway. That one game was an exception to the norm and usually the standard between Senior and U21 great. It shouldn't be, and perhaps if a player is still improving so much between say the ages of 21 and 26 then they already started too late !

Stop trying to find the best players in anything. Try instead to find what the better players do well and learn from that. Better still, try to learn from the better TEAMS and see why a group of the best players can't always play so well together.
For example is the best Club team as strong, better or weaker than their National team ? The obvious answer is weaker, but that's hardly ever the case, although not many could play without have several players in both teams.

And with respect to U21 Women, well, it has to be said that the overal standard around the world (and that certainly includes GB) is very disapointing. All the more reason to make it U18.

[Polo Boy]

I agree to a point, that a lot of the best players are under 21, but i dont think that if u start after that means you cant be a top player. It might be harder but not impossible.

Also I agree tha a good team is better than a team that is made up of the best players, out of the 2 teams we have in Div 2 the adults even though they are better, got beat all but one game. Where as the youths, because we played well as a team only managed to lose one match.

I think that U18 would be good to develope players who are not quite good or strong enough to compete in the U21

[JamesL]

We tried a U18 development inititive in the north and south of the country and the numbers were too small for it to happen! at least at u21 level there are easily enough players to make 3 full teams, and alot of these players could be under 18's. The u21 squads can develop younger players. Maybe having more U18 teams at national tornaments so that gb can enter their best u18 players into the the league would be helpful. I still believe that if the u21 national team was to be scrapped and a u18 team were to be created in its place then the players of 19-21 would be in an akward position, not being able to ompete with the mens teams yet being too old for the u18 team. The u21 national team has had players of 14 in it before so its not like these u18 players cannot get into the team. Also the u18 players would be playing at a higher level if they are in a u21 squad rather than the u18 squad so it is more beneficial for them. I do see everyones point however that the u18 players need a taste of playing abroad and agains national tewams of ther own age to give them the experience that they will need to play in the senior team in yuears to come. This experience is especially important seeing as the u18 pleyers shoul be developing at a faster rate then the over 18 players