Nearly everyone over the age of 22 will have fond memories of playing on the street, playing on local fields or on a quarry in my case. Admittedly my generation maybe didn't have the opportunity to play out as much as previous generations, but it is a damn sight more than what kids have today.
The best way that a child can develop is to try things and fail. How did you learn to walk? By falling over time and time again. How did you learn to catch? By getting hit in the face with the ball a lot of times. Unstructured play allows many opportunities for abnormal things to happen, that you adapt to and progress through. Steven Gerrard was made to play football on a local quarry before being allowed to play on flat pitches. The uneven surface and questionable bounce would have increased his first touch, his balance and his agility. When playing on a flat surface, all the attributes would have been natural.
Malvern Primary in Huyton has banned all ball games at the school, here's a list of the Professional Players that attended the school;
Steven Gerrard
Steve McMahon
Peter Reid
Joey Barton
David Nugent
Tony Hibbert
Leon Osman
Craig Higgnett
Lee Trundle
Jay McEveley
I think that will be an absolute list now as not many other players will come out of that school. Local schools in my area have now resorted to this and in 5 years or so there will be a blanket ban on all ball games in schools. Try going into Sports Direct and picking up a ball and the first thing you will hear is 'Don't bounce that ball'
The world has gone PC mad, and England and the youth of England is taking the brunt of it.
I have said it before and I will say it again, England will not make the 2018 World Cup. Judging by the amount of 'No Ball Games' signs out and about, we won't ever make a World Cup again.
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