Harmony Row YC 2016 - Black

This article from The Guardian caught my attention (see first comment).

Norway may not have found the perfect model, but its approach raises questions worth discussing.

In Norway, there are no official league tables, trophies or rankings for children under the age of 13. The philosophy is built around participation, enjoyment and giving children the freedom to develop at their own pace.

This week, Norway reached the World Cup quarter-finals after beating Brazil.

This alone doesn't prove this approach is the reason for their success or that we should all follow, but it's worth exploring.

Football development is far more complex than one policy. However, it does raise an interesting question.

Should we spend less time worrying about who wins at nine and more time thinking about how we keep children enjoying sport until they are 13, 16 and beyond?

Across many countries, a significant proportion of children stop playing organised sport during their early teenage years.

If delaying league tables, trophies and early pressure helps more children stay involved for longer, is that something worth considering? Or do competition and results need to come earlier?

Where do you stand on this?

Article: Jesse Gerritsen, The Guardian “No league tables, no trophies: how Norway made sport fun for kids and built a football team that beat Brazil.”

Image Credit: BBC

Happy 10th Birthday to our #6 Harris! 🎂⚽

​A massive happy birthday from your teammates, coaches, and the whole Harmony Row family! We are so incredibly proud of the player and young man you are.

​Your loyalty and passion shine every week—whether you're playing your heart out, being the first to check on an injured teammate, or immediately standing up for your friends when they need it.

Your big heart and cheeky sense of humour help make this team so special, and we’re lucky to have you.

​Have the best day wee H. We’ve always got your back and we know you've always got ours!

​— Love from all the boys, coaches, and HR family ⚫🔴

Huge congratulations to Matthew sponsored by Party Like A King for scoring his 10th goal of the season at the Caledonian Youth club tournament in Prestwick! 🎯🔥

​Hitting double digits is a great achievement and proof of all your hard work at training. The whole team is incredibly proud of you!

​Keep your foot on the gas—let’s see how many more you can smash in before the end of the season! 🙌🏆

Happy 10th Birthday to our Luca! 🎂

​It feels like you joined the Harmony Row family a lifetime ago, and to say you’ve made an impact would be a massive understatement. From day one, everyone thought the world of you with your kind heart, gentle spirit, great sense of humour and your talent.

​You are the definition of a much loved teammate—trustworthy, hard-working, and coachable. Watching your confidence skyrocket over the last few months has been an absolute joy for not just your coaches but everyone watching you from the sidelines too.

​Luca, we are so incredibly proud of the player and person you are becoming. We hope you've had the best day ever! You deserve it! ⚽️🖤♥️

Love from

Your Coaches, Teammates, & the Wider Harmony Row Family

What a fantastic day at the Caledonian festival in Prestwick today! ⚽️🖤

​A massive thank you to the organisers for putting on such a well-run event. Everything ran like clockwork, and the atmosphere was spot on from start to finish.

​We also want to say thank you to all of our opponents today. Every single game was played in the right spirit—competitive, respectful, and great fun to watch. One of the best things about football festivals is the chance to play against new teams and challenge the boys 🤝

​As for our Blacks... the coaches couldn't be any prouder of the boys. They played some nice football today, working hard for each other and showing exactly what they're capable of.

Mon the Row 💪🏻🖤

Caledonian Youth Club

What a day to be out enjoying a festival of football

Eyes to Sunday as we join some great teams at the Caledonian Youth Clubs tournament in Prestwick.

Looking forward to a great day with great company 🙌🏻⚽

Happy Father’s Day to all the amazing dads, grandfathers and coaches at Harmony Row! ⚽️❤️

​Whether you’re shouting encouragement from the sidelines, running drills in your tracksuits, driving straight from work to training or just being the biggest fan in your son’s life, thank you for helping to build such a wonderful, close-knit community.

Your love, dedication, and support shape these boys both on and off the pitch.

Best dads in the world!

​We hope you all have a brilliant day filled with love and laughter. You've earned it! 🙌✨

⚽️ MATCH REPORT: Friday Night Under the Lights! ⚽️

​Last night, the Blacks hosted a friendly at Alex Ferguson Park, welcoming a team from outside our league. It was a spirited and energetic game, but our main focus is entirely on celebrating our own boys for how well they conducted themselves.

​Our captain Luca sponsored by What A Laugh Photo Booth was the first of our coaches' stars of the week, leading by example from start to finish. He worked tirelessly in the midfield, showed confidence driving forward to attack, and read the game brilliantly to track back and break up play whenever needed.

​Our second star of the week went to Blake sponsored by Coach Campbell, who celebrated a massive milestone by bagging his first-ever goal at 7s! He was absolutely immense in defense, chasing down every single ball and working his socks off before unfortunately coming off with an injury. We are incredibly proud of him! 🙌🏻

​Harvey sponsored by Activexgym Activex also stepped up big time to cover in defense and was absolutely superb, he is the last star for this week. Faced with plenty of pressure, Harvey stayed completely composed and put in a rock-solid performance throughout the night.

​A huge well done to the entire squad for keeping their focus, playing great football, and wearing the badge with pride and respect 💪⚫️

With games starting to wind down for the summer break, we're looking forward to the Caledonian Youth Festival in Prestwick next weekend for some great football in Ayrshire (hopefully the sun appears also! ☀️)

Mon the Row ⚽

Sending good luck to Markus' super talented big sister Aymi as she competes at the European summit in Portugal this weekend 🪩

We're all rooting for you 💕