The industry of sport coaching is a recently evolved one. Before the 1970s, few teams had anything that could be described as a coach. Other than to transport them to the game. Indeed, many would have been offended by the implication of the concept. Perhaps more shocking, cones had not been invented. Any rudimentary team organisation was overseen by the captain. “Game Plans” and “Systems” were in their absolute infancy.

Fifty years have seen a huge cultural shift. No self respecting team would be without a coach, whatever its performance level. Player dependency is absolute: coach centricity is unquestioned....

Schools have competed against each other in sport since rules were agreed in games. They have also inferred their own status relative to the teams they play against. The fixture programme is not simply an organisational expedient of local teams; it has always implied something about both schools. The ancient public schools were reluctant to recognise the schools which were established in the late nineteenth century by granting them matches.

Sport is essentially a collaboration between schools to mutual advantage. No school can have a satisfactory competition programme without help from opponents who are prepared to operate teams in...

The great majority of parents like to see their offspring participate in sports or physical activity. Rarer is the carer who sees no value in this. The reasons why they approve of this type of involvement vary, though they are infrequently thought-out beyond the vague conviction that it’s somehow “good” for the kids. What parents want their kids to get out of their experience of youth sport will determine the environment they choose to put them into, and the achievements that they wish to celebrate and encourage.

Research is quite clear what children enjoy in sport. Having fun, being...