Ex-Celtic stars Jackie McNamara and Simon Donnelly have joined On The Ball Academy to launch their new summer long initiative.
Backed by the Commonwealth Games Festival Fund, Fast 3s aims to give kids an environment where they can develop their in-game instincts and reflexes while still having fun.
The programme will include six weeks of football across Scotstoun, Toryglen and Bellahouston's Palace of Arts, including a fully free ‘Priceless Play’ week supported by lead sponsor McQueen’s Dairies.
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McNamara said: "“Getting kids as many touches as possible and being on the ball is so important, rather than being in position or turning them into robots at a young age.
"[Overcoaching young players] has been a problem [in Scotland] for a number of years, and too many kids coming through are thinking of what their coach wants, rather than what they see and the decision they want to make – and that’s the most important part."
The programme is expected to reach around 100 children per day over the summer, with over 1,000 hours of football played by the end of its run.
Games will be played inside inflatable borders with rules changing every eight minutes, challenging players to adapt to things like scoring with their weaker foot or finishing with a back-heel.
Games played during the opening week of the World Cup will have their own special Scotland inspired rules like players being asked to score a 'McTominay' overhead kick or a 'McLean' effort from distance.
Donnelly said: “It’s taking football back to that playground, park, or the street when you were playing all the time – there isn’t as much of that nowadays.
"There’s a lot of distraction now for kids – different sports and things to get involved in. In my day you just went everywhere with a ball, and creating this environment for boys and girls to come and manoeuvre a ball in tight areas can only be a good thing.”
On The Ball's Ryan Docherty founded the format, saying: "We’ve taken the fun out of football for kids. Too much structure, too early. Too much focus on coaching before they’ve had a chance to just play.
"I was over-coached at times and lost some of that freedom. The best football I ever played was on the street with my friends.
“We know there’s going to be huge excitement around football this summer, but for a lot of families, access to the game isn’t as simple as it should be. Costs add up – coaching, travel, kit – and more and more kids are being priced out. That’s something we as a nation have to address.”
You find more on the program here.
