Define "development"

[Unregistered]

Can anyone give a solid, understandable, somewhat tangible definition of the term "development" as it pertains to youth soccer?

I don't know how it can be measured if it's not clearly defined.

[Unregistered]

Can anyone give a solid, understandable, somewhat tangible definition of the term "development" as it pertains to youth soccer?

I don't know how it can be measured if it's not clearly defined.

The key selling word for every accented coach who ropes you in to paying them thousnads of dollars each year.

[Unregistered]

Can anyone give a solid, understandable, somewhat tangible definition of the term "development" as it pertains to youth soccer?

I don't know how it can be measured if it's not clearly defined.

As the late supreme court justice, Thorogood Marshall, said pertaining to pornography, and I paraphrase, "You'll know it when you see it"

[Unregistered]

A much better question to ask is "Development for What?" Developing an athlete takes an awful lot of work with a very slim margin for success. Ask yourself why you would want to do it before you start looking for what it is.

[Unregistered]

A much better question to ask is "Development for What?" Developing an athlete takes an awful lot of work with a very slim margin for success. Ask yourself why you would want to do it before you start looking for what it is.

How do I know if I want to do it if I don't know what "it" is?

[Unregistered]

How do I know if I want to do it if I don't know what "it" is?

Development = practice. Practice games, practice sessions.....oops, I meant "training sessions". Other sports "practice", in soccer we "train"

[Unregistered]

My definition of development is the continued improvement in Technique-the ability to dribble and have ball control with both and all parts of the feetwhile trying to keep your head up, the ability to control the ball with other parts of your body, first touch, vision, passing with all parts of the feet-both: Tactical- improvemnt in vision, combination play, understanding team concepts of attacking, possession, defending and formations: Physical- increased physical play within the LOTG, aggressiveness, tackling, conditioning: Psychological- improved confidence, desire, passion for the game.
I am sure I forgot a few. There should be continued improvement in these areas from year to year.
All within the context that kids plateau at times before they improve again.

[Unregistered]

Month to month, season to season, year to year, is you kid getting better, more comfortable and more effective on the field and with the ball? Mentally, can they see and read the game and do they have a love for the game that will push them, internally, to train and practice more and harder and be ready to leave it all on the field?

[Unregistered]

My definition of development is the continued improvement in Technique-the ability to dribble and have ball control with both and all parts of the feetwhile trying to keep your head up, the ability to control the ball with other parts of your body, first touch, vision, passing with all parts of the feet-both: Tactical- improvemnt in vision, combination play, understanding team concepts of attacking, possession, defending and formations: Physical- increased physical play within the LOTG, aggressiveness, tackling, conditioning: Psychological- improved confidence, desire, passion for the game.
I am sure I forgot a few. There should be continued improvement in these areas from year to year.
All within the context that kids plateau at times before they improve again.

Well said. The problem is with the "genuineness" of coaches and clubs when they say that they are all about development of the player. Almost all the time, it's more about doing what it takes to make the team win sometimes to the detriment of individual development.

[Unregistered]

pp2ssA

If you see your kid not developing or not having fun anymore and you feel it is the coach or he/she does not fit well with her team then it is time to move on to another team with a different coach.

[Unregistered]

As the late supreme court justice, Thorogood Marshall, said pertaining to pornography, and I paraphrase, "You'll know it when you see it"

Actually it was Potter Stewart who wrote that now famous quote in a concurring opinion in a seminal obscenity case (no pun intended). Interestingly enough the rest of the sentence from Potter's opinion is even more telling: "and the [motion picture] involved in this case is not that".

I think the same can be said for many soccer clubs. In many cases it is rather obvious that the “development” that they are selling “is not that ".

[Unregistered]

Development

Stars Formula simplified.

u9-u12

Work on possession style of play. Develop skilled midfield and defense.

u12-u18 Identify the best midfielders and defenders that you have, then recruit large physical athletes from hamlets, scorps, etc to augment your core. Incorporate a direct attack into the game plan.

Watch stars training in Lancaster sometime, u9 -u12 they are working almost exclusively on direct style of play drills. @ u13 they start working on incorporating a direct attack into the program working through balls from midfield to forwards and attacking defender overlaps into the drills/game plan.

By u16 the stars have a team that can wear down an opponent with their possession skills and then turn on the direct attack once they sense where the weakness is.

So true development is training athletes that have the ability and skill set to play a combination of possession and direct styles of play. Winning is a byproduct of superior development.

Its a recipe that has proven to be quite effective on the girls side.

[Unregistered]

Stars Formula simplified.

u9-u12

Work on possession style of play. Develop skilled midfield and defense.

u12-u18 Identify the best midfielders and defenders that you have, then recruit large physical athletes from hamlets, scorps, etc to augment your core. Incorporate a direct attack into the game plan.

Watch stars training in Lancaster sometime, u9 -u12 they are working almost exclusively on direct style of play drills. @ u13 they start working on incorporating a direct attack into the program working through balls from midfield to forwards and attacking defender overlaps into the drills/game plan.

By u16 the stars have a team that can wear down an opponent with their possession skills and then turn on the direct attack once they sense where the weakness is.

So true development is training athletes that have the ability and skill set to play a combination of possession and direct styles of play. Winning is a byproduct of superior development.

Its a recipe that has proven to be quite effective on the girls side.

Talk about knowing pornography when you see it- this post is as fine an example of Stars pornography as you will ever read- even Thurgood or Potter could see that.

[Unregistered]

Talk about knowing pornography when you see it- this post is as fine an example of Stars pornography as you will ever read- even Thurgood or Potter could see that.

I refuse to buy into your mindset that teams need to sacrifiece development in order to win.

Winning and being successful is not pornographic. It is what we should all hope for our chidren.

The stars clearly have the best formula for development on the girls side.

[Unregistered]

I refuse to buy into your mindset that teams need to sacrifiece development in order to win.

Winning and being successful is not pornographic. It is what we should all hope for our chidren.

The stars clearly have the best formula for development on the girls side.

Completely agree.