Path for Physical Late Bloomers

[Unregistered]

I have a "late bloomer" of a son. He was always one of the top technical players on his "good" (not elite) club team. I will say that it worked out for him up until U13. By U13 though, there was such a height / weight difference between the early / late bloomers that he lost some of his mojo. I would say that this is the norm. Sure, there are technically superior players with the heart and guts to power on and dominate... but they are the exception to the rule, imo.

If you are smaller and you go in for a 50/50 ball, the chances of you being able to retain possession of the ball are very small -- that is just the way it is. Now, your skill level may allow you to maneuver out of that situation, but you have to work 100x as hard as the stronger and larger player.

The other point here is there is a difference between a "short" player and a "slight" player. We have all seen the short and compact sturdy player who has tree trunks for legs, etc... that player may not fall into the category of a smaller player (in my eyes). His/ her strength in the legs can compensate. If your player is short and in addition doesn't have the tree trunks for legs that's when you will see the issue most glaringly.

So, you adjust your expectations. That's what we did. Took it down a notch. First spring in a long time that my son will be doing another sport (track) in addition to soccer. It's not a big deal if you can set the expectations for your child and not allow soccer to be the end all, be all for him.

[Unregistered]

Offhand, I can't think of a time I've seen a kid in a youth soccer game flat out "dominate" just because he's big. "Big and ....(fast/quick/skilled/aggressive/smart)" is a different story. On the other hand, I was watching an indoor game recently and I noticed that the smallest girl on the field was running into the bigger girls at full speed, slamming into them (sometimes actually bouncing off them!) while the bigger girls seemed to shy away from contact, whether out of fear of hurting someone or being called for the foul. The small girl seemed to “leverage” herself in low on the ball…Maybe this debate has it wrong, and it is in fact an advantage to be small! ;)

That girl in your story will be plowed down and injured soon enough. Sorry but there is only so much bouncing off the bigger players that you can do before you are injured and / or you lose your confidence.

[Unregistered]

I have a "late bloomer" of a son. He was always one of the top technical players on his "good" (not elite) club team. I will say that it worked out for him up until U13. By U13 though, there was such a height / weight difference between the early / late bloomers that he lost some of his mojo. I would say that this is the norm. Sure, there are technically superior players with the heart and guts to power on and dominate... but they are the exception to the rule, imo.

If you are smaller and you go in for a 50/50 ball, the chances of you being able to retain possession of the ball are very small -- that is just the way it is. Now, your skill level may allow you to maneuver out of that situation, but you have to work 100x as hard as the stronger and larger player.

The other point here is there is a difference between a "short" player and a "slight" player. We have all seen the short and compact sturdy player who has tree trunks for legs, etc... that player may not fall into the category of a smaller player (in my eyes). His/ her strength in the legs can compensate. If your player is short and in addition doesn't have the tree trunks for legs that's when you will see the issue most glaringly.

So, you adjust your expectations. That's what we did. Took it down a notch. First spring in a long time that my son will be doing another sport (track) in addition to soccer. It's not a big deal if you can set the expectations for your child and not allow soccer to be the end all, be all for him.

Bravo, a parent who gets it. Sports at the higher levels have always been games for athletic freaks. All this praying and "yeah but" exceptions to the norm do is enhance the bottom lines of these clubs. False hope is like catnip for soccer parents. Glad to read that at least some parents are setting realistic expectations.

[Unregistered]

Bravo, a parent who gets it. Sports at the higher levels have always been games for athletic freaks. All this praying and "yeah but" exceptions to the norm do is enhance the bottom lines of these clubs. False hope is like catnip for soccer parents. Glad to read that at least some parents are setting realistic expectations.

Fully agree. Last thing you want to see happen is for a kid to lose confidence in themselves and quit the sport or possibly other sports as well. Parents having the right attitude can make a big difference, as can finding the right fit. We took our D down a level at U12 because she was not growing at the same rate. Being a more skilled player on a somewhat less skilled team helped her maintain her confidence and she had more leadership opportunities. She was probably not ECNL material anyway so why set her up for likely failure? She's having a blast playing in HS (she caught up in size into freshman year) and still plays club too.

[Unregistered]

Get him in an ID program of your choice
Have him tryout for a DAP team
Send him to a private school for post grad year
Hold him back a year in school
Send him to a community college
Have him a lay D2 or 3 and transfer
Have him impress the coaches with his skills

OP here: Thanks to this poster for some practical options. It does sound like DAP will be the way to go if he has the desire and skill for it at that point. If they do expand to include U12s to the program, that will be advantageous for my son, as there is the possibility to get some training in at that level before the growth gap increases. Starting at a good D3 school and then transferring once he's reached his full height and put on some muscle is also something he could think about ( although, he may not want to leave that environment once there, which would be perfectly fine).

And, yes, luckily he does have a sturdy build, especially lower body, partly why he can currently outrun most of the kids his age and is not pushed around whatsoever despite his two year growth gap. He was able to play with kids 4 yrs older (physically 6 yrs older) this past summer. When he had the ball, he was fine, since he's so quick that if they tried to push him off the ball, he'd put on the brakes, cut back behind, and accelerate out, zigzagging up the field and scored a few goals. Soccer IQ also right I with these boys, as he watches a ton of international soccer. What did him in was the 50/50 balls, and errant passes from teammates, he had no chance over the bigger boys to recover these. Defensively, he had no impact at all in a drive up field by the other team. He had lost his man after a few yards, with no chance of pushing anyone off course. This will probably be the scene when he's 15-18yo. Just need to find the right environment that will allow him to keep developing through this period. He's not going to lose his quickness, balance, athleticism, Soccer IQ, and may even gain on other kids in this area, since he won't have a growth spurt (pretty much straight line growth). There's a possibility he could be a decent player by 19/20, IF he is allowed to keep developing.

[Unregistered]

Here's a thought: proponents of short, slow, and/or slight soccer players should create a club dedicated to putting together super teams of such kids at each age group. Eventually, given this club's emphasis on "development" instead of competitive results, these teams should dominate due to their technical and tactical wizardry--which taller, faster, stronger players for some reason can't match. Right?

You are describing the Galway model. It obviously doesn't work.

[Unregistered]

OP here: Thanks to this poster for some practical options. It does sound like DAP will be the way to go if he has the desire and skill for it at that point. If they do expand to include U12s to the program, that will be advantageous for my son, as there is the possibility to get some training in at that level before the growth gap increases. Starting at a good D3 school and then transferring once he's reached his full height and put on some muscle is also something he could think about ( although, he may not want to leave that environment once there, which would be perfectly fine).

And, yes, luckily he does have a sturdy build, especially lower body, partly why he can currently outrun most of the kids his age and is not pushed around whatsoever despite his two year growth gap. He was able to play with kids 4 yrs older (physically 6 yrs older) this past summer. When he had the ball, he was fine, since he's so quick that if they tried to push him off the ball, he'd put on the brakes, cut back behind, and accelerate out, zigzagging up the field and scored a few goals. Soccer IQ also right I with these boys, as he watches a ton of international soccer. What did him in was the 50/50 balls, and errant passes from teammates, he had no chance over the bigger boys to recover these. Defensively, he had no impact at all in a drive up field by the other team. He had lost his man after a few yards, with no chance of pushing anyone off course. This will probably be the scene when he's 15-18yo. Just need to find the right environment that will allow him to keep developing through this period. He's not going to lose his quickness, balance, athleticism, Soccer IQ, and may even gain on other kids in this area, since he won't have a growth spurt (pretty much straight line growth). There's a possibility he could be a decent player by 19/20, IF he is allowed to keep developing.

Hopefully you are either a fraud or kidding. You'd send your kid to a kid with the idea ahead of time that he might transfer from a D3 to somewhere else? And he's not going to make any DAP teams if he can't play a lick of defense.

[Unregistered]

OP here: Thanks to this poster for some practical options. It does sound like DAP will be the way to go if he has the desire and skill for it at that point. If they do expand to include U12s to the program, that will be advantageous for my son, as there is the possibility to get some training in at that level before the growth gap increases. Starting at a good D3 school and then transferring once he's reached his full height and put on some muscle is also something he could think about ( although, he may not want to leave that environment once there, which would be perfectly fine).

That poster was pulling your leg. There were no real practical options offered. Private school for a PG year and then community college? You really fell for that?

[Unregistered]

That poster was pulling your leg. There were no real practical options offered. Private school for a PG year and then community college? You really fell for that?

Wow, do I feel like an idiot. Clearly, your post is much more helpful. Thanks.

[Unregistered]

Wow, do I feel like an idiot. Clearly, your post is much more helpful. Thanks.

My post actually was more helpful. You are spending way too much time projecting what might happen. Keep your kid playing soccer if he loves it, and if he he develops physically by his junior and/or early senior year you'll be able to come up with a good plan at that point. In other words, do it the way that 99% of the rest of us do it and follow and react to where he is at at each stage organically.

[Unregistered]

My post actually was more helpful. You are spending way too much time projecting what might happen. Keep your kid playing soccer if he loves it, and if he he develops physically by his junior and/or early senior year you'll be able to come up with a good plan at that point. In other words, do it the way that 99% of the rest of us do it and follow and react to where he is at at each stage organically.

LOL. Junior/Senior year?? What planet have you been on the last decade? Never mind that's after you will have spent a bloody fortune chasing the dream, forget soccer who waits until then to figure out anything about college at this point? Clowns like this fool are so far out of touch with current realities it is actually scary that they seem to feel the need to be so prolific giving advice.

[Unregistered]

My post actually was more helpful. You are spending way too much time projecting what might happen. Keep your kid playing soccer if he loves it, and if he he develops physically by his junior and/or early senior year you'll be able to come up with a good plan at that point. In other words, do it the way that 99% of the rest of us do it and follow and react to where he is at at each stage organically.

Now this post is actually helpful (no sarcasm intended), thanks! Could've done without the first one. Moving on now.

[Unregistered]

LOL. Junior/Senior year?? What planet have you been on the last decade? Never mind that's after you will have spent a bloody fortune chasing the dream, forget soccer who waits until then to figure out anything about college at this point? Clowns like this fool are so far out of touch with current realities it is actually scary that they seem to feel the need to be so prolific giving advice.

Thanks BTDT. Maybe you didn't see that the kid is underdeveloped physically and might not rate for college soccer at all. Should he be touring campuses of D1s when the high school coach won't even put him on varsity? Junior year is plenty of time to pursue a good D3. Maybe MCLA won't fill all their slots by frosh year in high school.

[Unregistered]

Now this post is actually helpful (no sarcasm intended), thanks! Could've done without the first one. Moving on now.

So sad that you need to pat yourself on the back like this. Speaks to how few people actually buy your "fictions" and how pathetic your need for recognition is.

[Unregistered]

So sad that you need to pat yourself on the back like this. Speaks to how few people actually buy your "fictions" and how pathetic your need for recognition is.

Thanks, BTNT. Wasn't me. That would be stupid, since the OP could easily jump in and say he had been imitated. You are pathetic beyond belief. A total stooge.