Path for Physical Late Bloomers

[Unregistered]

Your post is a clear fail. Why? Because the number one maxim in any sport with ball puck movement is that the fastest and most efficient way to move the ball (in any direction) is by passing. The fastest player in the world cannot even come close to outrunning a properly weighted pass. You are a typical sideline sam that thinks that footspeed is the way to go. This is why american soccer sucks. Boot it!!!!!

The whole American soccer style of playing with big, physical guys would make sense if USA were actually competing for the World Cup. But, we're not.

That's just what I don't understand. Why keep the same mantra when clearly it isn't wasn't working out for the American national team? Just doesn't make sense to me.

I'd totally be fine with soccer coaches only looking at physicality of the players and speed and strength if USA were actually doing something right internationally. Then I would gladly accept that philosophy. If it isn't working, shouldn't coaches be focusing on other things than just strength and size?

[Unregistered]

I've got a friend going through something similar with his son in baseball - where size theoretically shouldn't matter as much as many other sports. Unbelievable player but two years behind on growth, so as a HS freshman at an all boys private school that is big on athletics, that's a real problem. Parents are already preparing him mentally that even though skill wise he can hang with the older kids he probably will not make varsity for at least two years. Its tough - not going to sugar coat it. Just when coaches look at the lineups of kids trying out they'll gloss over the smallest kids almost immediately. They have to shine that much more to stand out

For baseball, I kind of understand coaches going with strength and size. I mean, the goal of baseball is to smack the ball as far as you can right? That's how you get points in baseball. You can have a great defense in baseball, but if you can't score points, you can't win. Same with pitching, isn't pitching really fast a good thing in baseball? I'm sure the bigger guy is going to throw a lot harder than a weaker looking guy.

I'm sure bigger more physical guys would automatically be better that that. Given they got a good swinging mechanic and what not.

[Unregistered]

For baseball, I kind of understand coaches going with strength and size. I mean, the goal of baseball is to smack the ball as far as you can right? That's how you get points in baseball. You can have a great defense in baseball, but if you can't score points, you can't win. Same with pitching, isn't pitching really fast a good thing in baseball? I'm sure the bigger guy is going to throw a lot harder than a weaker looking guy.

I'm sure bigger more physical guys would automatically be better that that. Given they got a good swinging mechanic and what not.

Yikes.

[Unregistered]

For baseball, I kind of understand coaches going with strength and size. I mean, the goal of baseball is to smack the ball as far as you can right? That's how you get points in baseball. You can have a great defense in baseball, but if you can't score points, you can't win. Same with pitching, isn't pitching really fast a good thing in baseball? I'm sure the bigger guy is going to throw a lot harder than a weaker looking guy.

I'm sure bigger more physical guys would automatically be better that that. Given they got a good swinging mechanic and what not.

In hitting a baseball, bat speed and eye hand coordination (and timing) are the key. Strength obviously plays a roll in bat speed but not always. Players like Dustin Pedroia generate bat speed that exceeds that of players 6-8 inches taller and 50 lbs heavier. Similarly small guys like Pedro 5-10 can hit 97 on the gun while some guys 8 inches taller can't. FYI - anyone can hit a 97 fastball if they know it is coming. Hitting is about timing. Pitching about disruption. This why guys like Maddux and Guidry were great. They could throw 96 when they needed to but they rarely did.

Once again our obsession with size, strength and speed is without empirical support that it is the way to go.

[Unregistered]

A physically immature, small player is going to have a very difficult time if his peers are physically more mature. This is not a statement on size. Even smaller players who are physically mature can compete on quickness, speed, technique.

The situation being described is the equivalent of a player playing "up" 2-3 years. Could a 7th grader hang with a sophomore? Rarely but not likely....

Then again if their parent employ one of our super special "private tutors" from the crowd even that maturity gap won't matter because once a college coach walks by the practice field and sees the boy juggle while waiting to get on the field with all of the oalfish American players with no footskills they will literally drool and offer them a soccer scholarship on the spot.

[Unregistered]

In hitting a baseball, bat speed and eye hand coordination (and timing) are the key. Strength obviously plays a roll in bat speed but not always. Players like Dustin Pedroia generate bat speed that exceeds that of players 6-8 inches taller and 50 lbs heavier. Similarly small guys like Pedro 5-10 can hit 97 on the gun while some guys 8 inches taller can't. FYI - anyone can hit a 97 fastball if they know it is coming. Hitting is about timing. Pitching about disruption. This why guys like Maddux and Guidry were great. They could throw 96 when they needed to but they rarely did.

Once again our obsession with size, strength and speed is without empirical support that it is the way to go.

I agree that size strength and speed are not guarantees of success, but they're a terrific starting point. If the biggest and most agile athletes have the same skill level and determination as the smaller athletes, then the results will most often favor the superior athlete.

FWIW: Pedro was incredibly gifted, physically. He was small in stature, but had a strong, flexible arm and exceptionally long and flexible fingers that created a whip-like action when throwing a baseball. They gave him a huge advantage over bigger athletes who were not as flexible. He was far from average, other than his height.

[Unregistered]

Your post is a clear fail. Why? Because the number one maxim in any sport with ball puck movement is that the fastest and most efficient way to move the ball (in any direction) is by passing. The fastest player in the world cannot even come close to outrunning a properly weighted pass. You are a typical sideline sam that thinks that footspeed is the way to go. This is why american soccer sucks. Boot it!!!!!

Really? If the opponent is continually faster to the spot, or is able to fight the player off their route to it then how is the kid going to have any impact? Soccer is a physical game and some of you seem to be putting an awful lot of stock in the physically inferior being able to outsmart the other players so they don't have to engage with them physically. They would need to be awfully smart to make up the sort of physical disadvantages the poster is talking about.

[Unregistered]

In hitting a baseball, bat speed and eye hand coordination (and timing) are the key. Strength obviously plays a roll in bat speed but not always. Players like Dustin Pedroia generate bat speed that exceeds that of players 6-8 inches taller and 50 lbs heavier. Similarly small guys like Pedro 5-10 can hit 97 on the gun while some guys 8 inches taller can't. FYI - anyone can hit a 97 fastball if they know it is coming. Hitting is about timing. Pitching about disruption. This why guys like Maddux and Guidry were great. They could throw 96 when they needed to but they rarely did.

Once again our obsession with size, strength and speed is without empirical support that it is the way to go.

OP with the baseball story - I should have added he's a catcher with a phenom batting average. Eye hand coordination not an issue or swinging a bat. If the poor kid was just 4" taller. I've watched him play a few times and it's great when he surprises players who expect nothing from him. But HS sports coaches,, as we know, are not always the most adept at spotting talent.

I wonder if the obsession with size stems from the our country's general love of football and basketball where the mantra is the bigger the better. It's just moved into other sports.

[Unregistered]

I've got a friend going through something similar with his son in baseball - where size theoretically shouldn't matter as much as many other sports. Unbelievable player but two years behind on growth, so as a HS freshman at an all boys private school that is big on athletics, that's a real problem. Parents are already preparing him mentally that even though skill wise he can hang with the older kids he probably will not make varsity for at least two years. Its tough - not going to sugar coat it. Just when coaches look at the lineups of kids trying out they'll gloss over the smallest kids almost immediately. They have to shine that much more to stand out

Better question is why push an obviously physically immature player to compete against older, more mature, players? Parents who push for that are just looking at the ego side of things. Kid could get hurt and then where would their kid's sports career be?

[Unregistered]

OP with the baseball story - I should have added he's a catcher with a phenom batting average. Eye hand coordination not an issue or swinging a bat. If the poor kid was just 4" taller. I've watched him play a few times and it's great when he surprises players who expect nothing from him. But HS sports coaches,, as we know, are not always the most adept at spotting talent.

I wonder if the obsession with size stems from the our country's general love of football and basketball where the mantra is the bigger the better. It's just moved into other sports.

So if the kid gets laid out big time by some senior football player while trying to protect the plate what will be said?

[Unregistered]

Better question is why push an obviously physically immature player to compete against older, more mature, players? Parents who push for that are just looking at the ego side of things. Kid could get hurt and then where would their kid's sports career be?

It's not always parent driven - I've seen plenty of kids want desperately to make varsity sports. Gives them confidence and street cred. Forteen year olds don't think about bigger picture issues - they want to be a part of something they are not.

[Unregistered]

Better question is why push an obviously physically immature player to compete against older, more mature, players? Parents who push for that are just looking at the ego side of things. Kid could get hurt and then where would their kid's sports career be?

Not sure what the alternative is. Sports are stratified by age groups. If the kid is a certain age either he plays at that age group or he sits. Not like he could be granted a waiver because he is pre-pubescent to play middle school.

[Unregistered]

Really? If the opponent is continually faster to the spot, or is able to fight the player off their route to it then how is the kid going to have any impact? Soccer is a physical game and some of you seem to be putting an awful lot of stock in the physically inferior being able to outsmart the other players so they don't have to engage with them physically. They would need to be awfully smart to make up the sort of physical disadvantages the poster is talking about.

I AGREE with you BTDT.

Way too many posters, and almost always hyping the small, allegedly more technical players, draw too stark and/or false distinctions between straw man categories. All stronger and more athletic players aren't by definition less skilled. You need all of the above. And a player who is highly skilled but is rendered useless in real action due to lack of athleticism is going nowhere.

[Unregistered]

I AGREE with you BTDT.

Way too many posters, and almost always hyping the small, allegedly more technical players, draw too stark and/or false distinctions between straw man categories. All stronger and more athletic players aren't by definition less skilled. You need all of the above. And a player who is highly skilled but is rendered useless in real action due to lack of athleticism is going nowhere.

Sometimes, coaches fail to see the technical skill and innate creativity that might be hiding in a smaller, less physical player. Similarly, a coach might fail to see the skill that resides in a big, fast player and mid-use him or her. I do wonder, though, how much of these complaints are coming from parents of smaller players who just don't realize that junior isn't that great (regardless of size/speed).

[Unregistered]

The path leads right to the bench.