This is middle school soccer. Record means very little at the younger ages. In fact, it should be ignored. Too many teams are coached to win, play direct, and play starters over bench to win games because it is in the coaches best interest to do so, not the players.
Find a team playing at a level that will push your player, but she can still have success and not be overwhelmed by the skill/size/athleticism/speed of play of the league. Then find a coach who has a developmental philosophy.
How will you know if it's the right coach, as many say the right things to get parents to sign on the dotted line? Does the coach play everyone equally, or at minimum 50% of the game? Is the play style direct attacking, bunker/counter attack, or possession? If the coach isn't at least attempting to teach possession tactics with a build-from-the-back mentality at U12/13/14, the coach isn't about development. Does the club/coach provide performance review/written feedback to help players continue to develop? Too often this is a 5 minute discussion with a player with little thought given to all four areas of soccer development, if these discussions happen at all.
Once you get to HS and especially college recruiting/showcase ages (now mostly sophomore year for girls), most coaches are about the wins and the style of play is based on the team's make-up and abilities to win games. Some team DNA isn't possession, so smart coaches don't force it at these ages. At that point, one has to decide if the level, style, ability to showcase, etc is a priority and make a decision accordingly. Before that, focus on development.
Find a team playing at a level that will push your player, but she can still have success and not be overwhelmed by the skill/size/athleticism/speed of play of the league. Then find a coach who has a developmental philosophy.
How will you know if it's the right coach, as many say the right things to get parents to sign on the dotted line? Does the coach play everyone equally, or at minimum 50% of the game? Is the play style direct attacking, bunker/counter attack, or possession? If the coach isn't at least attempting to teach possession tactics with a build-from-the-back mentality at U12/13/14, the coach isn't about development. Does the club/coach provide performance review/written feedback to help players continue to develop? Too often this is a 5 minute discussion with a player with little thought given to all four areas of soccer development, if these discussions happen at all.
Once you get to HS and especially college recruiting/showcase ages (now mostly sophomore year for girls), most coaches are about the wins and the style of play is based on the team's make-up and abilities to win games. Some team DNA isn't possession, so smart coaches don't force it at these ages. At that point, one has to decide if the level, style, ability to showcase, etc is a priority and make a decision accordingly. Before that, focus on development.
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