Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Soccer IQ

Collapse
X
  •  
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

    #31
    OP here. Thanks to everyone who took the time to provide an edifying response.

    Comment


      #32
      Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
      Nailed it. Coach winning trumps the coach developing players TO THEIR FULLEST. So it's a rare find IMO when you can watch a coach of players, 8th grade or younger for sure, and see someone who is making decisions for the team that put individual development of ALL the players first. That's the ugly truth that many parents don't recognize until it's too late, whether they are the parent of however many players on the team are pawns to serve the team. Sometimes they're all pawns, everything is about that match and the win and no one matters as much.
      So you mean no different than town baseball or any youth sport?

      Comment


        #33
        Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
        Nailed it. Coach winning trumps the coach developing players TO THEIR FULLEST. So it's a rare find IMO when you can watch a coach of players, 8th grade or younger for sure, and see someone who is making decisions for the team that put individual development of ALL the players first. That's the ugly truth that many parents don't recognize until it's too late, whether they are the parent of however many players on the team are pawns to serve the team. Sometimes they're all pawns, everything is about that match and the win and no one matters as much.
        Try selling that after posting a 1-9 spring record before tryouts.

        Comment


          #34
          Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
          So you mean no different than town baseball or any youth sport?
          Yes. Youth sports now are as much for the parents as the kids. It is all about your kid's team winning games. When that is over, everyone is done which usually happens by 8th grade

          Big change from when we played as kids. If our parents knew that there was an active online forum where parents discuss their kid's youth soccer teams they would surely view it as a colossal waste of time and energy Our life in sports as kids barely registered with the adults.

          Comment


            #35
            Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
            Nailed it. Coach winning trumps the coach developing players TO THEIR FULLEST. So it's a rare find IMO when you can watch a coach of players, 8th grade or younger for sure, and see someone who is making decisions for the team that put individual development of ALL the players first. That's the ugly truth that many parents don't recognize until it's too late, whether they are the parent of however many players on the team are pawns to serve the team. Sometimes they're all pawns, everything is about that match and the win and no one matters as much.
            Found that out at U11, when my kid asked to play something other than center back. Coach said he'd love to move her around, but they were trying to win games to get to top tournaments so he'd only play her in other positions against weaker teams.

            At U13 coach admitted it was more about winning vs development...

            Comment


              #36
              Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
              Nailed it. Coach winning trumps the coach developing players TO THEIR FULLEST. So it's a rare find IMO when you can watch a coach of players, 8th grade or younger for sure, and see someone who is making decisions for the team that put individual development of ALL the players first. That's the ugly truth that many parents don't recognize until it's too late, whether they are the parent of however many players on the team are pawns to serve the team. Sometimes they're all pawns, everything is about that match and the win and no one matters as much.
              This really depends on the level your kid is playing. Of the three of my kids, the parents and coaches associated with my kid playing lower level soccer are by far the worst in regards to emphasis on winning. The coach rarely moves my kid out of his designated "natural" position and the parents have no understanding of the concept of individual development. And, of course, this was even worse coming up through the town program when they were u-littles.

              My U12 kid plays at a very high level, and the coach plays him in 2-3 different positions every game. The only position he didn't play in the fall was keeper. The parents, half of whom had played soccer growing up, completely understand the concept of individual development and would rather have the team lose playing a competitive game, than get an easy win.

              Unfortunately, right now, kids have to make it through a few years of dealing with the "winning matters above all" mentality before they can get good enough to reach the "development matter most" mentality, when the youngest town level players are the ones who could benefit from the development mentality the most.

              Comment


                #37
                Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                This really depends on the level your kid is playing. Of the three of my kids, the parents and coaches associated with my kid playing lower level soccer are by far the worst in regards to emphasis on winning. The coach rarely moves my kid out of his designated "natural" position and the parents have no understanding of the concept of individual development. And, of course, this was even worse coming up through the town program when they were u-littles.

                My U12 kid plays at a very high level, and the coach plays him in 2-3 different positions every game. The only position he didn't play in the fall was keeper. The parents, half of whom had played soccer growing up, completely understand the concept of individual development and would rather have the team lose playing a competitive game, than get an easy win.

                Unfortunately, right now, kids have to make it through a few years of dealing with the "winning matters above all" mentality before they can get good enough to reach the "development matter most" mentality, when the youngest town level players are the ones who could benefit from the development mentality the most.
                Far too rosy a scenario. Most kids have a comfort level at a particular position. While rotating them postionally sounds great, it is not always in their best interest. A coach should have an appreciation as to where a player develops with confidence. And very, very few parents are comfortable losing matches due to switching the centerback to forward just to give him a run.

                Comment


                  #38
                  Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                  Try selling that after posting a 1-9 spring record before tryouts.
                  All depends on the age in question. U12 and under I wouldn't care what the record of the team was, as long as the coach was knowledgable and focused on development, the players were committed and had a similar level of ability to my child and the competition pushed the players and team without being too difficult.

                  Not sure clubs and coaches understand this, but there are parents out there who played the game and are more interested in their kid's development than their kid winning...

                  Comment


                    #39
                    Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                    All depends on the age in question. U12 and under I wouldn't care what the record of the team was, as long as the coach was knowledgable and focused on development, the players were committed and had a similar level of ability to my child and the competition pushed the players and team without being too difficult.

                    Not sure clubs and coaches understand this, but there are parents out there who played the game and are more interested in their kid's development than their kid winning...
                    I want my U12 D in a competitive league. I don't want them killing everyone, and I don't want them being killed. They were a .500 team in the Fall, every game but one was a one-goal game, and their play improved greatly over the year.

                    Comment


                      #40
                      Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                      Far too rosy a scenario. Most kids have a comfort level at a particular position. While rotating them postionally sounds great, it is not always in their best interest. A coach should have an appreciation as to where a player develops with confidence. And very, very few parents are comfortable losing matches due to switching the centerback to forward just to give him a run.
                      Sorry to disagree with you on this one. The best players are confident at any position on the field. How did they get that way? By being played at all positions on the field, especially the positions they were least comfortable with at one point.

                      My kid hated being put on defense for quite a few years, and it was because he had spent little time there and had no confidence. His coach this fall played him on defense for part of the game for about three weeks straight. Guess what, he figured it out and is now a solid defender, whether playing in the back or up top. All it took was a smart coach who understands that kids need to play out of their comfort zones to become better all-around players. My kid was asked just yesterday by one of his former coaches which position he's playing these days, and he answered, "I can play any position."

                      As for the parents, again, at the higher levels of the game, most of them get it and would have no trouble losing a game due to the coach properly developing his players. Our club explains this developmental approach at the parent meeting during tryouts, so perhaps the parents who disagree with that philosophy seek out other options. Those who stay aren't complaining, as they were told up front how things are going to work.

                      Comment


                        #41
                        "Play where you're standing".

                        Kids HAVE to be able to play in every position, even if for a few minutes while they get their shape back. Defenders have to attack, and forwards have to defend.

                        The most dangerous person on the pitch is the unmarked left back who can get forward. Nothing more enjoyable then hearing "wait, who's got #3? Where the fvck did he come from??"

                        On the flip side...defenders hate it when they have to deal with players who can defend. If you are a forward, but understand how to defend and press...defenders panic and give the ball away.

                        Besides the tactical reasons, there are more practical. If you play one position, and one only, what happens if you are second best? You sit. If you can adapt, you slot into another position and keep playing.

                        Comment


                          #42
                          Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                          . ...very, very few parents are comfortable losing matches due to switching the centerback to forward just to give him a run.
                          Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                          Try selling that after posting a 1-9 spring record before tryouts.
                          All that is missing is a quote about "My kid's a striker, and strikers need to score" and we've got the unholy trinity of mis-placed parental obsessions in youth soccer: Winning, Selling, Scoring. The only thing these fixations have to do with "Soccer IQ" is the one none of us want: When the kid says "IQuit".

                          Comment


                            #43
                            Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                            If you play one position, and one only, what happens if you are second best? You sit. If you can adapt, you slot into another position and keep playing.
                            The % of parents who pay for their children to play soccer and give this point ZERO consideration (regardless of the reasons for it) accounts for a large majority. Worse is the % of coaches being paid but do the same.

                            Comment


                              #44
                              Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                              ...The unholy trinity of misplaced parental obsessions in youth soccer:

                              Winning, Selling, Scoring.

                              The only thing these fixations have to do with "Soccer IQ" is the one none of us want: When the kid says "IQuit".
                              Outstanding!

                              Comment


                                #45
                                Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                                Far too rosy a scenario.

                                Most kids have a comfort level at a particular position.

                                While rotating them postionally sounds great, it is not always in their best interest.

                                A coach should have an appreciation as to where a player develops with confidence.

                                And very, very few parents are comfortable losing matches due to switching the centerback to forward just to give him a run.
                                Maybe, but that's the state of our game and it should and could be better.

                                No dispute.

                                Not nearly as much as not rotating them isn't. Point being that in a development context, not necessarily ignoring differences between competitive tournaments, regular season matches, friendlies, etc., ignoring rotation of positions at the younger ages is anti-development, but it is the standard practice by too many coaches.

                                Having an appreciation for where players are most confident, developing players with an eye to building confidence, but challenging players, and rotating players at positions (forward, mid, back, central and wide) are NOT mutually exclusive.

                                Thus the problem, coaching to win today while ignoring development concerns tomorrow and beyond. Parents in this example aren't thinking rationally, instead emotionally. Not sure which is the chicken and which is the egg, but as long as the parent is buying results of teams and matches and clubs are selling them, rather than clearly and honestly putting INDIVIDUAL development over whatever the team results might be, nothing will change.

                                Comment

                                Previously entered content was automatically saved. Restore or Discard.
                                Auto-Saved
                                x
                                Insert: Thumbnail Small Medium Large Fullsize Remove  
                                x
                                Working...
                                X