Reflections from an aging soccer dad

[Anonymous]

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and now Boys ECNL.

ECNL is not the place to be for boys. DA is still in vogue. Sure it may fade, but the number of players DA sends to Division 1 of NCAA speaks for itself and the level of competition far exceeds anything ECNL could ever produce being basically a Carolinas-only league. Add to that, the fact that DA is sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation. DA may go away or be replaced but it will be something that is a refinement of DA.

Huh? ECNL is a national league.

For DMV teams the heavy concentration of Carolinas-based teams is problematic.

What a moron. Do you even know how the league works?

[Anonymous]

The travel advantage that the ECNL does well - better than the DA - boys and girls both is how they cluster games. So ECNL is the same travel as the DA, but it's generally better organized. If a team travels, they will play 2 teams in the same generally region - one per day. The DA will often have you travel to an area, play one game, and then come back to that area again later to play another team.

Plus, the ECNL allows high school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The travel advantage that the ECNL does well - better than the DA - boys and girls both is how they cluster games. So ECNL is the same travel as the DA, but it's generally better organized. If a team travels, they will play 2 teams in the same generally region - one per day. The DA will often have you travel to an area, play one game, and then come back to that area again later to play another team.

Plus, the ECNL allows high school.

Not true. DA will combine games in a weekend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The travel advantage that the ECNL does well - better than the DA - boys and girls both is how they cluster games. So ECNL is the same travel as the DA, but it's generally better organized. If a team travels, they will play 2 teams in the same generally region - one per day. The DA will often have you travel to an area, play one game, and then come back to that area again later to play another team.

Plus, the ECNL allows high school.

Oh wonderful. Not. Who wants to go to the Carolinas at all on a regular school weekend? 6 hours Saturday, 6 hours Sunday in the car.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Question from a happy parent. My 11yo kid has been playing for the same club for years. He is not a superstar but he easily made A team every year. His team is doing very well, winning a lot of games in league and tournaments. He’s happy and committed. I can’t think of any reason to move him, but can’t help wondering if I missed something in the big picture. I am not looking at scholarships or pro probabilities, even though my kid aspires to be one. I just thought it’d be nice to have a hobby and some friends and maybe a boost to college admissions. Any advice?

Things will change a lot in the next few years. If he’s happy I don’t even understand why you are posting, humble brags aside.

If he’s not doing a lot of work in his own in coming years, he may not stay on the A team and if that hurts his ego then he might lose the love. It’s often harder for kids that have everything go their way early in their sports career to handle failure down the road.

Thanks for your advice. What would you recommend he does on his own time? Running? Clinics?

Footskills, footskills, footskills.

Running is not a skill.

Running is not a skill? Funny. Spoken like a lazy player whose teammates complain about never getting back to play defense. Yes - foot skills AND conditioning. Soccer is an athletic sport, it is not a video game or golf. You need to be fast, quick, and have stamina - better than the other person to have the best chance at the greatest success. Running is a skill. The more efficient you become at it, the less energy it takes and the quicker you can move. This also includes flexibility, agility, and explosive power Let the PPs kid not train physically and just do foot skills, while your kid does both. I know whose kid will be selected 9 times out of 10 … yours.

In the end the kid who worked on soccer in playing soccer and the kid who worked on running isn't:

http://www.espn.com/soccer/club/central-coast-mariners/5325/blog/post/3618449/usain-bolts-professional-soccer-debut-delivered-on-the-hype-but-not-technique

If you want to see this in person, go to any HS soccer game. Around here, each team might have 6 - 8 really good club soccer players, and the balance will be the best athlete's the coach could find that were not playing another sport. You can see the difference immediately on the field between the players with good technical skills and the kids that are fast and strong but have no real skills.

Well, it is apparent that the responders to my post don’t have very good reading skills. I did not say to not work on foot skills. I said that running (I.e. form and stamina) is a skill too and that those that forget soccer is a sport and not just a dribbling and juggling and trapping and shooting exercise are naive. Let me repeat so that the simpletons get it: work on BOTH foot skills AND physical training. Dummies.

The context was for an 11 year old. Your advice within that context is stupid.

If fitness is a problem then certainly running can help a player get fit. Beyond general fitness elementary and middle school kids should focus their efforts on soccer specific skills if they wish to improve in soccer.

High School age kids may wish to do some strength and conditioning during the off season or down time. But to otherwise work on "running" even in concert with soccer training when overall fitness is not an issue is a waste of time. Well run, high intense soccer practices should be enough to keep a player fit. If your player is fit the focus should primarily be on soccer skills.

Good luck with your slow, out of shape, but technically skilled kid(s). Also, 11 year olds get older. Start good habits early. This is my last post on this sub-topic, as I am done arguing with someone who just doesn't get it.

If a kid is slow exactly how will they get faster?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The travel advantage that the ECNL does well - better than the DA - boys and girls both is how they cluster games. So ECNL is the same travel as the DA, but it's generally better organized. If a team travels, they will play 2 teams in the same generally region - one per day. The DA will often have you travel to an area, play one game, and then come back to that area again later to play another team.

Plus, the ECNL allows high school.

Oh wonderful. Not. Who wants to go to the Carolinas at all on a regular school weekend? 6 hours Saturday, 6 hours Sunday in the car.

Sure if you don't like the DA or the ECNL, it's not for you. Its a personal decision.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The travel advantage that the ECNL does well - better than the DA - boys and girls both is how they cluster games. So ECNL is the same travel as the DA, but it's generally better organized. If a team travels, they will play 2 teams in the same generally region - one per day. The DA will often have you travel to an area, play one game, and then come back to that area again later to play another team.

Plus, the ECNL allows high school.

Not true. DA will combine games in a weekend.

They combine some and there are single games some. ECNL combines as a habit. Each league has advantages and disadvantages. Do what's right for your kid and family.

[Anonymous]

Technical work is important, but being in shape and having speed makes technical work more impactful. Slower players have a harder time getting to the ball when it matters and defending as effectively. All are soccer skills. Part of what is makes Mbappé who he is is the incredible speed he has along with the technical skills he uses that speed with.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Technical work is important, but being in shape and having speed makes technical work more impactful. Slower players have a harder time getting to the ball when it matters and defending as effectively. All are soccer skills. Part of what is makes Mbappé who he is is the incredible speed he has along with the technical skills he uses that speed with.

How do you make a slow player fast?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The travel advantage that the ECNL does well - better than the DA - boys and girls both is how they cluster games. So ECNL is the same travel as the DA, but it's generally better organized. If a team travels, they will play 2 teams in the same generally region - one per day. The DA will often have you travel to an area, play one game, and then come back to that area again later to play another team.

Plus, the ECNL allows high school.

ECNL does have some advantages over DA (high school), but travel is not one of them. I’d rather go to no/nyc over sc. Rather go to pa, md, or Richmond over nc. DA games are significantly closer, thus usuallynot the need to combine in a weekend and have to miss school on Friday to get there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Technical work is important, but being in shape and having speed makes technical work more impactful. Slower players have a harder time getting to the ball when it matters and defending as effectively. All are soccer skills. Part of what is makes Mbappé who he is is the incredible speed he has along with the technical skills he uses that speed with.

How do you make a slow player fast?

To be honest, find a team/competition that is appropriately suited for that player. If their athleticism is interfering with the speed of play and this minimizing their technique, there isn’t much you can do other than find the right level. I dont see this that much but perhaps it’s playing a year up on a B team. Does anyone else see this happening?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The travel advantage that the ECNL does well - better than the DA - boys and girls both is how they cluster games. So ECNL is the same travel as the DA, but it's generally better organized. If a team travels, they will play 2 teams in the same generally region - one per day. The DA will often have you travel to an area, play one game, and then come back to that area again later to play another team.

Plus, the ECNL allows high school.

ECNL does have some advantages over DA (high school), but travel is not one of them. I’d rather go to no/nyc over sc. Rather go to pa, md, or Richmond over nc. DA games are significantly closer, thus usuallynot the need to combine in a weekend and have to miss school on Friday to get there.

Having done it both ways, not as much as you might think. That said, I think they are both good decisions. I do miss the ECNl games up north though from a competition standpoint. I think it was better competition because the north has stronger teams generally.

However, I like having the spring off. High school games have their own virtues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Technical work is important, but being in shape and having speed makes technical work more impactful. Slower players have a harder time getting to the ball when it matters and defending as effectively. All are soccer skills. Part of what is makes Mbappé who he is is the incredible speed he has along with the technical skills he uses that speed with.

How do you make a slow player fast?

To be honest, find a team/competition that is appropriately suited for that player. If their athleticism is interfering with the speed of play and this minimizing their technique, there isn’t much you can do other than find the right level. I dont see this that much but perhaps it’s playing a year up on a B team. Does anyone else see this happening?

Yes, I do. I see players who are solid technically but just not very fast. In some cases, it looks genetic. They are in shape and running at full speed. That speed isn else on the field. Sometimes it's being a little heavy, which may be fixable. Playing up on a B team isn't a bad thought.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Technical work is important, but being in shape and having speed makes technical work more impactful. Slower players have a harder time getting to the ball when it matters and defending as effectively. All are soccer skills. Part of what is makes Mbappé who he is is the incredible speed he has along with the technical skills he uses that speed with.

How do you make a slow player fast?

To be honest, find a team/competition that is appropriately suited for that player. If their athleticism is interfering with the speed of play and this minimizing their technique, there isn’t much you can do other than find the right level. I dont see this that much but perhaps it’s playing a year up on a B team. Does anyone else see this happening?

Yes, I do. I see players who are solid technically but just not very fast. In some cases, it looks genetic. They are in shape and running at full speed. That speed isn else on the field. Sometimes it's being a little heavy, which may be fixable. Playing up on a B team isn't a bad thought.

So if a kid is fit BUT slow, running isn't going to make them fast?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Technical work is important, but being in shape and having speed makes technical work more impactful. Slower players have a harder time getting to the ball when it matters and defending as effectively. All are soccer skills. Part of what is makes Mbappé who he is is the incredible speed he has along with the technical skills he uses that speed with.

How do you make a slow player fast?

To be honest, find a team/competition that is appropriately suited for that player. If their athleticism is interfering with the speed of play and this minimizing their technique, there isn’t much you can do other than find the right level. I dont see this that much but perhaps it’s playing a year up on a B team. Does anyone else see this happening?

Yes, I do. I see players who are solid technically but just not very fast. In some cases, it looks genetic. They are in shape and running at full speed. That speed isn else on the field. Sometimes it's being a little heavy, which may be fixable. Playing up on a B team isn't a bad thought.

So if a kid is fit BUT slow, running isn't going to make them fast?

Huh? I'm talking about kids who run but aren't good at it. Sometimes it's form and sometimes they are slow because that is the body they are born with. Or fast for the same reasons.