Skipping a travel year and focus on training

[Anonymous]

Training will not teach you Soccer IQ. There is no substitute for a time on a field. Both are important, of course, but playing is how players grow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Training will not teach you Soccer IQ. There is no substitute for a time on a field. Both are important, of course, but playing is how players grow.

Proper training definitely helps to improve IQ/Decision Making

The coach sets up problem scenarios that players need to solve, quickly, without the coach joy-sticking.

[Anonymous]

What age?
What are the future goals?

Without those, it's a waste of time to respond.

[Anonymous]

2012
Make a 1st team by 8th or 9th grade
Possibly college

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:2012
Make a 1st team by 8th or 9th grade
Possibly college

So you want him to skip U13 and return to club soccer at U14?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:2012
Make a 1st team by 8th or 9th grade
Possibly college

Oof, I have a 2012 DS on a team that will play MLSNext in the fall. I think, assuming they stick with it, all kids on his team have the potential to play in college based on their technical skills. Even the ones that don’t get much playing time are still good enough to contribute to the fast paced, intense practices.

If you are going to take the year off, I would incorporate lots of small group practices with better players. Developing individual skills is pointless if you can’t execute them in real scenarios against other skilled players.

Or perhaps if your kid is already close to 1st team skill level, you can practice with top teams and ask the coach if you can join practices once or twice a week. I think ur kid needs to regularly see what it takes to make a first team.

At 2012, kids on first teams already do so much on their own to just maintain their spots. That’s a lot to replicate outside of a travel schedule.

[Anonymous]

I think it would depend on the trainer.

The US already puts too much emphasis on games, rather than development, compared to other countries. So it is not a bad idea.

If the kid is skilled then teams will take them even if they 'skipped' a year.

[Anonymous]

If child is ready to ditch the sport would offer rec and private training / if matches travel budget. Sometimes kids just need to play with friends and get the joy back.

[Anonymous]

Can’t your kid do this say once a week and practice skills on his own, but stay with the team? Personally this is. It a route I would suggest to anyone, but maybe it will work for you. The soccer IQ, field awareness, and working with teammates is not something you can replicate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:2012
Make a 1st team by 8th or 9th grade
Possibly college

Oof, I have a 2012 DS on a team that will play MLSNext in the fall. I think, assuming they stick with it, all kids on his team have the potential to play in college based on their technical skills. Even the ones that don’t get much playing time are still good enough to contribute to the fast paced, intense practices.

If you are going to take the year off, I would incorporate lots of small group practices with better players. Developing individual skills is pointless if you can’t execute them in real scenarios against other skilled players.

Or perhaps if your kid is already close to 1st team skill level, you can practice with top teams and ask the coach if you can join practices once or twice a week. I think ur kid needs to regularly see what it takes to make a first team.

At 2012, kids on first teams already do so much on their own to just maintain their spots. That’s a lot to replicate outside of a travel schedule.

We need to know which MLS Next team and position before we trust your opinion

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:2012
Make a 1st team by 8th or 9th grade
Possibly college

My oldest didn’t make a first team until Junior year (ecnl) and then made mlsnext fall of Senior year.

He got his college offer Fall of Senior year after not even playing junior year because of an injury.

Fwiw, he developed on the later side.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:2012
Make a 1st team by 8th or 9th grade
Possibly college

My oldest didn’t make a first team until Junior year (ecnl) and then made mlsnext fall of Senior year.

He got his college offer Fall of Senior year after not even playing junior year because of an injury.

Fwiw, he developed on the later side.

The hard part is these rosters barely change so it’s hard to break onto one late—even if you are better than rostered kids. There are kids on some of these ecnl teams from U11 and still there U16/17 when they really shouldn’t be, but clubs are hesitant to move them down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Training will not teach you Soccer IQ. There is no substitute for a time on a field. Both are important, of course, but playing is how players grow.

Proper training definitely helps to improve IQ/Decision Making

The coach sets up problem scenarios that players need to solve, quickly, without the coach joy-sticking.

For a 13 yo boy who will miss their first year on the full field? No.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Training will not teach you Soccer IQ. There is no substitute for a time on a field. Both are important, of course, but playing is how players grow.

Proper training definitely helps to improve IQ/Decision Making

The coach sets up problem scenarios that players need to solve, quickly, without the coach joy-sticking.

For a 13 yo boy who will miss their first year on the full field? No.

Club/group training not private training.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Training will not teach you Soccer IQ. There is no substitute for a time on a field. Both are important, of course, but playing is how players grow.

Proper training definitely helps to improve IQ/Decision Making

The coach sets up problem scenarios that players need to solve, quickly, without the coach joy-sticking.

For a 13 yo boy who will miss their first year on the full field? No.

Unfortunately, many don't know that IQ can be improved sitting on the couch watching good professionals play.