Parent Perspective

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is accurate. Many of the kids now on my kids age group top teams at U15 were really the best ones at age 7. The ones who scored 10 goals a game just running down the field. Couple that with sports-aware or linked parents and a competitive spirit and bingo.
Some say kids grow into greatness but in this era of trainers, I don’t think that’s true. I have seen 5 year olds with private trainers who have insane skills already. It would be hard to catch up and surpass these kids.

You are only seeing the successes. Many others burn out, get injured and either switch sports or give it up entirely.

Isn't the question about the successes?

I think the point is more about the failures of this pathway to success and to perhaps consider that.

Why consider the failures?
Focus on what it takes for success.

Except some get blinded that there's only THIS way when that's not true at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Always try to play at the highest levels you can get to. If you're playing at a low level at younger ages, it will be hard to match the speed of play at the higher levels because it is just something your not used to. Can a player play high school football and still be a pro? Maybe. A broken clock is right twice a day. But it is much less likely. We are talking about the best chances of success.

It’s tough to know how to attribute success. Are the successful ones successful because they followed this blueprint? Or were they likely to be successful no matter which path they took because they had what it takes. Hard to say.

It’s similar to how graduates from top colleges have higher paying jobs. Is it because they went to that college, or is it because that college filters for the types of kids who would perform well no matter where they went to college.

The kids that start with private training, play high level early, and follow the “blueprint” is a filtering system for the types of players who were already likely to succeed. I don’t think it makes them succeed.

It's sports.
No one is likely to succeed to top levels without the required work and sacrifice

Exactly. And identifying who has those attributes is very difficult to predict at young ages. Really until later teen years.

Makes no sense

Late in teen years to sacrifice and put in consistent hard work is too late.
Unless you're not talking about going professional.

[Anonymous]

I wonder how often parents hear from their DC that they love soccer, or is it that the DC is telling the parent what they think they want to hear? You should be able to tell if a DC loves soccer without even asking them, they have to actually love the sport first and foremost.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is accurate. Many of the kids now on my kids age group top teams at U15 were really the best ones at age 7. The ones who scored 10 goals a game just running down the field. Couple that with sports-aware or linked parents and a competitive spirit and bingo.
Some say kids grow into greatness but in this era of trainers, I don’t think that’s true. I have seen 5 year olds with private trainers who have insane skills already. It would be hard to catch up and surpass these kids.

You are only seeing the successes. Many others burn out, get injured and either switch sports or give it up entirely.

Isn't the question about the successes?

I think the point is more about the failures of this pathway to success and to perhaps consider that.

Why consider the failures?
Focus on what it takes for success.

Except some get blinded that there's only THIS way when that's not true at all.

Every successful person focused on what it takes for success or they wouldn't have become successful

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wonder how often parents hear from their DC that they love soccer, or is it that the DC is telling the parent what they think they want to hear? You should be able to tell if a DC loves soccer without even asking them, they have to actually love the sport first and foremost.

OP isn't talking about recreational

Kids going from grassroots to pro and their parents probably aren't conflicted about love of the game

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is accurate. Many of the kids now on my kids age group top teams at U15 were really the best ones at age 7. The ones who scored 10 goals a game just running down the field. Couple that with sports-aware or linked parents and a competitive spirit and bingo.
Some say kids grow into greatness but in this era of trainers, I don’t think that’s true. I have seen 5 year olds with private trainers who have insane skills already. It would be hard to catch up and surpass these kids.

You are only seeing the successes. Many others burn out, get injured and either switch sports or give it up entirely.

Isn't the question about the successes?

I think the point is more about the failures of this pathway to success and to perhaps consider that.

Why consider the failures?
Focus on what it takes for success.

Except some get blinded that there's only THIS way when that's not true at all.

Every successful person focused on what it takes for success or they wouldn't have become successful

Nice circular reasoning. The question was if you live here how does a kid go pro. Some say training/treating kids like mini-professional players from age 5 is the way to go. I think that can work in professional sports. But it also could grind out kids who otherwise could have succeed had they waited to get more serious later.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is accurate. Many of the kids now on my kids age group top teams at U15 were really the best ones at age 7. The ones who scored 10 goals a game just running down the field. Couple that with sports-aware or linked parents and a competitive spirit and bingo.
Some say kids grow into greatness but in this era of trainers, I don’t think that’s true. I have seen 5 year olds with private trainers who have insane skills already. It would be hard to catch up and surpass these kids.

You are only seeing the successes. Many others burn out, get injured and either switch sports or give it up entirely.

Isn't the question about the successes?

I think the point is more about the failures of this pathway to success and to perhaps consider that.

Why consider the failures?
Focus on what it takes for success.

Except some get blinded that there's only THIS way when that's not true at all.

Every successful person focused on what it takes for success or they wouldn't have become successful

Nice circular reasoning. The question was if you live here how does a kid go pro. Some say training/treating kids like mini-professional players from age 5 is the way to go. I think that can work in professional sports. But it also could grind out kids who otherwise could have succeed had they waited to get more serious later.

P.S. ... Also, how do we learn? By failure, understanding it and making changes as a response.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is accurate. Many of the kids now on my kids age group top teams at U15 were really the best ones at age 7. The ones who scored 10 goals a game just running down the field. Couple that with sports-aware or linked parents and a competitive spirit and bingo.
Some say kids grow into greatness but in this era of trainers, I don’t think that’s true. I have seen 5 year olds with private trainers who have insane skills already. It would be hard to catch up and surpass these kids.

You are only seeing the successes. Many others burn out, get injured and either switch sports or give it up entirely.

Isn't the question about the successes?

I think the point is more about the failures of this pathway to success and to perhaps consider that.

Why consider the failures?
Focus on what it takes for success.

Except some get blinded that there's only THIS way when that's not true at all.

Every successful person focused on what it takes for success or they wouldn't have become successful

Nice circular reasoning. The question was if you live here how does a kid go pro. Some say training/treating kids like mini-professional players from age 5 is the way to go. I think that can work in professional sports. But it also could grind out kids who otherwise could have succeed had they waited to get more serious later.

Do the "some" show results that that approach works relatively consistently?

Prevailing wisdom says, treat kids like kids, not mini adults

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is accurate. Many of the kids now on my kids age group top teams at U15 were really the best ones at age 7. The ones who scored 10 goals a game just running down the field. Couple that with sports-aware or linked parents and a competitive spirit and bingo.
Some say kids grow into greatness but in this era of trainers, I don’t think that’s true. I have seen 5 year olds with private trainers who have insane skills already. It would be hard to catch up and surpass these kids.

You are only seeing the successes. Many others burn out, get injured and either switch sports or give it up entirely.

Isn't the question about the successes?

I think the point is more about the failures of this pathway to success and to perhaps consider that.

Why consider the failures?
Focus on what it takes for success.

Because burn out and over use injuries are real.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Always try to play at the highest levels you can get to. If you're playing at a low level at younger ages, it will be hard to match the speed of play at the higher levels because it is just something your not used to. Can a player play high school football and still be a pro? Maybe. A broken clock is right twice a day. But it is much less likely. We are talking about the best chances of success.

It’s tough to know how to attribute success. Are the successful ones successful because they followed this blueprint? Or were they likely to be successful no matter which path they took because they had what it takes. Hard to say.

It’s similar to how graduates from top colleges have higher paying jobs. Is it because they went to that college, or is it because that college filters for the types of kids who would perform well no matter where they went to college.

The kids that start with private training, play high level early, and follow the “blueprint” is a filtering system for the types of players who were already likely to succeed. I don’t think it makes them succeed.

It's sports.
No one is likely to succeed to top levels without the required work and sacrifice

Exactly. And identifying who has those attributes is very difficult to predict at young ages. Really until later teen years.

Makes no sense

Late in teen years to sacrifice and put in consistent hard work is too late.
Unless you're not talking about going professional.

Not saying sacrifice and hard work don’t need to start until teen years. I’m saying just because a kid is working hard and loving soccer at 10 years old doesn’t mean they will at 17. It’s a different kind of work at 17, more like a job at that point. Nutrition, fitness, mindset, injuries, so many things that aren’t about soccer that are required at 17 that weren’t there at 10. Predicting which 10 year olds will be willing to do the those things at 17 is difficult.

[Anonymous]

Times have changed. You can’t exactly be “just talented” and the rest will follow. You need extra training, classes, private coaching…all that requires money. I don’t believe anyone can be discovered like Ronaldo for example. In this time and day, you need money for everything

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Always try to play at the highest levels you can get to. If you're playing at a low level at younger ages, it will be hard to match the speed of play at the higher levels because it is just something your not used to. Can a player play high school football and still be a pro? Maybe. A broken clock is right twice a day. But it is much less likely. We are talking about the best chances of success.

It’s tough to know how to attribute success. Are the successful ones successful because they followed this blueprint? Or were they likely to be successful no matter which path they took because they had what it takes. Hard to say.

It’s similar to how graduates from top colleges have higher paying jobs. Is it because they went to that college, or is it because that college filters for the types of kids who would perform well no matter where they went to college.

The kids that start with private training, play high level early, and follow the “blueprint” is a filtering system for the types of players who were already likely to succeed. I don’t think it makes them succeed.

It's sports.
No one is likely to succeed to top levels without the required work and sacrifice

Exactly. And identifying who has those attributes is very difficult to predict at young ages. Really until later teen years.

Makes no sense

Late in teen years to sacrifice and put in consistent hard work is too late.
Unless you're not talking about going professional.

Not saying sacrifice and hard work don’t need to start until teen years. I’m saying just because a kid is working hard and loving soccer at 10 years old doesn’t mean they will at 17. It’s a different kind of work at 17, more like a job at that point. Nutrition, fitness, mindset, injuries, so many things that aren’t about soccer that are required at 17 that weren’t there at 10. Predicting which 10 year olds will be willing to do the those things at 17 is difficult.

Yes, it gets way harder as they get older and many kids drop out or slow down and fall behind.

[Anonymous]

Not all great players early will be great later in life. But even fewer not-great early players will become great later. That’s the point. I know two pros personally, one male and one female. Both national teams, one adult and pro and one U20. Both were prodigies. They were the kids literally scoring 10-15 goals in every game through their in youth years. They were coupled with parents who played college soccer and very intense early training. One is from this area, a while ago, one more recent and from Colorado. Who knows if they would have succeeded with different parents or less intense training, but those coupled with clear raw talent (and size!!!) were true for both.

[Anonymous]

Different kid, different journey.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not all great players early will be great later in life. But even fewer not-great early players will become great later. That’s the point. I know two pros personally, one male and one female. Both national teams, one adult and pro and one U20. Both were prodigies. They were the kids literally scoring 10-15 goals in every game through their in youth years. They were coupled with parents who played college soccer and very intense early training. One is from this area, a while ago, one more recent and from Colorado. Who knows if they would have succeeded with different parents or less intense training, but those coupled with clear raw talent (and size!!!) were true for both.

So, I guess if you aren't already a former college athlete with money to train your kid to be your mini-me, time to give up!