Age of Ambidextrous Girls Soccer

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Give me a break...few if any world class players are ambidextrous.
Yes, they should be proficient with both feet, but there's a reason left footed players are so valued, just like left handed batters in baseball.

DS is left footed and has a pretty strong left foot at that. He's still in an age bracket where the GKs rarely expect shots off the left foot or realize they need to defend a bit differently.

[Anonymous]

I think the left handed/left footed kids are naturally more ambidextrous than the right dominant because of their normal lives. They are taught everything as a rightie.

I see most kids in U9-11 have a dominant foot and some skill with the other.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Give me a break...few if any world class players are ambidextrous.
Yes, they should be proficient with both feet, but there's a reason left footed players are so valued, just like left handed batters in baseball.

DS is left footed and has a pretty strong left foot at that. He's still in an age bracket where the GKs rarely expect shots off the left foot or realize they need to defend a bit differently.

He needs to be putting more work into his right foot then.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes. Don't be discouraged.

My firstborn at that age could barely consistently get 16. He committed to it the following summer and was up to 300 by age 10. 1,000 by December. He's now U13 and he easily do 'around the world' and other juggling skills.

My second born is a U10 and he is around where your daughter is--though he can use both feet extremely well dribbling and shooting--so his coach will play him on the side to use left--even though he is a true rightie. This developed in a large part because my husband coached him in rec the first few years and insisted on kids using both feet, making a game out of it, having them wear different color socks and use the 'red' one only, etc. Much easier to pick it up the younger you are--these kids were 5.

2nd born is lazier about practicing juggling though. He doesn't have the same perseverance with it as older brother who would get so frustrated---kick and throw things---then go back out and continue. Different personalities completely.

I never was a good juggler. I managed to play a pretty high level never really mastering the art. My husband that only played one year of soccer in HS (the only soccer he played--one year) is a fantastic juggler. Go figure.

With juggling it really is a 'break-through' moment. Once you consistently get around 25--it's easy to keep going if you keep practicing. It's the beginning that is the very hardest.

Practice. Really use the other foot---wall ball, shoot in the backyard with it, etc...don't be afraid to try it in a game.

I think she sounds right on track!

She is on the right rack, but there is a big difference between the genders.

Meaning girls pick it up earlier?

The reason my son got to over 1,000 was because he saw a girl a year younger than him do it while he was still only doing 20. It did something to his ego. He spent an entire summer out there practicing until he got it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Give me a break...few if any world class players are ambidextrous.
Yes, they should be proficient with both feet, but there's a reason left footed players are so valued, just like left handed batters in baseball.

DS is left footed and has a pretty strong left foot at that. He's still in an age bracket where the GKs rarely expect shots off the left foot or realize they need to defend a bit differently.

He needs to be putting more work into his right foot then.

He is. The different between his feet is less than what I usually see for kids who are right dominant.

[Anonymous]

Our club has a yellow sock program. Players wear a yellow sock on their non-dominant foot to encourage them to use it. Even on the top team, the players at u10 have a long way to go.

[Anonymous]

The only girls that can juggle a lot under the age of 9 or 10 are the ones forced to practice by their parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The only girls that can juggle a lot under the age of 9 or 10 are the ones forced to practice by their parents.

lots of competitive u9 girls that were trying to out-do each other in juggling number and using all parts of body. And once they figured out how to get past 3, then 20, etc it was no longer a burdensome exercise for the girls. The excitement on my daughters face is awesome everytime they break their record or incorporates a new move.

My girls also want to be the best and every time they see something new they want to figure it out and do one better. The first time they really used their non-dom foot in games was they day the light clicked that there were more tools in the toolbox, rather than just hearing it from trainers.

I think we really still don't have the same expectations/challenges for girls as we do for boys. we treat them very differently, sometimes for appropriate reasons and sometimes for way outdated and inappropriate. that's typically a totally different conversation, but I think speed of play and technical skills challenges appear to be much delayed in appearance.
maybe it's due to the lower volume of girls playing and the lack of resources devoted and the weaker future/career prospects and it's effect on the pool.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The only girls that can juggle a lot under the age of 9 or 10 are the ones forced to practice by their parents.

lots of competitive u9 girls that were trying to out-do each other in juggling number and using all parts of body. And once they figured out how to get past 3, then 20, etc it was no longer a burdensome exercise for the girls. The excitement on my daughters face is awesome everytime they break their record or incorporates a new move.

My girls also want to be the best and every time they see something new they want to figure it out and do one better. The first time they really used their non-dom foot in games was they day the light clicked that there were more tools in the toolbox, rather than just hearing it from trainers.

I think we really still don't have the same expectations/challenges for girls as we do for boys. we treat them very differently, sometimes for appropriate reasons and sometimes for way outdated and inappropriate. that's typically a totally different conversation, but I think speed of play and technical skills challenges appear to be much delayed in appearance.
maybe it's due to the lower volume of girls playing and the lack of resources devoted and the weaker future/career prospects and it's effect on the pool.

+100 some girl want to do it. Once you get above 20 consistency, it’s fun to do. Plus some players are more of a natural vs others.

[Anonymous]

As a parent, do you encourage your child to practice juggling or practice to be more proficient with other soccer skills (dribbling, kicking, moves, etc.)? This is assuming your child can only juggle less than 10 times.

[Anonymous]

I'm confused if this thread is about juggling, or shooting/dribbling/passing with your non-dominant foot?

If it's the former (juggling), it's worthwhile, but don't assume just because someone is an excellent juggler they are also an excellent player. I know plenty of slow / out of shape players that are great jugglers, players who are great jugglers but average dribblers, players who are great jugglers but have weak shots, etc.

If it's about performance with your non-dominant foot, I would absolutely concentrate on this, and love stuff like the yellow sock idea. But prior posters are also right that very few kids are going to proficient at this. Like a PP, I know plenty of amazing players that are garbage with their off-foot. But, all other things being equal, I highly value players that can at least shoot well with both feet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm confused if this thread is about juggling, or shooting/dribbling/passing with your non-dominant foot?

If it's the former (juggling), it's worthwhile, but don't assume just because someone is an excellent juggler they are also an excellent player. I know plenty of slow / out of shape players that are great jugglers, players who are great jugglers but average dribblers, players who are great jugglers but have weak shots, etc.

If it's about performance with your non-dominant foot, I would absolutely concentrate on this, and love stuff like the yellow sock idea. But prior posters are also right that very few kids are going to proficient at this. Like a PP, I know plenty of amazing players that are garbage with their off-foot. But, all other things being equal, I highly value players that can at least shoot well with both feet.

What happens a lot of time is the “great” payer who is fast with the hard shot at u10 tend to fad. This is because other girls catch up in terms of speed and striking the ball. It’s more important to have an accurate shot under pressure vs a hard shot. The hard shot that is inaccurate or the fast player who can not field the ball get weeded out as you move up. It does get tiring hearing about how hard a shot this girl has and her technique sucks. It will catch up to her.

Juggle works most of the related physical components for a good soccer player. It improves balance, coordination, reaction time, endurance and most importantly your touch. Most of the times in soccer you are balancing on one foot and striking the ball or pushing as in dribbling. The girls who can juggle at the younger ages are for the most part good dribblers.

A good player will practise alone, will practise their touch just goofing around all the time. They juggle. If you can not juggle you are not working on your own.

[Anonymous]

There will be differing use of their non dominant foot at that age. Several will almost only use their dominant foot, some will try to use their non dominant foot during games (more with dribbling than shooting), but very few can shoot equally well with their right and left feet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi everyone,

Do most U10/U11 Travel Soccer Girls able to kick and dribble equally well (or almost equal) with both feet?

If not, at what age do you see most of them developing this skill?

Thank you.

It should be focused on from the beginning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My 9 year old girl can juggle alternating right/left (feet/but has to resort to thighs occasionally) up to about 15 and kicks/dribbles equally well with left and right feet. From what I can tell in our ODSL league (I know, I know!) these skills are pretty rare in her age group.

Leagues have nothing to do with the skill set of players, it's more of clubs selecting the most aggressive kids at U9 and sticking with those kids. It would be like an American soccer player here playing in the MLS saying "I play in the MLS and not in Spain so I should expect less commitment from myself and not try as hard". Its a ridiculous idea.