Female physical attributes for positions

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Game Tactics

Most of soccer is played on the ground, with the ball at the feet of the players. Short players can flourish if they excel at ball control, speed, agility and the ability to change direction quickly. They can contribute to passing attacks that can exhaust taller and at times, sluggish and less-skilled opponents. This possession-focused style of soccer, popular in Latin America and Spain, can be seen in the U.S. even in recreational teams who use skill and shrewd tactics to flummox larger opponents.

Inherently Greater Athleticism

In soccer, the short athlete’s gifts no longer get hidden behind those of taller guys and girls. Shorter athletes react more quickly, accelerate better, move with more agility and have a greater strength-to-weight ratio, writes multidisciplinary scholar Thomas T. Samaras in “Human Body Size and the Laws of Scaling.” Those not overly tall also have increased endurance and are less prone to heat stroke. All these assets fit perfectly with a sport that lasts 90 minutes or longer, lacks time outs, is played outdoors in hot weather and requires intermittent sprinting.


Lower Center of Gravity

The laws of physics allow a shorter person, with her lower center of gravity, to be better able to resist falling and to enjoy greater stability. She can produce a strong counter-torque to restore her balance even during a lunging, desperate attempt to maintain ball control or to shoot while falling over. Samaras notes that this stability gives shorter athletes an advantage in gymnastics, wrestling, sailing and surfing. It also allows soccer players trying to weave toward the goal in close quarters to maintain their footing despite the inevitable bumping.

Exceptions

While short players can star in soccer, its pros are still taller than the general population. Height remains important for goalkeepers who need to cover a wide and tall goalmouth. Central defenders, especially in leagues that need to defend against tall forwards, also tend to have some height. Soccer statistics analyst Chris Anderson finds a solid correlation between team height and international soccer success. He does note that outliers, such as Spain’s men’s team and America's women's team, at times achieve tremendous success despite a lack of height, presumably based on skill or tactical understanding.

Good read. It's like short wins up front, height then is needed for backs to out-jump those forwards and obviously keepers with size and length have inherent advantage.

LMFAO. I guess those tall Kenyan and Ethiopian marathoners who never suffer heat stroke need to read this and look at for the short runners. Dumb article but this basically still reads short players are the Exception.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While there are always exceptions but this article shows the typical size and skills needed by positions in women’s college soccer:

https://www.ncsasports.org/womens-soccer/recruiting-guidelines

It seems most positions requires a player to be at least 5’5”.

I was recently watching the women's D1 ACC playoffs from this fall on YouTube. It seemed every player was at least 5'5 on all of the teams. They would always announce the height when a player was subbed in.

I think it would be very difficult to make a top team if you are smaller but likely options in the lower DI or DII / DIII levels.

So, the majority were average height for females in this country? Good to know. Don't forget, they all round up. 5'4 and a half is 5'5

At U14/U15, 5'5 is a tall player. By U16/U17 that is average. Puberty changes everything and size (both height and strength) is a big factor.

Set your recruiting expectations by looking at the roster of the dream school for your kid. All parents figure it out, some later in the process.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Game Tactics

Most of soccer is played on the ground, with the ball at the feet of the players. Short players can flourish if they excel at ball control, speed, agility and the ability to change direction quickly. They can contribute to passing attacks that can exhaust taller and at times, sluggish and less-skilled opponents. This possession-focused style of soccer, popular in Latin America and Spain, can be seen in the U.S. even in recreational teams who use skill and shrewd tactics to flummox larger opponents.

Inherently Greater Athleticism

In soccer, the short athlete’s gifts no longer get hidden behind those of taller guys and girls. Shorter athletes react more quickly, accelerate better, move with more agility and have a greater strength-to-weight ratio, writes multidisciplinary scholar Thomas T. Samaras in “Human Body Size and the Laws of Scaling.” Those not overly tall also have increased endurance and are less prone to heat stroke. All these assets fit perfectly with a sport that lasts 90 minutes or longer, lacks time outs, is played outdoors in hot weather and requires intermittent sprinting.


Lower Center of Gravity

The laws of physics allow a shorter person, with her lower center of gravity, to be better able to resist falling and to enjoy greater stability. She can produce a strong counter-torque to restore her balance even during a lunging, desperate attempt to maintain ball control or to shoot while falling over. Samaras notes that this stability gives shorter athletes an advantage in gymnastics, wrestling, sailing and surfing. It also allows soccer players trying to weave toward the goal in close quarters to maintain their footing despite the inevitable bumping.

Exceptions

While short players can star in soccer, its pros are still taller than the general population. Height remains important for goalkeepers who need to cover a wide and tall goalmouth. Central defenders, especially in leagues that need to defend against tall forwards, also tend to have some height. Soccer statistics analyst Chris Anderson finds a solid correlation between team height and international soccer success. He does note that outliers, such as Spain’s men’s team and America's women's team, at times achieve tremendous success despite a lack of height, presumably based on skill or tactical understanding.

Good read. It's like short wins up front, height then is needed for backs to out-jump those forwards and obviously keepers with size and length have inherent advantage.

LMFAO. I guess those tall Kenyan and Ethiopian marathoners who never suffer heat stroke need to read this and look at for the short runners. Dumb article but this basically still reads short players are the Exception.

Didn’t your mama ever tell you that unless you have anything intelligent to say, just STFU? Otherwise, you’re just showing the world how much of an idiot you are.

[Anonymous]

Most D1 players have technical skills but they also have the physical size and speed as well. If your DD doesn’t have the height, they can compensate it with exceptional ball skills and strength.

[Anonymous]

Messi?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While there are always exceptions but this article shows the typical size and skills needed by positions in women’s college soccer:

https://www.ncsasports.org/womens-soccer/recruiting-guidelines

It seems most positions requires a player to be at least 5’5”.

Thanks for the link. I think I saw it a while back, but like most articles, they are gleaned from generalizations and I had hoped for some parents to comment on their kid's experiences with this. I've seen some girls so thin, they crumple to the ground at first sign of physical contact. Does a college coach ask them to bulk up? Not unheard of in other sports.

Colleges make their players spend a lot of time in the weight room to get stronger, etc.

My daughter is a college freshman playing for a D3 soccer program. She's a midfielder with great foot skills, good soccer IQ/vision, and high fitness (speed and endurance). All that being said, she's 5'3" and 105 pounds soaking wet. She played (and started) for ECNL and then GA clubs but I believe her size and lack of strength was a turnoff to many of the D1 coaches. And to be fair, she got pushed off the ball a good bit, so it's a legit weakness/concern. Also, her shots lacked power...precise, but sometimes weak. Her D3 coach told us he wasn't worried about her size - they have a great strength and conditioning program and assured us he would help her build muscle to round out her skills and fitness. And he was willing to work around her STEM major, which many D1 programs weren't. So I do think size matters to many coaches. But the right fit is out there. She went D3 so she could play her game (and hopefully get meaningful playing time), get a bump with admission into a competitive college, and pursue her STEM major with the full support of her coach. This season hasn't been typical but so far she's really happy with her decision. In hindsight though, more time in the weight room in high school would have served her game well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Messi?

Has power and speed more than most still at his age; also his technical ability, IQ, and leadership are miles above most.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While there are always exceptions but this article shows the typical size and skills needed by positions in women’s college soccer:

https://www.ncsasports.org/womens-soccer/recruiting-guidelines

It seems most positions requires a player to be at least 5’5”.

Thanks for the link. I think I saw it a while back, but like most articles, they are gleaned from generalizations and I had hoped for some parents to comment on their kid's experiences with this. I've seen some girls so thin, they crumple to the ground at first sign of physical contact. Does a college coach ask them to bulk up? Not unheard of in other sports.

Colleges make their players spend a lot of time in the weight room to get stronger, etc.

My daughter is a college freshman playing for a D3 soccer program. She's a midfielder with great foot skills, good soccer IQ/vision, and high fitness (speed and endurance). All that being said, she's 5'3" and 105 pounds soaking wet. She played (and started) for ECNL and then GA clubs but I believe her size and lack of strength was a turnoff to many of the D1 coaches. And to be fair, she got pushed off the ball a good bit, so it's a legit weakness/concern. Also, her shots lacked power...precise, but sometimes weak. Her D3 coach told us he wasn't worried about her size - they have a great strength and conditioning program and assured us he would help her build muscle to round out her skills and fitness. And he was willing to work around her STEM major, which many D1 programs weren't. So I do think size matters to many coaches. But the right fit is out there. She went D3 so she could play her game (and hopefully get meaningful playing time), get a bump with admission into a competitive college, and pursue her STEM major with the full support of her coach. This season hasn't been typical but so far she's really happy with her decision. In hindsight though, more time in the weight room in high school would have served her game well.

Fabulous addition to this thread. +1. Good luck to your DD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While there are always exceptions but this article shows the typical size and skills needed by positions in women’s college soccer:

https://www.ncsasports.org/womens-soccer/recruiting-guidelines

It seems most positions requires a player to be at least 5’5”.

Thanks for the link. I think I saw it a while back, but like most articles, they are gleaned from generalizations and I had hoped for some parents to comment on their kid's experiences with this. I've seen some girls so thin, they crumple to the ground at first sign of physical contact. Does a college coach ask them to bulk up? Not unheard of in other sports.

Colleges make their players spend a lot of time in the weight room to get stronger, etc.

My daughter is a college freshman playing for a D3 soccer program. She's a midfielder with great foot skills, good soccer IQ/vision, and high fitness (speed and endurance). All that being said, she's 5'3" and 105 pounds soaking wet. She played (and started) for ECNL and then GA clubs but I believe her size and lack of strength was a turnoff to many of the D1 coaches. And to be fair, she got pushed off the ball a good bit, so it's a legit weakness/concern. Also, her shots lacked power...precise, but sometimes weak. Her D3 coach told us he wasn't worried about her size - they have a great strength and conditioning program and assured us he would help her build muscle to round out her skills and fitness. And he was willing to work around her STEM major, which many D1 programs weren't. So I do think size matters to many coaches. But the right fit is out there. She went D3 so she could play her game (and hopefully get meaningful playing time), get a bump with admission into a competitive college, and pursue her STEM major with the full support of her coach. This season hasn't been typical but so far she's really happy with her decision. In hindsight though, more time in the weight room in high school would have served her game well.

Do you mind if I ask you a question? I'd like to know if your DD's coaches are dismissive of the idea of strength training, power training. Most I've seen are very ignorant of the topic, saying "it'll just slow you down". I've seen so many players stick to using resistance bands (which are a joke for proper development) and doing ignorant 'agility drills', and then when they're on the field against better athletes they're fully exposed (that's it they haven't torn their ACL yet). Just curious as to what you recall what it was like for her during her youth playing years when it comes to athletic development.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While there are always exceptions but this article shows the typical size and skills needed by positions in women’s college soccer:

https://www.ncsasports.org/womens-soccer/recruiting-guidelines

It seems most positions requires a player to be at least 5’5”.

Thanks for the link. I think I saw it a while back, but like most articles, they are gleaned from generalizations and I had hoped for some parents to comment on their kid's experiences with this. I've seen some girls so thin, they crumple to the ground at first sign of physical contact. Does a college coach ask them to bulk up? Not unheard of in other sports.

Colleges make their players spend a lot of time in the weight room to get stronger, etc.

Thus comment is very true. I know many college strength coach that say most girls are just not physically ready for college soccer because many girls do not spend time in the weight room before college. They would be way head of the curve if you spend at least all of your high school years in the off season in the gym.

Second from the first comment look some size matters but to be honest if your technically good and have some size you will get noticed. This not the best comparison because she is just gifted all around but crystal Dunn is not that tall. But works her ass off in the off season.

But if most girls make it a point and figure out a time to get into the gym and work on there strength there play and confidence on the field will go up tremendously.

But all the other stuff like technical work will help as well.

Crystal Dunn is incredible fast and quick. She is not the most technical player but her speed and quickness allows her to get around defenders before they can get to her body. If a player has size, she has an advantage over a smaller player. The smaller player must be a combination of quicker/faster/more technical to beat the larger player. If a 5’3” player is going against a 5’8”, the 5’3” has to be significantly quicker/faster and have a feel for how to avoid or deal with contact to consistently win.

In general a larger good player beats a smaller good player. You see this a lot in girls soccer. Watch your team’s smaller fast girl do great against like size competition or bigger slower player but when you play a game(tournaments) against like athleticism and more size the player seems to disappear. This is also very noticeable when the second team plays a first team. A 5’6” 125 pound player gets matched up on a 4’ 11” 100 pound player with similar athleticism.

I watched a Georgetown game against a small D1 school. Georgetown was just bigger and stronger. It’s just not size but mass. The Georgetown team started a lot of Juniors and Seniors. They had a good 2-3 years in the weight room and out massed the other team. I would say Georgetown had on average 3 inches and 15-20 pounds(all muscle) on the other team. College coaches are always looking for an athletic tall player with technical skills.

Everyone always points to Messi but Messi was extremely quick, fast and technical plus extremely high soccer IQ.

[Anonymous]

My D1 daughter had the best of both worlds, she was small until sophomore year of HS then growth spurt shot up to 5'8' so she learned how to play better to compensate for being smaller and slower but then got the physical too. Coaches very much look for size but there is no set rule. GU last year perfect example, when they played at Georgetown last year the tallest player on my daughter's team was shorter than 10 of the GU players, except the star who was 5'3'. If you're good enough you don't have to be tall, but if you're the same as everyone else the taller girl will get the spot.

some coaches like to look at height/size as they can't teach tall or fast, but they can teach soccer field smarts and how to play the game better

This quote is true because it is how so many of the coaches think, but from experience every NCAA coach who thinks that way is kidding themselves--they cannot coach field smarts or better play.

[Anonymous]

Soccer is a contact sport. In college and pro it is definitely a contact sport. Size matters. A taller, bigger player will knock a smaller player off the ball.

Tall players make a huge difference heading when the ball is in the air on corners and crosses.

Those are just facts. The rosters are facts too. Taller than average players. Almost always.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While there are always exceptions but this article shows the typical size and skills needed by positions in women’s college soccer:

https://www.ncsasports.org/womens-soccer/recruiting-guidelines

It seems most positions requires a player to be at least 5’5”.

Thanks for the link. I think I saw it a while back, but like most articles, they are gleaned from generalizations and I had hoped for some parents to comment on their kid's experiences with this. I've seen some girls so thin, they crumple to the ground at first sign of physical contact. Does a college coach ask them to bulk up? Not unheard of in other sports.

Colleges make their players spend a lot of time in the weight room to get stronger, etc.

My daughter is a college freshman playing for a D3 soccer program. She's a midfielder with great foot skills, good soccer IQ/vision, and high fitness (speed and endurance). All that being said, she's 5'3" and 105 pounds soaking wet. She played (and started) for ECNL and then GA clubs but I believe her size and lack of strength was a turnoff to many of the D1 coaches. And to be fair, she got pushed off the ball a good bit, so it's a legit weakness/concern. Also, her shots lacked power...precise, but sometimes weak. Her D3 coach told us he wasn't worried about her size - they have a great strength and conditioning program and assured us he would help her build muscle to round out her skills and fitness. And he was willing to work around her STEM major, which many D1 programs weren't. So I do think size matters to many coaches. But the right fit is out there. She went D3 so she could play her game (and hopefully get meaningful playing time), get a bump with admission into a competitive college, and pursue her STEM major with the full support of her coach. This season hasn't been typical but so far she's really happy with her decision. In hindsight though, more time in the weight room in high school would have served her game well.

Do you mind if I ask you a question? I'd like to know if your DD's coaches are dismissive of the idea of strength training, power training. Most I've seen are very ignorant of the topic, saying "it'll just slow you down". I've seen so many players stick to using resistance bands (which are a joke for proper development) and doing ignorant 'agility drills', and then when they're on the field against better athletes they're fully exposed (that's it they haven't torn their ACL yet). Just curious as to what you recall what it was like for her during her youth playing years when it comes to athletic development.

I don't recall any of her coaches discouraging her from weight training and building muscle mass, but it certainly wasn't baked into the club's fitness program. She was practicing with her club 4x a week, traveling for soccer many weekends, and trying to manage a really full academic load with non-soccer extracurriculars so to be honest, weight training just didn't make the priority list. I have a younger HS daughter who is working with a trainer on strength, and she wants to start doing more in the new year. So I guess we're trying to learn from the older daughter's experience especially while school is virtual and the younger one has extra time on her hands. I don't really talk to her club coaches, but I assume they're supportive of anything that makes a player better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Soccer is a contact sport. In college and pro it is definitely a contact sport. Size matters. A taller, bigger player will knock a smaller player off the ball.

Tall players make a huge difference heading when the ball is in the air on corners and crosses.

Those are just facts. The rosters are facts too. Taller than average players. Almost always.

Again, if the average height for D1 players is 5'5 - 5'6, and the average height for females in the US is 5'4 -5'5, they are taking the average portion of the female population. The only exception is goalies and CB who are typically WAY taller than the average (by 4-6 inches). If you think an inch gives you a significant advantage you are a fool.

Height doesn't make you athletic.
Height doesn't make you tough
Height doesn't give you a good vertical jump
Height doesn't give you strength
Height doesn't make you fast
Height doesn't make you smart
Height doesn't give you endurance.
Height doesn't give you technical ability

Height gives you advantages in some areas but not others. A difference in an inch or two isn't significant.

I'll take speed over height any day of the week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While there are always exceptions but this article shows the typical size and skills needed by positions in women’s college soccer:

https://www.ncsasports.org/womens-soccer/recruiting-guidelines

It seems most positions requires a player to be at least 5’5”.

Thanks for the link. I think I saw it a while back, but like most articles, they are gleaned from generalizations and I had hoped for some parents to comment on their kid's experiences with this. I've seen some girls so thin, they crumple to the ground at first sign of physical contact. Does a college coach ask them to bulk up? Not unheard of in other sports.

Colleges make their players spend a lot of time in the weight room to get stronger, etc.

My daughter is a college freshman playing for a D3 soccer program. She's a midfielder with great foot skills, good soccer IQ/vision, and high fitness (speed and endurance). All that being said, she's 5'3" and 105 pounds soaking wet. She played (and started) for ECNL and then GA clubs but I believe her size and lack of strength was a turnoff to many of the D1 coaches. And to be fair, she got pushed off the ball a good bit, so it's a legit weakness/concern. Also, her shots lacked power...precise, but sometimes weak. Her D3 coach told us he wasn't worried about her size - they have a great strength and conditioning program and assured us he would help her build muscle to round out her skills and fitness. And he was willing to work around her STEM major, which many D1 programs weren't. So I do think size matters to many coaches. But the right fit is out there. She went D3 so she could play her game (and hopefully get meaningful playing time), get a bump with admission into a competitive college, and pursue her STEM major with the full support of her coach. This season hasn't been typical but so far she's really happy with her decision. In hindsight though, more time in the weight room in high school would have served her game well.

Do you mind if I ask you a question? I'd like to know if your DD's coaches are dismissive of the idea of strength training, power training. Most I've seen are very ignorant of the topic, saying "it'll just slow you down". I've seen so many players stick to using resistance bands (which are a joke for proper development) and doing ignorant 'agility drills', and then when they're on the field against better athletes they're fully exposed (that's it they haven't torn their ACL yet). Just curious as to what you recall what it was like for her during her youth playing years when it comes to athletic development.

I don't recall any of her coaches discouraging her from weight training and building muscle mass, but it certainly wasn't baked into the club's fitness program. She was practicing with her club 4x a week, traveling for soccer many weekends, and trying to manage a really full academic load with non-soccer extracurriculars so to be honest, weight training just didn't make the priority list. I have a younger HS daughter who is working with a trainer on strength, and she wants to start doing more in the new year. So I guess we're trying to learn from the older daughter's experience especially while school is virtual and the younger one has extra time on her hands. I don't really talk to her club coaches, but I assume they're supportive of anything that makes a player better.

Being 5'3 isn't what got her knocked off the ball