Can work rate be improved?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Work rate is a combination of fitness and desire (plus a little soccer IQ of where to run on the field). Can all definitely be improved if the player wants to put in the work

No it’s a combination of speed, how the player looks when they run and running around a lot. I have seen many a player at the ECNL level run around a lot but do nothing. They look good running and the coach likes that.

My coach dad always said “never mistake activity for efficiency”. Sometimes coaches see a player running around like a spaz, chicken with their head cut off and mistake for “great work rate”.

A better player times their runs, is in the right place at the right time, steps to the ball, is calm and collected on the ball—let’s the ball do the work. Put a kid like this in with players that run all over and don’t know positioning and they will appear out of place.

It takes time to adjust to the next level. I saw when my kid had to skip the entire U12 year because of birth year change and was on the big fiend with kids that had already played there a year and when my one kid jumped from CCL to DA. They have less time with the ball, more pressure faster, it takes time to adjust to the speed. She will get there.

This. Ignore the goofs on here talking about “being the better athlete”. They don’t know anything beyond garbage US Soccer.

Yep. I'm the pp you responded to. A perfect example I always showed my kids of 'activity with no efficiency' (not to mention nepotism ) was Michael Bradley. Look at him compared to world class midfielders. He just ran around like an idiot.

[Anonymous]

As a dumb parent, I wanted him to be flying all over the field, but he has a better understanding of what he can and can't do and what is just senseless burning of energy. For example, no sense is pressing by yourself.

Right, you should not be randomly running all over the field, but you should be running to get in the right position to help make plays/defend, and to get there quickly to win 50/50 balls.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

As a dumb parent, I wanted him to be flying all over the field, but he has a better understanding of what he can and can't do and what is just senseless burning of energy. For example, no sense is pressing by yourself.

Right, you should not be randomly running all over the field, but you should be running to get in the right position to help make plays/defend, and to get there quickly to win 50/50 balls.

“No sense in pressing by yourself.” Yeah, except when your dumb ass kid’s coach is telling them too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Work rate is a garbage statistic, if that work amounts to nothing. Every player needs to be working, even the star striker or the under appreciated left back. Win the ball. Possess the ball. Make the best pass or shoot. If you don't have the ball, are you in a position to receive? Are you marking anyone? Are you making runs? Are you doing anything aside from maintaining the general position we put you in?

Some of these “great” work rate players are out of position a lot of times. The worst are all over the field. They run to take another player’s responsibility while neglecting their own.

[Anonymous]

Seems like you’re in good company with all the anti-work rate posters. Good luck with that.

[Anonymous]

If you keep pretending that speed, fitness and quickness are not important skills to belong to an ECNL team then you should be looking for a different level of competition. There are many other options.