Harsh Reality for your Beloved Soccer Player

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NOVA Coach here. Here's what I have to say about all your ECNL dreams for your kid. Harsh reality is by U12 most can already make an assessment on whether your kid will be good enough for D1. This is not only from technical standpoint but from a Soccer IQ standpoint. If you watch your kid and your kid is losing the ball 50% of the time, can't beat players 1v1, can't dribble or looks to get rid of the ball quickly it's pretty much a wrap for your D1 hopes for your kid. Record your kid's stats whenever they touch the ball and you'll be shocked.

Most parents just want their kids to get exercise.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:NOVA Coach here. Here's what I have to say about all your ECNL dreams for your kid. Harsh reality is by U12 most can already make an assessment on whether your kid will be good enough for D1. This is not only from technical standpoint but from a Soccer IQ standpoint. If you watch your kid and your kid is losing the ball 50% of the time, can't beat players 1v1, can't dribble or looks to get rid of the ball quickly it's pretty much a wrap for your D1 hopes for your kid. Record your kid's stats whenever they touch the ball and you'll be shocked.

What general age and what level do you coach? This would help some. I'm not asking this to troll because there is potential for a good topic to be discussed here.

I’ve coached all ages, and worked with D1 college coaches who also coached in the club. My main stomping grounds have been around U12-U15 but spent a lot of time in zone 1 age group as well.. By U12/U13 you can pretty much pick out which players can be in the pool for a D1 school. Your player has to have a certain combined level of polished technique with soccer intelligence. Not to mention if your player is a struggling athletically wise it’s going to be difficult because the college game is all about athletes (which is stupid but how it is in this country)

Is it possible to predict potential "late bloomers"? And if so, how do you keep the players and the parents engaged?

Coach here again- My initial post was for the majority of players, of course there are some late bloomers. The late bloomers have to be technically sound though. Technique is something that can be taught and has no baring in athletic ability. Your player could be technical but unathletic. If this is the case your player may struggle if they are in an environment with a lot of athletes since the game will be quicker. If your player is unathletic they have to compensate with technique and extremely high soccer IQ. This is the case with pro players. You can take a lot of spanish players as examples. Players like Iniesya, David Silva are not the most athletic players but they are extremely technical and are extremely smart with and without the ball. They know how to use their body to protect the ball even against bigger opposition. If your player is technical but unathletic they also have to be extremely scrappy, “fearless” and aggressive in defense. This is a lot of info but honestly just scratches the surface for this topic.

No some kids just better at technical play because of eye foot coordination and vision. That is a part of athleticism. It’s just different from being fast, quick or strong. They maybe not be the burner but you always watch when they get the ball. You could train a 100 kids, same amount of time and same drills. At the end if the season, 2-3 kids will just be head and shoulders above every other kid in terms of technique. This is really true for the girls side.

These kids at u12 dumb down their game. Now if you are luck to get two of these type kids on a team. It’s pretty fun to watch. Also these type of kid can play with u15 player at u12.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:NOVA Coach here. Here's what I have to say about all your ECNL dreams for your kid. Harsh reality is by U12 most can already make an assessment on whether your kid will be good enough for D1. This is not only from technical standpoint but from a Soccer IQ standpoint. If you watch your kid and your kid is losing the ball 50% of the time, can't beat players 1v1, can't dribble or looks to get rid of the ball quickly it's pretty much a wrap for your D1 hopes for your kid. Record your kid's stats whenever they touch the ball and you'll be shocked.

What general age and what level do you coach? This would help some. I'm not asking this to troll because there is potential for a good topic to be discussed here.

I’ve coached all ages, and worked with D1 college coaches who also coached in the club. My main stomping grounds have been around U12-U15 but spent a lot of time in zone 1 age group as well.. By U12/U13 you can pretty much pick out which players can be in the pool for a D1 school. Your player has to have a certain combined level of polished technique with soccer intelligence. Not to mention if your player is a struggling athletically wise it’s going to be difficult because the college game is all about athletes (which is stupid but how it is in this country)

Is it possible to predict potential "late bloomers"? And if so, how do you keep the players and the parents engaged?

Coach here again- My initial post was for the majority of players, of course there are some late bloomers. The late bloomers have to be technically sound though. Technique is something that can be taught and has no baring in athletic ability. Your player could be technical but unathletic. If this is the case your player may struggle if they are in an environment with a lot of athletes since the game will be quicker. If your player is unathletic they have to compensate with technique and extremely high soccer IQ. This is the case with pro players. You can take a lot of spanish players as examples. Players like Iniesya, David Silva are not the most athletic players but they are extremely technical and are extremely smart with and without the ball. They know how to use their body to protect the ball even against bigger opposition. If your player is technical but unathletic they also have to be extremely scrappy, “fearless” and aggressive in defense. This is a lot of info but honestly just scratches the surface for this topic.

No some kids just better at technical play because of eye foot coordination and vision. That is a part of athleticism. It’s just different from being fast, quick or strong. They maybe not be the burner but you always watch when they get the ball. You could train a 100 kids, same amount of time and same drills. At the end if the season, 2-3 kids will just be head and shoulders above every other kid in terms of technique. This is really true for the girls side.

These kids at u12 dumb down their game. Now if you are luck to get two of these type kids on a team. It’s pretty fun to watch. Also these type of kid can play with u15 player at u12.

Coach here-

Agree 100% just didnt care to explain all of that in a post

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, do you think that a kid who is fast, athletic and a good technical player, but isn't super aggressive can learn to be more aggressive or is the mental block unable to be overcome? What about in D3? DS is 13 and would like to play at the HS and college level (D3 is fine) but he doesn't have a high level of aggression on the field to drive the ball up. He's a great defender, can steal the ball and pass, but has a mental block on driving it up the field.

Coach here

Depends on how he progresses. Keep up the technical ability, make sure he is sharp. Sometimes all it takes is the right coach or a different environment to change something. Obviously I haven't seen your kid so it's hard for me to judge on what actually is happening. I think the mental block can be overcome. It just takes positive reinforcement from coaches and parents.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:NOVA Coach here. Here's what I have to say about all your ECNL dreams for your kid. Harsh reality is by U12 most can already make an assessment on whether your kid will be good enough for D1. This is not only from technical standpoint but from a Soccer IQ standpoint. If you watch your kid and your kid is losing the ball 50% of the time, can't beat players 1v1, can't dribble or looks to get rid of the ball quickly it's pretty much a wrap for your D1 hopes for your kid. Record your kid's stats whenever they touch the ball and you'll be shocked.

What general age and what level do you coach? This would help some. I'm not asking this to troll because there is potential for a good topic to be discussed here.

I’ve coached all ages, and worked with D1 college coaches who also coached in the club. My main stomping grounds have been around U12-U15 but spent a lot of time in zone 1 age group as well.. By U12/U13 you can pretty much pick out which players can be in the pool for a D1 school. Your player has to have a certain combined level of polished technique with soccer intelligence. Not to mention if your player is a struggling athletically wise it’s going to be difficult because the college game is all about athletes (which is stupid but how it is in this country)

Is it possible to predict potential "late bloomers"? And if so, how do you keep the players and the parents engaged?

Coach here again- My initial post was for the majority of players, of course there are some late bloomers. The late bloomers have to be technically sound though. Technique is something that can be taught and has no baring in athletic ability. Your player could be technical but unathletic. If this is the case your player may struggle if they are in an environment with a lot of athletes since the game will be quicker. If your player is unathletic they have to compensate with technique and extremely high soccer IQ. This is the case with pro players. You can take a lot of spanish players as examples. Players like Iniesya, David Silva are not the most athletic players but they are extremely technical and are extremely smart with and without the ball. They know how to use their body to protect the ball even against bigger opposition. If your player is technical but unathletic they also have to be extremely scrappy, “fearless” and aggressive in defense. This is a lot of info but honestly just scratches the surface for this topic.

No some kids just better at technical play because of eye foot coordination and vision. That is a part of athleticism. It’s just different from being fast, quick or strong. They maybe not be the burner but you always watch when they get the ball. You could train a 100 kids, same amount of time and same drills. At the end if the season, 2-3 kids will just be head and shoulders above every other kid in terms of technique. This is really true for the girls side.

These kids at u12 dumb down their game. Now if you are luck to get two of these type kids on a team. It’s pretty fun to watch. Also these type of kid can play with u15 player at u12.

NP. There has been a lot of interesting research on the links between soccer talent and advanced executive functioning abilities. An example: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3954684/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NOVA Coach here. Here's what I have to say about all your ECNL dreams for your kid. Harsh reality is by U12 most can already make an assessment on whether your kid will be good enough for D1. This is not only from technical standpoint but from a Soccer IQ standpoint. If you watch your kid and your kid is losing the ball 50% of the time, can't beat players 1v1, can't dribble or looks to get rid of the ball quickly it's pretty much a wrap for your D1 hopes for your kid. Record your kid's stats whenever they touch the ball and you'll be shocked.

Most important parts of the post.

This is the biggest area that "parent goggles" miss.

Late bloomer or not. Athletic or not. Big/Fast/Strong or Small/Smart/Technical. Good players don't lose the ball that much.

Yes, it's OK for attacking players -- in attacking areas -- to lose the ball more often when they are taking appropriate risks, but it shouldn't be even close to 50%, and too often those players are losing the ball at midfield areas, not just in the attacking 3rd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NOVA Coach here. Here's what I have to say about all your ECNL dreams for your kid. Harsh reality is by U12 most can already make an assessment on whether your kid will be good enough for D1. This is not only from technical standpoint but from a Soccer IQ standpoint. If you watch your kid and your kid is losing the ball 50% of the time, can't beat players 1v1, can't dribble or looks to get rid of the ball quickly it's pretty much a wrap for your D1 hopes for your kid. Record your kid's stats whenever they touch the ball and you'll be shocked.

If you are an ecnl or gda coach, surely you realize you are seeing a very small pool of affluent talent. The chances the best soccer talent always or even mostly, overlaps with the best bank accounts is slim.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NOVA Coach here. Here's what I have to say about all your ECNL dreams for your kid. Harsh reality is by U12 most can already make an assessment on whether your kid will be good enough for D1. This is not only from technical standpoint but from a Soccer IQ standpoint. If you watch your kid and your kid is losing the ball 50% of the time, can't beat players 1v1, can't dribble or looks to get rid of the ball quickly it's pretty much a wrap for your D1 hopes for your kid. Record your kid's stats whenever they touch the ball and you'll be shocked.

Most important parts of the post.

This is the biggest area that "parent goggles" miss.

Late bloomer or not. Athletic or not. Big/Fast/Strong or Small/Smart/Technical. Good players don't lose the ball that much.

Yes, it's OK for attacking players -- in attacking areas -- to lose the ball more often when they are taking appropriate risks, but it shouldn't be even close to 50%, and too often those players are losing the ball at midfield areas, not just in the attacking 3rd.

Coach here-

Yep exactly. Honestly if your player plays in midfield and they only keep the ball 7/10 times it's already an issue. If there is space behind them and they aren't turning into space to go forward it's an issue. That's the TLDR.

[Anonymous]

Coach,

Thanks for coming into this forum and sharing your perspectives. Lots of parents, including me, want to know if their DD has any chance of making a college team whether it be D1, D2, or D3. My DD loves paying at Midfield so what you success in several of your posts is great info.

This forum is full of know-it-all parents that never even played HS soccer but yet pretend to be experts.

I hope you keep up with this thread or even start new threads. While you might not what to identify yourself, please start a thread with “Coach: xyz topic” so people like me knows it’s you. Thank you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Coach,

Thanks for coming into this forum and sharing your perspectives. Lots of parents, including me, want to know if their DD has any chance of making a college team whether it be D1, D2, or D3. My DD loves paying at Midfield so what you success in several of your posts is great info.

This forum is full of know-it-all parents that never even played HS soccer but yet pretend to be experts.

I hope you keep up with this thread or even start new threads. While you might not what to identify yourself, please start a thread with “Coach: xyz topic” so people like me knows it’s you. Thank you!

No problem. I'm glad I could be of help. I grew up playing soccer in the area for powerhouse club, moved out and experienced what the environment is like in different areas now am back here coaching so I can understand what kind of toxicity is present in this area and it stinks because there is so much talent in this area compared to others. Will label my posts in the future. Hopefully no posers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Coach,

Thanks for coming into this forum and sharing your perspectives. Lots of parents, including me, want to know if their DD has any chance of making a college team whether it be D1, D2, or D3. My DD loves paying at Midfield so what you success in several of your posts is great info.

This forum is full of know-it-all parents that never even played HS soccer but yet pretend to be experts.

I hope you keep up with this thread or even start new threads. While you might not what to identify yourself, please start a thread with “Coach: xyz topic” so people like me knows it’s you. Thank you!

No problem. I'm glad I could be of help. I grew up playing soccer in the area for powerhouse club, moved out and experienced what the environment is like in different areas now am back here coaching so I can understand what kind of toxicity is present in this area and it stinks because there is so much talent in this area compared to others. Will label my posts in the future. Hopefully no posers.

I'm calling BS. No ECNL/GDA/DA coach from a strong club would post anonymously on a forum like this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Coach,

Thanks for coming into this forum and sharing your perspectives. Lots of parents, including me, want to know if their DD has any chance of making a college team whether it be D1, D2, or D3. My DD loves paying at Midfield so what you success in several of your posts is great info.

This forum is full of know-it-all parents that never even played HS soccer but yet pretend to be experts.

I hope you keep up with this thread or even start new threads. While you might not what to identify yourself, please start a thread with “Coach: xyz topic” so people like me knows it’s you. Thank you!

No problem. I'm glad I could be of help. I grew up playing soccer in the area for powerhouse club, moved out and experienced what the environment is like in different areas now am back here coaching so I can understand what kind of toxicity is present in this area and it stinks because there is so much talent in this area compared to others. Will label my posts in the future. Hopefully no posers.

They never claimed to be a DA or ECNL coach.

I'm calling BS. No ECNL/GDA/DA coach from a strong club would post anonymously on a forum like this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Coach,

Thanks for coming into this forum and sharing your perspectives. Lots of parents, including me, want to know if their DD has any chance of making a college team whether it be D1, D2, or D3. My DD loves paying at Midfield so what you success in several of your posts is great info.

This forum is full of know-it-all parents that never even played HS soccer but yet pretend to be experts.

I hope you keep up with this thread or even start new threads. While you might not what to identify yourself, please start a thread with “Coach: xyz topic” so people like me knows it’s you. Thank you!

No problem. I'm glad I could be of help. I grew up playing soccer in the area for powerhouse club, moved out and experienced what the environment is like in different areas now am back here coaching so I can understand what kind of toxicity is present in this area and it stinks because there is so much talent in this area compared to others. Will label my posts in the future. Hopefully no posers.

I'm calling BS. No ECNL/GDA/DA coach from a strong club would post anonymously on a forum like this.

Coach here-

Whatever, I didn't post on here to justify myself.

[Anonymous]

The Coach never claimed to be a DA or ECNL coach.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, do you think that a kid who is fast, athletic and a good technical player, but isn't super aggressive can learn to be more aggressive or is the mental block unable to be overcome? What about in D3? DS is 13 and would like to play at the HS and college level (D3 is fine) but he doesn't have a high level of aggression on the field to drive the ball up. He's a great defender, can steal the ball and pass, but has a mental block on driving it up the field.

I am not as familiar with the girls landscape, but on the boys side NESCAC and UAA schools would be right in the mix with the bottom half of D1. So, its not as simple as saying, if my kid can't play D1, (s)he can certainly play D3. There are many D3 players who would start on D1 teams. Soccer across the collegiate level is a great sport in that regard. You often see Ivys competing for recruits against the top tier D3 academic and soccer schools.