Always favoritism?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So tired of people always crying politics or favoritism when their kids dont get chosen. It bleeds down to the players and creates a culture of excuses as opposed to working harder to be better.

so tired of people who complain that all it takes is to "work harder" when there is clear favoritism at play. It wouldn't be such a trope if it wasn't at least a "bit" true. It sucks, but sometimes a decision is made early on and there is nothing the player can do to overcome it.

That is a poor attitude. There are plenty of ways to overcome it.

Explain. Do you mean by working hard to become so good it's undeniable? Or do you mean by deciding to play the political game too? Often the latter is far easier, imo.

How many times can your kid juggle in a row? Can they keep up the ball 50x in a row with laces, inside foot, outside foot, thighs, chest and head?

Are their 5-10-5 shuttle, 400m, 800m and 1,600m times in the top 10% percentile of your age group.

Can they win 25% of their 1v1’s?

Is your kid scanning at least every 10-15 seconds (which is a slow rate) and able to scan and turn with anticipation?

Are they proficient with shooting, passing and receiving with both their left foot and right foot?

How is their ankle flexion, hip mobility and CofD agility?

After all of that, can they play in a neutral field without their squad or support from Mommy and Daddy?

Everybody wants to talk a great game without acknowledging the work. If you don’t get picked, pick a question above and start doing the work to become undeniable.

Yes. Yea yes yes. Juggling record in the thousands. Makes opponents fall in 1v1. Equal shots and goals w both feet . Scans constantly. Second team. Why? Very late to grow and develop. Still growing at 16!

So her height and stature have her on 2nd team, not politics. You can be the best and most skilled 4’11” basketball player in the world but you are not playing in the NBA.

If she can win her 1v1’s more than 25% of the time, is in the top 10% of her age in speed and studies the game to know how to occupy space, you are sh-ting yourself. The 1st team level is not that great to keep out a kid with all of those attributes, sorry. You have parent 🥽 on.

Yes, some kids on the 1st team probably should not be there. Yes, you can’t be 101% better than a 1st teamer to supplant them. You need to be 110%+. This is no different than college admissions, job applications, office politics and real politics. You can either prepare your kid to compete against unfair advantages (like some portions of our population do daily) or make excuses. Your choice.

You misread. I am agreeing with you! Should not be first team without the physical attributes. It is more than skills for sure. It’s a very physical game.

Yeah physical game. Technical players and high IQ won’t even let you get close. Again this is soccer. 1,2 touches pass the ball in seconds, good luck pushing them over. Big and fast without the ball is useless. Just ask Spain.

the issue is not a single team has 11 players who do this. The speed of play just is not there. So in the end the fast kids get to ball first.. and push the other kids off. I see it time and time again at ECNL level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So tired of people always crying politics or favoritism when their kids dont get chosen. It bleeds down to the players and creates a culture of excuses as opposed to working harder to be better.

so tired of people who complain that all it takes is to "work harder" when there is clear favoritism at play. It wouldn't be such a trope if it wasn't at least a "bit" true. It sucks, but sometimes a decision is made early on and there is nothing the player can do to overcome it.

That is a poor attitude. There are plenty of ways to overcome it.

Explain. Do you mean by working hard to become so good it's undeniable? Or do you mean by deciding to play the political game too? Often the latter is far easier, imo.

How many times can your kid juggle in a row? Can they keep up the ball 50x in a row with laces, inside foot, outside foot, thighs, chest and head?

Are their 5-10-5 shuttle, 400m, 800m and 1,600m times in the top 10% percentile of your age group.

Can they win 25% of their 1v1’s?

Is your kid scanning at least every 10-15 seconds (which is a slow rate) and able to scan and turn with anticipation?

Are they proficient with shooting, passing and receiving with both their left foot and right foot?

How is their ankle flexion, hip mobility and CofD agility?

After all of that, can they play in a neutral field without their squad or support from Mommy and Daddy?

Everybody wants to talk a great game without acknowledging the work. If you don’t get picked, pick a question above and start doing the work to become undeniable.

Yes. Yea yes yes. Juggling record in the thousands. Makes opponents fall in 1v1. Equal shots and goals w both feet . Scans constantly. Second team. Why? Very late to grow and develop. Still growing at 16!

So her height and stature have her on 2nd team, not politics. You can be the best and most skilled 4’11” basketball player in the world but you are not playing in the NBA.

If she can win her 1v1’s more than 25% of the time, is in the top 10% of her age in speed and studies the game to know how to occupy space, you are sh-ting yourself. The 1st team level is not that great to keep out a kid with all of those attributes, sorry. You have parent 🥽 on.

Yes, some kids on the 1st team probably should not be there. Yes, you can’t be 101% better than a 1st teamer to supplant them. You need to be 110%+. This is no different than college admissions, job applications, office politics and real politics. You can either prepare your kid to compete against unfair advantages (like some portions of our population do daily) or make excuses. Your choice.

You misread. I am agreeing with you! Should not be first team without the physical attributes. It is more than skills for sure. It’s a very physical game.

Yeah physical game. Technical players and high IQ won’t even let you get close. Again this is soccer. 1,2 touches pass the ball in seconds, good luck pushing them over. Big and fast without the ball is useless. Just ask Spain.

the issue is not a single team has 11 players who do this. The speed of play just is not there. So in the end the fast kids get to ball first.. and push the other kids off. I see it time and time again at ECNL level.

sounds like you're describing rugby

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not getting pushed off the ball by opposing teams that push in the back. Massive acceleration, which requires muscle. If your whole team plays like Spain, great. But if not, you can’t use quick passing skills everywhere and you lose the ball. Or lose 50/50 challenges. Kids like mine look great on a team that all plays the same way, but if not, it’s a hard road.

This is a frustrating reality that many just don't seem to get. A technical player needs good teammates to shine. A freak athlete shines regardless of team quality.

And high level teams push like crazy, even in the back, even with out-stretched arms. It's only a foul when the ref decides it's excessive or reckless. Small players need to learn when to fall down to actually get the call. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/W-LU9tK60yw Sounds like many people would just say this offensive player needs better skills.

How exactly does a freak athlete shine in soccer to knowledgeable coaches and scouts without high level or exceptional soccer skills?

Excessive speed and physicality will put a decent soccer on a team with great soccer players.

Just saw it at tryouts. Top team just put a player with no left foot on the squad.

Oh Pleeze...
No quality coach and organization putting a runner on a top tier soccer team

What age are you thinking about? Because before about freshman/sophomore year, the coaches are for sure putting a runner on a top team. At any point, skills with the speed will help, but early on the most skilled kids aren't *that* skilled.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So tired of people always crying politics or favoritism when their kids dont get chosen. It bleeds down to the players and creates a culture of excuses as opposed to working harder to be better.

so tired of people who complain that all it takes is to "work harder" when there is clear favoritism at play. It wouldn't be such a trope if it wasn't at least a "bit" true. It sucks, but sometimes a decision is made early on and there is nothing the player can do to overcome it.

That is a poor attitude. There are plenty of ways to overcome it.

Explain. Do you mean by working hard to become so good it's undeniable? Or do you mean by deciding to play the political game too? Often the latter is far easier, imo.

How many times can your kid juggle in a row? Can they keep up the ball 50x in a row with laces, inside foot, outside foot, thighs, chest and head?

Are their 5-10-5 shuttle, 400m, 800m and 1,600m times in the top 10% percentile of your age group.

Can they win 25% of their 1v1’s?

Is your kid scanning at least every 10-15 seconds (which is a slow rate) and able to scan and turn with anticipation?

Are they proficient with shooting, passing and receiving with both their left foot and right foot?

How is their ankle flexion, hip mobility and CofD agility?

After all of that, can they play in a neutral field without their squad or support from Mommy and Daddy?

Everybody wants to talk a great game without acknowledging the work. If you don’t get picked, pick a question above and start doing the work to become undeniable.

Yes. Yea yes yes. Juggling record in the thousands. Makes opponents fall in 1v1. Equal shots and goals w both feet . Scans constantly. Second team. Why? Very late to grow and develop. Still growing at 16!

So her height and stature have her on 2nd team, not politics. You can be the best and most skilled 4’11” basketball player in the world but you are not playing in the NBA.

If she can win her 1v1’s more than 25% of the time, is in the top 10% of her age in speed and studies the game to know how to occupy space, you are sh-ting yourself. The 1st team level is not that great to keep out a kid with all of those attributes, sorry. You have parent 🥽 on.

Yes, some kids on the 1st team probably should not be there. Yes, you can’t be 101% better than a 1st teamer to supplant them. You need to be 110%+. This is no different than college admissions, job applications, office politics and real politics. You can either prepare your kid to compete against unfair advantages (like some portions of our population do daily) or make excuses. Your choice.

You misread. I am agreeing with you! Should not be first team without the physical attributes. It is more than skills for sure. It’s a very physical game.

Yeah physical game. Technical players and high IQ won’t even let you get close. Again this is soccer. 1,2 touches pass the ball in seconds, good luck pushing them over. Big and fast without the ball is useless. Just ask Spain.

the issue is not a single team has 11 players who do this. The speed of play just is not there. So in the end the fast kids get to ball first.. and push the other kids off. I see it time and time again at ECNL level.

sounds like you're describing rugby

Have you ever seen an ECNL game? Apparently not

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not getting pushed off the ball by opposing teams that push in the back. Massive acceleration, which requires muscle. If your whole team plays like Spain, great. But if not, you can’t use quick passing skills everywhere and you lose the ball. Or lose 50/50 challenges. Kids like mine look great on a team that all plays the same way, but if not, it’s a hard road.

This is a frustrating reality that many just don't seem to get. A technical player needs good teammates to shine. A freak athlete shines regardless of team quality.

And high level teams push like crazy, even in the back, even with out-stretched arms. It's only a foul when the ref decides it's excessive or reckless. Small players need to learn when to fall down to actually get the call. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/W-LU9tK60yw Sounds like many people would just say this offensive player needs better skills.

How exactly does a freak athlete shine in soccer to knowledgeable coaches and scouts without high level or exceptional soccer skills?

Excessive speed and physicality will put a decent soccer on a team with great soccer players.

Just saw it at tryouts. Top team just put a player with no left foot on the squad.

Oh Pleeze...
No quality coach and organization putting a runner on a top tier soccer team

What age are you thinking about? Because before about freshman/sophomore year, the coaches are for sure putting a runner on a top team. At any point, skills with the speed will help, but early on the most skilled kids aren't *that* skilled.

So they just running 60mph without the ball?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So tired of people always crying politics or favoritism when their kids dont get chosen. It bleeds down to the players and creates a culture of excuses as opposed to working harder to be better.

so tired of people who complain that all it takes is to "work harder" when there is clear favoritism at play. It wouldn't be such a trope if it wasn't at least a "bit" true. It sucks, but sometimes a decision is made early on and there is nothing the player can do to overcome it.

That is a poor attitude. There are plenty of ways to overcome it.

Explain. Do you mean by working hard to become so good it's undeniable? Or do you mean by deciding to play the political game too? Often the latter is far easier, imo.

How many times can your kid juggle in a row? Can they keep up the ball 50x in a row with laces, inside foot, outside foot, thighs, chest and head?

Are their 5-10-5 shuttle, 400m, 800m and 1,600m times in the top 10% percentile of your age group.

Can they win 25% of their 1v1’s?

Is your kid scanning at least every 10-15 seconds (which is a slow rate) and able to scan and turn with anticipation?

Are they proficient with shooting, passing and receiving with both their left foot and right foot?

How is their ankle flexion, hip mobility and CofD agility?

After all of that, can they play in a neutral field without their squad or support from Mommy and Daddy?

Everybody wants to talk a great game without acknowledging the work. If you don’t get picked, pick a question above and start doing the work to become undeniable.

Juggling is for clowns and if the coach thinks it's a good metric of talent then they're a clown too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Currently on a team with a coach that plays favorites to the extreme. If he brought your kid to the team expect starts, talent ids, special treatment, literally coaching, etc. If you were a player from the team before he was coaching expect to be benched, no playing time, no coaching, no id event invites. etc. I've never seen someone as ridiculously biased.

One of the players he hates on scores all the time and was the Senior HS league top scorer as a sophomore. Another that he hates on is a freshman playing on the Junior HS soccer team and won the MVP award. Neither of them have gone to a talent id because they were preexisting on the team and not someone he recruited.

It just blows my mind how much this coach plays favorites. I heard a college coach called asking about a non favorite player and apparently he gushed that he had trained them since they were 5 (came to the team last season) and spent most of the call talking about himself. It was so ridiculous that the college coach reached out to the players parents and relayed the conversation to confirm if what he said was true. (it wasnt)

Maybe this sounds like sour grapes. But multiple college coaches have asked players what they think about him and consider the guy weird.

We're looking for an out hopefully soon.

Oh and just to make the situation even more exciting favorites coach is also the DOC. Which means theres nobody you can go to about the behavior. Even worse coaches that report to him are starting to act the same way playing favorites to the extreme themselves.

I have a youngers playing as well and you can see that news is starting to trickle down with players trying out at other clubs in massive amounts. So things will correct themself unfortunately for my oldest it wont happen soon enough.

What club is this so we can avoid?

Sounds like Richmond United.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So tired of people always crying politics or favoritism when their kids dont get chosen. It bleeds down to the players and creates a culture of excuses as opposed to working harder to be better.

so tired of people who complain that all it takes is to "work harder" when there is clear favoritism at play. It wouldn't be such a trope if it wasn't at least a "bit" true. It sucks, but sometimes a decision is made early on and there is nothing the player can do to overcome it.

That is a poor attitude. There are plenty of ways to overcome it.

Explain. Do you mean by working hard to become so good it's undeniable? Or do you mean by deciding to play the political game too? Often the latter is far easier, imo.

How many times can your kid juggle in a row? Can they keep up the ball 50x in a row with laces, inside foot, outside foot, thighs, chest and head?

Are their 5-10-5 shuttle, 400m, 800m and 1,600m times in the top 10% percentile of your age group.

Can they win 25% of their 1v1’s?

Is your kid scanning at least every 10-15 seconds (which is a slow rate) and able to scan and turn with anticipation?

Are they proficient with shooting, passing and receiving with both their left foot and right foot?

How is their ankle flexion, hip mobility and CofD agility?

After all of that, can they play in a neutral field without their squad or support from Mommy and Daddy?

Everybody wants to talk a great game without acknowledging the work. If you don’t get picked, pick a question above and start doing the work to become undeniable.

Juggling is for clowns and if the coach thinks it's a good metric of talent then they're a clown too.

🤣🤣🤣

Let me guess? You wear a Super Copa SnapBack and have ECNL or MLS Next bumper sticker on your car, right?

🤣🤣🤣

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So tired of people always crying politics or favoritism when their kids dont get chosen. It bleeds down to the players and creates a culture of excuses as opposed to working harder to be better.

so tired of people who complain that all it takes is to "work harder" when there is clear favoritism at play. It wouldn't be such a trope if it wasn't at least a "bit" true. It sucks, but sometimes a decision is made early on and there is nothing the player can do to overcome it.

That is a poor attitude. There are plenty of ways to overcome it.

Explain. Do you mean by working hard to become so good it's undeniable? Or do you mean by deciding to play the political game too? Often the latter is far easier, imo.

How many times can your kid juggle in a row? Can they keep up the ball 50x in a row with laces, inside foot, outside foot, thighs, chest and head?

Are their 5-10-5 shuttle, 400m, 800m and 1,600m times in the top 10% percentile of your age group.

Can they win 25% of their 1v1’s?

Is your kid scanning at least every 10-15 seconds (which is a slow rate) and able to scan and turn with anticipation?

Are they proficient with shooting, passing and receiving with both their left foot and right foot?

How is their ankle flexion, hip mobility and CofD agility?

After all of that, can they play in a neutral field without their squad or support from Mommy and Daddy?

Everybody wants to talk a great game without acknowledging the work. If you don’t get picked, pick a question above and start doing the work to become undeniable.

Juggling is for clowns and if the coach thinks it's a good metric of talent then they're a clown too.

Never seen a good player who can't juggle

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not getting pushed off the ball by opposing teams that push in the back. Massive acceleration, which requires muscle. If your whole team plays like Spain, great. But if not, you can’t use quick passing skills everywhere and you lose the ball. Or lose 50/50 challenges. Kids like mine look great on a team that all plays the same way, but if not, it’s a hard road.

This is a frustrating reality that many just don't seem to get. A technical player needs good teammates to shine. A freak athlete shines regardless of team quality.

And high level teams push like crazy, even in the back, even with out-stretched arms. It's only a foul when the ref decides it's excessive or reckless. Small players need to learn when to fall down to actually get the call. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/W-LU9tK60yw Sounds like many people would just say this offensive player needs better skills.

How exactly does a freak athlete shine in soccer to knowledgeable coaches and scouts without high level or exceptional soccer skills?

Excessive speed and physicality will put a decent soccer on a team with great soccer players.

Just saw it at tryouts. Top team just put a player with no left foot on the squad.

Oh Pleeze...
No quality coach and organization putting a runner on a top tier soccer team

What age are you thinking about? Because before about freshman/sophomore year, the coaches are for sure putting a runner on a top team. At any point, skills with the speed will help, but early on the most skilled kids aren't *that* skilled.

So they just running 60mph without the ball?

Winningest team in my state (by far) at my kid’s age group has two skilled midfielders who are about equal to other team’s most skilled. But they have the four fastest players in state at the four corners. Those kids just run down long balls over the top all day. Maybe they’re skilled, but you’d never know because they spend so much time running without the ball. Any team in state would instantly bump their starters to get one of those four kids based on speed alone.

[Anonymous]

Wow, folks… some of you might not watch girls games. At the ECNL level it IS like rugby! In fact I know some girls who have switched to rugby in college. You can body check. You can thrown arms. You can set picks. You can pull jerseys, hair, and throw elbows as long as refs don’t see, and most don’t. You can push in the back when someone is in the air. Many coaches train to body first, ball second. It is a brutal game. So yes, size matters a lot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not getting pushed off the ball by opposing teams that push in the back. Massive acceleration, which requires muscle. If your whole team plays like Spain, great. But if not, you can’t use quick passing skills everywhere and you lose the ball. Or lose 50/50 challenges. Kids like mine look great on a team that all plays the same way, but if not, it’s a hard road.

This is a frustrating reality that many just don't seem to get. A technical player needs good teammates to shine. A freak athlete shines regardless of team quality.

And high level teams push like crazy, even in the back, even with out-stretched arms. It's only a foul when the ref decides it's excessive or reckless. Small players need to learn when to fall down to actually get the call. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/W-LU9tK60yw Sounds like many people would just say this offensive player needs better skills.

How exactly does a freak athlete shine in soccer to knowledgeable coaches and scouts without high level or exceptional soccer skills?

Excessive speed and physicality will put a decent soccer on a team with great soccer players.

Just saw it at tryouts. Top team just put a player with no left foot on the squad.

Oh Pleeze...
No quality coach and organization putting a runner on a top tier soccer team

What age are you thinking about? Because before about freshman/sophomore year, the coaches are for sure putting a runner on a top team. At any point, skills with the speed will help, but early on the most skilled kids aren't *that* skilled.

So they just running 60mph without the ball?

Most of the game you do NOt have the ball. But speed and size can get you to a loose ball faster. Size can help you keep the ball. So yes. This is all true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So tired of people always crying politics or favoritism when their kids dont get chosen. It bleeds down to the players and creates a culture of excuses as opposed to working harder to be better.

so tired of people who complain that all it takes is to "work harder" when there is clear favoritism at play. It wouldn't be such a trope if it wasn't at least a "bit" true. It sucks, but sometimes a decision is made early on and there is nothing the player can do to overcome it.

That is a poor attitude. There are plenty of ways to overcome it.

Explain. Do you mean by working hard to become so good it's undeniable? Or do you mean by deciding to play the political game too? Often the latter is far easier, imo.

How many times can your kid juggle in a row? Can they keep up the ball 50x in a row with laces, inside foot, outside foot, thighs, chest and head?

Are their 5-10-5 shuttle, 400m, 800m and 1,600m times in the top 10% percentile of your age group.

Can they win 25% of their 1v1’s?

Is your kid scanning at least every 10-15 seconds (which is a slow rate) and able to scan and turn with anticipation?

Are they proficient with shooting, passing and receiving with both their left foot and right foot?

How is their ankle flexion, hip mobility and CofD agility?

After all of that, can they play in a neutral field without their squad or support from Mommy and Daddy?

Everybody wants to talk a great game without acknowledging the work. If you don’t get picked, pick a question above and start doing the work to become undeniable.

Juggling is for clowns and if the coach thinks it's a good metric of talent then they're a clown too.

So you don’t care about first touch and ball control?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not getting pushed off the ball by opposing teams that push in the back. Massive acceleration, which requires muscle. If your whole team plays like Spain, great. But if not, you can’t use quick passing skills everywhere and you lose the ball. Or lose 50/50 challenges. Kids like mine look great on a team that all plays the same way, but if not, it’s a hard road.

This is a frustrating reality that many just don't seem to get. A technical player needs good teammates to shine. A freak athlete shines regardless of team quality.

And high level teams push like crazy, even in the back, even with out-stretched arms. It's only a foul when the ref decides it's excessive or reckless. Small players need to learn when to fall down to actually get the call. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/W-LU9tK60yw Sounds like many people would just say this offensive player needs better skills.

How exactly does a freak athlete shine in soccer to knowledgeable coaches and scouts without high level or exceptional soccer skills?

Excessive speed and physicality will put a decent soccer on a team with great soccer players.

Just saw it at tryouts. Top team just put a player with no left foot on the squad.

Oh Pleeze...
No quality coach and organization putting a runner on a top tier soccer team

What age are you thinking about? Because before about freshman/sophomore year, the coaches are for sure putting a runner on a top team. At any point, skills with the speed will help, but early on the most skilled kids aren't *that* skilled.

So they just running 60mph without the ball?

Most of the game you do NOt have the ball. But speed and size can get you to a loose ball faster. Size can help you keep the ball. So yes. This is all true.

Most sprint races to a ball are less than 5 yards, few are 10 to 15 yards, even fewer 20+ yards, in real soccer

Not this aeroplane mode you're describing

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not getting pushed off the ball by opposing teams that push in the back. Massive acceleration, which requires muscle. If your whole team plays like Spain, great. But if not, you can’t use quick passing skills everywhere and you lose the ball. Or lose 50/50 challenges. Kids like mine look great on a team that all plays the same way, but if not, it’s a hard road.

This is a frustrating reality that many just don't seem to get. A technical player needs good teammates to shine. A freak athlete shines regardless of team quality.

And high level teams push like crazy, even in the back, even with out-stretched arms. It's only a foul when the ref decides it's excessive or reckless. Small players need to learn when to fall down to actually get the call. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/W-LU9tK60yw Sounds like many people would just say this offensive player needs better skills.

How exactly does a freak athlete shine in soccer to knowledgeable coaches and scouts without high level or exceptional soccer skills?

Excessive speed and physicality will put a decent soccer on a team with great soccer players.

Just saw it at tryouts. Top team just put a player with no left foot on the squad.

Oh Pleeze...
No quality coach and organization putting a runner on a top tier soccer team

What age are you thinking about? Because before about freshman/sophomore year, the coaches are for sure putting a runner on a top team. At any point, skills with the speed will help, but early on the most skilled kids aren't *that* skilled.

So they just running 60mph without the ball?

Most of the game you do NOt have the ball. But speed and size can get you to a loose ball faster. Size can help you keep the ball. So yes. This is all true.

Watch some professional soccer on TV this weekend and tell us how many times players without the ball are engaged in full out long sprints 😂