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Travel Soccer teams around NOVA let's discuss
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Anonymous
Umm. No. None of the recent threads were limiting this to 7 and 8 year olds. I've been to U-14 DA tryouts and Club tryouts and they are still selecting mostly on the physical attributes of pure size and long ball kick range. Nothing of what 22:37 recites. 99% of parents and coaches in this Country can't spot it. They don't even know what they are looking for. American coaches were not raised or trained to spot the attributes spelled out in 22:37's post. They just don't get it. We approach soccer like Americans (hell we even call it by a different name--apropos since it resembles nothing of what everyone else in the world plays)--bigger, faster, stronger...dumber. This is what our Clubs, High Schools and Colleges want. Physical domination. You are almost handicapping an American kid by teaching him the proper game since nobody will recognize it in this Country. As the parents on this thread have largely reinforced, they prefer a soccer combine tryout---like American football. Yes, because, that recognizes great soccer players.  .
My child had his good friend at over last night. He plays U14 for the A team of a big club here. The kid did not know who Christian Pulisic was--never heard of him. This is partly what is wrong. When a player has no knowledge of the greatest American export of all time a mere few years older than himself--you know they never watch the game. How much do you really know about the sport you are playing? Only what your former JV HS playing coach tells you. Yes--at 7 and 8 you should only be focusing on building a player's technical skill. The focus on selecting physical specimens and dividing them up in ranking teams to win at 7 and 8 years old is just plain stupid. The kids need basic skill first and to become proficient at them before they move up to tactics. They have to learn to bring the ball under control, use each foot equally, dribble with their head-up change directions, perfect their first touch---all of which most Clubs do not focus on when they are walking around beating their chests about U9 tournament and league game wins. Sigh. |
Anonymous
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Because we seem to think that child growth is linear. But lets go back to Tom Brady and his total lack of athleticism. The reality is he is a great quarterback not in spite of his lack of athleticism but because of it. The only two things that were going to keep him alive and in the game are his mind and his arm. He was never going to outrun anyone so he had to develop pocket awareness and improve his decision making with the ball.
Tom Brady lacks the speed to scramble and punish a D and he lacks a huge arm to keep corners honest. All he has is brains and an accurate arm that is strong enough. |
Anonymous
No, just making clear for douchebags like u who don't play soccer. Lol |
Anonymous
I guarantee I played at a much higher level than you 
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Anonymous
U14 DA tryouts selecting on long ball kick range? |
Anonymous
Clap, clap, clap. That's why you are on an Urban Mom board living your HS soccer glory thru your son ////// lol ////// does not excuse you from being a DB, which u are. |
Anonymous
Actually, it's a daughter. I come here to rile people like you up. Though--I'm usually the one throwing around "douchebag". Please cease using my catch soccer dad insult. And you are here because...your wife has your nuts in her handbag? |
Anonymous
| Individual skill development from u9-u12....or else you'll end up like a Loudoun soccer robot |
Anonymous
| I believe this, but how do you do this when your club and surrounding clubs are focusing on tactics and winning. Practice is 3 days a week and a game on the weekend. Doesn't leave much time for supplemental training along with school and being a kid. Have a young rising U9 that is currently playing U9 and would desperately love to find somewhere where he could get 70-30 tactics balance. |
Anonymous
We've skipped a night of team practice before to do this. Flame away. I only care about my kids development--not some team that won't even be together in a year or so. |
Anonymous
What do you tell the team? And how often have you done this? |
Anonymous
| There are plenty of teams that focus on technical development at u9 |
Anonymous
The MLS combine is mostly a series of games. If they're running 40-yard dashes, no one's reporting the times. Not the pro/rel folks are particularly interested in facts. Yeah, I'd love pro/rel, too, but I'm not going to reshape reality to get it. |
Anonymous
Um ... no. Most clubs don't do that. Most parents don't want that. You're right about kids not watching enough soccer. That's not the coaches' fault. |
Anonymous
And to follow up on this, since we've talked about checking clubs' sites for tryouts ... Most clubs are at least going to claim that they stress development over winning. They'll all say they're "club-centric" or "player-centric" rather than "team-centric." They may also tout a technical director's often-dubious claims to having learned his craft at Ajax or Barcelona or some name that inspires confidence. They all know what they're supposed to say. In games and maybe in training, they'll fall well short of their promises. But at tryouts, they're at least going to make an effort so they can plausibly *say* they're looking at skill. So they'll split you up into small-sided games and take the athletically dominant kids, at least at the younger ages. But they're not out there testing vertical leaps, bench-press reps and shuttle runs like an NFL combine. |