Well I'm not the coach because I know nothing about soccer. The parent volunteer coaches are pretty hit or miss. I don't think too many of them are doing what you have described. Every season they have a hard time finding coaches. I volunteer heavily with one of my kid's other sports because I know what I am doing in that one. With soccer I just hope my kid is on a team with a parent coach who knows the game. We are probably going to try a pre-travel program in the spring (for the U8 kid) so he can get some real coaching and see how it goes from there. My kid has the speed and aggressiveness but definitely needs work on technique. |
Is this a joke? U7 is mostly kindergarteners. They are playing sharks and minnows at practice to learn how to dribble. If you can get all of them engaged in the game and no one is picking daisies, that’s a success. |
I actually meant U8 rather than U7. But IMO U7s are capable of much more than just sharks and minnows. At our club U7s are playing small sided games and doing drills, as well as the fun games. I’d expect that is true of many clubs. |
They are doing that in my club too at U7, but with realistic, developmentally appropriate expectations. Kindergarteners are going to play swarm ball. Most don’t have the impulse control yet to play in formations. At that age they should be running around, having fun, and learning the basic mechanics of dribbling, passing and shooting. Anything beyond that is bonus. |
U7 is actually mostly first grade. |
That’s the hair you want to split? Either way, it’s a group of kids who are 5 and 6 years old at the start of the fall season. The idea that you can expect those kids to play in formations only shows a total lack of understanding of child development. |
Everything is wrong with what you are doing. Plus, it is actually against the rules in our league. |
The developmental range of kids at this age is huge, and they all get to play. Your superstars have to deal with the kids who are developmentally behind, some of whom may have emerging special needs you know nothing about, so grow some empathy, shut the heck up on the sidelines, and learn that it is not your place to yell at kids. |
Perhaps you are responding to the wrong poster? I have never yelled at anyone and I have plenty of empathy. Really unsure why you are so angry here. |
Well you repeatedly stated something that was wrong so I pulled you up on it. And many kids can play in a formation at U7. |
| I don't believe this is a real post. Op claims to repeatedly yell out at a 7 yr old whose outfits/hair make op gag. Op also uses positional numbers for a 7 yr old. If this was real she'd be posting about getting kicked off the field. Nobody is that terrible of a person! |
Sweet Baby Jesus. Dial it back woman, it's not the freaking Olympics!! |
| Special needs versus emerging talent, sounds like a good matchup |