Question for Latino soccer parents

[Anonymous]

I have a serious question. Over the years I saw many Latino boys who were amazingly good on the field. As a parent what did you do to help him develop, other than the usual things? Thanks.

[Anonymous]

They’re probably not on DCUM. It’s kind of a hostile place for them sometimes. But to answer the question as a white lady: soccer is their fun free-time activity, and they do it with cousins and uncles and dad in the backyard all the time and out at the park all the time and watch it on TV all the time. Nobody needs to encourage them to do it. The white kids are more likely to play soccer through a paid activity that their mom drives them to once or twice a week.

[Anonymous]

My parents would let me go to the local soccer field where I and a group of as little as a dozen and as much as almost 30 other kids would get together and play for hours every single day.

[Anonymous]

They grow up watching it at home, imitating players, etc. Almost all of them have relatives, parents, etc. who play with them on weekends and usually at least one of those people played at a high enough organized level to teach the kids techniques. The soccer kids are the big sports stars in the community, too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My parents would let me go to the local soccer field where I and a group of as little as a dozen and as much as almost 30 other kids would get together and play for hours every single day.

I grew up in Los Angeles and at lunchtime there would be several soccer games going on the fields at our school--we had multiple soccer fields, but no pool, no tennis courts, etc. Same thing with after school.

[Anonymous]

DH is Latino. He says he grew up learning to kick a ball instead of throwing a ball.

He also says American coaching focuses too much on passing over dribbling and scoring.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DH is Latino. He says he grew up learning to kick a ball instead of throwing a ball.

He also says American coaching focuses too much on passing over dribbling and scoring.

As opposed to what?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DH is Latino. He says he grew up learning to kick a ball instead of throwing a ball.

He also says American coaching focuses too much on passing over dribbling and scoring.

As opposed to what?

Non-American coaches (at the younger levels) focus on getting the ball in the goal. Scoring is more important than teamwork.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DH is Latino. He says he grew up learning to kick a ball instead of throwing a ball.

He also says American coaching focuses too much on passing over dribbling and scoring.

Interesting. I also heard this from a coach at HP Elite.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They grow up watching it at home, imitating players, etc. Almost all of them have relatives, parents, etc. who play with them on weekends and usually at least one of those people played at a high enough organized level to teach the kids techniques. The soccer kids are the big sports stars in the community, too.

+1
They are ingrained with it/immersed from birth. It's just part of their lifestyle.

[Anonymous]

My sons played on a Hispanic team. This is the difference I saw.

They learn early to use their body then go for the ball.
They learn how to knock a kid off the line.
They learn possession ball and pass in a triangle.
They learn how to defend on the player's shoulder and deny them the ball.

When we would play white teams the kids and parents did not understand that soccer is a contact sport and called the kids names and would say they played dirty. They would scream foul when there was no foul and the kids cried a lot to the referee.

When my son had an English or Scottish coach they would have the defender kick a long ball and try to get it to the striker and score.

When they played for a Hispanic coach they learned how to possess the ball all over the field, steal the ball and had higher soccer IQs.

They watch soccer and play it even when they are not at practice.

The whole family shows up to games, not just 1 parent.

[Anonymous]

what about african kids? mostly same as latino?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:what about african kids? mostly same as latino?

Depends on what coach they play for

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My sons played on a Hispanic team. This is the difference I saw.

They learn early to use their body then go for the ball.
They learn how to knock a kid off the line.
They learn possession ball and pass in a triangle.
They learn how to defend on the player's shoulder and deny them the ball.

When we would play white teams the kids and parents did not understand that soccer is a contact sport and called the kids names and would say they played dirty. They would scream foul when there was no foul and the kids cried a lot to the referee.

When my son had an English or Scottish coach they would have the defender kick a long ball and try to get it to the striker and score.

When they played for a Hispanic coach they learned how to possess the ball all over the field, steal the ball and had higher soccer IQs.

They watch soccer and play it even when they are not at practice.

The whole family shows up to games, not just 1 parent.

My experience agrees with most of this but I’ve also observed with teams at the lower levels the Hispanic teams are still great dribblers and shooters but not great passers or as fast athletically.

[Anonymous]

Latinos all strong at soccer. Brazilians and Argentines have a far superior soccer culture than any other nation in the region. There is a reason that no country above the equator has ever competed for a World Cup title. No disrespect to the rest of the region but people from those nations can tell you as much about being successful at soccer as Americans can tell you about being successful at cricket.

Braziliand and Argentines are all about footwork. Kids both nations will use anything resembling a ball to play.