Preparing for Girls U13

[Anonymous]

My DD is a rising U12 player in NCSL and I am a rookie soccer parent.

Is there anything she should do differently to prepare for U13?

I’m aware that it will be 11v11 on a larger field. I know she will need to have more endurance. She will practice her technical skills over the summer as usual.

Hence my questions are as follows:

1) Is there any skills that she needs to learn that were not important at U11/U12 besides heading the ball that will be important at U13?

2) Is the 11v11 game positioning and tactics much different than 9v9 that requires a different level of “Soccer IQ”?

4) Any tips you can recommend for her to work on this year to prepare for the U13 game?

Thank you.

[Anonymous]

There is nothing she needs to train on differently for 11 v 11.

[Anonymous]

There are more players that have been added to the field and there is still just one ball to share.

[Anonymous]

The becomes more complex with more players and a bigger field. What position does she play?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is nothing she needs to train on differently for 11 v 11.

+1. She might do things relatively more or less frequently once she is playing 11 v. 11 (i.e. if she is a central midfielder she might hit more 30+ yard passes than when playing on a smaller field). But there are no new skills that she needs to learn.

[Anonymous]

Run! Show up in great shape.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Run! Show up in great shape.

This. It is a lot of running. Nothing will be better than being in shape. Also consider some core work to be strong and not get knocked off the ball.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DD is a rising U12 player in NCSL and I am a rookie soccer parent.

Is there anything she should do differently to prepare for U13?

I’m aware that it will be 11v11 on a larger field. I know she will need to have more endurance. She will practice her technical skills over the summer as usual.

Hence my questions are as follows:

1) Is there any skills that she needs to learn that were not important at U11/U12 besides heading the ball that will be important at U13?

2) Is the 11v11 game positioning and tactics much different than 9v9 that requires a different level of “Soccer IQ”?

4) Any tips you can recommend for her to work on this year to prepare for the U13 game?



Thank you.

So in the fall your DD is going to be a U12 or U13?

Every year your daughter and her teammates/opponents will get bigger and faster. They will kick the ball harder.

Strength/speed/speed of play all becoming increasingly important in addition to endurance. The other big jump between U12 and U13 is that a lot of top players move to DA/ECNL. Unlike May tryouts these top teams often begin picking players for next year late fall/early spring.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The becomes more complex with more players and a bigger field. What position does she play?

Her coach rotates her between Center Forward and Mid-Field.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DD is a rising U12 player in NCSL and I am a rookie soccer parent.

Is there anything she should do differently to prepare for U13?

I’m aware that it will be 11v11 on a larger field. I know she will need to have more endurance. She will practice her technical skills over the summer as usual.

Hence my questions are as follows:

1) Is there any skills that she needs to learn that were not important at U11/U12 besides heading the ball that will be important at U13?

2) Is the 11v11 game positioning and tactics much different than 9v9 that requires a different level of “Soccer IQ”?

4) Any tips you can recommend for her to work on this year to prepare for the U13 game?



Thank you.

So in the fall your DD is going to be a U12 or U13?

Every year your daughter and her teammates/opponents will get bigger and faster. They will kick the ball harder.

Strength/speed/speed of play all becoming increasingly important in addition to endurance. The other big jump between U12 and U13 is that a lot of top players move to DA/ECNL. Unlike May tryouts these top teams often begin picking players for next year late fall/early spring.

She will be U12 this Fall. I am asking early as I know preparing for it takes time.

I’m glad I asked this early especially with your point about top teams begin to pick players in late Fall/early Spring. (I’m not saying she can make DA/EXNL, but I know my DD will try very hard to make the team.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DD is a rising U12 player in NCSL and I am a rookie soccer parent.

Is there anything she should do differently to prepare for U13?

I’m aware that it will be 11v11 on a larger field. I know she will need to have more endurance. She will practice her technical skills over the summer as usual.

Hence my questions are as follows:

1) Is there any skills that she needs to learn that were not important at U11/U12 besides heading the ball that will be important at U13?

2) Is the 11v11 game positioning and tactics much different than 9v9 that requires a different level of “Soccer IQ”?

4) Any tips you can recommend for her to work on this year to prepare for the U13 game?



Thank you.

So in the fall your DD is going to be a U12 or U13?

Every year your daughter and her teammates/opponents will get bigger and faster. They will kick the ball harder.

Strength/speed/speed of play all becoming increasingly important in addition to endurance. The other big jump between U12 and U13 is that a lot of top players move to DA/ECNL. Unlike May tryouts these top teams often begin picking players for next year late fall/early spring.

She will be U12 this Fall. I am asking early as I know preparing for it takes time.

I’m glad I asked this early especially with your point about top teams begin to pick players in late Fall/early Spring. (I’m not saying she can make DA/EXNL, but I know my DD will try very hard to make the team.)

Endurance training and speed of play. There was a great thread entitled “can speed of play be taught” a while back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DD is a rising U12 player in NCSL and I am a rookie soccer parent.

Is there anything she should do differently to prepare for U13?

I’m aware that it will be 11v11 on a larger field. I know she will need to have more endurance. She will practice her technical skills over the summer as usual.

Hence my questions are as follows:

1) Is there any skills that she needs to learn that were not important at U11/U12 besides heading the ball that will be important at U13?

2) Is the 11v11 game positioning and tactics much different than 9v9 that requires a different level of “Soccer IQ”?

4) Any tips you can recommend for her to work on this year to prepare for the U13 game?



Thank you.

So in the fall your DD is going to be a U12 or U13?

Every year your daughter and her teammates/opponents will get bigger and faster. They will kick the ball harder.

Strength/speed/speed of play all becoming increasingly important in addition to endurance. The other big jump between U12 and U13 is that a lot of top players move to DA/ECNL. Unlike May tryouts these top teams often begin picking players for next year late fall/early spring.

She will be U12 this Fall. I am asking early as I know preparing for it takes time.

I’m glad I asked this early especially with your point about top teams begin to pick players in late Fall/early Spring. (I’m not saying she can make DA/EXNL, but I know my DD will try very hard to make the team.)

Endurance training and speed of play. There was a great thread entitled “can speed of play be taught” a while back.

Yes. I’ve read that thread thoroughly.

I’m already aware of endurance training per my original post. As for speed of play, she can improve this by practicing her first touch, dribbling and skills moves but in order to really improve speed of play is by playing in & with better players.

Hence, I’m asking for non-endurance and non-speed of play but more focused on any special skills or techniques for U13. If not, then she will continue to practice her skills like she has always done.

[Anonymous]

There are no more special skills at 11v11 than there are at 9v9.

They will ALL be in the same shoes adjusting to the new field and ball.

You just moved to 11v11 no achievement level has been unlocked.

The point earlier about more players and still only one ball to share is the biggest adjustment kids need to make. They can go long stretches without touching the ball but they must stay engaged and adjust to off the ball movement and positioning in a larger space for longer periods of time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are no more special skills at 11v11 than there are at 9v9.

They will ALL be in the same shoes adjusting to the new field and ball.

You just moved to 11v11 no achievement level has been unlocked.

The point earlier about more players and still only one ball to share is the biggest adjustment kids need to make. They can go long stretches without touching the ball but they must stay engaged and adjust to off the ball movement and positioning in a larger space for longer periods of time.

Thank you for this input/advise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are no more special skills at 11v11 than there are at 9v9.

They will ALL be in the same shoes adjusting to the new field and ball.

You just moved to 11v11 no achievement level has been unlocked.

The point earlier about more players and still only one ball to share is the biggest adjustment kids need to make. They can go long stretches without touching the ball but they must stay engaged and adjust to off the ball movement and positioning in a larger space for longer periods of time.

Thank you for this input/advise.

I agree, tactics become more important assuming technical skills have already been decently developed. There’s more of a temptation to kick and run but developing the strongest possible passing/possession game is very important and will be critical as she gets older. Learning to do this on the bigger pitch will take some time but it’s something that the whole team will need to practice together (obv).