Social Media Use for Future Higher-Level Opportunities?

[Anonymous]

I've seen youth soccer parents use several types of publicly-available social media (e.g. paid profiles on soccer websites, player-specific websites, Youtube, Twitter) to promote their perceived higher-level DS or DD for obvious hoped-for future opportunities with: better teams, private schools, colleges, or the YNT's. These forms of social media may have proven successful, BUT they also could have unintentionally backfired by showing the DC wasn't as great as advertised, or indicated over-involved/nuisance parents. As a result, given the subjective nature of soccer player selection, coaches or scouts may have pursued other player options.

The higher a player's talent level may arguably give more leeway for greater social media exposure, but in youth soccer what is just enough and where does it cross the line of going overboard? How does the content, player age, or level of their current team matter? Publicly available versus private invitation? Experiences, insights, or thoughts?

[Anonymous]

This is a really interesting question...

There was a good example of this contrast recently with two kids at La Masia. One, Xavi Simons, has been relentlessly promoted on social media. He's a good youth prospect, but just because he was putting himself out there more than anyone else (I say "he," but it's clear that he couldn't have done all that by himself), he built this image as a generational talent--which he is (probably) not. Lots of jaws dropped when Barca didn't meet his exorbitant (for a 16-year-old) contract demands and let him leave for PSG.

A few months later, 16-year-old Ansu Fati, Simon's academy teammate who no one had ever heard of, was starting (and scoring, and assisting) in the Barca senior team.

In this case, Simons' outsize social media presence distorted the public's perception of him and his relative talent level...but didn't really affect the people who saw him and his peers every day. According to the article linked below, the social media hype also created concern that Simons was more invested in being a social media star than a footballer. (See also Pogba, Paul).

https://www.givemesport.com/1492154-barcelona-are-not-losing-any-sleep-over-xavi-simons-joining-paris-saintgermain

My answer would be the same I give to everyone that I train: work hard. Score the game-winning goal? Work hard tomorrow. Lost the ball and give up the game-losing goal? Work hard tomorrow.

You need to make highlight videos, I guess, to catch the interest of coaches with whom you have no other connection. But the better players will usually win out.

[Anonymous]

I’m against it 100%

Kids change. People shamelessly promoting their young kids are crazy.

They should be insulated from that kind of crap. That notoriety distracts from their training and passion for the game

Send videos to the grandparents, etc. But, a good player will always be hungry, never think they are good enough and always striving to get better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m against it 100%

Kids change. People shamelessly promoting their young kids are crazy.

They should be insulated from that kind of crap. That notoriety distracts from their training and passion for the game

Send videos to the grandparents, etc. But, a good player will always be hungry, never think they are good enough and always striving to get better.

Agreed. In addition to all of that, which is the best that can be said on it, there is so much manufactured hype. A kid may have a 30 second clip of perceived superiority and nothing about all the turnovers, failures to defend, times the ball was taken from the player, so that the player, parent and maybe even others get a false, overinflated sense of where the player is actually at. So I would say it also hurts the player and those around him or her over time.

[Anonymous]

Talk about creating an unneeded pressure cooker for young players to get stuck in. I remember seeing a slick CA ECNL mom blog that seemed to be more about the mom's notoriety. The daughter quit playing soccer completely after her Junior year due to the burnout and the mom seemed lost.

[Anonymous]

a lot of time a parent doesn't know what they are posting - rocket toe ball goals, etc. or high school clips where the opposition has no concept of defending and a player speed dribbles through everyone. Makes the player look bad.

[Anonymous]

If you are looking to make it as a freestyler, then something like a social media account is a must. You'll want a fan base built around your skills and whatnot.

But for a regular player, most scouts I've met aren't interested in a highlight reel and don't have time for 'regular updates' of a social media. If they have an interest it will be from watching a game or a full-length film where they can see off the ball movement.

[Anonymous]

Do we even have any "freestylers" in the DMV that use social media?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do we even have any "freestylers" in the DMV that use social media?

https://www.facebook.com/undefinedfutbol/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m against it 100%

Kids change. People shamelessly promoting their young kids are crazy.

They should be insulated from that kind of crap. That notoriety distracts from their training and passion for the game

Send videos to the grandparents, etc. But, a good player will always be hungry, never think they are good enough and always striving to get better.

Agreed. In addition to all of that, which is the best that can be said on it, there is so much manufactured hype. A kid may have a 30 second clip of perceived superiority and nothing about all the turnovers, failures to defend, times the ball was taken from the player, so that the player, parent and maybe even others get a false, overinflated sense of where the player is actually at. So I would say it also hurts the player and those around him or her over time.

+1