Female physical attributes for positions

[Anonymous]

Wondering if there are parents out there that have had legitimate interest from a DI-II-III school for their DD. Let me start up front with yes, mentally your DS/DD has to be there. Yes, they need grit, determination, and that physical attributes is but one factor in recruiting. However, let's think about this... I don't care how gritty or how much Rudy-like determination your player has, if they want to be a center in basketball, being 5'7" aint going to get you recruited.
I have read and talked to other parents that at times, some coaches like to look at height/size as they can't teach tall or fast, but they can teach soccer field smarts and how to play the game better. Lastly, if you're on a ECNL/GAL team, they are likely to be pretty soccer strong, so it's not like they don't have the will. Any and all positions because while I will look to read about my DD position, I know some others might have similar questions about if their DD is too short/small/light for college.

[Anonymous]

While there are always exceptions but this article shows the typical size and skills needed by positions in women’s college soccer:

https://www.ncsasports.org/womens-soccer/recruiting-guidelines

It seems most positions requires a player to be at least 5’5”.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:While there are always exceptions but this article shows the typical size and skills needed by positions in women’s college soccer:

https://www.ncsasports.org/womens-soccer/recruiting-guidelines

It seems most positions requires a player to be at least 5’5”.

Lmfao. Dumbest comment of the year

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:While there are always exceptions but this article shows the typical size and skills needed by positions in women’s college soccer:

https://www.ncsasports.org/womens-soccer/recruiting-guidelines

It seems most positions requires a player to be at least 5’5”.

Thanks for the link. I think I saw it a while back, but like most articles, they are gleaned from generalizations and I had hoped for some parents to comment on their kid's experiences with this. I've seen some girls so thin, they crumple to the ground at first sign of physical contact. Does a college coach ask them to bulk up? Not unheard of in other sports.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While there are always exceptions but this article shows the typical size and skills needed by positions in women’s college soccer:

https://www.ncsasports.org/womens-soccer/recruiting-guidelines

It seems most positions requires a player to be at least 5’5”.

Lmfao. Dumbest comment of the year

Why? The PP posted a good article explaining what college recruiters look for. Unless you have any better article, please STFU.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While there are always exceptions but this article shows the typical size and skills needed by positions in women’s college soccer:

https://www.ncsasports.org/womens-soccer/recruiting-guidelines

It seems most positions requires a player to be at least 5’5”.

Thanks for the link. I think I saw it a while back, but like most articles, they are gleaned from generalizations and I had hoped for some parents to comment on their kid's experiences with this. I've seen some girls so thin, they crumple to the ground at first sign of physical contact. Does a college coach ask them to bulk up? Not unheard of in other sports.

Colleges make their players spend a lot of time in the weight room to get stronger, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While there are always exceptions but this article shows the typical size and skills needed by positions in women’s college soccer:

https://www.ncsasports.org/womens-soccer/recruiting-guidelines

It seems most positions requires a player to be at least 5’5”.

Thanks for the link. I think I saw it a while back, but like most articles, they are gleaned from generalizations and I had hoped for some parents to comment on their kid's experiences with this. I've seen some girls so thin, they crumple to the ground at first sign of physical contact. Does a college coach ask them to bulk up? Not unheard of in other sports.

Colleges make their players spend a lot of time in the weight room to get stronger, etc.

Thus comment is very true. I know many college strength coach that say most girls are just not physically ready for college soccer because many girls do not spend time in the weight room before college. They would be way head of the curve if you spend at least all of your high school years in the off season in the gym.

Second from the first comment look some size matters but to be honest if your technically good and have some size you will get noticed. This not the best comparison because she is just gifted all around but crystal Dunn is not that tall. But works her ass off in the off season.

But if most girls make it a point and figure out a time to get into the gym and work on there strength there play and confidence on the field will go up tremendously.

But all the other stuff like technical work will help as well.

[Anonymous]

Speed and power can make up for size, but not so much for GK/CB positions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:While there are always exceptions but this article shows the typical size and skills needed by positions in women’s college soccer:

https://www.ncsasports.org/womens-soccer/recruiting-guidelines

It seems most positions requires a player to be at least 5’5”.

I was recently watching the women's D1 ACC playoffs from this fall on YouTube. It seemed every player was at least 5'5 on all of the teams. They would always announce the height when a player was subbed in.

I think it would be very difficult to make a top team if you are smaller but likely options in the lower DI or DII / DIII levels.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While there are always exceptions but this article shows the typical size and skills needed by positions in women’s college soccer:

https://www.ncsasports.org/womens-soccer/recruiting-guidelines

It seems most positions requires a player to be at least 5’5”.

Lmfao. Dumbest comment of the year

Why? The PP posted a good article explaining what college recruiters look for. Unless you have any better article, please STFU.

Height is important for goalies and Center backs. That's about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While there are always exceptions but this article shows the typical size and skills needed by positions in women’s college soccer:

https://www.ncsasports.org/womens-soccer/recruiting-guidelines

It seems most positions requires a player to be at least 5’5”.

I was recently watching the women's D1 ACC playoffs from this fall on YouTube. It seemed every player was at least 5'5 on all of the teams. They would always announce the height when a player was subbed in.

I think it would be very difficult to make a top team if you are smaller but likely options in the lower DI or DII / DIII levels.

LMFAO

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While there are always exceptions but this article shows the typical size and skills needed by positions in women’s college soccer:

https://www.ncsasports.org/womens-soccer/recruiting-guidelines

It seems most positions requires a player to be at least 5’5”.

I was recently watching the women's D1 ACC playoffs from this fall on YouTube. It seemed every player was at least 5'5 on all of the teams. They would always announce the height when a player was subbed in.

I think it would be very difficult to make a top team if you are smaller but likely options in the lower DI or DII / DIII levels.

So, the majority were average height for females in this country? Good to know. Don't forget, they all round up. 5'4 and a half is 5'5

[Anonymous]

Game Tactics

Most of soccer is played on the ground, with the ball at the feet of the players. Short players can flourish if they excel at ball control, speed, agility and the ability to change direction quickly. They can contribute to passing attacks that can exhaust taller and at times, sluggish and less-skilled opponents. This possession-focused style of soccer, popular in Latin America and Spain, can be seen in the U.S. even in recreational teams who use skill and shrewd tactics to flummox larger opponents.

Inherently Greater Athleticism

In soccer, the short athlete’s gifts no longer get hidden behind those of taller guys and girls. Shorter athletes react more quickly, accelerate better, move with more agility and have a greater strength-to-weight ratio, writes multidisciplinary scholar Thomas T. Samaras in “Human Body Size and the Laws of Scaling.” Those not overly tall also have increased endurance and are less prone to heat stroke. All these assets fit perfectly with a sport that lasts 90 minutes or longer, lacks time outs, is played outdoors in hot weather and requires intermittent sprinting.


Lower Center of Gravity

The laws of physics allow a shorter person, with her lower center of gravity, to be better able to resist falling and to enjoy greater stability. She can produce a strong counter-torque to restore her balance even during a lunging, desperate attempt to maintain ball control or to shoot while falling over. Samaras notes that this stability gives shorter athletes an advantage in gymnastics, wrestling, sailing and surfing. It also allows soccer players trying to weave toward the goal in close quarters to maintain their footing despite the inevitable bumping.

Exceptions

While short players can star in soccer, its pros are still taller than the general population. Height remains important for goalkeepers who need to cover a wide and tall goalmouth. Central defenders, especially in leagues that need to defend against tall forwards, also tend to have some height. Soccer statistics analyst Chris Anderson finds a solid correlation between team height and international soccer success. He does note that outliers, such as Spain’s men’s team and America's women's team, at times achieve tremendous success despite a lack of height, presumably based on skill or tactical understanding.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While there are always exceptions but this article shows the typical size and skills needed by positions in women’s college soccer:

https://www.ncsasports.org/womens-soccer/recruiting-guidelines

It seems most positions requires a player to be at least 5’5”.

Lmfao. Dumbest comment of the year

Why? The PP posted a good article explaining what college recruiters look for. Unless you have any better article, please STFU.

Height is important for goalies and Center backs. That's about it.

+1. I agree if you are above the 5'5 floor - then height becomes mostly important for certain position like goalies and CB. Usually a team will have at least one tall forward for scoring off of headers. The CBs get in the box on both sides for the aerial game on corners so height is important.

However teams with a size advantage across the board become a real challenge and athletes keep getting bigger.

Look at the USWNT team - Crystal Dunn is such a rare exception that she is the only short player ever mentioned in these discussions. It's like saying if you are Mugsy Boggs tall you can play in the NBA. That's silly talk. Yeah sure if you are 1 in a 100 million athlete. That's 100% meaningless to anyone reading this board.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Game Tactics

Most of soccer is played on the ground, with the ball at the feet of the players. Short players can flourish if they excel at ball control, speed, agility and the ability to change direction quickly. They can contribute to passing attacks that can exhaust taller and at times, sluggish and less-skilled opponents. This possession-focused style of soccer, popular in Latin America and Spain, can be seen in the U.S. even in recreational teams who use skill and shrewd tactics to flummox larger opponents.

Inherently Greater Athleticism

In soccer, the short athlete’s gifts no longer get hidden behind those of taller guys and girls. Shorter athletes react more quickly, accelerate better, move with more agility and have a greater strength-to-weight ratio, writes multidisciplinary scholar Thomas T. Samaras in “Human Body Size and the Laws of Scaling.” Those not overly tall also have increased endurance and are less prone to heat stroke. All these assets fit perfectly with a sport that lasts 90 minutes or longer, lacks time outs, is played outdoors in hot weather and requires intermittent sprinting.


Lower Center of Gravity

The laws of physics allow a shorter person, with her lower center of gravity, to be better able to resist falling and to enjoy greater stability. She can produce a strong counter-torque to restore her balance even during a lunging, desperate attempt to maintain ball control or to shoot while falling over. Samaras notes that this stability gives shorter athletes an advantage in gymnastics, wrestling, sailing and surfing. It also allows soccer players trying to weave toward the goal in close quarters to maintain their footing despite the inevitable bumping.

Exceptions

While short players can star in soccer, its pros are still taller than the general population. Height remains important for goalkeepers who need to cover a wide and tall goalmouth. Central defenders, especially in leagues that need to defend against tall forwards, also tend to have some height. Soccer statistics analyst Chris Anderson finds a solid correlation between team height and international soccer success. He does note that outliers, such as Spain’s men’s team and America's women's team, at times achieve tremendous success despite a lack of height, presumably based on skill or tactical understanding.

Good read. It's like short wins up front, height then is needed for backs to out-jump those forwards and obviously keepers with size and length have inherent advantage.