Slotted in a position don’t want

[Anonymous]

At 1st week on new team coach has pulled out DS and 1 other aside to be GKs.
How/can we say no ?
We specifically were told players rotate and are fine with that but that is not what is now being presented.
Can’t we just get past week 1 without drama?!!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At 1st week on new team coach has pulled out DS and 1 other aside to be GKs.
How/can we say no ?
We specifically were told players rotate and are fine with that but that is not what is now being presented.
Can’t we just get past week 1 without drama?!!!!

what age?

[Anonymous]

DS’s u9 year all kids rotated at the start. This is how it should be. But by spring, it was clear some kids were stronger or simply enjoyed it more and the team moved to a handful with my son being 1. He still had plenty of field time. U10 team had a new coach and he made it clear that my son was his best GK and saw him in that position but there was still some sharing. DS enjoyed the position and didn’t complain but as parents we weren’t thrilled because it felt young to specialize and his field play suffered. U11 same coach basically told us DS was the GK and he would no longer play him anywhere else. By this point, he loved GK and we let him choose what to do.

[Anonymous]

A lot of kids change clubs because they don’t want to play keeper any longer.

[Anonymous]

I don’t understand why parents are caught in this situation. My daughter has no desire at all whatsoever to play Goalkeeper when we first joined travel. This is the first thing I ask the coach before going to tryouts. Make it clear that your DC doesn’t want to play keeper, and you would join another team if the coach rotates all players at keeper.

Now that she’s U14, it’s no longer a concern because teams have dedicated goalkeepers.

[Anonymous]

DD was asked to join travel program after coaches saw her play on the field. First season: played over half of all matches in goal.

[Anonymous]

My son will not be goalkeeper without intense 1 on 1 training.

I said that to the coach and he found another kid to do it.

My son also is very athletic and the football coach threw him in as quarterback during a game without practicing that position. Dude! Just no.

[Anonymous]

I'd ask about what type of training the coaches will provide. In many cases kids are self taught and that's not sustainable. On the other hand GK's often are held in high esteem by their teammates and they end up thriving off that and enjoying that status.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd ask about what type of training the coaches will provide. In many cases kids are self taught and that's not sustainable. On the other hand GK's often are held in high esteem by their teammates and they end up thriving off that and enjoying that status.

Goalkeepers are only held in high esteem if they are good. Otherwise, they would be looked down upon like any bad player.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'd ask about what type of training the coaches will provide. In many cases kids are self taught and that's not sustainable. On the other hand GK's often are held in high esteem by their teammates and they end up thriving off that and enjoying that status.

DD will end up dropping soccer soon because of this (she's U13 now). She's has always been a good goalie for her age just due to height and athleticism, but she plays other sports and isn't willing to add two more practices GK on top of three she already had. She plays half the game in goal and half at striker, so it's not like she can't play in the field, the coach just wants her in goal to close games

[Anonymous]

Understand GK requires special training outside of team practice. Most clubs never give the GK proper training. Its more than serving a ball and teaching to catch. The GK sees the game from a totally different view than the other field players. Unless your coach can teach that aspect he is failing your player. Dont be afraid to request and stay stern that your player is not getting the proper training. You are paying the same amount as the midfielder and expect comparable training for the position your coach wants your child to play. You shouldn't be ask to pay extra for training of the position either. If thats the case ask if the coach is requiring the strikers and forwards to pay extra for shooting and finishing training.

[Anonymous]

Yeah the goalkeeper specialization at those young years is just ridiculous. Our keeper’s parents were 5’6” dad and 5’0” mom. Obviously, this kid was never going to have height to play that position after/by puberty.

If the kid has a passion for it, ok, let him/her play but never at the sacrifice at least 1/2 the game as a field player. Don’t let them lose their ball skill/foot touch.

I have a kid that passionately loves basketball and soccer both. I have always tried to keep his interest up in soccer doing fun things because the private HS he’s going to re ruins heavily for basketball and nobody on varsity is under 6’1” (you can’t teach height).

[Anonymous]

I'd say thank you for the heads-up, look for other clubs or even other teams in your club. Sounds like coach didn't have a plan (shocker)

[Anonymous]

"new team coach has pulled out DS and 1 other aside to be GKs"

If this means that your son will be expected to play GK as his primary position, and he doesn't want to, then just tell the coach "DS would like to contribute his fair share of playing GK if the position is rotated around the team, but is not interested in playing GK any more than that." I would think that the coach would see this as a reasonable compromise.

GK is a tough one. While I've played sports where the coach's determination of where you should play is not open to debate (American Football comes to mind), soccer seems unique among the sports most kids play. GK the only position in soccer that is so substantially different than every other position, that it's tough for a kid who doesn't enjoy GK to be put into that role. To a player who loves soccer but doesn't love GK, playing GK can feel like you're playing an entirely different game.

For example, in American Football, there are dramatically different roles -- an offensive lineman's game is dramatically different than quarterback ... running back ... receiver ... tight end ... not to even mention the defensive positions. But in that sport, every kid is doing something "different" and, while a player may not like the position he's assigned, he doesn't feel singled out as the one stuck doing something different. Baseball is the same (and every player gets to bat); in basketball the positions are very similar.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"new team coach has pulled out DS and 1 other aside to be GKs"

If this means that your son will be expected to play GK as his primary position, and he doesn't want to, then just tell the coach "DS would like to contribute his fair share of playing GK if the position is rotated around the team, but is not interested in playing GK any more than that." I would think that the coach would see this as a reasonable compromise.

GK is a tough one. While I've played sports where the coach's determination of where you should play is not open to debate (American Football comes to mind), soccer seems unique among the sports most kids play. GK the only position in soccer that is so substantially different than every other position, that it's tough for a kid who doesn't enjoy GK to be put into that role. To a player who loves soccer but doesn't love GK, playing GK can feel like you're playing an entirely different game.

For example, in American Football, there are dramatically different roles -- an offensive lineman's game is dramatically different than quarterback ... running back ... receiver ... tight end ... not to even mention the defensive positions. But in that sport, every kid is doing something "different" and, while a player may not like the position he's assigned, he doesn't feel singled out as the one stuck doing something different. Baseball is the same (and every player gets to bat); in basketball the positions are very similar.

Not to mention 99.99% of the time the Goalie position is never taught in team setting. It maybe time constraints but most likely although they a a licensed soccer coach. They have no training or clue how to teach the position correctly.