Is this common?
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LWMS10
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My child is playing their first year of travel soccer at U9. They are on the second team of five at a large club. Because there are so many teams (girls and boys practice at the same time), field space is limited. They scrimmage another team in the age group sometimes, but for the other practices they do drills on a small part of the field. Sometimes they mingle all the teams together and do things in small groups including 4v4 mini scrimmages. My child does very well in these, stealing the ball from and scoring on kids who are on the top team. But they seem to be struggling to adjust to 7v7 on the larger field. The team overall is not doing well and I suspect other kids are having similar struggles.
Is it common for U9 players to struggle making this jump to the larger field? Other teams we've played seem to be doing a much better job with it. Do most clubs around here struggle to get adequate field space, or do some have more regular access to a full sized field for practices? It seems like getting more time on a standard size field would help, but maybe I am wrong. If that doesn't matter, what kinds of things should be done at practice to help prepare for games? I am trying to figure out whether my child is having a particular difficulty with this, whether some kids/teams initially struggle with this but it gets better with time, or whether maybe the coaching at this club is not supporting development in this way. |
retiredref
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Yes, it is common when going from one format to another that some kids and teams adapt at different rates. Next year you won't be able to tell which ones transitioned quickly this year.
It is also common for younger teams to have limited field space, the closer in you get the scarcer the field space gets. At least one club in a small county attracts players into their county from outside and puts an even greater burden on the limited space than otherwise. |
westsidesoccer
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| These are excellent questions. Practicing in condensed space and in small-sided games persists as teams age up to larger fields for a variety of reasons, even when more field space is available. But I wonder whether too much play in small-sided games and futsal may have an effect on fuller-field vision a bit? Just like I wonder whether youth soccer players who do not play football or baseball have a very difficult time learning how to track and run with balls in the air. |
onetwo
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So below u12/13 the emphasis is on developing the minimum skills needed to play soccer. U9 the kids are grouped in to teams roughly base on aggressive then speed and size not soccer skill. Very few U9s have the spatial awareness and vision to see the field. Specially when they have to look down to dribble, pass or receive. Spatial awareness and vision develop later after you have developed ball skills.
When the kids get older (u14 plus) skill under pressure, ball skills and speed of play(one or two touch play, receiving and passing under a second) and control in tight spaces sets players apart. This is what the coaches are trying to develop. Most u9s are kicking the ball by a player and chasing the ball. This is all about aggression and how fast you run. Playing this way releases control of the ball and turning possession in to a 50/50 ball. The fastest most aggressive player will win the ball and maybe score. It works at u9 but will works less and less each year. You really do not need to practice this. A good soccer player is one who can go by a defender with the ball at their feet and still look to pass, change pace, move to open space because they control the ball. This needs to be developed and practiced. Winning at u9 does not mater. |
clt-dad
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I agree with all these things but will note that in my experience most (not all!) clubs will fast track those aggressive fast kids into the top level teams and get them more opportunities, better coaching, better fields, more training nights, etc. Yes, later on kids with more skill can fight their way up into the top teams for sure, but they'll be doing it by pushing out these early kids. It's the early focus on winning that plagues youth sports - despite it not mattering. |