Soccer Coach in Northern VA - Ask me anything
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asksoccernova
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Maryland camps - Try out any of the UMBC summer soccer camps or UK Elite.
There are a lot of programs in Maryland to choose from, try different camps and see which ones you (and your player) like. If your son is one of the top 2-3 on his team, then he should start getting some additional training this spring and try out for a travel team in May/June if he's moving from U8 to U9. Start asking around about travel programs in your area and additional training this spring. |
Anonymous
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So what do coaches look for in u9-10 player during a cattle call. I watch one where I had seen some of the players in a tournament. For their age they had good technical play- the type of player that you want on a club team.
At the tryout, there were a lot of less experienced/technical players(which is fine, you have to start some place). It seemed the mixing of the two types of players really made both types uncomfortable and put them off their game. |
asksoccernova
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At a tryout, each evaluator will have a clipboard or sheet with players names and numbers. There will generally be 4 categories to mark next to each player, either:
TIPS (Technique, Insight, Personality, Speed) https://www.soccerxpert.com/soccertips/id1201.aspx or Technical, Tactical, Physical, Psychological ... or something similar to that. You could also see something like: Dribbling Passing Shooting Game Awareness Speed Ball Control Each player is a mix of attributes, so you don't go into the tryout looking for something specific. You just observe the players, and any attribute that really jumps out at you as unusually high gets a positive mark. Things I personally look for at U9/U10: What does a player do when they receive the ball Does the player have the skill and confidence to take players on 1v1 Do they have foot skills, or signs of potential ability to develop foot skills Can they turn and change directions with the ball quickly Can they make an accurate pass while under pressure Can they take 2 players on at once Are they scoring goals and do they have the desire to score goals Are they pressuring the other team on defense and do they have a high work rate Is their speed of play faster or slower relative to the other players on the field Does the player create plays, or do they slow the game down or lose the ball as a result of mistakes Players that can do even 1/3 of things well are very easy to spot. Players that can't do any of these well are also easy to spot. It really comes down to is the player increasing the level of play by being on the field, keeping it at the same level, or lowering it? |
Anonymous
How about U12? Thanks a lot. |
Anonymous
Thanks |
Anonymous
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Copy and past here from an Ajax page - I agree with most of it for U12.
Technical demands include: Combining ball control and speed in complicated situations where there is an element of resistance; • Ability to use both feet to side-foot and semi—side-foot the ball and kick it with the instep, both along the ground and through the air, over short distances • Taking and cushioning the ball with all parts of the body • Juggling the ball with every part of the body except the arms • Passing accurately from a standing position and while on the move • Accurately shooting on goal • Working on various crosses • Learning the basic heading technique, without resistance • Developing and stimulating body swerves and feints • Learning techniques for taking a ball past an opponent • Learning to shield the ball As far as tactics the following principles apply to the youngest group: • Running into space to receive the ball • Positions in the length and breadth of the field • Linking up, linking back • Taking up positions to receive the ball • Playing from your own position • Taking over the position of another player • Learning to play in another position • Looking beyond the ball • Deciding the moment of choice between passing and making an individual run • Learning to shield the ball when dribbling and passing • Covering the most dangerous opponent |
Anonymous
| At u10/11, how much does diet come into play if training 3x a week and game(s) on weekend? |
Anonymous
0 |
Anonymous
Thanks! We have a UK Elite program not too far, so glad to hear that it's a good option. The UK Petite program at DD's preschool was... meh... but I realize there's only so much you can do with 4 year olds who tend to wander off and pick flowers 
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Anonymous
| So girls u9-10, if you had to pick...Bethesda Soccer Club, Stoddert or Arlington? |
Anonymous
For 8-9 year olds (U9-U10)--pick the closest club. Practices in MD if you live in Arlington would be a frickin' nightmare 3X a week and vice versa. Not NoVA Coach--just a parent and former player with common sense. All 3 are solid clubs. Worry about it when she gets to middle school. |
Anonymous
+1000 (unless of course you don't work and just love driving your car all over the DMV) |
asksoccernova
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The 2008's (U9s) are a victim of the age group change from US Soccer last year.
Basically what has happened is that you have players who already played travel soccer (along with training) for a full year who were "held back" for a year at U9. This has really messed things up, because you have players with a full year of experience mixed in with kids playing travel soccer (and with no advanced training yet) for the first time ever. Its VERY obvious which players fall into which category when you see them in competitive games. This favors large clubs because they have more players who are "repeating" U9 when in fact those players "should" be playing U10. I think this happened at Arlington, as one of their teams had a player at the Bethesda Thanksgiving tournament who was executing skills and decisions that aren't even taught to U9s because they don't have that level of spatial-reasoning ability developed yet after 1 season. At that tournament, there were also girls playing in the U9 (2008) bracket who were dedicated goalkeepers and that you could tell had a lot of training, which doesn't add up for a player in their first season of U9 travel soccer. Arlington - 1. Red 2. White 3. Blue 4. Black 5. Silver 6. Gold One coach works with 2 teams. 2008s U9: If your player is not on Red/White, don't go to Arlington for U9. There is a major gap in the level of play between Red/White and the other teams. It will be REALLY hard to make Red/White unless your player is very, very good because players have been held back from playing U10 already with a year of experience. 2007s U10: Excellent coaching staff with Red/White and Blue/Black but I'm sure still very hard to make a good team because of so many players in Arlington, and players "held back" from U11 that played U10 last year. Bethesda - 2008s U9 - you want to be on Academy Blue. Theres a big gap between Blue and White. 2009s U10 - don't know this age group very well but I would think its a competitive group since bethesda has its act together *most* of the time Stoddert - I don't know Stoddert as well at these age groups, but I've heard that U9 is not that competitive, while U10 is better organized. |
Anonymous
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We have a U9 (2008) with late birthday on one of the large clubs - made top team - definitely not top half players when made team
Missing the full year seemed really obvious during a lot of the fall. our family doesn't have a soccer background to be great at judging ( other collegiate sports), but the gap seems to be shrinking particularly on the list you included in the things you look at U9/U10. Also, compared to some of the other players - especially on one on ones in practices Do you think the gap can/will shrink over the next year or so for some of these younger players? Or do you think this follows many of the players for years? |
Anonymous
Most of these kids won't be on the top team by 13/14. It's the way development works. Don't get caught in this rabbit hole. A lot of these places have zero consistency in training. They tend to just bring in players as kids age upwards. Parents make the mistake at 8 and 9 of thinking A team or super large club matters. It's a long road ahead. Training and practice. Coaching. Is your kid having fun? A lot of kids drop the sport by 12 due to the environment. |