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[quote=Anonymous]All of these responses are very good and spot on.

There really is no blueprint.  Every kid is different and every kid will have a different path.  They develop at different rates both physically and mentally and because of this, what works for one may not work for the other...BUT, there are some commonalities in the kids that have achieved a level of success in our area.  Some of which PPs have already raised and I agree with.  In my view there are some baseline things that have to happen to have a chance at pro football:

Between u9 and u13 your kid needs to be obsessed with the ball and mastering the ball.  Why?  Because these are the years where the kids have the most time to build their technical acumen.  There aren't as many practices and time constraints holding back their individual development and they can really focus on themselves as individual players (not necessarily team players).  This means that they need to be substantially better than their peers with the ball in these ages. If they aren't, it is really REALLY hard to catch up technically after u15.  What you see often is that the early bloomers who use size and speed to gain an advantage early on, fade really fast at the older ages because technically they are just ok.  Millions of just ok footballers out there.  Less technically gifted ones.  The reality is that as the game speeds up as the kids get older, it is the kids that can handle the higher speeds of play that succeed and this isn't a size and speed factor.  It is a skill factor.  Of course size and speed helps, but don't rely on this (more on this in a second).  Always remember, pro clubs don't sign teams to pro deals, they sign individuals.

Don't waste time or follow the pack. By this I mean, your kids window of time in the sport is very small.  You don't have seasons to waste in their developmental path.  Make decisions based on whatever is best for your kid, not based on what everyone else is doing.  Too many parents follow what everyone else is doing and if you do that your kid will be  just like everyone else, average. To be exceptional you have to train in exceptional ways and set exceptional goals for yourself and your kid.  And if you have time make sure you are spending it focused on acquiring new skills and/or perfecting the ones that your kid is already good at.

Educate yourself about the rules of professional football both here and in Europe and understand that the standards of European and South American football are much higher.  Train to those higher standards.  The rules are not straightforward and so many parents don't understand how serious football is outside of the US.  Bottom line is that being a professional footballer is FAR less likely if your development journey is only through the US system.  Can it happen?  Of course.  But our country is so far behind Europe in development it is just way harder.  This means that you will need European exposure at some point in your trajectory as a player to benchmark where you are and your potential ceiling.  And if you can get to Europe at early ages, do it, like yesterday.  But remember the transfer rules are complex and you can't just pick up and go to Europe under the age of 18. Easier at 16.  But under 16, unless your family moves for reasons.unrelated to football you can't transfer overseas because FIFA forbids it.  Even if you have a European passport.  Of course there are nuances and ways to work the rules but generally speaking, that is the case.  Why I cringe when I hear a u9 dad saying some European outfit wants to sign his kid.  Unfortunate to be ignorant here.

Stress having fun.  If it isn't fun for them, they won't progress as far.  The kids I have seen so well have had great support networks.  Remember that they are kids first.

Don't let Instagram be your guide on what you should be doing.  IG is literally killing youth football in our country.  Dumb drills, manufactured highlights, ineffective moves that aren't really done in pro football have kids thinking the wrong things about the game.  The reality is that the pros do the simple things at the highest of levels and the highest speeds.  Passing, dribbling, shooting, the basics.  Watch any Premier League game, Bundesliga game, serie a game and see how many of these fancy moves show up.  They don't because there is just no time to execute them.  Perfecting the basics is the goal.  Also focusing on how to handle messy passes in the air under pressure.  Kids in the US practice so much with the ball on the ground and less so with the ball in the air.   When they get to Europe and play gets messy or aerial, they struggle.  Good players make messy or crappy passes good ones.  Remember this when your just doing cone drills on flat surfaces with no pressure..

Simulate intense pressure as much as you can.  Cone drills will only get you so far.  You need to practice against pressure as much as possible.  I've seen many cone drill legends on IG become absolutely useless in the games because they can't stay on the ball because they aren't used to pressure or how to deal with it.

If your kid is bigger and faster early on, don't let him just use that to get by...there will always be someone bigger and faster.  Focus on his technical ability above all else...if he is technical and has size and speed, you have a great foundation. Size and speed with no technical ability is a recipe for failure.

Focus on your son's x factor.  You have to have an x factor, something that immediately sets you apart from the peer group.  The sooner you understand what this is for your son the better.  It will be a gift your son has that others just don't.  Without the x factor, much harder to succeed because there are many others out there with similar qualities.  That x factor could be many things and many things that may not be visible right away.  
  
Demand more of the football establishment in the US.  The reality is that US soccer is an entrenched ecosystem that isn't nimble and is resistant to change.  You have to navigate this system but also understand that there are moments where you need to demand more of it.  More training than the clubs are giving, more accountability for your son's development, more metrics to show how he is developing etc etc.  if you're a bystander in your kids development and not an active participant your kid will be at a disadvantage.  And these clubs in our area are the ones that need to be held more accountable.  Don't let them just do the minimum.  Demand more and if you can't get it, move on.

I have so many more thoughts on this but that is a start... hope it helps.[/quote]

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