Reply to What if there are No Leagues in the Fall, Spring?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]OP here...So do you think playing pick up games will be enough motivation for most kids to hang in there with 3 practices a week, etc for the next...year?  I'm just trying to think proactively how I can keep my kid motivated to train when there are no league games.[/quote]

There are a couple of ways it can go.

Kids destined for a professional or college career: they are out there right now, kicking the ball against the wall, watching Youtube skills videos, juggling when they have the free time. The shutdown is annoying, but it's not going to deter them from their dream. If your kid is one of these than this setback is not going to stop them. Note: there are very few of these kids.

Kids in the middle (the majority). They want to play, but they are a bit annoyed not being able to have fun with their friends and play games. They miss the competition and the camaraderie, but don't really harbor the dream of playing at the next level after high school. If your kid is in the middle, you need to make the sport as fun as possible in other ways. If they are a good travel player, they'll probably be an awesome rec player and maybe you can find a local team (i.e. school friends, neighborhood friends) who are having a few scrimmages or games even if the travel sides are locked down. Playing with mates in a lower pressure situation maybe enough to keep them interested and maybe even help them keep their love of the game. You can also look at a small group session with say 4 friends (i.e. a training pod) that will minimize the risk and let them keep sharp without having to go to a formal socially distanced practice which can be pretty boring.

Kids who will give the game up soon enough: they're going through the motions right now, but it's going to be tough to keep them interested. This shutdown is accelerating the eventual "age 13" quit cycle (nearly 75% of kids quit youth sports by age 13). 
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This makes sense for kids probably 16 and older but what about the 12 year old who loves it and probably says he wants to be the next Messi but it just sucks not having games.  But yeah, I guess we, the parents and hopefully the club, need to find scrimmages and pick up and games so that the kids can apply the training they are receiving.[/quote]

This actually starts to apply right around your kid's age. The coming of puberty changes many kids physically and mentally as to what they want. You'll see kids at 13-14 (and their parents) start to go "all in" on the sporting future after puberty strikes. I know of many 13 and 14-year-olds who are six to seven days a week of football, which is a bit crazy, but there are parents pushing that and the kids say they want that.

Try to keep them interested in the game--let them watch some Youtubes of youth team matches from Barcelona  (Barcelona U13 v Real Madrid U13 is definitely a level above travel). Show them some tactics programs or get some tactics books, like Inverting the Pyramid or the Mixer. We let our kids play a bit more FIFA on the Xbox because they start to notice patterns of play, live overlaps and triangles that they can work into their own game. And of course try to keep it all as fun as possible. [/quote]

Thanks Dr. Phil. [/quote]

No problem Dr. Stella Immanuel.[/quote]

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