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[quote=Anonymous]My DD has two main 1:1 trainers.

One, a female former national team player turned excellent trainer, works with her primarily on general technique and field play.

The other, a male, former pro and former head pro coach, works with her on finishing and shooting and mindset / mental.

Neither of them focus on only weaknesses, they both focus on whatever the medium term and long term development needs are, and occasionally tweaking things when they need more work or to get cleaned up.

The gen / field coach comes to watch her matches when she can, and watches the video  when she can as and adjusts the training IDP as needed.

I played through college, and played HS soccer and travel ball in NOVA. Soccer is drastically different - I wouldn’t make my HS team today, the kids are just so much better. But so is the knowledge and expectations we have of good trainers and coaches (which weren’t nearly as available until the mid 2000s).

I’d suggest that the prerequisites you should look for in a trainer to your DCs are:

1) some higher level of play history (doesn’t have to have been the best, but needs to know what it takes to be very good - even if they fell short of their own potential - the knowledge of why they fell short is often the feed stock of amazing coaches)
2) individualized the training for your DC - yes many drills and skills are developed similarly and many session outlines are similar - but the training overall should be tailored to your player.
3) should communicate with you, the parent / payer - but realizes that the customer is the player!
4) should watch / ask about matches - this should be a red flag if they don’t
5) have a coaching / training history of success - don’t be the crash-test dummy - also many recently former players and many current college players can be great practice buddies, or role models, but they’re awful coaches. Well intentioned, but they are still very focused on their own soccer and don’t have time (or maturity) to focus on your DC’s long term development! There is a place in your DCs life for these role models, but a trainer isn’t the one.
6) your DC has to be able to listen to them. If your DC, for one reason or another, isn’t coachable by the trainer, it’s a waste of everyone’s time (and money).
7) the trainers need to give “homework” AND the trainer has to have a regular schedule for your DC. It can’t be bouncing around, day to day / week to week based on availability etc. Nothing good in development comes without stability and regularity.
8) have the ability to add other players to a future session or series of sessions in order to focus on specifics such as 1v1 or 2v1s etc for your DC.
9) warm up and cool down. If the trainer says “take a lap” to start the session, the trainer is lazy.
10) the trainer calls out you DC for shitty effort, attitude or focus. All kids have low energy practices from time to time. But your trainer better have and keep your DC to a high standard! (And coach your DC to keep the level of what they will accept of themselves as high as their potential).[/quote]

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