Reply to can a private soccer coach help 8-yo DS who's not a fast kid with his game?

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[quote=Anonymous]OP, speed isn't everything in soccer. David Beckham has never been the fastest man on the pitch, but he's a smart, hard-working player who does a few things very well (e.g., passing, which shows great vision, and shooting free kicks, which illustrates his remarkable control of the ball).  Having said all that, if you're a striker, it helps to be fast, especially at age 8, when skill and positioning haven't developed enough yet to be big factors. So I guess my advice is to do the 1:1 training if you want, but also definitely send him to summer soccer camp -- you learn so much there about becoming a better passer, tactics, etc. You should also stress to him that though he'll probably never be the fastest kid on the pitch, if he trains hard over time he could become one of the best "runners"  on the pitch. That is, he could be among those who are in the best "shape." Endurance really counts in soccer, especially at the midfield position. Kids may not have separated themselves from the pack based on stamina and endurance at age 8, but by the time he's 13 or so, it'll really be evident which kids can run all day and which ones get gassed quickly. If he's hell-bent on being a striker, then he'll have to learn that being a "smart" player who constantly puts himself in the right position to score is vital. If he can't blow by people with his (lack of) speed, he'll have to learn to anticipate where to stand/run to on corner kicks, say, or learn to trail the play when another, faster kid is running with the ball toward goal and is about to take a shot -- a well-positioned, hard-working, hard-running player can frequently be in the right place at the right time to get an errand rebound from another player's shot or to be wide open in space while the defense swarms around the first player. One striker who was never fast but was a master of hard work and positioning is former England player Gary Lineker, whose heyday was in the 1980s and early 90s.  Google him and find his old clips on YouTube. Good luck to your son![/quote]

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