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[quote=Anonymous]It is possible for a kid that LOVES, LOVES, LOVES soccer to have that beat down by too much tedium and not enough fun in the early years.

I don't know why people are adamant that if a child does not like structured, boring 3Xweek 90-minute practices from the time of age 7 that it means they just don't love the sport.

Bullshit.  I saw with both of my soccer-obsessed kids that would play any chance that could get and loved going to the park for spontaneous pick-up games every night in the summer and when there wasn't a practice---that around 9/10 they started to hate "the grind".  I pulled back.  I stopped having them do the winter practices.  I let them miss practices on occassion.  I made sure to keep it organic and fun and found trainers that were challenging but in a way that made them want to work and laugh.

I think this is why they didn't drop the sport like the vast majority of their friends that were also fanatical about it---but all hated that the 90minute 3X a week year-round practices and travel all weekend left them with no down time or time to play anything else.

So--yes---you can love soccer and that love can be taken away when the wrong people enforce too much structure and not age-appropriate training that keeps young kids engaged and having fun.  I've seen Academies in Europe train only 60 minutes a session at ages 7/8/9--much less than your typical travel soccer Club. More structure young is not better.[/quote]

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