Reply to I am a NOVA Soccer Coach. AMA

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[quote=NOVASoccerCoach][quote=Anonymous]My U12 daughter (10 - turns 11 at the end of December) has standout technical skills - great passing, trapping, equal ability (passing, shooting, etc.) with right and left feet.  Can juggle +100 (alternating right/left).  Every coach (her coach/other teams' coaches in the club)  that have seen her play/practice exclaim - WOW - incredible soccer IQ - keep doing it, you will go far.  BUT.  (always a but, right?) she lacks aggression/ball hungry/ball hog-ness.  And it seems to be getting worse each season. E.g., last game - she made this incredible trap of a goal kick at mid-field - stopped the booming high kick ball DEAD on her foot - and then left it there (practically ducked and bowed away) . . .I asked her - what happened?  "Oh, I thought my (wing) buddy was going to get it."  Of course that kid/wing buddy was running to (inappropriately) get the ball/take the ball away from her teammate - and my kid bows out and lets her friend take it.  Anyway - bottom line, my kid big time lacks aggression. Will this come?  Just keep fostering the technical skills in the meantime in the hope that it happens?  She used to be a star, but as she ages she gets more and more dominated by the physical players (doesn't help that she is still quite small/petite/no growth spurt yet).

All this (internally) kills my husband who played D1 soccer.  He wants her to play in college since he enjoyed (playing in college) so much.  Bottom line - I think she fits in the "coaches know if someone has the xx to play in college" (from above) factor - because we have been told by so many different observers how good her skills/IQ are . . . but the aggression/desire is clearly not going to cut it now and in the future. Have folks seen their girls change in this respect?  [/quote]

First off, I believe you in that how talented she is. I think she is at the stage now where she just needs to be encouraged. So if you do have D1 aspirations for her, try your best to hide it and let her make her own path in the sport.

Second regarding aggression: "being aggressive" is a big favorite word among soccer parents. I'd say in your situation, you have to realize she is probably going up against much bigger opposition and remember that she's just an 11 year old kid. To her it's I'm small everyone else is so much bigger than me. It can be very intimidating. I'd wait until she hits her growth spurt. You will see from U12 - U13 -U14 those summers your kid will really start changing and hitting their growth spurts. [/quote]

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