Anonymous
Post 10/09/2024 23:39     Subject: Majority of time playing as CB for U9
Agreed lots of top players play in the back if the team tries to play
Anonymous
Post 10/09/2024 17:49     Subject: Majority of time playing as CB for U9
Anonymous wrote:My DD played CB for most of each game at U9 and U10. She did play in other positions like goalkeeper, wing, or striker, but for much less time. She is tall and the coach said she had a good "vision" for the field. She doesn't have a big strong kick, so she tended to connect passes rather than just clearing it all the time. I think it really helped her development. She got moved up to a top team and at U11 she plays the entire game as a midfielder.


That is the story of my DD as well. Played up u9 as CB then transitioned to midfield and never looked back. She is a top team level player and a baller.
Anonymous
Post 10/07/2024 11:37     Subject: Majority of time playing as CB for U9
My DD played CB for most of each game at U9 and U10. She did play in other positions like goalkeeper, wing, or striker, but for much less time. She is tall and the coach said she had a good "vision" for the field. She doesn't have a big strong kick, so she tended to connect passes rather than just clearing it all the time. I think it really helped her development. She got moved up to a top team and at U11 she plays the entire game as a midfielder.
Anonymous
Post 10/07/2024 10:09     Subject: Majority of time playing as CB for U9
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Hi we are new to travel, is it good for a girl at this age to play defense for most of her game time and practice scrimmage time? She used to play attack or middle field a lot before joining the current competitive travel team (overall she has great speed, agility and good technical skills, but not super consistent about decision making under pressure) .

Thank you for your insights.


If your team is trying to build from the back, expect the best players to play CB for a while. Only very good teams will have enough talent in the ranks to use some on the front line. If anyone needs to be hidden, they will play wing and striker. This is because most building sequences will start from CB, progress up the lines, and then the ball will be lost by the offense players. If the team puts its worst players on defense at young ages, they will just lose the ball at the beginning of the sequence. No one gets good experience, and the team gets demoralized.

For development, just make sure your little CB is connecting passes instead of clearing everything. And don't only pass to outside backs, some passes should be to midfielders. She should also be occasionally dribbling when there's space and dribbling to the sides out of trouble after a steal. Make sure she knows she is a support pass option for teammates, and that she can pass back to her keeper for more support. If she needs to clear it, she should attempt to make many of those intentional long passes instead of random clearances. It's a great position to get maximum involvement, experience under pressure, become a communication leader, and learn to read the game. Just beware of over-clearing and never dribbling, or else you do get locked into being a boot-ball defender.


This is a great summary of the CB position for a young player or a new parent. Well done.
Anonymous
Post 10/06/2024 23:42     Subject: Majority of time playing as CB for U9
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Hi we are new to travel, is it good for a girl at this age to play defense for most of her game time and practice scrimmage time? She used to play attack or middle field a lot before joining the current competitive travel team (overall she has great speed, agility and good technical skills, but not super consistent about decision making under pressure) .

Thank you for your insights.


If your team is trying to build from the back, expect the best players to play CB for a while. Only very good teams will have enough talent in the ranks to use some on the front line. If anyone needs to be hidden, they will play wing and striker. This is because most building sequences will start from CB, progress up the lines, and then the ball will be lost by the offense players. If the team puts its worst players on defense at young ages, they will just lose the ball at the beginning of the sequence. No one gets good experience, and the team gets demoralized.

For development, just make sure your little CB is connecting passes instead of clearing everything. And don't only pass to outside backs, some passes should be to midfielders. She should also be occasionally dribbling when there's space and dribbling to the sides out of trouble after a steal. Make sure she knows she is a support pass option for teammates, and that she can pass back to her keeper for more support. If she needs to clear it, she should attempt to make many of those intentional long passes instead of random clearances. It's a great position to get maximum involvement, experience under pressure, become a communication leader, and learn to read the game. Just beware of over-clearing and never dribbling, or else you do get locked into being a boot-ball defender.


This is spot on. Thread should end here.
Anonymous
Post 10/06/2024 23:09     Subject: Majority of time playing as CB for U9
Its a mix bad. Its correct that typically the players in the back are bigger faster and more physical. In most cases this shuts down all but the top attacking players. The technical is not emphasized. They tend to play the longest so more touches. But as they age and pool of players shrink they will lose out to technical players they have converted from midfield or attacking.
Anonymous
Post 10/06/2024 16:16     Subject: Majority of time playing as CB for U9
Anonymous wrote:Hi we are new to travel, is it good for a girl at this age to play defense for most of her game time and practice scrimmage time? She used to play attack or middle field a lot before joining the current competitive travel team (overall she has great speed, agility and good technical skills, but not super consistent about decision making under pressure) .

Thank you for your insights.


If your team is trying to build from the back, expect the best players to play CB for a while. Only very good teams will have enough talent in the ranks to use some on the front line. If anyone needs to be hidden, they will play wing and striker. This is because most building sequences will start from CB, progress up the lines, and then the ball will be lost by the offense players. If the team puts its worst players on defense at young ages, they will just lose the ball at the beginning of the sequence. No one gets good experience, and the team gets demoralized.

For development, just make sure your little CB is connecting passes instead of clearing everything. And don't only pass to outside backs, some passes should be to midfielders. She should also be occasionally dribbling when there's space and dribbling to the sides out of trouble after a steal. Make sure she knows she is a support pass option for teammates, and that she can pass back to her keeper for more support. If she needs to clear it, she should attempt to make many of those intentional long passes instead of random clearances. It's a great position to get maximum involvement, experience under pressure, become a communication leader, and learn to read the game. Just beware of over-clearing and never dribbling, or else you do get locked into being a boot-ball defender.
Anonymous
Post 10/06/2024 13:29     Subject: Majority of time playing as CB for U9
Anonymous wrote:Hi we are new to travel, is it good for a girl at this age to play defense for most of her game time and practice scrimmage time? She used to play attack or middle field a lot before joining the current competitive travel team (overall she has great speed, agility and good technical skills, but not super consistent about decision making under pressure) .

Thank you for your insights.


No it is the worst possible thing you can do. Kids need to rotate through all the positions to develop. Good clubs will rotate the kid through the position by substitution. As an example when subbing players in the back line moves to midfield, midfield moves to forward and forward comes out. This usually includes goalkeeping.

CB at this age are usually big and physical and with little demand for technical skill. It will really limit her is a few years.
Anonymous
Post 10/06/2024 12:12     Subject: Majority of time playing as CB for U9
Anonymous wrote:Hi we are new to travel, is it good for a girl at this age to play defense for most of her game time and practice scrimmage time? She used to play attack or middle field a lot before joining the current competitive travel team (overall she has great speed, agility and good technical skills, but not super consistent about decision making under pressure) .

Thank you for your insights.


Usually good coaches will build a team up from the defense. We have had multiple coaches put the best players in central defense. You need a player who is solid, who listens to the coach, who plays well under pressure. If you daughter is playing Center Back, Stopper, Sweeper, Defensive Center mid, then the coach thinks highly of them and has a lot of confidence in their skills. Once the coach has a feel for the team, he should start to rotate the players around a bit.

While this doesn't apply to you, but I had the same concern last year. Our DD was put up top at stryker and essentially left up there. Her team had a hard time getting her the ball, so she was not very involved in the game and her skills regressed. This year, she is with a new team as a winger and stryker and we have to unteach her what she learned last year. (Staying static and not running for the ball.)

Hopefully, she is playing a dynamic fashion and is involved in many of the plays. That would be great for her development. When the team grows and more competent players develop on the team, I'd expect that she would rotate up more. But if she doesn't, or isn't seeing much action or is an outside back, id ask the coach to try her out in practice at a different position. -Good luck!
Anonymous
Post 10/06/2024 11:18     Subject: Majority of time playing as CB for U9
Anonymous wrote:Hi we are new to travel, is it good for a girl at this age to play defense for most of her game time and practice scrimmage time? She used to play attack or middle field a lot before joining the current competitive travel team (overall she has great speed, agility and good technical skills, but not super consistent about decision making under pressure) .

Thank you for your insights.


The entire team should play #9, #10, #11, #7, #8

No one should play Defender until U23's
Anonymous
Post 10/06/2024 09:57     Subject: Majority of time playing as CB for U9
Hi we are new to travel, is it good for a girl at this age to play defense for most of her game time and practice scrimmage time? She used to play attack or middle field a lot before joining the current competitive travel team (overall she has great speed, agility and good technical skills, but not super consistent about decision making under pressure) .

Thank you for your insights.