Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:idk. my kid was a major ball hog for years and her coach never really stopped her. I'm glad though in retrospect because she developed incredible ball handling skills. she moved clubs at 13 and had to learn a whole different way of playing. her new coach loved her skills but was able to teach her when and where to dribble and show her skills.

I think this is the concern others have - the ball hog is hogging most of the development. So at 13 their kid can't make a better team as they've been sitting around watching another kid dribble for years. If everyone tells their kid to be a ball hog, there's no passing at all. Then it comes down to who recovers the ball from the other team defensively. Everyone wants to recover it, and now we're playing bunch-ball like 5 year-olds.

not really. my daughter (the one referenced up top) was one of only a couple players on the team that really wanted the ball. might have been the make up of the teams she was on, but the teams' tactics were to try and get her the ball. until she switched clubs at 13.

one of my other daughters was the kind of player that just wanted to make a good pass and get rid of it. she never wanted to carry the ball.

and fwiw, no one told my ball-hog daughter to be a ball hog. if i had told my other daughter to hog the ball, she would have said absolutely not.

i think there is too much focus on passing and sharing the ball at too young an age and players aren't encouraged to be creative and fail to develop comfort on the ball.

Sounds like it may not be totally fair to call her a "ball hog" from this. Teams need risk-takers who occasionally beat some defenders on the dribble. A true ball hog imo is one that goes well past what the team needs and what that player is actually capable of.

My daughter played on a team that had no dribblers. Like you said, there was probably too much emphasis on getting rid of it and no one wanted to be a star. It was frustrating, for parents and for the kids. We would get pinned in our own half way too often, making only safe passes. Eventually I told my daughter to beat some people on the dribble no matter what on the first possession in the offensive half, don't stop until you score or it gets taken. She argued against it adamantly, but agreed. Beat 2-3 players and almost scored. It was funny to see the light bulb go off that maybe she could dribble more. Even the coach, who praised good passes, was like "YES!" She probably started overdoing it for a season, but it helped the team do much better, and she settled down into a better balance of dribbling vs passing. She got a lot better after having a brief period as an arguable ball hog. She also realizes now that every good team needs some risk-takers.

I know a dad of a very good player, dad also played at a high level, who challenges his own son in some games to always take 7+ touches for a half, 1-touch, or 2-touch. I'm sure in the 7+ touch halves he looks like a ball hog, but he's generally a distributing CM and whatever he's doing is working.

Ball hogs at u-little go farther than selfless team players that pass to them. When my son was little we all felt the same about the one kid who never passed and shot almost every shit because they never shared the ball. That kid is now ecnl. Ball touches matter. Clubs don't care about ball movement until the kids are in high school unless it's ball movement to kids like the one you're complaining about.

Anonymous wrote:How do you help your child deal with a teammate who is a ball hog? 9v9

You don't. Tell your kid to be the ball hog and never pass to that kid is the best I can give you. No coach legit cares about equal ball touches at that age. It's still standard across the world to develop 1v1 individual skills based play until 11v11.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:idk. my kid was a major ball hog for years and her coach never really stopped her. I'm glad though in retrospect because she developed incredible ball handling skills. she moved clubs at 13 and had to learn a whole different way of playing. her new coach loved her skills but was able to teach her when and where to dribble and show her skills.

I think this is the concern others have - the ball hog is hogging most of the development. So at 13 their kid can't make a better team as they've been sitting around watching another kid dribble for years. If everyone tells their kid to be a ball hog, there's no passing at all. Then it comes down to who recovers the ball from the other team defensively. Everyone wants to recover it, and now we're playing bunch-ball like 5 year-olds.

If you are giving this much credit to a players ball-hogging for your child’s potential ability to make a better team at 13, you are completely focusing on the wrong thing.

Your 13 will not make a better team not because of the coaches “team tactics” or another players ball hogging, its their lack of technical skill. Before 13, focus on individuals skills and learning to use it in a game. Have you thought that the ball hog doesn’t want to pass to other players bc all the other players have shitty touches?

This isn't wrong, but it is pretty selfish. Sometimes the best development path for your own kid is to also be extremely selfish. In the presence of a single ball hog, other parents will start advising their kids to also ball hog. The ball hogs will move up and learn to pass, and the current passers will stay on crappy teams.

I’m going to assume the ball hog refered to by the OP is not very good. That is, they are trying to develop/hone their individual skills during game time and prob not doing much outside of game time.

Because most players don’t really complain about a ball hog that is more successful than not because parents and kids like to win.

My kid was a ball hog. Played striker for years and was never coached at all on what to do with the ball. But no one complained because they were effective. And they were effective because they practiced their passing, dribbling, juggling on their own time whenever there were no games or practices and also watched pro soccer all the time so eventually learned when to pass, take on a 1v1 or dribble
and carry, etc.

All of that a kid can do in their own time to get better (assuming they want to).

FWIW, my kid no longer plays striker because when they moved to a better team, the coaches could tell he had the skills and confidence to play any position. Being a ball hog was essential for them to develop the confidence to use skills they were learning on their own.

So I say work on your individual skills first before becoming a ball hog.

Ball hogs and apparently thier parents too never think they do anything wrong and think they are the only one that puts in the work and have the skills. Most forwards want touches and don't just want to make run after run and never see the ball because no one ever tells their 'skilled ' teamate to pass to the open man. If it was child that put in the work and never saw the ball you would think differently winning or not.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:idk. my kid was a major ball hog for years and her coach never really stopped her. I'm glad though in retrospect because she developed incredible ball handling skills. she moved clubs at 13 and had to learn a whole different way of playing. her new coach loved her skills but was able to teach her when and where to dribble and show her skills.

I think this is the concern others have - the ball hog is hogging most of the development. So at 13 their kid can't make a better team as they've been sitting around watching another kid dribble for years. If everyone tells their kid to be a ball hog, there's no passing at all. Then it comes down to who recovers the ball from the other team defensively. Everyone wants to recover it, and now we're playing bunch-ball like 5 year-olds.

not really. my daughter (the one referenced up top) was one of only a couple players on the team that really wanted the ball. might have been the make up of the teams she was on, but the teams' tactics were to try and get her the ball. until she switched clubs at 13.

one of my other daughters was the kind of player that just wanted to make a good pass and get rid of it. she never wanted to carry the ball.

and fwiw, no one told my ball-hog daughter to be a ball hog. if i had told my other daughter to hog the ball, she would have said absolutely not.

i think there is too much focus on passing and sharing the ball at too young an age and players aren't encouraged to be creative and fail to develop comfort on the ball.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:idk. my kid was a major ball hog for years and her coach never really stopped her. I'm glad though in retrospect because she developed incredible ball handling skills. she moved clubs at 13 and had to learn a whole different way of playing. her new coach loved her skills but was able to teach her when and where to dribble and show her skills.

I think this is the concern others have - the ball hog is hogging most of the development. So at 13 their kid can't make a better team as they've been sitting around watching another kid dribble for years. If everyone tells their kid to be a ball hog, there's no passing at all. Then it comes down to who recovers the ball from the other team defensively. Everyone wants to recover it, and now we're playing bunch-ball like 5 year-olds.

If you are giving this much credit to a players ball-hogging for your child’s potential ability to make a better team at 13, you are completely focusing on the wrong thing.

Your 13 will not make a better team not because of the coaches “team tactics” or another players ball hogging, its their lack of technical skill. Before 13, focus on individuals skills and learning to use it in a game. Have you thought that the ball hog doesn’t want to pass to other players bc all the other players have shitty touches?

This isn't wrong, but it is pretty selfish. Sometimes the best development path for your own kid is to also be extremely selfish. In the presence of a single ball hog, other parents will start advising their kids to also ball hog. The ball hogs will move up and learn to pass, and the current passers will stay on crappy teams.

I’m going to assume the ball hog refered to by the OP is not very good. That is, they are trying to develop/hone their individual skills during game time and prob not doing much outside of game time.

Because most players don’t really complain about a ball hog that is more successful than not because parents and kids like to win.

My kid was a ball hog. Played striker for years and was never coached at all on what to do with the ball. But no one complained because they were effective. And they were effective because they practiced their passing, dribbling, juggling on their own time whenever there were no games or practices and also watched pro soccer all the time so eventually learned when to pass, take on a 1v1 or dribble
and carry, etc.

All of that a kid can do in their own time to get better (assuming they want to).

FWIW, my kid no longer plays striker because when they moved to a better team, the coaches could tell he had the skills and confidence to play any position. Being a ball hog was essential for them to develop the confidence to use skills they were learning on their own.

So I say work on your individual skills first before becoming a ball hog.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:idk. my kid was a major ball hog for years and her coach never really stopped her. I'm glad though in retrospect because she developed incredible ball handling skills. she moved clubs at 13 and had to learn a whole different way of playing. her new coach loved her skills but was able to teach her when and where to dribble and show her skills.

I think this is the concern others have - the ball hog is hogging most of the development. So at 13 their kid can't make a better team as they've been sitting around watching another kid dribble for years. If everyone tells their kid to be a ball hog, there's no passing at all. Then it comes down to who recovers the ball from the other team defensively. Everyone wants to recover it, and now we're playing bunch-ball like 5 year-olds.

If you are giving this much credit to a players ball-hogging for your child’s potential ability to make a better team at 13, you are completely focusing on the wrong thing.

Your 13 will not make a better team not because of the coaches “team tactics” or another players ball hogging, its their lack of technical skill. Before 13, focus on individuals skills and learning to use it in a game. Have you thought that the ball hog doesn’t want to pass to other players bc all the other players have shitty touches?

This isn't wrong, but it is pretty selfish. Sometimes the best development path for your own kid is to also be extremely selfish. In the presence of a single ball hog, other parents will start advising their kids to also ball hog. The ball hogs will move up and learn to pass, and the current passers will stay on crappy teams.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:idk. my kid was a major ball hog for years and her coach never really stopped her. I'm glad though in retrospect because she developed incredible ball handling skills. she moved clubs at 13 and had to learn a whole different way of playing. her new coach loved her skills but was able to teach her when and where to dribble and show her skills.

I think this is the concern others have - the ball hog is hogging most of the development. So at 13 their kid can't make a better team as they've been sitting around watching another kid dribble for years. If everyone tells their kid to be a ball hog, there's no passing at all. Then it comes down to who recovers the ball from the other team defensively. Everyone wants to recover it, and now we're playing bunch-ball like 5 year-olds.

If you are giving this much credit to a players ball-hogging for your child’s potential ability to make a better team at 13, you are completely focusing on the wrong thing.

Your 13 will not make a better team not because of the coaches “team tactics” or another players ball hogging, its their lack of technical skill. Before 13, focus on individuals skills and learning to use it in a game. Have you thought that the ball hog doesn’t want to pass to other players bc all the other players have shitty touches?

Anonymous wrote:idk. my kid was a major ball hog for years and her coach never really stopped her. I'm glad though in retrospect because she developed incredible ball handling skills. she moved clubs at 13 and had to learn a whole different way of playing. her new coach loved her skills but was able to teach her when and where to dribble and show her skills.

I think this is the concern others have - the ball hog is hogging most of the development. So at 13 their kid can't make a better team as they've been sitting around watching another kid dribble for years. If everyone tells their kid to be a ball hog, there's no passing at all. Then it comes down to who recovers the ball from the other team defensively. Everyone wants to recover it, and now we're playing bunch-ball like 5 year-olds.

If the coach isn’t concerned, you shouldn’t be either. Perhaps your child needs to be more aggressive.

idk. my kid was a major ball hog for years and her coach never really stopped her. I'm glad though in retrospect because she developed incredible ball handling skills. she moved clubs at 13 and had to learn a whole different way of playing. her new coach loved her skills but was able to teach her when and where to dribble and show her skills.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do you help your child deal with a teammate who is a ball hog? 9v9

Have you kid watch to see if the teammate is looking at their feet when dribbling, many kids can't see the pass or their teammates. Just having your kid take the evaluation perspective gets them thinking more about does and dont's better. A well placed encouraging "look up" from a teammate might be better than an exasperated scream to "pass the ball."

Few coaches seem to try to fix this.

I'd second this. "Look up," "Find Jimmy," "Man on," could all help. As a teammate, you can work on positive on-field communication and seeing more of the field than the ball hog is seeing. Shouting "Pass the ball" could sound very negative and confrontational. Communicating when to look up, or what pass to look for, could also help ensure that there is a viable pass being missed at that moment. If all the teammates are standing around making zero effort to get open or make runs, maybe the ball hog is right to try to dribble the whole team. If that's the case, your kid should also be communicating to other teammates to move ("Joe, move to support," "Roger, make a forward run," "Mike, overlap").

Second this. Great response. We have a similar issue and my player just says, "Pass Im Open!" But the players keep on dribbling. (This is at U11... so 9v9 also.) I'll have to encourage her to offer more specific supporting vocal instructions. But yes, we have players who only dribble and rarely pass. They do False8 dribbling training and like to use their skills on the field instead of passing. The usually loose the ball and have not figured out when to dribble or when to pass yet. The coach encourages the dribbling at this age. I hope that changes, but for now we have 3-4 ball hogs on our team.

If you're working on communication, this glossary helped my kid get some ideas of all the things that might need communication:
https://coachingamericansoccer.com/tactics-and-teamwork/on-field-oral-communications/
Going to a college game where you can sit near the field also helps, as you can really hear the chatter.

He/she could even tell the ball hog when to "carry" or "take them on" to train his/her own perception of when the ball hog should actually be dribbling, rather than just feeling generally like "people should pass more." I can't tell you how noticeable it is at ~U13 tryouts, when many kids try to make a better team, which kids have the confidence and understanding of the game to constantly communicate. A player can not even touch the ball, but when I hear them tell another teammate off the ball to "take two steps right" and then that other player makes a good play, I think the player who gave the advice is a stud.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do you help your child deal with a teammate who is a ball hog? 9v9

Are you the team coach?

This. It's for the coach to deal with.

No it's not. You just must have had a brain freeze or something or are you really saying that it's up to the coach to deal with ALL THE OTHER KIDS AND TEACH THEM HOW TO BE A GOOD TEAMMATE TO A BALL HOG? Anyway...the OP is asking how can he help his kid when one of his/her teammates is a ball hog...and he got some good advice...your advice not being one of them.

huh?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

This. It's for the coach to deal with.

And if they don’t deal with it then what? Nothing?

Yes, unless you are the coach. These kids are so young. These things will sort themselves out over the next few years as being a ball hog won't work at 11v11 and when the other players/teams are passing circles around them. You need to adjust your expectations for what 9v9 soccer looks like.

This. Make sure your own kid understands why passing the ball is important. And if his/her coach doesn't start working on that with the team, start looking elsewhere. The ball hog is not your problem.

At this age, kids are wanting to be at clubs to play with friends. Look elsewhere? Nice idea, but not reality.
We've had the same problem with a kid since 7v7. Dad always makes an excuse - "oh, they'd pass, but X, Y, or Z is offsides OR no one called for the ball"

Eventually, kids will just learn to freeze them out.

If they're playing 9v9, the reality is that the era of playing with friends is about to end anyway.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

This. It's for the coach to deal with.

And if they don’t deal with it then what? Nothing?

Yes, unless you are the coach. These kids are so young. These things will sort themselves out over the next few years as being a ball hog won't work at 11v11 and when the other players/teams are passing circles around them. You need to adjust your expectations for what 9v9 soccer looks like.

This. Make sure your own kid understands why passing the ball is important. And if his/her coach doesn't start working on that with the team, start looking elsewhere. The ball hog is not your problem.

At this age, kids are wanting to be at clubs to play with friends. Look elsewhere? Nice idea, but not reality.
We've had the same problem with a kid since 7v7. Dad always makes an excuse - "oh, they'd pass, but X, Y, or Z is offsides OR no one called for the ball"

Eventually, kids will just learn to freeze them out.