Anonymous wrote:I saw a 5'10" girl make a team who had played field for her previous team get chosen as goalie, and the other two keepers who actually had keeper experience but were average not make it. It happens.

How tall were the other keepers?

I saw a 5'10" girl make a team who had played field for her previous team get chosen as goalie, and the other two keepers who actually had keeper experience but were average not make it. It happens.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Shorter keepers tend to be faster and more agile. I have seen shorter keepers at tryouts outperform but the taller keeper get picked. I'm not saying short or tall is inherently better. I'm saying that coaches pick based on height, not performance. Sometimes the shorter keeper is better but will get overlooked based on height.

Your assumption was wrong. Coaches don't just pick players based on performance. They also select based on potential and capability which is why height matters.

Ok Coach. I know what I have seen. You weren't there, and I was.

Anonymous wrote:Shorter keepers tend to be faster and more agile. I have seen shorter keepers at tryouts outperform but the taller keeper get picked. I'm not saying short or tall is inherently better. I'm saying that coaches pick based on height, not performance. Sometimes the shorter keeper is better but will get overlooked based on height.

Your assumption was wrong. Coaches don't just pick players based on performance. They also select based on potential and capability which is why height matters.

Shorter keepers tend to be faster and more agile. I have seen shorter keepers at tryouts outperform but the taller keeper get picked. I'm not saying short or tall is inherently better. I'm saying that coaches pick based on height, not performance. Sometimes the shorter keeper is better but will get overlooked based on height.

Yes, there are exceptions, but size definitely matters for GK. That's why this is one of those positions that can be really brutal on early developers. Often they'll make and start on a top team because of their early growth spurt, but then everyone will catch up, and then start to pass them, until finally the formerly "tall" keeper is now a "short" keeper. Everyone should see this coming when the kid is taller than their parents by age 12, but I've seen it happen over and over again for years and it always seems like a disappointing surprise to the family when it does. The coaches and clubs should know better (what do all those Tech Directors actually get paid for?), but they're more than happy to use the kid for wins while they can get a way with it, and then kick him to the curb without a moment's hesitation when it suits them.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a touchy topic. Nobody wants to be told that they are not tall enough to play a position and nothing they can do to change that.

A short keeper will just not be able to make certain saves. If you are playing lower level travel soccer it may not matter much. At the DA/ECNL level the better teams are good enough to find and exploit weaknesses.

This becomes more of the case as teams get older. It is a factor. It does not mean a short keeper cannot enjoy the game but realistically there becomes a ceiling on the level of play. Coaches have the bias for a reason.

I believe that the bias will prevent them from king those top teams, but in the end it's not height. It's agility and "acrobatics" . I have seen short keepers be able to jump high and far and so be better able to cover space than keepers even 6" taller. However, perception is reality. A coach will perceive height as being limiting. Therefore, those shorter keepers will not be given a chance to prove themselves. So shorter keepers don't make da/ecnl teams and play d3 or maybe some d2. I only know of a very small handful of exceptions.

Stop. Height matters. It is the one and only position in soccer where size matters.

That said, it only truly matters at the highest levels of play. Keeper is valuable and difficult position to fill so any kid who is competent and willing to play keeper they will be able to find a team to play on regardless of height.

Stop? Are you kidding me? I could give a long list of short keepers who excelled. Height factors in because of perception, but not because a tall keeper is necessarily better.

What I will agree on is that in people's minds it matters. There are statistics, measurables, that can tell if a keeper is effective or not. A shorter keeper can outperform but it won't matter because coaches prefer height. Not because height is what is needed.

Height matters because we all perceive a tall kid has a longer reach than a short kid. We also perceive the tall kid has a greater range. That is a perception, but most likely true.

But the bottom of the crossbar is 8 feet from the ground. The goal is also 24 feet wide. Those are actual facts that are constraints on the problem. Those constraints means you cannot ignore height / reach.

But height is not the only thing that matters. Not even close. So much more goes into being a good keeper.

Taller kids have a longer reach because they do. A shorter kid may have the same "reach" as a much taller player but the effectiveness at those limits is what matters. Catching and pulling down a a high corner kick in traffic is much different than "reaching" the ball but having to punch it out is a liability that all the plyo boxes will never overcome. The tall keeper posses the ball at the limits where the shorter keeper, while they can get their hands on the ball will struggle with contested balls.

Assuming both keepers have the same skill set the tall keeper is going to win the job every time.

If you are a short keeper you have to be an explosive and an athletic freak who excels in every aspect of keeping.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a touchy topic. Nobody wants to be told that they are not tall enough to play a position and nothing they can do to change that.

A short keeper will just not be able to make certain saves. If you are playing lower level travel soccer it may not matter much. At the DA/ECNL level the better teams are good enough to find and exploit weaknesses.

This becomes more of the case as teams get older. It is a factor. It does not mean a short keeper cannot enjoy the game but realistically there becomes a ceiling on the level of play. Coaches have the bias for a reason.

I believe that the bias will prevent them from king those top teams, but in the end it's not height. It's agility and "acrobatics" . I have seen short keepers be able to jump high and far and so be better able to cover space than keepers even 6" taller. However, perception is reality. A coach will perceive height as being limiting. Therefore, those shorter keepers will not be given a chance to prove themselves. So shorter keepers don't make da/ecnl teams and play d3 or maybe some d2. I only know of a very small handful of exceptions.

Stop. Height matters. It is the one and only position in soccer where size matters.

That said, it only truly matters at the highest levels of play. Keeper is valuable and difficult position to fill so any kid who is competent and willing to play keeper they will be able to find a team to play on regardless of height.

Stop? Are you kidding me? I could give a long list of short keepers who excelled. Height factors in because of perception, but not because a tall keeper is necessarily better.

What I will agree on is that in people's minds it matters. There are statistics, measurables, that can tell if a keeper is effective or not. A shorter keeper can outperform but it won't matter because coaches prefer height. Not because height is what is needed.

Height matters because we all perceive a tall kid has a longer reach than a short kid. We also perceive the tall kid has a greater range. That is a perception, but most likely true.

But the bottom of the crossbar is 8 feet from the ground. The goal is also 24 feet wide. Those are actual facts that are constraints on the problem. Those constraints means you cannot ignore height / reach.

But height is not the only thing that matters. Not even close. So much more goes into being a good keeper.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a touchy topic. Nobody wants to be told that they are not tall enough to play a position and nothing they can do to change that.

A short keeper will just not be able to make certain saves. If you are playing lower level travel soccer it may not matter much. At the DA/ECNL level the better teams are good enough to find and exploit weaknesses.

This becomes more of the case as teams get older. It is a factor. It does not mean a short keeper cannot enjoy the game but realistically there becomes a ceiling on the level of play. Coaches have the bias for a reason.

I believe that the bias will prevent them from king those top teams, but in the end it's not height. It's agility and "acrobatics" . I have seen short keepers be able to jump high and far and so be better able to cover space than keepers even 6" taller. However, perception is reality. A coach will perceive height as being limiting. Therefore, those shorter keepers will not be given a chance to prove themselves. So shorter keepers don't make da/ecnl teams and play d3 or maybe some d2. I only know of a very small handful of exceptions.

Stop. Height matters. It is the one and only position in soccer where size matters.

That said, it only truly matters at the highest levels of play. Keeper is valuable and difficult position to fill so any kid who is competent and willing to play keeper they will be able to find a team to play on regardless of height.

Stop? Are you kidding me? I could give a long list of short keepers who excelled. Height factors in because of perception, but not because a tall keeper is necessarily better.

What I will agree on is that in people's minds it matters. There are statistics, measurables, that can tell if a keeper is effective or not. A shorter keeper can outperform but it won't matter because coaches prefer height. Not because height is what is needed.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a touchy topic. Nobody wants to be told that they are not tall enough to play a position and nothing they can do to change that.

A short keeper will just not be able to make certain saves. If you are playing lower level travel soccer it may not matter much. At the DA/ECNL level the better teams are good enough to find and exploit weaknesses.

This becomes more of the case as teams get older. It is a factor. It does not mean a short keeper cannot enjoy the game but realistically there becomes a ceiling on the level of play. Coaches have the bias for a reason.

I believe that the bias will prevent them from king those top teams, but in the end it's not height. It's agility and "acrobatics" . I have seen short keepers be able to jump high and far and so be better able to cover space than keepers even 6" taller. However, perception is reality. A coach will perceive height as being limiting. Therefore, those shorter keepers will not be given a chance to prove themselves. So shorter keepers don't make da/ecnl teams and play d3 or maybe some d2. I only know of a very small handful of exceptions.

Stop. Height matters. It is the one and only position in soccer where size matters.

That said, it only truly matters at the highest levels of play. Keeper is valuable and difficult position to fill so any kid who is competent and willing to play keeper they will be able to find a team to play on regardless of height.

Anonymous wrote:This is a touchy topic. Nobody wants to be told that they are not tall enough to play a position and nothing they can do to change that.

A short keeper will just not be able to make certain saves. If you are playing lower level travel soccer it may not matter much. At the DA/ECNL level the better teams are good enough to find and exploit weaknesses.

This becomes more of the case as teams get older. It is a factor. It does not mean a short keeper cannot enjoy the game but realistically there becomes a ceiling on the level of play. Coaches have the bias for a reason.

I believe that the bias will prevent them from king those top teams, but in the end it's not height. It's agility and "acrobatics" . I have seen short keepers be able to jump high and far and so be better able to cover space than keepers even 6" taller. However, perception is reality. A coach will perceive height as being limiting. Therefore, those shorter keepers will not be given a chance to prove themselves. So shorter keepers don't make da/ecnl teams and play d3 or maybe some d2. I only know of a very small handful of exceptions.

This is a touchy topic. Nobody wants to be told that they are not tall enough to play a position and nothing they can do to change that.

A short keeper will just not be able to make certain saves. If you are playing lower level travel soccer it may not matter much. At the DA/ECNL level the better teams are good enough to find and exploit weaknesses.

This becomes more of the case as teams get older. It is a factor. It does not mean a short keeper cannot enjoy the game but realistically there becomes a ceiling on the level of play. Coaches have the bias for a reason.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a youth travel coach, I've seen several short GKs display natural ability and also ENJOYMENT at the position. GK'ing just isn't if they can touch the crossbar, but:
- command of the backline
- restricting angles
- distribution

Now, once you get beyond youth leagues you'll find a more competitive population writ large at every position.

That's all true but I think you are an exception. Coach bias is more of a problem than actual performance issue for short keepers. Given the choice, most coaches will trust the the taller kid in goal 9 times out of 10.
The higher the level, the more likely it is the coaches will havethat choice.

+1. That is entirely the issue.

Anonymous wrote:As a youth travel coach, I've seen several short GKs display natural ability and also ENJOYMENT at the position. GK'ing just isn't if they can touch the crossbar, but:
- command of the backline
- restricting angles
- distribution

Now, once you get beyond youth leagues you'll find a more competitive population writ large at every position.

That's all true but I think you are an exception. Coach bias is more of a problem than actual performance issue for short keepers. Given the choice, most coaches will trust the the taller kid in goal 9 times out of 10.
The higher the level, the more likely it is the coaches will havethat choice.

He is likely to keep growing. But, I’d encourage him to play other positions too so he has options and because I think it helps the Gk if they have field experience.