RantingSoccerDad wrote:Some women's national team players played on boys teams through much of their youth. Granted, some areas haven't had girls soccer all that long. I'm old enough to remember a girl playing on our high school boys team because that was the only option.

I can't find the link now, but I vaguely recall some suggestions from reputable sources that kids should play coed at the earliest ages.

How old are you and wth did you grow up??

Women’s soccer was big here in the 80s. We had National team player on my HS soccer and club team.

I think the talented girls can help the boys to learn skilled, high IQ play. THere is no need for fouls and shirt pulling if you use your brain boys.

Anonymous wrote:We have a girl on my son's U13 team. She is one of the best players. This year the 2008 boys have not sprouted up so physicality is not an issue and she is very skilled.

The year between 14 years of age and 15 years of age was a HUGE eye opener for my older son. He grew 8 inches in that time. The U16s (he is just turning 15 end of the month) look like men for the most part.

He played against one team at U15 that had a girl and she was overweight and not skilled and she would illegally slide-tackle and hack the boys behind the knees. Ref never called and, of course, the boys wouldn't retaliate like they would if it were another male. It was ridiculous to watch. I'm girl that played with boys when I was young...and I told my son..anyone on the field should be treated the same.

maybe it's a younger kid thing, but when my younger daughter plays with the boys, she spends the game getting cheap shotted. If she gets a goal or make a defender look foolish, she's almost always knocked down shortly after

We have a girl on my son's U13 team. She is one of the best players. This year the 2008 boys have not sprouted up so physicality is not an issue and she is very skilled.

The year between 14 years of age and 15 years of age was a HUGE eye opener for my older son. He grew 8 inches in that time. The U16s (he is just turning 15 end of the month) look like men for the most part.

He played against one team at U15 that had a girl and she was overweight and not skilled and she would illegally slide-tackle and hack the boys behind the knees. Ref never called and, of course, the boys wouldn't retaliate like they would if it were another male. It was ridiculous to watch. I'm girl that played with boys when I was young...and I told my son..anyone on the field should be treated the same.

I would add that over the years it would be pretty common for my daughter's teams to do end of practice scrimmages against the u14 guys teams (older age guys back then would be playing high school ball. The girls played high school ball in the Spring).

Even then, say with u16 girls against u14 guys, the coaches would squish in the sidelines by about 10 feet on each side so that the guys could not simply dump the ball down the side and run onto it. With the thinner field the girls could play pretty evenly. But, that was a very good girls team (say top 5 in the region with pretty much every player going on to play in college) against a year or two younger decent, but certainly not winning any state cups level, guys teams. (All pre ECNL/Development Academy days).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The best girl that my daughter played with in a couple tournaments, and against many times, was actually a grade behind my kid. In her senior year she became her high school’s regular kicker for the football team that actually was good enough to make and win a game in the state playoffs that year. I recall, she even made a couple of tackles on kick returns. But, she probably was 5-10 140lbs in high school.

Soccer was/is her sport; she is playing professionally now.

Is her name Carli Lloyd? LOL

Nah -- not that old and she would be taller than Lloyd too.

She made the local newspaper when she kicked something like a 45 yd field goal to win a game as time expired. That got noticed, and I saw the article - one of those, "hey that's xxxx" things. She was one of those kids who I am sure had a zillion offers to play pretty much everywhere by the end of her Sophomore year.

Anonymous wrote:The best girl that my daughter played with in a couple tournaments, and against many times, was actually a grade behind my kid. In her senior year she became her high school’s regular kicker for the football team that actually was good enough to make and win a game in the state playoffs that year. I recall, she even made a couple of tackles on kick returns. But, she probably was 5-10 140lbs in high school.

Soccer was/is her sport; she is playing professionally now.

Is her name Carli Lloyd? LOL

The best girl that my daughter played with in a couple tournaments, and against many times, was actually a grade behind my kid. In her senior year she became her high school’s regular kicker for the football team that actually was good enough to make and win a game in the state playoffs that year. I recall, she even made a couple of tackles on kick returns. But, she probably was 5-10 140lbs in high school.

Soccer was/is her sport; she is playing professionally now.

Anonymous wrote:This is certainly none of my business and I mean no disrespect to anyone, but every time I attend my son's practice I wonder:

They have a girl on his travel team that is called "Club Name/Year/Boys".

The girl is your regular "typical" 10 y.o. girl, curly longish hair, big eyes, etc. to me it is clear that it is just a girl (not a boy transitioning to girl or anything like that) with a girl name.

So I am just wondering if that's a thing - girls playing on boys' teams, etc. No judgment/honest question.

I think it’s fine as long as the girl meets these requirements. None of that straight hair, beady-eyed crap.

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes girls can guest play on boys teams. Have seen it several times in the younger age groups.

If girls who are very good are allowed to play on buys teams because it helps their development, should boys who are very bad be allowed to play on girls teams? If not, why not? Discuss.

Gender based teams are not needed. Just look at the player's skill level and sort them out accordingly.

Would you advocate kicking players who were too good off teams?

Girls should be added if they demonstrate skills, IQ and decent speed but if coaches only value size & speed, is pretty hard for girls to be compared/compete against boys.

Except big fast ones...

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes girls can guest play on boys teams. Have seen it several times in the younger age groups.

If girls who are very good are allowed to play on buys teams because it helps their development, should boys who are very bad be allowed to play on girls teams? If not, why not? Discuss.

Gender based teams are not needed. Just look at the player's skill level and sort them out accordingly.

Would you advocate kicking players who were too good off teams?

Girls should be added if they demonstrate skills, IQ and decent speed but if coaches only value size & speed, is pretty hard for girls to be compared/compete against boys.

Girls are allowed to join the boy’s teams but I don’t believe boys are allowed to join the girl’s teams unless they identify themselves as a girl.

This is tricky situation as boys are typically bigger and faster than girls so it might be unfair. That said, I still haven’t seen any boys on a girls’ travel teams yet.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes girls can guest play on boys teams. Have seen it several times in the younger age groups.

If girls who are very good are allowed to play on buys teams because it helps their development, should boys who are very bad be allowed to play on girls teams? If not, why not? Discuss.

Gender based teams are not needed. Just look at the player's skill level and sort them out accordingly.

Would you advocate kicking players who were too good off teams?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes girls can guest play on boys teams. Have seen it several times in the younger age groups.

If girls who are very good are allowed to play on buys teams because it helps their development, should boys who are very bad be allowed to play on girls teams? If not, why not? Discuss.

Gender based teams are not needed. Just look at the player's skill level and sort them out accordingly.

It is not unusual. How is the girls team at her age group?

There could be some logistic issues that a club is accommodating, or the club may lack a good girls team - or any team for the age.

Until the boys hit their growth spurts at 12-14 the good girls can play even up with the guys. Often the girls are even bigger/faster. My daughter played on good girls teams at that age, and at u11 the team played in the boys side of the urban league they were in. They were in the top division and I recall they finished below 500 but were competitive in the games. They played against girls teams in tournaments though.

The very best girls - who are also bigger and fast - can play with the better guys longer, but eventually muscle bulk and height get too prevalent to overcome, and the reality is that those girls end up playing on the top girls teams.