Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While there are always exceptions but this article shows the typical size and skills needed by positions in women’s college soccer:

https://www.ncsasports.org/womens-soccer/recruiting-guidelines

It seems most positions requires a player to be at least 5’5”.

Thanks for the link. I think I saw it a while back, but like most articles, they are gleaned from generalizations and I had hoped for some parents to comment on their kid's experiences with this. I've seen some girls so thin, they crumple to the ground at first sign of physical contact. Does a college coach ask them to bulk up? Not unheard of in other sports.

Colleges make their players spend a lot of time in the weight room to get stronger, etc.

My daughter is a college freshman playing for a D3 soccer program. She's a midfielder with great foot skills, good soccer IQ/vision, and high fitness (speed and endurance). All that being said, she's 5'3" and 105 pounds soaking wet. She played (and started) for ECNL and then GA clubs but I believe her size and lack of strength was a turnoff to many of the D1 coaches. And to be fair, she got pushed off the ball a good bit, so it's a legit weakness/concern. Also, her shots lacked power...precise, but sometimes weak. Her D3 coach told us he wasn't worried about her size - they have a great strength and conditioning program and assured us he would help her build muscle to round out her skills and fitness. And he was willing to work around her STEM major, which many D1 programs weren't. So I do think size matters to many coaches. But the right fit is out there. She went D3 so she could play her game (and hopefully get meaningful playing time), get a bump with admission into a competitive college, and pursue her STEM major with the full support of her coach. This season hasn't been typical but so far she's really happy with her decision. In hindsight though, more time in the weight room in high school would have served her game well.

Do you mind if I ask you a question? I'd like to know if your DD's coaches are dismissive of the idea of strength training, power training. Most I've seen are very ignorant of the topic, saying "it'll just slow you down". I've seen so many players stick to using resistance bands (which are a joke for proper development) and doing ignorant 'agility drills', and then when they're on the field against better athletes they're fully exposed (that's it they haven't torn their ACL yet). Just curious as to what you recall what it was like for her during her youth playing years when it comes to athletic development.

I don't recall any of her coaches discouraging her from weight training and building muscle mass, but it certainly wasn't baked into the club's fitness program. She was practicing with her club 4x a week, traveling for soccer many weekends, and trying to manage a really full academic load with non-soccer extracurriculars so to be honest, weight training just didn't make the priority list. I have a younger HS daughter who is working with a trainer on strength, and she wants to start doing more in the new year. So I guess we're trying to learn from the older daughter's experience especially while school is virtual and the younger one has extra time on her hands. I don't really talk to her club coaches, but I assume they're supportive of anything that makes a player better.

Anonymous wrote:Soccer is a contact sport. In college and pro it is definitely a contact sport. Size matters. A taller, bigger player will knock a smaller player off the ball.

Tall players make a huge difference heading when the ball is in the air on corners and crosses.

Those are just facts. The rosters are facts too. Taller than average players. Almost always.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While there are always exceptions but this article shows the typical size and skills needed by positions in women’s college soccer:

https://www.ncsasports.org/womens-soccer/recruiting-guidelines

It seems most positions requires a player to be at least 5’5”.

Thanks for the link. I think I saw it a while back, but like most articles, they are gleaned from generalizations and I had hoped for some parents to comment on their kid's experiences with this. I've seen some girls so thin, they crumple to the ground at first sign of physical contact. Does a college coach ask them to bulk up? Not unheard of in other sports.

Colleges make their players spend a lot of time in the weight room to get stronger, etc.

My daughter is a college freshman playing for a D3 soccer program. She's a midfielder with great foot skills, good soccer IQ/vision, and high fitness (speed and endurance). All that being said, she's 5'3" and 105 pounds soaking wet. She played (and started) for ECNL and then GA clubs but I believe her size and lack of strength was a turnoff to many of the D1 coaches. And to be fair, she got pushed off the ball a good bit, so it's a legit weakness/concern. Also, her shots lacked power...precise, but sometimes weak. Her D3 coach told us he wasn't worried about her size - they have a great strength and conditioning program and assured us he would help her build muscle to round out her skills and fitness. And he was willing to work around her STEM major, which many D1 programs weren't. So I do think size matters to many coaches. But the right fit is out there. She went D3 so she could play her game (and hopefully get meaningful playing time), get a bump with admission into a competitive college, and pursue her STEM major with the full support of her coach. This season hasn't been typical but so far she's really happy with her decision. In hindsight though, more time in the weight room in high school would have served her game well.

Do you mind if I ask you a question? I'd like to know if your DD's coaches are dismissive of the idea of strength training, power training. Most I've seen are very ignorant of the topic, saying "it'll just slow you down". I've seen so many players stick to using resistance bands (which are a joke for proper development) and doing ignorant 'agility drills', and then when they're on the field against better athletes they're fully exposed (that's it they haven't torn their ACL yet). Just curious as to what you recall what it was like for her during her youth playing years when it comes to athletic development.

some coaches like to look at height/size as they can't teach tall or fast, but they can teach soccer field smarts and how to play the game better

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While there are always exceptions but this article shows the typical size and skills needed by positions in women’s college soccer:

https://www.ncsasports.org/womens-soccer/recruiting-guidelines

It seems most positions requires a player to be at least 5’5”.

Thanks for the link. I think I saw it a while back, but like most articles, they are gleaned from generalizations and I had hoped for some parents to comment on their kid's experiences with this. I've seen some girls so thin, they crumple to the ground at first sign of physical contact. Does a college coach ask them to bulk up? Not unheard of in other sports.

Colleges make their players spend a lot of time in the weight room to get stronger, etc.

Thus comment is very true. I know many college strength coach that say most girls are just not physically ready for college soccer because many girls do not spend time in the weight room before college. They would be way head of the curve if you spend at least all of your high school years in the off season in the gym.

Second from the first comment look some size matters but to be honest if your technically good and have some size you will get noticed. This not the best comparison because she is just gifted all around but crystal Dunn is not that tall. But works her ass off in the off season.

But if most girls make it a point and figure out a time to get into the gym and work on there strength there play and confidence on the field will go up tremendously.

But all the other stuff like technical work will help as well.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While there are always exceptions but this article shows the typical size and skills needed by positions in women’s college soccer:

https://www.ncsasports.org/womens-soccer/recruiting-guidelines

It seems most positions requires a player to be at least 5’5”.

Thanks for the link. I think I saw it a while back, but like most articles, they are gleaned from generalizations and I had hoped for some parents to comment on their kid's experiences with this. I've seen some girls so thin, they crumple to the ground at first sign of physical contact. Does a college coach ask them to bulk up? Not unheard of in other sports.

Colleges make their players spend a lot of time in the weight room to get stronger, etc.

My daughter is a college freshman playing for a D3 soccer program. She's a midfielder with great foot skills, good soccer IQ/vision, and high fitness (speed and endurance). All that being said, she's 5'3" and 105 pounds soaking wet. She played (and started) for ECNL and then GA clubs but I believe her size and lack of strength was a turnoff to many of the D1 coaches. And to be fair, she got pushed off the ball a good bit, so it's a legit weakness/concern. Also, her shots lacked power...precise, but sometimes weak. Her D3 coach told us he wasn't worried about her size - they have a great strength and conditioning program and assured us he would help her build muscle to round out her skills and fitness. And he was willing to work around her STEM major, which many D1 programs weren't. So I do think size matters to many coaches. But the right fit is out there. She went D3 so she could play her game (and hopefully get meaningful playing time), get a bump with admission into a competitive college, and pursue her STEM major with the full support of her coach. This season hasn't been typical but so far she's really happy with her decision. In hindsight though, more time in the weight room in high school would have served her game well.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While there are always exceptions but this article shows the typical size and skills needed by positions in women’s college soccer:

https://www.ncsasports.org/womens-soccer/recruiting-guidelines

It seems most positions requires a player to be at least 5’5”.

Thanks for the link. I think I saw it a while back, but like most articles, they are gleaned from generalizations and I had hoped for some parents to comment on their kid's experiences with this. I've seen some girls so thin, they crumple to the ground at first sign of physical contact. Does a college coach ask them to bulk up? Not unheard of in other sports.

Colleges make their players spend a lot of time in the weight room to get stronger, etc.

My daughter is a college freshman playing for a D3 soccer program. She's a midfielder with great foot skills, good soccer IQ/vision, and high fitness (speed and endurance). All that being said, she's 5'3" and 105 pounds soaking wet. She played (and started) for ECNL and then GA clubs but I believe her size and lack of strength was a turnoff to many of the D1 coaches. And to be fair, she got pushed off the ball a good bit, so it's a legit weakness/concern. Also, her shots lacked power...precise, but sometimes weak. Her D3 coach told us he wasn't worried about her size - they have a great strength and conditioning program and assured us he would help her build muscle to round out her skills and fitness. And he was willing to work around her STEM major, which many D1 programs weren't. So I do think size matters to many coaches. But the right fit is out there. She went D3 so she could play her game (and hopefully get meaningful playing time), get a bump with admission into a competitive college, and pursue her STEM major with the full support of her coach. This season hasn't been typical but so far she's really happy with her decision. In hindsight though, more time in the weight room in high school would have served her game well.

Anonymous wrote:Messi?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While there are always exceptions but this article shows the typical size and skills needed by positions in women’s college soccer:

https://www.ncsasports.org/womens-soccer/recruiting-guidelines

It seems most positions requires a player to be at least 5’5”.

Thanks for the link. I think I saw it a while back, but like most articles, they are gleaned from generalizations and I had hoped for some parents to comment on their kid's experiences with this. I've seen some girls so thin, they crumple to the ground at first sign of physical contact. Does a college coach ask them to bulk up? Not unheard of in other sports.

Colleges make their players spend a lot of time in the weight room to get stronger, etc.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Game Tactics

Most of soccer is played on the ground, with the ball at the feet of the players. Short players can flourish if they excel at ball control, speed, agility and the ability to change direction quickly. They can contribute to passing attacks that can exhaust taller and at times, sluggish and less-skilled opponents. This possession-focused style of soccer, popular in Latin America and Spain, can be seen in the U.S. even in recreational teams who use skill and shrewd tactics to flummox larger opponents.

Inherently Greater Athleticism

In soccer, the short athlete’s gifts no longer get hidden behind those of taller guys and girls. Shorter athletes react more quickly, accelerate better, move with more agility and have a greater strength-to-weight ratio, writes multidisciplinary scholar Thomas T. Samaras in “Human Body Size and the Laws of Scaling.” Those not overly tall also have increased endurance and are less prone to heat stroke. All these assets fit perfectly with a sport that lasts 90 minutes or longer, lacks time outs, is played outdoors in hot weather and requires intermittent sprinting.


Lower Center of Gravity

The laws of physics allow a shorter person, with her lower center of gravity, to be better able to resist falling and to enjoy greater stability. She can produce a strong counter-torque to restore her balance even during a lunging, desperate attempt to maintain ball control or to shoot while falling over. Samaras notes that this stability gives shorter athletes an advantage in gymnastics, wrestling, sailing and surfing. It also allows soccer players trying to weave toward the goal in close quarters to maintain their footing despite the inevitable bumping.

Exceptions

While short players can star in soccer, its pros are still taller than the general population. Height remains important for goalkeepers who need to cover a wide and tall goalmouth. Central defenders, especially in leagues that need to defend against tall forwards, also tend to have some height. Soccer statistics analyst Chris Anderson finds a solid correlation between team height and international soccer success. He does note that outliers, such as Spain’s men’s team and America's women's team, at times achieve tremendous success despite a lack of height, presumably based on skill or tactical understanding.

Good read. It's like short wins up front, height then is needed for backs to out-jump those forwards and obviously keepers with size and length have inherent advantage.

LMFAO. I guess those tall Kenyan and Ethiopian marathoners who never suffer heat stroke need to read this and look at for the short runners. Dumb article but this basically still reads short players are the Exception.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While there are always exceptions but this article shows the typical size and skills needed by positions in women’s college soccer:

https://www.ncsasports.org/womens-soccer/recruiting-guidelines

It seems most positions requires a player to be at least 5’5”.

I was recently watching the women's D1 ACC playoffs from this fall on YouTube. It seemed every player was at least 5'5 on all of the teams. They would always announce the height when a player was subbed in.

I think it would be very difficult to make a top team if you are smaller but likely options in the lower DI or DII / DIII levels.

So, the majority were average height for females in this country? Good to know. Don't forget, they all round up. 5'4 and a half is 5'5

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Game Tactics

Most of soccer is played on the ground, with the ball at the feet of the players. Short players can flourish if they excel at ball control, speed, agility and the ability to change direction quickly. They can contribute to passing attacks that can exhaust taller and at times, sluggish and less-skilled opponents. This possession-focused style of soccer, popular in Latin America and Spain, can be seen in the U.S. even in recreational teams who use skill and shrewd tactics to flummox larger opponents.

Inherently Greater Athleticism

In soccer, the short athlete’s gifts no longer get hidden behind those of taller guys and girls. Shorter athletes react more quickly, accelerate better, move with more agility and have a greater strength-to-weight ratio, writes multidisciplinary scholar Thomas T. Samaras in “Human Body Size and the Laws of Scaling.” Those not overly tall also have increased endurance and are less prone to heat stroke. All these assets fit perfectly with a sport that lasts 90 minutes or longer, lacks time outs, is played outdoors in hot weather and requires intermittent sprinting.


Lower Center of Gravity

The laws of physics allow a shorter person, with her lower center of gravity, to be better able to resist falling and to enjoy greater stability. She can produce a strong counter-torque to restore her balance even during a lunging, desperate attempt to maintain ball control or to shoot while falling over. Samaras notes that this stability gives shorter athletes an advantage in gymnastics, wrestling, sailing and surfing. It also allows soccer players trying to weave toward the goal in close quarters to maintain their footing despite the inevitable bumping.

Exceptions

While short players can star in soccer, its pros are still taller than the general population. Height remains important for goalkeepers who need to cover a wide and tall goalmouth. Central defenders, especially in leagues that need to defend against tall forwards, also tend to have some height. Soccer statistics analyst Chris Anderson finds a solid correlation between team height and international soccer success. He does note that outliers, such as Spain’s men’s team and America's women's team, at times achieve tremendous success despite a lack of height, presumably based on skill or tactical understanding.

Good read. It's like short wins up front, height then is needed for backs to out-jump those forwards and obviously keepers with size and length have inherent advantage.