Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My daughter plays up on a club team (in a much less competitive league). She’s I think the second tallest kid on the team and one of the kids that takes corner kicks because she’s “big.”

I think she will end up average height but just got an early growth spurt. She’s only 3-6 months younger than many of these kids anyway.

She blends in and everything is fine. She passes a lot and is not the star. And I don’t need to drive as far for her to be challenged.

Much different dynamic than a little one with great skills being plucked to play with boys much bigger and stronger.

Shouldn't the big kid be receiving the corner kicks instead of taking them?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've seen this a lot.

On the girls' side, at older ages, it often is just a result of how girls grow at different rates around 12-16 or so. Usually a girl playing up at that age group is just playing with people that are physically her peers. My guess is most people watching the game would not be able to pick out the girls playing up.

On the boys' side, though, it almost always sucks for everyone except the family of the boy who thinks that their kid is the next Messi. Usually what happens is a boy will be able to dribble past kids in his age group and score lots of goals. So he will get moved up - either because the parents ask for it or the coaches decide. But then he is on an older age level and he still thinks that he is the dribbling king and he still plays as if he is the best kid on the team, which he isn't anymore. Instead he is just like a black hole where team passing moves die. The younger kids almost always make bad decisions and are way too selfish, but once they get moved up they tend to stay up, and once they have that habit they tend to keep it. So their teammates are stuck with a kid who hurts the team and actually drags the team down. But the kids' parents think he is awesome because he still dribble and shoots a lot, and the coaches just rotate him on the wing and don't ever correct his mental game.

I completely agree with fish bolded above. Players like that are 100% in it for themselves. Those parents are putting together highlight reals for their kid showing all the positive on field stuff. Can't blame the parents, but players like that (we have 3 like this) are just using the team to work on their own skills. The only win-win is when they move on and the team dynamic returns to normal. With ours, there is no beautiful soccer that is played...just ball hogging with the 1 out of 8 tries that is amazing. But, to the OP point. When players like this are allowed to play up and showboat, it can be done so to the detriment of the rest of the team.

Maybe you should lookup Lamine Yamal dribbling through kids his age and playing the same way against older kids when he was at youth level
Then look where he is today and what he's doing

Lamine Yamal's parents aren't on this forum though.

Is Lamine Yamal the new place holder for let me make a soccer comparision of the only player I actually know because I don't really watch soccer but know exactly what my kid u10 teams formation should be and how she needs to be better utilized on offfense. In that case carry on....

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've seen this a lot.

On the girls' side, at older ages, it often is just a result of how girls grow at different rates around 12-16 or so. Usually a girl playing up at that age group is just playing with people that are physically her peers. My guess is most people watching the game would not be able to pick out the girls playing up.

On the boys' side, though, it almost always sucks for everyone except the family of the boy who thinks that their kid is the next Messi. Usually what happens is a boy will be able to dribble past kids in his age group and score lots of goals. So he will get moved up - either because the parents ask for it or the coaches decide. But then he is on an older age level and he still thinks that he is the dribbling king and he still plays as if he is the best kid on the team, which he isn't anymore. Instead he is just like a black hole where team passing moves die. The younger kids almost always make bad decisions and are way too selfish, but once they get moved up they tend to stay up, and once they have that habit they tend to keep it. So their teammates are stuck with a kid who hurts the team and actually drags the team down. But the kids' parents think he is awesome because he still dribble and shoots a lot, and the coaches just rotate him on the wing and don't ever correct his mental game.

I completely agree with fish bolded above. Players like that are 100% in it for themselves. Those parents are putting together highlight reals for their kid showing all the positive on field stuff. Can't blame the parents, but players like that (we have 3 like this) are just using the team to work on their own skills. The only win-win is when they move on and the team dynamic returns to normal. With ours, there is no beautiful soccer that is played...just ball hogging with the 1 out of 8 tries that is amazing. But, to the OP point. When players like this are allowed to play up and showboat, it can be done so to the detriment of the rest of the team.

Maybe you should lookup Lamine Yamal dribbling through kids his age and playing the same way against older kids when he was at youth level
Then look where he is today and what he's doing

Lamine Yamal's parents aren't on this forum though.

Neither is Messi's nor Mbappe's nor Pulisic's

So let's never mention them

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've seen this a lot.

On the girls' side, at older ages, it often is just a result of how girls grow at different rates around 12-16 or so. Usually a girl playing up at that age group is just playing with people that are physically her peers. My guess is most people watching the game would not be able to pick out the girls playing up.

On the boys' side, though, it almost always sucks for everyone except the family of the boy who thinks that their kid is the next Messi. Usually what happens is a boy will be able to dribble past kids in his age group and score lots of goals. So he will get moved up - either because the parents ask for it or the coaches decide. But then he is on an older age level and he still thinks that he is the dribbling king and he still plays as if he is the best kid on the team, which he isn't anymore. Instead he is just like a black hole where team passing moves die. The younger kids almost always make bad decisions and are way too selfish, but once they get moved up they tend to stay up, and once they have that habit they tend to keep it. So their teammates are stuck with a kid who hurts the team and actually drags the team down. But the kids' parents think he is awesome because he still dribble and shoots a lot, and the coaches just rotate him on the wing and don't ever correct his mental game.

I completely agree with fish bolded above. Players like that are 100% in it for themselves. Those parents are putting together highlight reals for their kid showing all the positive on field stuff. Can't blame the parents, but players like that (we have 3 like this) are just using the team to work on their own skills. The only win-win is when they move on and the team dynamic returns to normal. With ours, there is no beautiful soccer that is played...just ball hogging with the 1 out of 8 tries that is amazing. But, to the OP point. When players like this are allowed to play up and showboat, it can be done so to the detriment of the rest of the team.

Maybe you should lookup Lamine Yamal dribbling through kids his age and playing the same way against older kids when he was at youth level
Then look where he is today and what he's doing

Lamine Yamal's parents aren't on this forum though.

Anonymous wrote:My daughter plays up on a club team (in a much less competitive league). She’s I think the second tallest kid on the team and one of the kids that takes corner kicks because she’s “big.”

I think she will end up average height but just got an early growth spurt. She’s only 3-6 months younger than many of these kids anyway.

She blends in and everything is fine. She passes a lot and is not the star. And I don’t need to drive as far for her to be challenged.

Much different dynamic than a little one with great skills being plucked to play with boys much bigger and stronger.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've seen this a lot.

On the girls' side, at older ages, it often is just a result of how girls grow at different rates around 12-16 or so. Usually a girl playing up at that age group is just playing with people that are physically her peers. My guess is most people watching the game would not be able to pick out the girls playing up.

On the boys' side, though, it almost always sucks for everyone except the family of the boy who thinks that their kid is the next Messi. Usually what happens is a boy will be able to dribble past kids in his age group and score lots of goals. So he will get moved up - either because the parents ask for it or the coaches decide. But then he is on an older age level and he still thinks that he is the dribbling king and he still plays as if he is the best kid on the team, which he isn't anymore. Instead he is just like a black hole where team passing moves die. The younger kids almost always make bad decisions and are way too selfish, but once they get moved up they tend to stay up, and once they have that habit they tend to keep it. So their teammates are stuck with a kid who hurts the team and actually drags the team down. But the kids' parents think he is awesome because he still dribble and shoots a lot, and the coaches just rotate him on the wing and don't ever correct his mental game.

I completely agree with fish bolded above. Players like that are 100% in it for themselves. Those parents are putting together highlight reals for their kid showing all the positive on field stuff. Can't blame the parents, but players like that (we have 3 like this) are just using the team to work on their own skills. The only win-win is when they move on and the team dynamic returns to normal. With ours, there is no beautiful soccer that is played...just ball hogging with the 1 out of 8 tries that is amazing. But, to the OP point. When players like this are allowed to play up and showboat, it can be done so to the detriment of the rest of the team.

Maybe you should lookup Lamine Yamal dribbling through kids his age and playing the same way against older kids when he was at youth level
Then look where he is today and what he's doing

Lamine Yamal's parents aren't on this forum though.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've seen this a lot.

On the girls' side, at older ages, it often is just a result of how girls grow at different rates around 12-16 or so. Usually a girl playing up at that age group is just playing with people that are physically her peers. My guess is most people watching the game would not be able to pick out the girls playing up.

On the boys' side, though, it almost always sucks for everyone except the family of the boy who thinks that their kid is the next Messi. Usually what happens is a boy will be able to dribble past kids in his age group and score lots of goals. So he will get moved up - either because the parents ask for it or the coaches decide. But then he is on an older age level and he still thinks that he is the dribbling king and he still plays as if he is the best kid on the team, which he isn't anymore. Instead he is just like a black hole where team passing moves die. The younger kids almost always make bad decisions and are way too selfish, but once they get moved up they tend to stay up, and once they have that habit they tend to keep it. So their teammates are stuck with a kid who hurts the team and actually drags the team down. But the kids' parents think he is awesome because he still dribble and shoots a lot, and the coaches just rotate him on the wing and don't ever correct his mental game.

I completely agree with fish bolded above. Players like that are 100% in it for themselves. Those parents are putting together highlight reals for their kid showing all the positive on field stuff. Can't blame the parents, but players like that (we have 3 like this) are just using the team to work on their own skills. The only win-win is when they move on and the team dynamic returns to normal. With ours, there is no beautiful soccer that is played...just ball hogging with the 1 out of 8 tries that is amazing. But, to the OP point. When players like this are allowed to play up and showboat, it can be done so to the detriment of the rest of the team.

Maybe you should lookup Lamine Yamal dribbling through kids his age and playing the same way against older kids when he was at youth level
Then look where he is today and what he's doing

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Maybe you should lookup Lamine Yamal dribbling through kids his age and playing the same way against older kids when he was at youth level
Then look where he is today and what he's doing

This attitude is exactly why this is the problem! Your kid is not Lamine Yamal. But you and every parent with a son playing up two years “because he is so good” thinks that their kid is. And you encourage them to dribble too much and shoot too much and it is super annoying to everyone else on the team. Lamine Yamal is special not just because he is talented but because he makes good decisions. The boys-playing-up here do not make good decisions, and they are not good enough to play like the stars they think they are on the older teams.

It’s a problem caused by the attitude of the kid and the parents playing up. I’ve never seen any of them come in humble, ready to improve, ready to earn their spot.