Anonymous wrote:Alot of this is actually subconscious bias. My kid is a small preteen kid who plays up a year. It's typical for him to be ID'd at any camp as the kid with the best skillset (footwork, quickness, tenacity). He has been recruited by many local clubs and always offered top team. But, when he gets on a roster (multiple coaches, multiple clubs), the bulk of the playing time goes to the bigger kids. It doesn't bother him because he just wants to have fun. But, it's just a nasty habit of American coaches to lean on size over skill. And, well, how's that working out for us on the international stage? Not so great, I'd argue

Playing a tiny kid up a year is idiotic.

If we took two players with the same technical ability and the same soccer IQ, here are the physical attribute priorities I’d take:
1) Quickness
2) Speed
3) Stamina (smallest recovery time)
4) Balance
5) Strength
6) Height

… in that order. So height would be last. But if everything else were all the same, then sure I’d take the taller player.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Alot of this is actually subconscious bias. My kid is a small preteen kid who plays up a year. It's typical for him to be ID'd at any camp as the kid with the best skillset (footwork, quickness, tenacity). He has been recruited by many local clubs and always offered top team. But, when he gets on a roster (multiple coaches, multiple clubs), the bulk of the playing time goes to the bigger kids. It doesn't bother him because he just wants to have fun. But, it's just a nasty habit of American coaches to lean on size over skill. And, well, how's that working out for us on the international stage? Not so great, I'd argue

Yawn...yet another comment from 10 years ago.
When was the last time you actually looked at the roster of the National Team?
Pulisic, Reyna, Adams, etc...we're a generation removed from the "size over skill" teams.

Reyna is 6'1". USMNT is without a doubt one of the bigger and slower teams.

You can say a lot about the USMNT, but "slow" isn't one of them.
Not particularly big or small, but they have a lot of speed.

USMNT is incredibly slow if you are comparing them to a Premier League or La Liga or Bundesilga team. The speed of play is so incredibly faster overseas. Comparing them to an MlS team, Ok comparable.

are you playing on an SFL team with a dad coach?

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Anonymous wrote:You are all missing my point. I agree mostly with the prior couple of posts. But is a kid is short and light, even if they are fast and skilled, they lose in the physical part of the game. The best short players I have seen are SOLID. Not thin, not light. Weight matters. Again—not complaining!!! I wish I could sing, but guess what… I can’t. Genes are genes.

And that's why Messi never amounted to anything.

Messi is a superior athlete first. Im sure if were raised in the Dominican Republic he would have ended up a HOF shortstop.

First of all, no...no one of his size would play short stop.
Second, what's your point exactly?

My point is Messi isn't there strictly because of his hard work and technical skills. He is a superior athlete who then worked hard on his technical skills to master them. His success doesn't happen if he weren't the athlete he is.

This is hysterical. Yeah - Barcelona picked Messi up because he was an athlete. He literally had no technical skills at all when they discovered him hanging upside down from a tree in Patagonia. They're actually kicking themslves for missing out on Usain Bolt who would have been an even better soccer player than Messi had they picked him up. How could they miss such an obvious superstar? What idiots.

And by "athletes", said idiots mean anyone put together like a gazelle. Last checked, there is one guy who looks like Zlat, and thousands of guys Messi's size who have made it in professional soccer. American coaches are focused on finding and developing the second Zlat and not the prototypical soccer player, who is 5'7" to 5'10" with outliers on both sides. There are many guys getting paid to play soccer who are below 5'6". They aren't coming out of this country.

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Anonymous wrote:You are all missing my point. I agree mostly with the prior couple of posts. But is a kid is short and light, even if they are fast and skilled, they lose in the physical part of the game. The best short players I have seen are SOLID. Not thin, not light. Weight matters. Again—not complaining!!! I wish I could sing, but guess what… I can’t. Genes are genes.

And that's why Messi never amounted to anything.

Messi is a superior athlete first. Im sure if were raised in the Dominican Republic he would have ended up a HOF shortstop.

First of all, no...no one of his size would play short stop.
Second, what's your point exactly?

My point is Messi isn't there strictly because of his hard work and technical skills. He is a superior athlete who then worked hard on his technical skills to master them. His success doesn't happen if he weren't the athlete he is.

This is hysterical. Yeah - Barcelona picked Messi up because he was an athlete. He literally had no technical skills at all when they discovered him hanging upside down from a tree in Patagonia. They're actually kicking themslves for missing out on Usain Bolt who would have been an even better soccer player than Messi had they picked him up. How could they miss such an obvious superstar? What idiots.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Alot of this is actually subconscious bias. My kid is a small preteen kid who plays up a year. It's typical for him to be ID'd at any camp as the kid with the best skillset (footwork, quickness, tenacity). He has been recruited by many local clubs and always offered top team. But, when he gets on a roster (multiple coaches, multiple clubs), the bulk of the playing time goes to the bigger kids. It doesn't bother him because he just wants to have fun. But, it's just a nasty habit of American coaches to lean on size over skill. And, well, how's that working out for us on the international stage? Not so great, I'd argue

Yawn...yet another comment from 10 years ago.
When was the last time you actually looked at the roster of the National Team?
Pulisic, Reyna, Adams, etc...we're a generation removed from the "size over skill" teams.

Reyna is 6'1". USMNT is without a doubt one of the bigger and slower teams.

You can say a lot about the USMNT, but "slow" isn't one of them.
Not particularly big or small, but they have a lot of speed.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Alot of this is actually subconscious bias. My kid is a small preteen kid who plays up a year. It's typical for him to be ID'd at any camp as the kid with the best skillset (footwork, quickness, tenacity). He has been recruited by many local clubs and always offered top team. But, when he gets on a roster (multiple coaches, multiple clubs), the bulk of the playing time goes to the bigger kids. It doesn't bother him because he just wants to have fun. But, it's just a nasty habit of American coaches to lean on size over skill. And, well, how's that working out for us on the international stage? Not so great, I'd argue

Yawn...yet another comment from 10 years ago.
When was the last time you actually looked at the roster of the National Team?
Pulisic, Reyna, Adams, etc...we're a generation removed from the "size over skill" teams.

Reyna is 6'1". USMNT is without a doubt one of the bigger and slower teams.

Anonymous wrote:Alot of this is actually subconscious bias. My kid is a small preteen kid who plays up a year. It's typical for him to be ID'd at any camp as the kid with the best skillset (footwork, quickness, tenacity). He has been recruited by many local clubs and always offered top team. But, when he gets on a roster (multiple coaches, multiple clubs), the bulk of the playing time goes to the bigger kids. It doesn't bother him because he just wants to have fun. But, it's just a nasty habit of American coaches to lean on size over skill. And, well, how's that working out for us on the international stage? Not so great, I'd argue

Yawn...yet another comment from 10 years ago.
When was the last time you actually looked at the roster of the National Team?
Pulisic, Reyna, Adams, etc...we're a generation removed from the "size over skill" teams.

Alot of this is actually subconscious bias. My kid is a small preteen kid who plays up a year. It's typical for him to be ID'd at any camp as the kid with the best skillset (footwork, quickness, tenacity). He has been recruited by many local clubs and always offered top team. But, when he gets on a roster (multiple coaches, multiple clubs), the bulk of the playing time goes to the bigger kids. It doesn't bother him because he just wants to have fun. But, it's just a nasty habit of American coaches to lean on size over skill. And, well, how's that working out for us on the international stage? Not so great, I'd argue

My DS played for a large club during the DA days. Mostly smaller players due to slow growers. Think it was U-14 to U-15 time frame after being destroyed by faster and bigger players that season the club made some changes. Picked up several larger kids. This caused a lot of issues and unfortunately not much of an impact since the players being larger but not as skilled. We have since left that club and found a program that has a good balance. Never forget the early year birthdates and larger kids will always get the first choice. Don't believe look around at programs. This is nearly the case for 90% of teams including DC.

Anonymous wrote:It's a thing around here especially in middle school years and younger and it's usually a coach wanting to win and thinking he can win with the big players. DD's team had a very small player last year who was a great striker but would hardly get to play while other larger players always started and tons of playing time. It made no sense because that smaller kid scored almost every game while the others might score once every 3-4 games.

And the truth shall set you free...

It's a thing around here especially in middle school years and younger and it's usually a coach wanting to win and thinking he can win with the big players. DD's team had a very small player last year who was a great striker but would hardly get to play while other larger players always started and tons of playing time. It made no sense because that smaller kid scored almost every game while the others might score once every 3-4 games.

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:You are all missing my point. I agree mostly with the prior couple of posts. But is a kid is short and light, even if they are fast and skilled, they lose in the physical part of the game. The best short players I have seen are SOLID. Not thin, not light. Weight matters. Again—not complaining!!! I wish I could sing, but guess what… I can’t. Genes are genes.

And that's why Messi never amounted to anything.

Messi is a superior athlete first. Im sure if were raised in the Dominican Republic he would have ended up a HOF shortstop.

First of all, no...no one of his size would play short stop.
Second, what's your point exactly?

My point is Messi isn't there strictly because of his hard work and technical skills. He is a superior athlete who then worked hard on his technical skills to master them. His success doesn't happen if he weren't the athlete he is.

Well sure, but you can say that about every pro soccer player.
PP was saying that short, thin, light kids lose too much in the physical part of the game. I think that's crazy, as Messi, and many, many more players that we can easily list, quickly debunk that.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You are all missing my point. I agree mostly with the prior couple of posts. But is a kid is short and light, even if they are fast and skilled, they lose in the physical part of the game. The best short players I have seen are SOLID. Not thin, not light. Weight matters. Again—not complaining!!! I wish I could sing, but guess what… I can’t. Genes are genes.

And that's why Messi never amounted to anything.

Messi is a superior athlete first. Im sure if were raised in the Dominican Republic he would have ended up a HOF shortstop.

First of all, no...no one of his size would play short stop.
Second, what's your point exactly?

My point is Messi isn't there strictly because of his hard work and technical skills. He is a superior athlete who then worked hard on his technical skills to master them. His success doesn't happen if he weren't the athlete he is.