Anonymous wrote:When you play in a U10 age group with a mix of U9 and U10 players, you are asking for trouble. If you went up against a "true" U10 team there were probably big physical and skill differences that the U9's couldn't keep up with... especially if the other teams had U10 players that were more physically developed or born earlier in their birth year.

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Anonymous wrote:I recently saw the Arlington DA U12 team dominate VDA with possession, and consistent build up out of the back. Oscar has those boys playing well. I think the score was either 4 or 5-0. I was certainly impressed from what I saw.

Looks like they don't post the results for DA U12 games. Guess Arlington is one of the strongest teams as usual. Any other team can fare well against them in that group?

I thought I heard that DC United U12 crushed Arlington DA U12.

But I think they have one big pool and the two teams that they make could probably look very different from week to week.

Arlington’s U12 DA is their former Red team. DC United pulled from all over.

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Anonymous wrote:PP here. Thanks for the insight. I just watched these other teams in awe at how "together" they were. Hard to commit to these tournament weekends to watch the team get blown out.

I know "winning" a U9 or U10 game is essentially meaningless. You can tell if they're developing skill. The score is often a product of which team has the better goalkeeper, and many clubs aren't even training their goalkeepers at that age.

But I do sometimes think we overdo it. Losing game after game after game wears down kids' interest in playing. I know a kid who has played 30 tournament games in five seasons. Hasn't won a single game. They have five or six wins in league play over that span. They're not great players, but there are some basic tactical things they could learning at U11 and U12 that would make them more competitive. How long does this club expect these kids to stick with it?

Then the kid and the teammates may simply not be that good to begin with. Talk with the coach and determine what the season objectives are for the players and the team.

If you are only practicing twice to three times a week and there is no outside work on technical training, either on your own or with another coach then there is your problem. If the same can be said for the teammate, then there is your problem. You have to identify what your kids shortcomings are and address them. Find some videos on youtube for footwork drills, play wall ball, juggle, watch soccer, play FIFA, anything and all of those can help.

But a good team takes good players. A good coach can make good players into a good team and a good coach can challenge weak players to want to get better but a good coach can't perform miracles.

PP here -- in one of these three years, the coach was terrific, and the team wasn't bad. Their league record was decent -- not first, not last, usually quite competitive. They just kept entering the higher brackets in tournaments so they could "challenge" the kids.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP here. Thanks for the insight. I just watched these other teams in awe at how "together" they were. Hard to commit to these tournament weekends to watch the team get blown out.

I know "winning" a U9 or U10 game is essentially meaningless. You can tell if they're developing skill. The score is often a product of which team has the better goalkeeper, and many clubs aren't even training their goalkeepers at that age.

But I do sometimes think we overdo it. Losing game after game after game wears down kids' interest in playing. I know a kid who has played 30 tournament games in five seasons. Hasn't won a single game. They have five or six wins in league play over that span. They're not great players, but there are some basic tactical things they could learning at U11 and U12 that would make them more competitive. How long does this club expect these kids to stick with it?

Then the kid and the teammates may simply not be that good to begin with. Talk with the coach and determine what the season objectives are for the players and the team.

If you are only practicing twice to three times a week and there is no outside work on technical training, either on your own or with another coach then there is your problem. If the same can be said for the teammate, then there is your problem. You have to identify what your kids shortcomings are and address them. Find some videos on youtube for footwork drills, play wall ball, juggle, watch soccer, play FIFA, anything and all of those can help.

But a good team takes good players. A good coach can make good players into a good team and a good coach can challenge weak players to want to get better but a good coach can't perform miracles.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP here. Thanks for the insight. I just watched these other teams in awe at how "together" they were. Hard to commit to these tournament weekends to watch the team get blown out.

I know "winning" a U9 or U10 game is essentially meaningless. You can tell if they're developing skill. The score is often a product of which team has the better goalkeeper, and many clubs aren't even training their goalkeepers at that age.

But I do sometimes think we overdo it. Losing game after game after game wears down kids' interest in playing. I know a kid who has played 30 tournament games in five seasons. Hasn't won a single game. They have five or six wins in league play over that span. They're not great players, but there are some basic tactical things they could learning at U11 and U12 that would make them more competitive. How long does this club expect these kids to stick with it?

Then the kid and the teammates may simply not be that good to begin with. Talk with the coach and determine what the season objectives are for the players and the team.

If you are only practicing twice to three times a week and there is no outside work on technical training, either on your own or with another coach then there is your problem. If the same can be said for the teammate, then there is your problem. You have to identify what your kids shortcomings are and address them. Find some videos on youtube for footwork drills, play wall ball, juggle, watch soccer, play FIFA, anything and all of those can help.

But a good team takes good players. A good coach can make good players into a good team and a good coach can challenge weak players to want to get better but a good coach can't perform miracles.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP here. Thanks for the insight. I just watched these other teams in awe at how "together" they were. Hard to commit to these tournament weekends to watch the team get blown out.

I know "winning" a U9 or U10 game is essentially meaningless. You can tell if they're developing skill. The score is often a product of which team has the better goalkeeper, and many clubs aren't even training their goalkeepers at that age.

But I do sometimes think we overdo it. Losing game after game after game wears down kids' interest in playing. I know a kid who has played 30 tournament games in five seasons. Hasn't won a single game. They have five or six wins in league play over that span. They're not great players, but there are some basic tactical things they could learning at U11 and U12 that would make them more competitive. How long does this club expect these kids to stick with it?

Anonymous wrote:PP here. Thanks for the insight. I just watched these other teams in awe at how "together" they were. Hard to commit to these tournament weekends to watch the team get blown out.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Question for more experienced parents... My son played in a tournament this weekend and the team got destroyed. Team is focused on individual skill development rather than creating a team. You could very clearly tell that because the kids really had no idea how to play a game as a team. Skill wise, they seemed ok, but they just couldn't get anything going as a team. Should I be concerned? Should I be looking for another team this spring? My kid seemed a little upset that they did so poorly.

At U9/10, skill development is much more important than team tactical stuff. If the kids are skilled, the team playing will come together at U13/14.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Question for more experienced parents... My son played in a tournament this weekend and the team got destroyed. Team is focused on individual skill development rather than creating a team. You could very clearly tell that because the kids really had no idea how to play a game as a team. Skill wise, they seemed ok, but they just couldn't get anything going as a team. Should I be concerned? Should I be looking for another team this spring? My kid seemed a little upset that they did so poorly.

At U9/10, skill development is much more important than team tactical stuff. If the kids are skilled, the team playing will come together at U13/14.

Anonymous wrote:Question for more experienced parents... My son played in a tournament this weekend and the team got destroyed. Team is focused on individual skill development rather than creating a team. You could very clearly tell that because the kids really had no idea how to play a game as a team. Skill wise, they seemed ok, but they just couldn't get anything going as a team. Should I be concerned? Should I be looking for another team this spring? My kid seemed a little upset that they did so poorly.