Anonymous wrote:
My kid is 9 and on a team with a bunch of younger girls. One tiny girl is very enthusiastic and keeps kicking the ball away from my daughter even though they’re on the same team. This girl tries to runndown the field and often ends up kicking it out of bounds. Sometimes she goes in the wrong direction. My kid is stronger and can give it a good strong kick that goes a quarter of the way down the field If no one is in the way.

The coach never yells at the little girl who kicks it away from my DD. I yell, “same team!” and “wrong way!” But her mom kept giving me a look last game.

Wondering if I should speak to the coach about the little girl’s stealing from my DD and her mom’s annoyed glances when I yell at her. Of is this how it is when you are 9 in a team of 7 year olds.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:U5 is very different to U7.

At U7 kids should be able to play to a basic formation rather than charging round the field in a pack surrounding the ball.

By playing to a formation you create space which gives all kids on the field time on the ball and room to dribble without being overrun by 7 other kids.

Is this a joke? U7 is mostly kindergarteners. They are playing sharks and minnows at practice to learn how to dribble. If you can get all of them engaged in the game and no one is picking daisies, that’s a success.

U7 is actually mostly first grade.

That’s the hair you want to split? Either way, it’s a group of kids who are 5 and 6 years old at the start of the fall season. The idea that you can expect those kids to play in formations only shows a total lack of understanding of child development.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:U5 is very different to U7.

At U7 kids should be able to play to a basic formation rather than charging round the field in a pack surrounding the ball.

By playing to a formation you create space which gives all kids on the field time on the ball and room to dribble without being overrun by 7 other kids.

Is this a joke? U7 is mostly kindergarteners. They are playing sharks and minnows at practice to learn how to dribble. If you can get all of them engaged in the game and no one is picking daisies, that’s a success.

I actually meant U8 rather than U7. But IMO U7s are capable of much more than just sharks and minnows. At our club U7s are playing small sided games and doing drills, as well as the fun games. I’d expect that is true of many clubs.

The developmental range of kids at this age is huge, and they all get to play. Your superstars have to deal with the kids who are developmentally behind, some of whom may have emerging special needs you know nothing about, so grow some empathy, shut the heck up on the sidelines, and learn that it is not your place to yell at kids.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:U5 is very different to U7.

At U7 kids should be able to play to a basic formation rather than charging round the field in a pack surrounding the ball.

By playing to a formation you create space which gives all kids on the field time on the ball and room to dribble without being overrun by 7 other kids.

Is this a joke? U7 is mostly kindergarteners. They are playing sharks and minnows at practice to learn how to dribble. If you can get all of them engaged in the game and no one is picking daisies, that’s a success.

I actually meant U8 rather than U7. But IMO U7s are capable of much more than just sharks and minnows. At our club U7s are playing small sided games and doing drills, as well as the fun games. I’d expect that is true of many clubs.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is this a joke?

Stop yelling at children. If you must, yell at your own only.

What’s wrong with what I yelled? The kid needs direction and our coach isn’t giving it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:U5 is very different to U7.

At U7 kids should be able to play to a basic formation rather than charging round the field in a pack surrounding the ball.

By playing to a formation you create space which gives all kids on the field time on the ball and room to dribble without being overrun by 7 other kids.

Is this a joke? U7 is mostly kindergarteners. They are playing sharks and minnows at practice to learn how to dribble. If you can get all of them engaged in the game and no one is picking daisies, that’s a success.

U7 is actually mostly first grade.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:U5 is very different to U7.

At U7 kids should be able to play to a basic formation rather than charging round the field in a pack surrounding the ball.

By playing to a formation you create space which gives all kids on the field time on the ball and room to dribble without being overrun by 7 other kids.

Is this a joke? U7 is mostly kindergarteners. They are playing sharks and minnows at practice to learn how to dribble. If you can get all of them engaged in the game and no one is picking daisies, that’s a success.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:U5 is very different to U7.

At U7 kids should be able to play to a basic formation rather than charging round the field in a pack surrounding the ball.

By playing to a formation you create space which gives all kids on the field time on the ball and room to dribble without being overrun by 7 other kids.

Is this a joke? U7 is mostly kindergarteners. They are playing sharks and minnows at practice to learn how to dribble. If you can get all of them engaged in the game and no one is picking daisies, that’s a success.

I actually meant U8 rather than U7. But IMO U7s are capable of much more than just sharks and minnows. At our club U7s are playing small sided games and doing drills, as well as the fun games. I’d expect that is true of many clubs.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:U5 is very different to U7.

At U7 kids should be able to play to a basic formation rather than charging round the field in a pack surrounding the ball.

By playing to a formation you create space which gives all kids on the field time on the ball and room to dribble without being overrun by 7 other kids.

Is this a joke? U7 is mostly kindergarteners. They are playing sharks and minnows at practice to learn how to dribble. If you can get all of them engaged in the game and no one is picking daisies, that’s a success.

Anonymous wrote:U5 is very different to U7.

At U7 kids should be able to play to a basic formation rather than charging round the field in a pack surrounding the ball.

By playing to a formation you create space which gives all kids on the field time on the ball and room to dribble without being overrun by 7 other kids.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:U5 is very different to U7.

At U7 kids should be able to play to a basic formation rather than charging round the field in a pack surrounding the ball.

By playing to a formation you create space which gives all kids on the field time on the ball and room to dribble without being overrun by 7 other kids.

Ha! "Should" is very different from "are". At U5 half the kids aren't even participating at any given moment. In U6-U8 they get progressively better at understanding the basics. I think it's U9 where they really start playing to a formation. I have one in U5 and one in U8 right now. Not a single U8 team has played to a formation. For some kids it's their first time even playing soccer and others haven't played since they were 5 years old due to the pandemic. They are all over the map. The coaches are trying to get them to spread out but they don't really listen.

You don't get a team to spread out by saying "spread out" or to play as a team by yelling "work together" in the middle of a match. All this work is done by the coach at training, beginning with proper technique and individual development to possession based drills that require them to spread out. At the match, you hope it all stuck, take mental notes, and work on what hasn't stuck.