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**Unregistered** · 05-21-2015, 02:09 PM

Originally posted by Unregistered View Post

I have a U13 daughter who has always been the shortest player on her team but also one of the most skilled. This year she decided she wanted to tryout for a different team/club. During try-outs my daughter and one other girl were the only ones being looked at for a D1 team. He then told her he wasn't going to pick her because she is too small although he admired her work rate, skills, and determination.

My daughter has not gone through puberty yet. Both my husband and I are not very tall either.

Is her size going to keep her from playing at the highest levels?

Sorry, but yes it will, that is what the college coaches look for now. You need to find a top team where there is a match with her style of play.

**Unregistered** · 05-21-2015, 02:14 PM

does size matter ?

No it doesn't if she is skilled enough. But then there is small and there is small. Some smaller girls play big and some play small. College coaches are looking for players that can get the job done as are club coaches. She will have to work harder being short but if she is good, it shouldn't matter.

**Unregistered** · 05-21-2015, 02:15 PM

Originally posted by Unregistered View Post

I have a U13 daughter who has always been the shortest player on her team but also one of the most skilled. This year she decided she wanted to tryout for a different team/club. During try-outs my daughter and one other girl were the only ones being looked at for a D1 team. He then told her he wasn't going to pick her because she is too small although he admired her work rate, skills, and determination.

My daughter has not gone through puberty yet. Both my husband and I are not very tall either.

Is her size going to keep her from playing at the highest levels?

Yes, it will... but if she is short, but stocky/wide, you may be ok. They are afraid of small players being knocked off the ball. If she is short, but has a low center of gravity and keep the ball against big players, she should be fine. Also, if she is fast, that sometimes can overcompensate for size. But she has to be really fast. You'll find a bit of hypocrisy in club soccer. They hook you and sell to you that you need their coaching to get your kid's skills up, but when push comes to shove, it's all bull. If you are big and fast, they really don't care about skill.

**Unregistered** · 05-21-2015, 02:16 PM

Originally posted by Unregistered View Post

I have a U13 daughter who has always been the shortest player on her team but also one of the most skilled. This year she decided she wanted to tryout for a different team/club. During try-outs my daughter and one other girl were the only ones being looked at for a D1 team. He then told her he wasn't going to pick her because she is too small although he admired her work rate, skills, and determination.

My daughter has not gone through puberty yet. Both my husband and I are not very tall either.

Is her size going to keep her from playing at the highest levels?

My daughter is in the same boat, while being really skilled and creative, she doesn't have the size. I used to think that soccer wasn't about size, more about skill, but I've come to realize that size is a factor. My daughter is very skilled but she can't win a 50/50 ball against a girl that is 7 inches taller and 40 lbs. heavier. She plays on a very competitive B team, top 10 in New England, but she will NEVER make the A team. Nor do I think she should, as again she doesn't have the physicality required to compete at that level. This doesn't mean you should squash her dream, but the realization is that size does matter at the top levels. My daughter still loves to play and I will support her for as long as she wants to continue at whatever level that ends up being.

**Unregistered** · 05-21-2015, 02:51 PM

Originally posted by Unregistered View Post

Sorry, but yes it will, that is what the college coaches look for now. You need to find a top team where there is a match with her style of play.

^^^ Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain. He has no idea what he is talking about. A short player, provided that they play with good pace and are quick with footwork and decisions, will be just fine. Someone above also made note that a short player with a low center of gravity will do well. That is true but any player, short or not, will be well served by having a lower center of gravity and not getting knocked off of the ball. I know of a player, she was listed as 5'1" in the school's media guide but was actually 5', that started all four years at a major DI program and in a major conference. She was a forward and was one of the top scorers in the league for all 4 years. She was fast as a quarter horse and that helped as well. Look at Crystal Dunn, arguably one of the best players to come out of UNC in recent history, she's 5'1". I could go on but you get the idea.

**Unregistered** · 05-21-2015, 03:26 PM

Originally posted by Unregistered View Post

^^^ Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain. He has no idea what he is talking about. A short player, provided that they play with good pace and are quick with footwork and decisions, will be just fine. Someone above also made note that a short player with a low center of gravity will do well. That is true but any player, short or not, will be well served by having a lower center of gravity and not getting knocked off of the ball. I know of a player, she was listed as 5'1" in the school's media guide but was actually 5', that started all four years at a major DI program and in a major conference. She was a forward and was one of the top scorers in the league for all 4 years. She was fast as a quarter horse and that helped as well. Look at Crystal Dunn, arguably one of the best players to come out of UNC in recent history, she's 5'1". I could go on but you get the idea.

I would recommend that the OP keep her playing at the highest level she can even if it requires moving clubs. My D was the smallest on a top U11 team and got cut even though she had superior footskills and rather than going to the B team where I assumed she would be buried forever based on past practices at the club, we went to a rival club. She is now 5'8, maybe even 5'9 and will be playing D1 at a top 50 school. I'm not saying that she will grow like my D did, but keeping her at the same or better level of competition is key. By 15 you should have a good sense of where it is all heading for her.

**Unregistered** · 05-21-2015, 03:52 PM

Soccer isn't basketball and it isn't volleyball. Being short will not negatively affect your daughter. It might mean that there will be certain positions that she will not play but the last I checked there were 11 players to a side on the field. Pace, speed, composure, decision making abilities, precise passing, and many other skills are important and don't rely on height. Someone mentioned Crystal Dunn. She's only the tip of the iceberg. There are plenty of short players that have played at the top level. Even on the men's side of the game - Messi, Xavi, etc. Below is a link to an article about short players. In it is mentioned that the average height of Bacelona is 5'9" - a bit short of an average height for a men's team. The thing that might be most frustrating for your daughter is people telling her she is too short. Don't listen to the pessimists. Their glass is probably always half empty instead of half full. More than likley they are losers in life. Tune them out.

Here's the link to the article: http://www.theatlantic.com/health/ar...n-help/372617/

**Unregistered** · 05-21-2015, 04:23 PM

Originally posted by Unregistered View Post

Soccer isn't basketball and it isn't volleyball. Being short will not negatively affect your daughter. It might mean that there will be certain positions that she will not play but the last I checked there were 11 players to a side on the field. Pace, speed, composure, decision making abilities, precise passing, and many other skills are important and don't rely on height. Someone mentioned Crystal Dunn. She's only the tip of the iceberg. There are plenty of short players that have played at the top level. Even on the men's side of the game - Messi, Xavi, etc. Below is a link to an article about short players. In it is mentioned that the average height of Bacelona is 5'9" - a bit short of an average height for a men's team. The thing that might be most frustrating for your daughter is people telling her she is too short. Don't listen to the pessimists. Their glass is probably always half empty instead of half full. More than likley they are losers in life. Tune them out.

Here's the link to the article: http://www.theatlantic.com/health/ar...n-help/372617/

All of the arguments made have merit. The summary if she likes playing and keeps working at soccer she will find a place to play. There will be coaches and clubs that are looking for a different size of player.

**Unregistered** · 05-21-2015, 04:53 PM

Originally posted by Unregistered View Post

Soccer isn't basketball and it isn't volleyball. Being short will not negatively affect your daughter. It might mean that there will be certain positions that she will not play but the last I checked there were 11 players to a side on the field. Pace, speed, composure, decision making abilities, precise passing, and many other skills are important and don't rely on height. Someone mentioned Crystal Dunn. She's only the tip of the iceberg. There are plenty of short players that have played at the top level. Even on the men's side of the game - Messi, Xavi, etc. Below is a link to an article about short players. In it is mentioned that the average height of Bacelona is 5'9" - a bit short of an average height for a men's team. The thing that might be most frustrating for your daughter is people telling her she is too short. Don't listen to the pessimists. Their glass is probably always half empty instead of half full. More than likley they are losers in life. Tune them out.

Here's the link to the article: http://www.theatlantic.com/health/ar...n-help/372617/

Those last points are important. It will be tough for her s most of her teammates are going through puberty now. Self confidence is vital. I've seen plenty of good smaller players, but as others said it's more about mass. A thin, whisp of a player with little stature will have a tougher time. Think fire hydrant.

**Unregistered** · 05-21-2015, 05:14 PM

Originally posted by Unregistered View Post

I have a U13 daughter who has always been the shortest player on her team but also one of the most skilled. This year she decided she wanted to tryout for a different team/club. During try-outs my daughter and one other girl were the only ones being looked at for a D1 team. He then told her he wasn't going to pick her because she is too small although he admired her work rate, skills, and determination.

My daughter has not gone through puberty yet. Both my husband and I are not very tall either.

Is her size going to keep her from playing at the highest levels?

Sounds like we have a true "troll" alert...
Sorry, "toss me".