Big foot or speed demon?

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What do coaches generally look for? Big foot and big body or speed and foot skills? You know my kid is one or the other. 😂

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What do coaches generally look for? Big foot and big body or speed and foot skills? You know my kid is one or the other. 😂

none of the above
they look at your car and then your wife- maybe they get to the kid,but just maybe

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Speed and a decent first touch.

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Is this really a question?

* sigh *

US Soccer has no hope.

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big hips (daughter)
big boobs (mother)

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What do coaches generally look for? Big foot and big body or speed and foot skills? You know my kid is one or the other. 😂

You backhandedly slander big foot and big body in the first part and then lump together speed and footskills on the positive side, so I guess your kid is the fast kid with no feet (but you gave her credit for those anyway). Most of the fast kids don't have feet as well as I am sure you can attest to. In my experience, coaches value, in order:

1.) Speed, Speed, Speed (After all, speed kills)
2.) Size (Mostly a BIG minus for smaller kids but also a decent plus for bigger kids)
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3.) Technical skills (I know this because I watch the fast or big kids continually take long touches all over the field until they turn it over)
4.) Smarts (I know this because I watch fast or big kids turn or dribble into trouble and turn the ball over time and again rather than accept the simple 15-yard easy pass that was right in front of them)

I think everyone will agree that you really can't coach speed or size, but too many coaches will draft speed or size and think they can coach the technical and smarts into a kid, but they rarely seem to be able to. Most coaches really avoid small kids, almost no matter how technical or smart they are. They would have to be very fast and technical to get consideration and its a shame because i think if you put lots of the smarter kids together with some speed you would see nice soccer more frequently.

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Skill, Discipline, coachable and positive attitude size shouldn’t matter. Oh wait this is CT club soccer size and speed and must be able to hit a ball 70 yards.

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Skill, Discipline, coachable and positive attitude size shouldn’t matter. Oh wait this is CT club soccer size and speed and must be able to hit a ball 70 yards.

size always matters- don't believe anything different

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size always matters- don't believe anything different

No chance

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ECNL/NPL go for big kids first, then speed. Always. Technical skills are not really a consideration. Pop-up premier goes for anyone they can get.

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ECNL/NPL go for big kids first, then speed. Always. Technical skills are not really a consideration. Pop-up premier goes for anyone they can get and whose checks clear.

Fixed it for ya :)

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I'm noticing on my DD u14 team girls who were once speed demons are not as fast and about the same with other girls who caught up to them. I'm seeing girls who were giants not as tall either. On our team half the girls have already gone through puberty. The other half are still growing. I imagine some of those girls who may not have stood out in U-littles will over the next year.

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You backhandedly slander big foot and big body in the first part and then lump together speed and footskills on the positive side, so I guess your kid is the fast kid with no feet (but you gave her credit for those anyway). Most of the fast kids don't have feet as well as I am sure you can attest to. In my experience, coaches value, in order:

1.) Speed, Speed, Speed (After all, speed kills)
2.) Size (Mostly a BIG minus for smaller kids but also a decent plus for bigger kids)
.
.
.
3.) Technical skills (I know this because I watch the fast or big kids continually take long touches all over the field until they turn it over)
4.) Smarts (I know this because I watch fast or big kids turn or dribble into trouble and turn the ball over time and again rather than accept the simple 15-yard easy pass that was right in front of them)

I think everyone will agree that you really can't coach speed or size, but too many coaches will draft speed or size and think they can coach the technical and smarts into a kid, but they rarely seem to be able to. Most coaches really avoid small kids, almost no matter how technical or smart they are. They would have to be very fast and technical to get consideration and its a shame because i think if you put lots of the smarter kids together with some speed you would see nice soccer more frequently.

i agree with this poster. Footskills are irrelevant to this conversation. It is like Indiana Jones against the sword fighter. Speed and size are killers. Since we are talking youth athletes usually they come hand in hand. The bigger kids will be the faster kids. I would say at this age and level the number of goals is directly related to shots on goal and therefore possession is over rated here as well so that rules out smarts too.

But i think something that is missed but is very important is tenacity. If at a tryout the coach sees you hustling to win the ball back all the time you will definitely be rated higher than someone with similar speed and size.

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Speed is overrated. Not to be discounted, but if you are referring to pure foot speed, it's down the list. I'll take anticipation vs. speed all day. To paraphrase Johan Cruyff, if I know where the ball will be, and if I get there before you do, I look faster.

Size, while important, is also overrated. Size can just as much as a detriment as a benefit in some cases. Some kids are so big, it's like turning a barge around while in the bay. Now, being able to use your size without losing some quickness is beneficial.

I'd prefer skills. While that fast kid can run quick, not knowing what to do once you get it doesn't help.

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My kid is only 10 so plenty of time for things to change. At this point the big kids are usually a bit slow because they are bulky and thick to put it nicely. My kid is middle of the road size wise so who knows...