What's more important for development?

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Actually, I'd move to the Netherlands.

Do they have a legal, red light district there? Is that why? I don't think that is a great reason to pick a new place to live.

[Unregistered]

What's more important for development?

Do they have a legal, red light district there? Is that why? I don't think that is a great reason to pick a new place to live.

For A Tiny little country they have out performed the US at the world cup every single time!!!!!!

[Unregistered]

Do they have a legal, red light district there? Is that why? I don't think that is a great reason to pick a new place to live.

Their development of players is spot on. The develop and sell better than anyone.

Also, Dutch fans are the best. Before the 2002 WC, they came to the US for a friendly. Even though they didn't qualified, they were fantastic to US fans. Expecting a "you play in CONCACAF of course you qualified" commentary, that wasn't the case. Overwhelmingly, they were thrilled for the US and every one of them wanted the US to do great. They want us to grow the game. When queried, the opinion was "everything the US does makes money. If the US is successful, the game grows and we are all the better."

Fantastic group of people.

le oranje!!!!!!!!!!!

[Unregistered]

U12 DA .... player positions are locked up and have been for a year or two (unless you change coaches soon). They have "studs" at offensive positions and need kids to fill in the other 6 or 7 positions. Your kid is new, those are almost always defensive players and now will be for life. Sorry you didnt come earlier before they designated the current offensive players.

That's not true. As a coach you fill in positions based on there natural tendency and overall skill set. The mentality is not to put the best player at striker or center mid like some of you are suggesting. The striker scores a lot of goals and the center mid usually dribbles a lot so you all think they are the best on the field. In some cases you are right but that is not the mentality of a good coach.

Each position has a certain skill set that is required to be successful in that role. In your post you mentioned that the defenders are basically where they put players when all of the midfield and attacking positions are full. Not true at all.

Defense is as tough and as important a position as any other on the field. Just think about the games when one team score 5 and lose because the opposing team scored 7. Are you telling me that better defenders wouldn't have won you that game? Or when you're only winning 1-0 and the other team gets shut out. The kid that scored the goal is probably thought of as the hero but the defenders who prevented several chances to score from the other team rarely gets recognized.

The fact is that the defender has to be tough, fast, agile, have great passing vision, read the play and have one of the highest soccer IQ's on the field for both defensive and offensive situations.

A defender who can intercept passes in today's soccer is considered one of the most valuable players on the field. Tackles lead to 50/50 balls and do not always result in your teams possession. Intercepted passes not only result in your teams possession but they turn into transitional attacking situations where your offense outnumbers the opponents defensive numbers. The ability to repeatedly intercept passes requires a high level of Soccer IQ.

A defender with the ability to win tackles is valuable but a defender with the ability to intercept passes and break the lines with transitional key passes is really a valuable component.

Let your kid play where ever the coach has him at least for the rest of the year. After the season you can mention to the coach that you would want to see him in other positions at times next year. Make your decision based on the response of the coach. But remember that the defending position is one that every player should experience in order to develop a complete player.

[Unregistered]

What's more important for development?

That's not true. As a coach you fill in positions based on there natural tendency and overall skill set. The mentality is not to put the best player at striker or center mid like some of you are suggesting. The striker scores a lot of goals and the center mid usually dribbles a lot so you all think they are the best on the field. In some cases you are right but that is not the mentality of a good coach.

Each position has a certain skill set that is required to be successful in that role. In your post you mentioned that the defenders are basically where they put players when all of the midfield and attacking positions are full. Not true at all.

Defense is as tough and as important a position as any other on the field. Just think about the games when one team score 5 and lose because the opposing team scored 7. Are you telling me that better defenders wouldn't have won you that game? Or when you're only winning 1-0 and the other team gets shut out. The kid that scored the goal is probably thought of as the hero but the defenders who prevented several chances to score from the other team rarely gets recognized.

The fact is that the defender has to be tough, fast, agile, have great passing vision, read the play and have one of the highest soccer IQ's on the field for both defensive and offensive situations.

A defender who can intercept passes in today's soccer is considered one of the most valuable players on the field. Tackles lead to 50/50 balls and do not always result in your teams possession. Intercepted passes not only result in your teams possession but they turn into transitional attacking situations where your offense outnumbers the opponents defensive numbers. The ability to repeatedly intercept passes requires a high level of Soccer IQ.

A defender with the ability to win tackles is valuable but a defender with the ability to intercept passes and break the lines with transitional key passes is really a valuable component.

Let your kid play where ever the coach has him at least for the rest of the year. After the season you can mention to the coach that you would want to see him in other positions at times next year. Make your decision based on the response of the coach. But remember that the defending position is one that every player should experience in order to develop a complete player.

well said

[Unregistered]

Most dangerous player on the pitch is the left back. Nobody thinks to mark them, they have freedom to get forward, and if they have an attacking mindset cause so many problems.

Most offensive threats today come from a wingback.

[Unregistered]

Strikers in soccer are like wide receivers in football. They may do amazing things that dazzle the crowd with their personal athleticism but they tend to be the dumbest players on the field and their success is result of a lot of other people doing the heavy lifting for them.

So if a coach moved your kid from striker to defense, take it as a compliment.

[Unregistered]

What's more important for development?

That's not true. As a coach you fill in positions based on there natural tendency and overall skill set. The mentality is not to put the best player at striker or center mid like some of you are suggesting. The striker scores a lot of goals and the center mid usually dribbles a lot so you all think they are the best on the field. In some cases you are right but that is not the mentality of a good coach.

Each position has a certain skill set that is required to be successful in that role. In your post you mentioned that the defenders are basically where they put players when all of the midfield and attacking positions are full. Not true at all.

Defense is as tough and as important a position as any other on the field. Just think about the games when one team score 5 and lose because the opposing team scored 7. Are you telling me that better defenders wouldn't have won you that game? Or when you're only winning 1-0 and the other team gets shut out. The kid that scored the goal is probably thought of as the hero but the defenders who prevented several chances to score from the other team rarely gets recognized.

The fact is that the defender has to be tough, fast, agile, have great passing vision, read the play and have one of the highest soccer IQ's on the field for both defensive and offensive situations.

A defender who can intercept passes in today's soccer is considered one of the most valuable players on the field. Tackles lead to 50/50 balls and do not always result in your teams possession. Intercepted passes not only result in your teams possession but they turn into transitional attacking situations where your offense outnumbers the opponents defensive numbers. The ability to repeatedly intercept passes requires a high level of Soccer IQ.

A defender with the ability to win tackles is valuable but a defender with the ability to intercept passes and break the lines with transitional key passes is really a valuable component.

Let your kid play where ever the coach has him at least for the rest of the year. After the season you can mention to the coach that you would want to see him in other positions at times next year. Make your decision based on the response of the coach. But remember that the defending position is one that every player should experience in order to develop a complete player.

you hit dead on....some idiot a few posts back was writing non-sense about the top players 1-10, if you are 11-16 look elsewhere.....If this is how your coach sees you as a player....RUN....an experienced coach, will fill each individual position based on the natural tendency of the player not what he thinks his rating is on the team..... a natural striker would obviously not look good as a player if you place him as center back (and vise-versa).

[Unregistered]

Their development of players is spot on. The develop and sell better than anyone.

Also, Dutch fans are the best. Before the 2002 WC, they came to the US for a friendly. Even though they didn't qualified, they were fantastic to US fans. Expecting a "you play in CONCACAF of course you qualified" commentary, that wasn't the case. Overwhelmingly, they were thrilled for the US and every one of them wanted the US to do great. They want us to grow the game. When queried, the opinion was "everything the US does makes money. If the US is successful, the game grows and we are all the better."

Fantastic group of people.

le oranje!!!!!!!!!!!

Lived there for 5 years for work. Great people, super smart people, great place to live/quality of life is outstanding. So is the soccer. Unfortunately my kids were too young at the time to get too much out of it.

[Unregistered]

Strikers in soccer are like wide receivers in football. They may do amazing things that dazzle the crowd with their personal athleticism but they tend to be the dumbest players on the field and their success is result of a lot of other people doing the heavy lifting for them.

So if a coach moved your kid from striker to defense, take it as a compliment.

There's a reason coaches don't put their weaker players on the back line - they tend to put them up top. Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in awhile. But your last line of defense better be good.

[Unregistered]

Strikers are not necessarily "dumb" but they are usually of a specific personality. If you have a fantastically talented kid who really wants to score goals and has a me first mentality, that doesnt mean they dont get the game it just means they have the innate desire to score. That is a perfect striker mentality. Take that kid and put them at center mid and the lack of distribution will kill the team.

Likewise if you have a kid who has the combination of physicality, a little mean, fast and loves passing they could be a great wingback.

So many parents obsess about their kids playing the #10 position, ignoring the fact that the child may be far better suited to another position on the field.

[Unregistered]

A vast majority of parents don't even realize what a #10 is or how the position is to be played.

The line you mentioned "Likewise if you have a kid who has the combination of physicality, a little mean, fast and loves passing they could be a great wingback." is spot on.

My kid has played in the middle, mostly out of necessity in the past. Most coaches who put her there, were up front that they see her more outside but need to do what we need to do. Her current coach in our 1-on-1 this year, where's she's played 99% of minutes at wingback, came right out and told her that sentence word for word: You're fast, physical, and a great crosser of the ball. If you play with a little snarl, be a real pain the arse, you can be dominant. You are not a central player, this suites you best, and this is where you will play. Own it.

I loved it because it put all other visions out of her head.

Conversely, I played with a guy who would do almost nothing all game long. yet, you'd look up at the end, and we'd win 2-1 and he'd have a couple of goals. Seemed like every time. "I was put on this earth to score goals" he'd say. A true poacher. Everyone needs one on their team.

[Unregistered]

A vast majority of parents don't even realize what a #10 is or how the position is to be played.

The line you mentioned "Likewise if you have a kid who has the combination of physicality, a little mean, fast and loves passing they could be a great wingback." is spot on.

My kid has played in the middle, mostly out of necessity in the past. Most coaches who put her there, were up front that they see her more outside but need to do what we need to do. Her current coach in our 1-on-1 this year, where's she's played 99% of minutes at wingback, came right out and told her that sentence word for word: You're fast, physical, and a great crosser of the ball. If you play with a little snarl, be a real pain the arse, you can be dominant. You are not a central player, this suites you best, and this is where you will play. Own it.

I loved it because it put all other visions out of her head.

Conversely, I played with a guy who would do almost nothing all game long. yet, you'd look up at the end, and we'd win 2-1 and he'd have a couple of goals. Seemed like every time. "I was put on this earth to score goals" he'd say. A true poacher. Everyone needs one on their team.

Those poachers can drive you crazy though because many refuse to work on their game when they are young and the game passes them by when they get to the full-size field. It's real easy to be a goal scoring god when you only have to go 10 or 15 yards past midfield to be in shooting range.

[Unregistered]

What's more important for development?

A vast majority of parents don't even realize what a #10 is or how the position is to be played.

The line you mentioned "Likewise if you have a kid who has the combination of physicality, a little mean, fast and loves passing they could be a great wingback." is spot on.

My kid has played in the middle, mostly out of necessity in the past. Most coaches who put her there, were up front that they see her more outside but need to do what we need to do. Her current coach in our 1-on-1 this year, where's she's played 99% of minutes at wingback, came right out and told her that sentence word for word: You're fast, physical, and a great crosser of the ball. If you play with a little snarl, be a real pain the arse, you can be dominant. You are not a central player, this suites you best, and this is where you will play. Own it.

I loved it because it put all other visions out of her head.

Conversely, I played with a guy who would do almost nothing all game long. yet, you'd look up at the end, and we'd win 2-1 and he'd have a couple of goals. Seemed like every time. "I was put on this earth to score goals" he'd say. A true poacher. Everyone needs one on their team.

most u americans know nothing of the history of #10 player....over 100 years ago all positions have same numbers, goalie always #1 striker always #10. numbers are not special anymore...all bullsh_t.

[Unregistered]

most u americans know nothing of the history of #10 player....over 100 years ago all positions have same numbers, goalie always #1 striker always #10. numbers are not special anymore...all bullsh_t.

educate us dummy