Lack of world class players that have creativity

[Unregistered]

Why the US, who have more than three million young Americans playing for youth soccer clubs, can't seem to develop world class players that have creativity?
There are a few reasons:

- US youth soccer places winning ahead of development generally speaking. Smaller, skillful players are overlooked for big, fast athletes who kick the ball and run after it. This style of soccer wins youth games but does little for developing creative players.

- In the US, everything is organized for kids. They are on tight schedules and can't think for themselves. They don't get time to play with other kids out on the street (creating their own games as kids did years ago). Instead, they are driven by adults to activities organized and run by other adults. Street soccer is practically non-existent.

- The cost of travel/select soccer is financially beyond those groups of people for whom soccer forms a large part of their culture. It is dominated by white, middle-class kids. The minorities who do play street soccer are largely ignored by the travel soccer behemoth that feeds the colleges and US national teams.

- Lack of coaching and parental knowledge regarding the sport of soccer and how to develop soccer players in general. We're currently dominated by coaches and parents who did not grow up with soccer and who do not have a good understanding of the sport.

- US is dominated by sports that are in turn dominated by coaches (football, baseball, basketball). US soccer coaches then feel that they have to direct soccer games. The result is "Playstation soccer" where players don't think for themselves.

- Lack of a general soccer culture and fierce competition for athletes from the more popular US sports like football, baseball and basketball.

- Children with short attention spans who seem incapable of sitting down to watch professional soccer games (live or on TV).

- High School soccer and college soccer is win at all costs and of a very low standard.

[Unregistered]

Why the US, who have more than three million young Americans playing for youth soccer clubs, can't seem to develop world class players that have creativity?
There are a few reasons:

- US youth soccer places winning ahead of development generally speaking. Smaller, skillful players are overlooked for big, fast athletes who kick the ball and run after it. This style of soccer wins youth games but does little for developing creative players.

- In the US, everything is organized for kids. They are on tight schedules and can't think for themselves. They don't get time to play with other kids out on the street (creating their own games as kids did years ago). Instead, they are driven by adults to activities organized and run by other adults. Street soccer is practically non-existent.

- The cost of travel/select soccer is financially beyond those groups of people for whom soccer forms a large part of their culture. It is dominated by white, middle-class kids. The minorities who do play street soccer are largely ignored by the travel soccer behemoth that feeds the colleges and US national teams.

- Lack of coaching and parental knowledge regarding the sport of soccer and how to develop soccer players in general. We're currently dominated by coaches and parents who did not grow up with soccer and who do not have a good understanding of the sport.

- US is dominated by sports that are in turn dominated by coaches (football, baseball, basketball). US soccer coaches then feel that they have to direct soccer games. The result is "Playstation soccer" where players don't think for themselves.

- Lack of a general soccer culture and fierce competition for athletes from the more popular US sports like football, baseball and basketball.

- Children with short attention spans who seem incapable of sitting down to watch professional soccer games (live or on TV).

- High School soccer and college soccer is win at all costs and of a very low standard.

Blame cell phones and social media. Huge problem for today’s kids.

[Unregistered]

Why the US, who have more than three million young Americans playing for youth soccer clubs, can't seem to develop world class players that have creativity?
There are a few reasons:

- US youth soccer places winning ahead of development generally speaking. Smaller, skillful players are overlooked for big, fast athletes who kick the ball and run after it. This style of soccer wins youth games but does little for developing creative players.

- In the US, everything is organized for kids. They are on tight schedules and can't think for themselves. They don't get time to play with other kids out on the street (creating their own games as kids did years ago). Instead, they are driven by adults to activities organized and run by other adults. Street soccer is practically non-existent.

- The cost of travel/select soccer is financially beyond those groups of people for whom soccer forms a large part of their culture. It is dominated by white, middle-class kids. The minorities who do play street soccer are largely ignored by the travel soccer behemoth that feeds the colleges and US national teams.

- Lack of coaching and parental knowledge regarding the sport of soccer and how to develop soccer players in general. We're currently dominated by coaches and parents who did not grow up with soccer and who do not have a good understanding of the sport.

- US is dominated by sports that are in turn dominated by coaches (football, baseball, basketball). US soccer coaches then feel that they have to direct soccer games. The result is "Playstation soccer" where players don't think for themselves.

- Lack of a general soccer culture and fierce competition for athletes from the more popular US sports like football, baseball and basketball.

- Children with short attention spans who seem incapable of sitting down to watch professional soccer games (live or on TV).

- High School soccer and college soccer is win at all costs and of a very low standard.

Little of this is ever going to change, so stop whining about it. You're rehashing the same tired talking points that have been repeated dozens of times on multiple threads. No one cares about any of your points, because the US soccer "system" is delivering pretty much what the customers want. If you don't like what the system is developing, become a fan of a country that's doing it the way you want it done. Your new thread is adding nothing to this site. You're just howling at the moon.

[Unregistered]

Blame cell phones and social media. Huge problem for today’s kids.

Blame US Soccer .... all teams play in a system ... pass-backwards-pass sideways-pass-backwards-pass sideways ..... let the kids at younger ages play through 1:1 and beat kids on the front half ..... then sort them all out and teach them some tactical stuff later. Why should their be creativity when most clubs (DA included) care about always making the right and simple plays and not making mistakes. That is no way to learn.

[Unregistered]

Blame US Soccer .... all teams play in a system ... pass-backwards-pass sideways-pass-backwards-pass sideways ..... let the kids at younger ages play through 1:1 and beat kids on the front half ..... then sort them all out and teach them some tactical stuff later. Why should their be creativity when most clubs (DA included) care about always making the right and simple plays and not making mistakes. That is no way to learn.

Tactical play can be taught at younger ages than we tend to believe. Soccer is decision making as much as it is dribbling. Kids should be taught to understand why they go 1:1 and when to do it and when not to.

Winning a 1:1 just to be confronted with either another 1:1 or 1:2 only to ultimately lose it teaches stubbornness and tunnel vision, not creativity.

[Unregistered]

Little of this is ever going to change, so stop whining about it. You're rehashing the same tired talking points that have been repeated dozens of times on multiple threads. No one cares about any of your points, because the US soccer "system" is delivering pretty much what the customers want. If you don't like what the system is developing, become a fan of a country that's doing it the way you want it done. Your new thread is adding nothing to this site. You're just howling at the moon.

Another lame comment from an amateur economist who wants to talk about soccer in terms of customers and products. This is why soccer is poor in the US: parents who looking for a result (glory for ulittles; “showcases” and college offers for HS players) and shop around for it like they are looking for the nicest bananas at the supermarket. They can’t see what’s not in their face or their immediate self-interest.

I’ll give you an example, did customers invent the internet? Short answer is no. When the internet became commercialized most people had no idea what it was or how it would impact or improve their lives. Customers are dumb. They believe the marketing they are force-fed and they spend obscene amounts on stupid products.

Asking a soccer parent how to improve the game is a complete waste of time.

[Unregistered]

Tactical play can be taught at younger ages than we tend to believe. Soccer is decision making as much as it is dribbling. Kids should be taught to understand why they go 1:1 and when to do it and when not to.

Winning a 1:1 just to be confronted with either another 1:1 or 1:2 only to ultimately lose it teaches stubbornness and tunnel vision, not creativity.

I can tell you over and over the touching bare wires is a bad idea, but until you have done it, there is no better substitute for learning than being allowed to make the mistakes on your own. Stop avoiding the mistakes, especially at younger ages. The kids should constantly be putting themselves into bad spots and figuring out what to do (and not to do) to get out of them. The ones with more experience here will make better decisions later, but they have to learn from their own experiences, not from anyone elses.

[Unregistered]

I can tell you over and over the touching bare wires is a bad idea, but until you have done it, there is no better substitute for learning than being allowed to make the mistakes on your own. Stop avoiding the mistakes, especially at younger ages. The kids should constantly be putting themselves into bad spots and figuring out what to do (and not to do) to get out of them. The ones with more experience here will make better decisions later, but they have to learn from their own experiences, not from anyone elses.

This is so true. Watching a scrimmage the other day and a kid was trying something. It wasn't working all the time; I overhear a parent say ambiguously "What are these kids doing out there?" Unable to bite my tongue, I flatly said "how are they supposed to learn what to do or what not to do in a game unless the try it in a practice?"

Silence.

[Unregistered]

I can tell you over and over the touching bare wires is a bad idea, but until you have done it, there is no better substitute for learning than being allowed to make the mistakes on your own. Stop avoiding the mistakes, especially at younger ages. The kids should constantly be putting themselves into bad spots and figuring out what to do (and not to do) to get out of them. The ones with more experience here will make better decisions later, but they have to learn from their own experiences, not from anyone elses.

There is nothing wrong with letting kids just play and experiment up to a point, but eventually to really improve in a team environment they need guidance to get to the right answer. Maybe the exploratory approach works at really young ages like under U-9, but beyond that you’re wasting time because physical and behavioral differences become more of a factor than just simple learning. Once kids naturally start to become bigger, faster, or more aggressive than their peers you need to start teaching the more technical aspects (not tactical) or else they’ll start to think they are better just on physicality alone. Ball control, 1:1, etc. are important from U-9 until around U-12. You can start to introduce tactical concepts, but that shouldn’t be the main focus until around U-13 when they are ready for 11v11.

Main issue to me is rushing kids into competitive play before puberty. Those are all development years only and to do assessments; place kids on things like pre-ECNL teams; rank team standings; and stuff like that before they’ve hit puberty is a joke.

[Unregistered]

This is so true. Watching a scrimmage the other day and a kid was trying something. It wasn't working all the time; I overhear a parent say ambiguously "What are these kids doing out there?" Unable to bite my tongue, I flatly said "how are they supposed to learn what to do or what not to do in a game unless the try it in a practice?"

Silence.

I'm all for kids trying all kinds of things out on the field to learn. What's frustrating is when a kid does the same thing all the time (for two years straight), is not successful with it, but seems to learn nothing from it. At that point, it's time for the coach to give a helpful suggestion, especially if they know the kid is a little slower to learn.

[Unregistered]

I'm all for kids trying all kinds of things out on the field to learn. What's frustrating is when a kid does the same thing all the time (for two years straight), is not successful with it, but seems to learn nothing from it. At that point, it's time for the coach to give a helpful suggestion, especially if they know the kid is a little slower to learn.

Ahhh, that's different. We once had a kid who coming down the right, with speed, would come to a defender and go right...and go right some more...and go right some more...until she was in the bushes.

Every

Single

Time

[Unregistered]

There is nothing wrong with letting kids just play and experiment up to a point, but eventually to really improve in a team environment they need guidance to get to the right answer. Maybe the exploratory approach works at really young ages like under U-9, but beyond that you’re wasting time because physical and behavioral differences become more of a factor than just simple learning. Once kids naturally start to become bigger, faster, or more aggressive than their peers you need to start teaching the more technical aspects (not tactical) or else they’ll start to think they are better just on physicality alone. Ball control, 1:1, etc. are important from U-9 until around U-12. You can start to introduce tactical concepts, but that shouldn’t be the main focus until around U-13 when they are ready for 11v11.

Main issue to me is rushing kids into competitive play before puberty. Those are all development years only and to do assessments; place kids on things like pre-ECNL teams; rank team standings; and stuff like that before they’ve hit puberty is a joke.

Disagree. Once you stop learning you are moving toward death. You should ALWAYS be learning, and never be afraid to try something new. It's a practice, a scrimmage, if that's not the time to see if you can make try something, when is it?

We talk about players today being too regimented, the post above shows why.

[Unregistered]

Pay to Play .... never gonna change in the US. No one is subsidizing a youth soccer system for families, especially when there is no payoff to do so. Soccer is not a top 4 professional sport in this country, and there is no career path for 99.9% of the participants.

We hear the same lamentations over and over again about how the US is failing on the world soccer stage, and while that may be true, the US is not failing on the college stage, which is where the focus is in this country for most of its youth athletes.

Until someone comes up with a plan that can work within the constraints of a pay-to-play system, where college is the primary end game, nothing is going to change, because neither of those things are changing.

[Unregistered]

Pay to Play .... never gonna change in the US. No one is subsidizing a youth soccer system for families, especially when there is no payoff to do so. Soccer is not a top 4 professional sport in this country, and there is no career path for 99.9% of the participants.

We hear the same lamentations over and over again about how the US is failing on the world soccer stage, and while that may be true, the US is not failing on the college stage, which is where the focus is in this country for most of its youth athletes.

Until someone comes up with a plan that can work within the constraints of a pay-to-play system, where college is the primary end game, nothing is going to change, because neither of those things are changing.

Careful - you will be accused of being an economist.

[Unregistered]

Ahhh yes....Another arrogant parent who thinks they understand the creation and downfall of all things. Yet they post anonymously on a social forum in lieu of doing something that actually matters. Dear sir, when your little superstar grows tired of soccer you won't give two s#&@!s about it anymore. Just find something better to do with your time then whine about something you have not intent on changing.