Too much emphasis on footwork

[Unregistered]

I am in agreement with you here. Many coaches focus purely on foots skills, especially at the younger ages, where I believe more of a balance with field awareness, positioning and, yes, even tactics, is needed.

Our solution for this year:
Kid happened to get on a team where most of the players came in with very strong foot skills and good initial understanding/maturity to learn positioning and tactics. Coach focused on foot skills only for about 20 minutes each practice, spending the remainder on developing soccer IQ. The team is playing beautiful soccer for their age.

However, we realize all the other kids in this age group are spending the majority of practice on foot skills, and will eventually surpass those of our players. So we found a very technically focused club, which provides skills clinics open to anyone, along with their vacation camps, and our kid's foot skills are now continuing to advance. It's been a great supplement to his training, along with all the practice he does on his own.

Bottom line is that you need both technical and soccer IQ development. Few coaches have the amount of time with the players needed to do both adequately, so they often get the balance wrong. IMO, you're better off with a team coach who focuses on soccer IQ, as you need a whole team and field space to learn this, whereas the technical aspect can be provided in small group clinics or even private training if you happen to have the funds.

Are you a trained coach?
If not, why do you feel free to offer your advice?
Do soccer coaches tell you how to do your job?

You should all go be referees...

[Unregistered]

Personally --
Bravery in the tackle
First touch
Ability to pass to the desired spot
And the IQ to know where that spot is

All trumps the ability to dribble through a cone, perform a step over, or succeed at a 1v1 situation.

I think we are overly focused on striker skills. A defensive 4 does not have the same skill sets as the front line. You would never have a basketball or football tryout having all the kids trying to perform all the same skills.

At the youth level, you need to train on the ball, and everyone should be trained for every position (the Ajax way). Pigeon holing players too early is detrimental to player development. As far as defenders and 1v1, there are times in a game when wing backs can make attacking runs. By not having defenders train to shoot and 1v1 skills, you're hampering your offensive options.

[Unregistered]

Are you a trained coach?
If not, why do you feel free to offer your advice?
Do soccer coaches tell you how to do your job?

You should all go be referees...

Relax, buddy. Just saying what worked for our kid in case someone finds it useful. I've found some good advice on here from other parents, who are probably not trained coaches, but have been through the maze.

[Unregistered]

The mere fact that this is even a question shows that it's not worth the time to answer...

[Unregistered]

OP here again: Yes, great footwork is an indication of extensive training. But it's not completely correlated to great playing ability and certainly not correlated to field sense/IQ. Why? Because some coaches spend so much time working on dribbling that their players field sense/IQ is actually undeveloped because not enough time is spent working on it.

Show me a great player with average footwork.

[Unregistered]

I am in agreement with you here. Many coaches focus purely on foots skills, especially at the younger ages, where I believe more of a balance with field awareness, positioning and, yes, even tactics, is needed.

Our solution for this year:
Kid happened to get on a team where most of the players came in with very strong foot skills and good initial understanding/maturity to learn positioning and tactics. Coach focused on foot skills only for about 20 minutes each practice, spending the remainder on developing soccer IQ. The team is playing beautiful soccer for their age.

However, we realize all the other kids in this age group are spending the majority of practice on foot skills, and will eventually surpass those of our players. So we found a very technically focused club, which provides skills clinics open to anyone, along with their vacation camps, and our kid's foot skills are now continuing to advance. It's been a great supplement to his training, along with all the practice he does on his own.

Bottom line is that you need both technical and soccer IQ development. Few coaches have the amount of time with the players needed to do both adequately, so they often get the balance wrong. IMO, you're better off with a team coach who focuses on soccer IQ, as you need a whole team and field space to learn this, whereas the technical aspect can be provided in small group clinics or even private training if you happen to have the funds.

This is fantastic advice if you want your kid to be on a "good team" but if you want your kid to become a better player, I would ignore the last half. The first half is where the truth lies.

If you are getting the footwork on your own, then by all means join a club that will take advantage of it and use it. If you are not going to get the footwork done on your own, then you should be with a club that prioritizes technical training as much as possible.

But marginalize the importance of strong technical training to your peril. You won't get that time on the ball back when your meaningless U little trophies are forgotten.

[Unregistered]

Show me a great player with average footwork.

Yes, but what makes them great? Great footwork, or great play? A great player with average footwork can still be great. But an average player with great footwork skills will only be average.

Footwork is important, but so is all-around great play and I think the soccer community focuses on it too much.

Consider the kids growing up in South America. Their foot skills come from learning by doing...on the job training (so to speak). They play a lot of pickup games and they get good without having a coach standing over them doing organized foot drills around cones. Does all that cone-work help us stay even with the South Americans, or does it inhibit us because we're not getting enough game time? Maybe the U.S. gets beat because we have too much emphasis on cones and not enough emphasis on how and where to move the ball to win.

[Unregistered]

Bottom line in my opinion: it's easier to teach young kids technical skills than it is to teach them tactical skills. It's easier to teach older kids tactical skills than it is to get them to actually work on their technical skills.

This is a generalization and there are outliers, of course.

Ulittles need to get comfortable with a ball at their feet. They need to play. Without rules, restrictions, or set plays. They need to make mistakes and learn from their mistakes.

The best soccer players are creative players. Not robotic players who were coached step by step, play by play.

Up to U12, most of the focus should be on technical skills. Tactics can be introduced. Beyond that, tactics can start to be introduced more.

To the OP every club has their own style and focus. Find one that fits what you are looking for.

[Unregistered]

Yes, but what makes them great? Great footwork, or great play? A great player with average footwork can still be great. But an average player with great footwork skills will only be average.

Footwork is important, but so is all-around great play and I think the soccer community focuses on it too much.

Consider the kids growing up in South America. Their foot skills come from learning by doing...on the job training (so to speak). They play a lot of pickup games and they get good without having a coach standing over them doing organized foot drills around cones. Does all that cone-work help us stay even with the South Americans, or does it inhibit us because we're not getting enough game time? Maybe the U.S. gets beat because we have too much emphasis on cones and not enough emphasis on how and where to move the ball to win.

Can't even compare US to other countries.

Kids in other countries (like Brazil) just play. All the time. Ball at their feet. All the time. They aren't forced to go to a 90 minute practice. And they don't spend their free time on the xbox.

Most American kids are lazy. That's the biggest difference.

If you want your kid to be great, more importantly, if your kid wants to be great; he/she should be practicing/playing all the time. Dribbling through cones or just dribbling; it's the same thing. Touches on the ball.

[Unregistered]

Can't even compare US to other countries.

Kids in other countries (like Brazil) just play. All the time. Ball at their feet. All the time. They aren't forced to go to a 90 minute practice. And they don't spend their free time on the xbox.

Most American kids are lazy. That's the biggest difference.

If you want your kid to be great, more importantly, if your kid wants to be great; he/she should be practicing/playing all the time. Dribbling through cones or just dribbling; it's the same thing. Touches on the ball.

The biggest difference is due to our results oriented society.
This entire discussion is moot-the time and training necessary to acheive decent first touch does not apeal to parent or player, even if it is the correct method.
Every other thread is about so and so beating so and so. And just wait for tournament results.
Nobody cares.
Stop wasting your breath. It doesn't matter.

[Unregistered]

The problem with only knowing the tactical is without the technical, you may now how to play, but you don't know how to get the ball there. Technical should always come first. Otherwise, you could just teach the kids on an XBOX

Depending on the age group, our kids never "scrimmaged". Waste of time. As they got to 10+, then it was a controlled scrimmage (stops to correct) or smaller sided games to ensure lots of touches.

[Unregistered]

Yes, but what makes them great? Great footwork, or great play? A great player with average footwork can still be great. But an average player with great footwork skills will only be average.

Footwork is important, but so is all-around great play and I think the soccer community focuses on it too much.

Consider the kids growing up in South America. Their foot skills come from learning by doing...on the job training (so to speak). They play a lot of pickup games and they get good without having a coach standing over them doing organized foot drills around cones. Does all that cone-work help us stay even with the South Americans, or does it inhibit us because we're not getting enough game time? Maybe the U.S. gets beat because we have too much emphasis on cones and not enough emphasis on how and where to move the ball to win.

Saying there is too much emphasis on footwork in youth soccer is like saying Usain Bolt spent to much time walking as a toddler.

Without solid footwork you cannot execute the tactical elements of the game.

One can understand baseball and all the tactics but knowing that you need to catch the ground ball and throw it to first is not the same as being able to do it. Knowing to play wide or deep means nothing if you cant receive or deliver a pass or have the footskills to do so under pressure.

[Unregistered]

Yes, but what makes them great? Great footwork, or great play? A great player with average footwork can still be great. But an average player with great footwork skills will only be average.

Footwork is important, but so is all-around great play and I think the soccer community focuses on it too much.

Consider the kids growing up in South America. Their foot skills come from learning by doing...on the job training (so to speak). They play a lot of pickup games and they get good without having a coach standing over them doing organized foot drills around cones. Does all that cone-work help us stay even with the South Americans, or does it inhibit us because we're not getting enough game time? Maybe the U.S. gets beat because we have too much emphasis on cones and not enough emphasis on how and where to move the ball to win.

2 points:
1) when you consider developing "soccer IQ" or "field awareness", the age level is pretty important. Developmentally, most kids aren't ready to really see the field and the bigger picture of the game until they are much older. Some younger children can exhibit a soccer IQ, but they're outliers. Trying to develop such a thing with kids under age 10 is a fool's errand.

2) great players have great foot skills. Period. Their ability to see the field, anticipate an opportunity or start a great play is completely useless without ball mastery. None of the great players have weak ball skills.

This reminds me of the defensive advice my daughter's first soccer coach gave her that she still uses every day: "get the attacker's head down." (i.e.,put enough pressure on so that the attacker has to focus on the ball at her feet and she can't see the field and has no real options other than a 1v1 attack)

[Unregistered]

Can't even compare US to other countries.

Kids in other countries (like Brazil) just play. All the time. Ball at their feet. All the time. They aren't forced to go to a 90 minute practice. And they don't spend their free time on the xbox.

Most American kids are lazy. That's the biggest difference.

If you want your kid to be great, more importantly, if your kid wants to be great; he/she should be practicing/playing all the time. Dribbling through cones or just dribbling; it's the same thing. Touches on the ball.

If you want your kid not to be fat (nevermind great) kill all your child's electronics.

[Unregistered]

Yes, but what makes them great? Great footwork, or great play? A great player with average footwork can still be great. But an average player with great footwork skills will only be average.

Footwork is important, but so is all-around great play and I think the soccer community focuses on it too much.

Consider the kids growing up in South America. Their foot skills come from learning by doing...on the job training (so to speak). They play a lot of pickup games and they get good without having a coach standing over them doing organized foot drills around cones. Does all that cone-work help us stay even with the South Americans, or does it inhibit us because we're not getting enough game time? Maybe the U.S. gets beat because we have too much emphasis on cones and not enough emphasis on how and where to move the ball to win.

Okay - you wanna develop great all-around play? Put the kids on the field 11v11 and just let them play. Let the game be the teacher. You'd have an awful group of players by the time they're teens, but they'd be able to "see the game."

There's a reason why coaches around the world (including South America) emphasize developing foot skills at young ages, small-sided games, maximum touches on the ball.