What is actually the best option for developing kids?

[Unregistered]

In Mass? That seems hard to believe.
I did hear of a kid playing ODP that drives/boats from Marthas Vineyard to Lancaster every week though.

Over the years there have been a few from Nantucket playing ODP or for top club teams. That is an even crazier commute than MV.

[Unregistered]

Agree with the overwhelming majority of what your write except for two points.

I think that you are a little too nostalgic when it comes to sports because the kids in todays world have very little if anything in common with the world you grew up in years ago. Back then sports were our entertainment and we individually sought them out which created a sort of natural selection to things where as kids today generally get put into sports by their parents as sort of an after school activity. That changes the dynamics considerably and even if you know a thing or two about sports as you seem to, your kids are surrounded by other kids whose parents don't and they infuse all sorts of agendas into the mix that you or I never had to deal with. I would suggest you need to evolve your thinking some to account for the general watering down of all sports that has resulted since you were a kid.

I also think you are giving short shrift to the role genetics play in athletic success. While it is true that no one has a crystal ball the overwhelming majority of kids can get crossed off the list simply because it's usually obvious quite young that they don't have the genetics to be a high level athlete. It is much easier to tell who will not make it and that is a pretty good starting point for identifying and training potential.

What a narcissistic bag of wind. Always "suggesting" what others should do, and suggesting no one should play or pay any money to participate to get better IF everyone knows ahead of time that a professional future is not in the cards. 99% are not playing with any expectation of becoming professionals.

[Unregistered]

What a narcissistic bag of wind. Always "suggesting" what others should do, and suggesting no one should play or pay any money to participate to get better IF everyone knows ahead of time that a professional future is not in the cards. 99% are not playing with any expectation of becoming professionals.

Obviously a coach who loves sucking money up from parents with kids who have two left feet. And they talk about being a wind bag. Add boring db to this clown's list of characteristics

[Unregistered]

Good input. Thanks

[Unregistered]

P.S. The more you play, the better you get, but it doesn't have to be in a structured format. Kids who play on their own will learn a lot (it's amazing what they can learn from one another) and probably have a lot of fun in the process that will motivate them even more.

My own kids have had totally different experiences in soccer. How much they developed was impacted more by how much they enjoyed playing the game. The ones that put in the time, and got something out of it, did because they loved to play. Parents that aren't honest about or don't pay attention to that are probably going to be disappointed later.

[Unregistered]

You will find no consensus because everyone has their own agenda and wants to convince everyone that the choices they made are the only intelligent ones.

Personally, I would recommend instilling a true love of the game in your child. Most young players don't watch enough soccer and have no clue how to apply those wonderful skills they are being taught, so take your son or daughter to games and watch lots of soccer with them on TV. Help your kid make friends who also play soccer and let them tear up your backyard with pickup games that go on 24/7.

Whatever choice you make, don't start travelling too much or too far too early, because that's a great way to burn out your child and your family. When they're 17 or 18, no one cares who won the U13 or U14 regionals. So, I think your question about excellent training vs weak team is an important one, and at younger ages good training should trump lots of winning. Futsal is great training to play futsal and doesn't definitely translate to soccer success, but it is so much fun to play that it builds more of the enthusiasm I was mentioning above.

As a coach, my own bias is that practice is far more important than games (although clubs use success in games and tournaments to sell their product).

Excellent post.