We’re on our 3rd child playing youth soccer (B12) and stumped about what coaches really notice during tryouts. We’ve always told our kids to hustle, work hard, but maintain normal game play (stay in your position, etc). But it seems more and more that the kids who are advanced at this age are the ones who one might call “ball hogs”, i.e. they never pass, are pulled to the ball like it’s a magnet, leaving their position and even taking the ball away from teammates, etc. We thought that at this age coaches would be looking for a more well rounded and thoughtful player, but that just doesn’t seem to be the case. Have we been giving our kids the wrong advice? Love to hear from coaches, especially with experience in this age range.
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A good looking mom or a tapable dad -
Venmo account all day.Comment
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Looking for the psychotic parents and crossing off their kids namesOriginally posted by Guest View PostComment
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Winning 1V1 duels
Adding to their team’s effectiviness - keeping possesion, finding ways to progress the ball to creat opportunities to score
Beating players 1V1 when there is space to attack
The reality is you can be a ball hog if you don’t lose the ball and create scoring chances. If the player just dribbles into a mob and loses it over and over that isn’t going to work. Also if they are always standing around the ball but not active that won’t work either. Players can sense when other players are just standing but don’t really want the ball. They won’t be passed to. If they are active in a good position with communication they should receive the ball.
Positioning around the ball in good locations will make them look better as they receive the ball with just a bit more space and are in the right spot to defend.
Positioning can be taught much easier than natural ball skills/coordination/physical ability. Soccer IQ will help them make better plays.
Secondary items: positive interaction with teammates, positive body language, effort
Experienced coaches can readily identify players with natural touch on the ball, natural ability to move well, and vision of the field. As you get lower in levels where players struggle to control the ball a lot of it comes down to how they move. If they move well they will develop to control the ball and make impacts with coaching.Comment
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tip from youth BARCA coach:
"De-emphasizing unsustainable athletic based success. You probably have a player who is really fast. You can put him on outside. He can tap the ball by a defender and race forward into space. He can get in on goal. Great. Over time, the premium on his speed will erode. Teams will figure out how to defend pure speed. You need to teach him not to rely on physical prowess now, when it helps you look good, at the cost of his not being able to play a more sophisticated game later. This situation is endemic. Some of the kids we coach the very worst are the kids who dominate when they are young. They make us look good by winning games so we let them become limited and one-dimensional players to keep the wins coming."Comment
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As Xavi put it about Barcelona: ‘Some youth academies worry about winning, we worry about education.’ theguardian.com/football/2011/…)
Why being a ball hog is dumbComment
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If you are trying to “make “ a team as an unknown to the club, the best chance is speed and athleticism. That’s the reality as unfair as it may be.Comment
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That's not true. Actual answer is that there is no answer that will fit all tryouts. Top teams in the top premier clubs - sorry no one is looking at you unless you have a good resume, talked to the coach and practiced with the team. Mid tier clubs: some might look for athleticism (don't go there even if you are athletic), some might look for technical skills. Money grab clubs will find you a spot as long as you are breathing and can stand on two legs, might even be on their Elite team if you look good enough with the ball. In the end it's up to the specific coach.Originally posted by Guest View PostComment
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It's the hot yoga pantsComment
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Good luck getting any real advice. I am pretty sure most coaches avoid this forum like the plague.Comment
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