Current trends in youth soccer

Competitive youth soccer in America is governed mostly by the pay-per-play model. Although a model foreign to most world soccer powerhouses, it is a model that helps the US maintain a production line of potential players.

A model that the national team relies upon. A solution for the insatiable appetite of soccer mums and dads bragging about their kid playing in the next best league.

However, the system does create a coach-led environment. Creating a lack of loyalty to teams and coaches on the player-parent front. The by-product is a loss of development in favor of tactics for coaches to win games. Thus, helping in the preservation of a team every tryout period, and in effect, their job.

The word development of developmental has been frowned upon since the widely available “Elite Leagues” have popped up. It’s not all coaches, parents have had a hand in this direction. Chasing bragging rights for their DD or BB can be consistently seen on social media posts, or blogs. As well as heard throughout parks up and down the country.

Development

But development shouldn’t be taken in a “dirty word” context. Clubs and parents expect coaches to be developing and improving on an ongoing basis so why shouldn’t that exact thinking be given to the youth players?

Time, that’s why it isn’t as important as finding ways to improve a team winning record. And let’s be honest, those same parents criticizing coaches for not developing players are the first people to run if a team isn’t winning, as little Johnny is no longer having fun.

We ask probing questions, that we now ask you to answer. Is a team that is constantly winning developing? equally, is a team that hasn’t won a game not developing?

We can argue a team that’s winning may not be learning and developing as much as the team that’s losing. The team with a losing record could be learning more and developing quicker.

Ask yourself as a parent or coach. Are you still designing sessions to improve upon performances, or asking your player what they feel they need to improve upon when you’re winning consistently?

Therefore, the team and players that are losing more frequently may be in the wrong competition level but the coach and players are working harder at improving themselves.

Read about the Pay-per-play system

Expectations

Parent education is another buzzword currently being used to help in the understanding of the game, goals of the team, and ultimately long-term plan. Although a staunch believer in having the parent as an integral part of the players and teams development process. The messaging and content are often muddled by not painting the picture from players’ individual development standpoints.

Let’s be honest, most other countries are developing players in order to hopefully make the club’s first team or become a player that will compensate the investment by academies and their coaching staff into the players. Because of this system, players are moved up and down club academy age groups for experience and individual development purposes. Nurturing young talent, but also developing it at the younger ages without fear of coaches losing their job because they lost games in a youth league.

Growing up in England we admired the American way in sports. US teams and athletes seemed so competitive with a winning mentality oozing from their body language and interviews.

That same winning desire, however, can restrict correct development and creativity in the game. At worse burnout for youth players can be seen in ever younger years.

Read: Five books to help coaches understand tactics

Verses the world

Living in an area of America where soccer has a large participation level, strong competition, and is home to many global tournaments. Competition can be measured with the best talent in the world.

There’s one major tournament that attracts top European academies and world-renown clubs held locally. Local teams often beat international competitive club teams.

So why then are we worried about the development if we are successful against some of the best academy teams in the world?

Well, that’s just it, we are measuring the winning of a youth competition as success. Why? because clubs can use that accolade to attract more players.

However, those international clubs are using it as meaningful competition. Players are carefully monitored on workloads, assessment of individual performances, and how players react to crowds, playing up, etc.

When have you heard a Liverpool or Real Madrid commentator compare winning champions league because of success in a youth tournament? Heck international youth FIFA competitions are again used to breed talent into the national senior team setup.

So why is development important then?

A good question! in a nutshell for players to fall in love with the game. If players are technically efficient they will find the game incredibly easier. Receiving that pass at your waist and effortlessly bringing it under control, beating those pesky defenders to get out of trouble, tackling the opposition to win back possession, or firing in a screamer to score a goal for your team are all achievable through development. The likelihood of a youth player that is in love with the game to pass it on to their children when they grow up means more knowledgeable parents and a game that is growing within a generation.

but as stated earlier, many of the soccer organizations point towards the loss of players, and in huge numbers. Wander around a soccer complex on a weekend and listen to coaches and parents alike and you’ll see why young athletes no longer wish to play.

changing the way we develop players, coaches, and parents with a new messaging and outlook can reverse the decline in youth participants. In return quite possibly improve the state of the game at MLS and national levels as well.

But as long as we continue to emphasize consistent winning of leagues and tournaments. The coaches in order to keep the team together or for a parent to not jump to a “better” team then we will just continue to churn out players that are technically deficient, uncreative, making bad decisions in games or tactically short. That’s if they stay in the sport.

Buy-in and staus quo

Attempting to change the status quo could be met with apprehension. While wanting to make changes for the better. Asking parents, players, and coaches to “buy-in” to a different approach while there is an increased chance of losing more games before winning can be suicidal.

Players attempting to use technical abilities in games without having fear of reprimand or being subbed because of mistakes. Are more likely to thrive with every game. Allowing players to see and make decisions during the game whether it worked or not will make better and more creative players.

Mistakes will happen, but if the league is more important or not having the team relegated to a division. If the team has to win or parents will look elsewhere the next season. Then working with players to develop is not the priority. Winning the game through any means is.

Read: Roadmaps to success

Ball contact time

Ask yourself as a parent or player, how much time does my child or I spend on contact time with a ball each week? Not much huh?

We have probably all heard of the 10,000-hour rule. in order to improve or attain skills then the time has no substitute.

In a world where kids and Millenials expect everything instantly, some things such as learning, skill attainment etc. will always be governed by the amount of time given to it.

Most players believe that practicing twice a week for one and a half hours will be the making of a professional player, those expectations need to be adjusted.

We don’t go to school for a couple of hours a week and then become a Doctor or Lawyer. It takes years.

Learning to play a sport is no different. Combinations of structured learning, unstructured, playing games, and street games each week will certainly help in gaining the hours needed to become sufficient in that skill.

Parent engagement at home

Questions we hear from parents, I don’t know what to practice with my kid on. I don’t know soccer enough to help my kid at home. Can you give me practice drills so I can work with my kid?

The only important thing for parents to know is, have your child love to have a ball at their feet.

• Don’t call it practice, instead ask your player if they want to go outside and play
• Don’t worry about drills, make up fun games, competitive games. All touches on the ball are repetitive and enables technical learning.
• Don’t force your player into something they don’t want to do, ask your coach what they did as kids and see if there’s a way to replicate.
• Let them have friends over and make sure there are plenty of balls lying around outside.

Read: 18 young players to watch in 2021

Individual Learning Plans

Our club has invested in the player. Increasing contact time with the ball has become a focus. Improving coaching through internal and external coaches’ professional development programs.

As we have mentioned we are not oblivious to the current trends in parents want to win, kids wanting to be on a winning team, etc. But we have placed a balance on that by introducing individual skills learning. Skills delivered through a player’s need to improve in either individual technical needs or by positional skills needs.

New players, coaches, and teams will learn through the need to improve players and have players fall in love with the game.

Coaches are the key

By having coaches that are excited, animated, hold standards, and create fun, engaging learning environments. Coaches are encouraged to show players their love for the game, not to sub players for mistakes. Having coaches communicate to players that their effort is good or that more effort is needed, we believe players will excel.

Creating ILP’s with the player being central to its content and goals, with the club providing support through online skills apps, in-person camps, and programs. Weekly ILP sessions to increase contact time, Skills challenges.

Weekly recognition of goals, saves, and plays of the week through social media to increase watching more soccer and wanting to star in the next week’s playlist.

Holding annual coaches online virtual conferences, monthly coaching in-person seminars. breaking down game footage and having guest coaches for a team coaching session. All ways to hold coaches to higher standards, access to education, and the embracing of questioning their sessions and coaching philosophy.

It takes courage to invest in our youth. But our passion for leaving the game in a better state than when we started is what drives us to hold ourselves to the highest standards.