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re: Raising a soccer prodigy
Posted on 5/31/13 at 8:07 am to vistajay
Posted on 5/31/13 at 8:07 am to vistajay
quote:Both. Put him on the highest possible level team you can find, and let him also work with private training on off days.. Also, MAKE SURE you dont burn him out. Let him drive it. If you force it he will crumble.
Does he need to be on a travel team at the highest available level or is private training the way to go
1
Posted on 5/31/13 at 8:12 am to vistajay
PS - prodigy is a very strong word. The fact that he's 10 and you're asking about teams makes me a little nervous. What league did he play in say this past season?
Posted on 5/31/13 at 8:56 am to The Mick
quote:
Put him on the highest possible level team you can find, and let him also work with private training on off days.. Also, MAKE SURE you dont burn him out
not possible to do everything i quoted
Posted on 5/31/13 at 8:58 am to rockchlkjayhku11
quote:??
not possible to do everything i quoted
Posted on 5/31/13 at 9:12 am to The Mick
"Prodigy" is probably too strong. Perhaps talent or prospect is better. He is doing a lot of the things suggested already and has been for years. Facing some decisions about where he will train and play in the fall, so just looking for some opinions about training philosophies.
Posted on 5/31/13 at 9:22 am to vistajay
I know some kids who are playing D1 college and a couple of players who are in MLS (not stars, they dont even see the field but still...). They have all played on good club teams (even if it meant leaving their friends and playing for a club in another area). ** Obviously there are mixed feelings about that. The thought process is to play in the highest level events and sometimes the home town club team cant reach or compete in those events. However, I personally feel all of that is more geared towards exposure for scholarships rather than development. I think a motivated kid can get just as good playing at home club but that's just my personal opinion (provided the coaching staff is competent).
They also did private soccer skills training, and fitness training on the off days.. Fitness is a huge part of it, speed and agility.
Again, make sure its what the kid wants and not what the parents want.
PS - for a 10 year old, I would be focusing on the training/coaching during the week. Make sure he's with a good staff. The wins/losses of his club team dont really matter much.
They also did private soccer skills training, and fitness training on the off days.. Fitness is a huge part of it, speed and agility.
Again, make sure its what the kid wants and not what the parents want.
PS - for a 10 year old, I would be focusing on the training/coaching during the week. Make sure he's with a good staff. The wins/losses of his club team dont really matter much.
This post was edited on 5/31/13 at 9:24 am
Posted on 5/31/13 at 10:30 am to The Mick
What position is your kid best suited for?
He needs to be watching soccer. It sounds silly, but watching great teams and players will make him want to emulate them. My high school coach used to make us watch a BPL game every week and it helps because you can see how the game is supposed to be played at the highest level.
If you think he's going to be an attacker:
For training, the most important thing for a young kid is to understand how important his first touch is and how to use it to his advantage. Get him comfortable on the ball in tight spaces. Repetition is the key with ball striking. The more crossing, shooting, and passing drills he does, the better he will get.
If you think he will be a defender:
Get him very comfortable with he idea of heading the ball. He needs to learn early on not to be afraid of the ball and how to properly approach heading (with the crown of his head). There are a lot of mental concepts involved with defense he will need to be introduced to as well, but that can only be done while working with the rest of the back line. Spacing is VERY important as a defender.
There is a camp at the University of Texas that is 2 weeks long. I went one summer and learned A LOT. Camps get good players together with good coaches and allows them to focus all their time and energy toward getting better.
He needs to be watching soccer. It sounds silly, but watching great teams and players will make him want to emulate them. My high school coach used to make us watch a BPL game every week and it helps because you can see how the game is supposed to be played at the highest level.
If you think he's going to be an attacker:
For training, the most important thing for a young kid is to understand how important his first touch is and how to use it to his advantage. Get him comfortable on the ball in tight spaces. Repetition is the key with ball striking. The more crossing, shooting, and passing drills he does, the better he will get.
If you think he will be a defender:
Get him very comfortable with he idea of heading the ball. He needs to learn early on not to be afraid of the ball and how to properly approach heading (with the crown of his head). There are a lot of mental concepts involved with defense he will need to be introduced to as well, but that can only be done while working with the rest of the back line. Spacing is VERY important as a defender.
There is a camp at the University of Texas that is 2 weeks long. I went one summer and learned A LOT. Camps get good players together with good coaches and allows them to focus all their time and energy toward getting better.
Posted on 5/31/13 at 11:37 am to lesismeaurx
the bottom line is:
Get your kid practicing everyday. It can be in a team setting or individually; but the kid needs time with the ball at his feet.
If you have the time, there's all kinds of videos/tutorials on the interwebs on how kids at La Masia, Clairefontaine, etc. train. It's a mix of speed ladders, speed hurdles, etc. (to build quickness and change of direction speed) and small team based activities (to build vision, tactical awareness, and first touch).
Camps are a good way to get a lot of concentrated learning, but it only translates if your child continues that training. I've been to Duke (3x) and SMU (1x) and they were great. But it's only what they make it.
If you're hardcore (or have money to burn), I've had teammates that spent 3 months at the IMG (previously Bolletieri) soccer camp and they loved it.
You do need to be careful about burnout though, but that's at your discretion.
Get your kid practicing everyday. It can be in a team setting or individually; but the kid needs time with the ball at his feet.
If you have the time, there's all kinds of videos/tutorials on the interwebs on how kids at La Masia, Clairefontaine, etc. train. It's a mix of speed ladders, speed hurdles, etc. (to build quickness and change of direction speed) and small team based activities (to build vision, tactical awareness, and first touch).
Camps are a good way to get a lot of concentrated learning, but it only translates if your child continues that training. I've been to Duke (3x) and SMU (1x) and they were great. But it's only what they make it.
If you're hardcore (or have money to burn), I've had teammates that spent 3 months at the IMG (previously Bolletieri) soccer camp and they loved it.
You do need to be careful about burnout though, but that's at your discretion.
Posted on 6/26/13 at 12:20 pm to Early Cuyler
quote:
One isn't even a US citizen yet,
He is now.
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