The Undeniable Truth of Soccer Development.

Enthusiasm for soccer after the World Cup has skyrocketed. Endless video clips pop up on my phone, showing how a player can become a champion with this move or that product.  Although most are well-intended, there is a tidal wave of misinformation about soccer development flooding the internet. I saw a couple of videos showing how to kick a power shot. The instructor pointed out, keep your toe facing down. This is so incorrect and dangerous. If you power strike a ball and your foot is facing down, there is a strong possibility that your toe will hit the turf, and you can damage your ankle. Another suggested you use your ankle to side foot the ball because it's flat. Insane information, completely wrong. Some of these videos are getting thousands of likes. I am a believer in free market soccer, meaning anyone has the right to offer a service or a product. It is up to the consumer to determine what their needs are and what a service is worth. However, there are absolutes in youth soccer development that no amount of money, product or training can change. Correct information improves development; incorrect information damages development. Here are a few absolutes.

1. No coach, academy, amount of training or product can give a player more talent than they were born with. This means that whatever level your child's limits are, whether recreational or professional, those limits are set at birth. Understanding these limits determines whether your participation in youth soccer is fulfilling or frustrating.

2. No coach academy or any assessor can determine a child's future potential at an early age. Growth has a path. Puberty hits early for some, late for others. Early developed players may dominate in the moment; however, they are overtaken in the teen years by those who develop late. In my forty years of coaching, I can think of only one player who was dominant at a young age and continued to be dominant in later years. Yet I have witnessed countless players struggling in their early years, yet through correct training, hard work and sound adult decisions, do reach their full potential. It is a sound long-term investment for a program to develop all players of all abilities, allowing each to reach their full potential, whatever that may be. A player cannot be properly assessed until puberty hits.

3. Quality training leads to reaching full potential. Quantity training leads to physical damage and burnout. Young bodies need time to grow, rest, and recover to develop the way nature intended. The saturation of training and games will have a negative effect on the young growing body.  Not only does excessive training damage the body, but it also damages the mind in the sense that it does not allow for free expression. All the great players that I followed growing up learned their moves on the playground, discovering their own natural talents. Now, players are over-coached, they become predictable and play under fixed formulas. This method of development suppresses individual differences and suffocates individual talent.

4. Muscle memory is about repetition. How fast a player can complete an action is determined by how often they touch a ball. A player who plays on a championship team but touches the ball a minimum amount will develop far slower than a player who plays on a losing team and touches the ball a lot. Winning first in the early years can be a negative for individual development. Losing in the early years can offer far more rewards in the long term. Winning in the early years brings a false sense of expectation. Losing builds character and forces a player to work hard to become better. That is why most great soccer players had to work hard to become who they are, because in their early years they were not the best players.

5. Knowledge is power. It is knowledge that gives the best opportunity for success. Having the ability to separate good knowledge from bad knowledge is the difference between success and failure. My only suggestion is to look at all the facts and trust your instincts. Don’t put your desires to win over what's best for your child's development. I do my part by writing, Youth soccer handbook a platform for success 10 Most Important Youth Soccer Lessons. Based on my fifty years of experience as a player, coach and parent. Do your part by being informed.

Thank you.