Youth Soccer: Field Size Matters

The size of a soccer field can have an impact on the outcome of the game.

My daughter plays U10 elite soccer. In this area, elite soccer is played 6 v 6 on fields 40 yards wide by 60 yards long. There is a loop hole in the rules that says if a club cannot provide a field of the recommended size then the field size may reasonably vary. What does reasonably mean?

Game 134

On Sunday, my daughter had an away game. The game was suppose to be played on a grass field. The field that was prepared for the game was much smaller than recommended for league play at about 30 yards wide by 50 yards long. The smaller field benefits more physical teams. Our coach complained that the the field did not meet the standards. He was trying to get the game played on an adjacent field that was regulation size. The opposing coach saw an opportunity and asked if our team wanted to play on the turf field. Our coach accepted thinking that the girls would benefit from the experience. What he did not know at the time of the decision was that the field is 60 yards by 90 yards. This size field benefits teams who are fast and physically fit and teams with lots of subs.

I believe that the coach of the other team selected the small field to control the game with his physical players, but changed strategies when he saw that we only had one sub. He seized the opportunity to move up to the turf where his team would have an advantage because they practice on turf and because they had two more subs than our team had.

Our team controlled the entire game but could not score. The passing lanes were too long to execute the team's normal passing combinations and our team was two tired to make the long runs necessary to score. My daughter played goalie and only touched the ball twice. Most of the game she stood bored 60 yards from any action at all.

She played goalie for the entire game because her ankle is still black and blue and purple and green from her injury last week.

Lonely goalie on a field too large for 6 v 6

From the official league rules

THE INTENTION OF THE RULES BELOW IS TO ESTABLISH ONES UNIQUE TO TEAMS PLAYING 6 v 6.

FIELD OF PLAY:

Size: The field size shall be forty (40) yards wide by sixty (60) yards long. However, the ability of each club to dedicate fields of various sizes for the various ages is not the same, so the field size may reasonably vary from the preceding.

Center circle: Radius of the center circle shall be eight (8) yards.

Corner arc: The corner arc shall be a quarter arc having a one (1) yard radius.

Penalty area: The penalty area shall extend twelve (12) yards along the goal line from the inside of each goalpost, so it shall be thirty (30) yards wide, and shall extend twelve (12) yards into the field from the goal line.

Penalty mark: The penalty mark shall be midpoint between the goalposts, eight (8) yards from the goal line. An arc of a circle having a radius of eight (8) yards from the penalty mark shall be drawn outside the penalty area.

Goal area: The goal area shall extend six (6) yards along the goal line from the inside of each goalpost, so it shall be forty two (18) yards wide, and shall extend six (6) yards into the field from the goal line.

Goals: Goals shall be eighteen (18) feet wide and six (6) feet in height. However, if goals of that size are not available, larger ones may be used.

The Main Point


There's a lot of strategy and gamesmanship in the game of soccer. Good coaches will take advantage of the field and field conditions to create an advantage. My coaching mentor gave me some great advice one day. He told me to survey the field before the game. He told me to walk the entire field and look for areas that have holes or rough ground. He had me look for areas that maybe down or uphill. He said to look for puddles and determine if the wind and sun will play a role. He told me that soccer is a game typically won and lost by one goal that happens in a few seconds of action. He said know the field and its physical features and then use the knowledge to your advantage because it just might impact those few seconds of action that make a difference.

Youth Soccer: Foot Injury

Kids love travel soccer tournaments. They love being with their friends and running around the hotel just as much as they love the competition. They love swimming in the hotel pool and pressing all the buttons on the elevator just as much as they love scoring a goal.

Friday night, we drove to an elite tournament in Columbus, Ohio. My wife drove up with my daughter, CC and son, Nic. I followed from work alone because we needed two cars. My son had a baseball game back home on Saturday. I was about an hour behind my family. As I turned down the road where the hotel was located, I called my wife. She answered the phone, "I can't talk CC just got hurt. We are in room 213. Bye" She hung up before I could reply. I got to the room just a few minutes later to find my daughter crying on the bed with a swollen foot.

CC had jumped on an elliptical exercise machine after swimming with friends in the pool. She got the momentum going on it then her wet foot slipped forward. She was off balance and the machine tossed her 63 pound body forward. She caught her self with the support bars but could not clear her foot before it got caught by the moving parts.

The foot did not look good. It was bruised on the top and back on the achilles heel. It was swollen on the side. On of the parents is a paramedic. He looked at CC's foot and said that it could be broken, but most likely is not. It was too late to go to an urgent care center and we did not want to sit in a city hospital emergency room all night, so we iced it up, went to bed and hoped for the best.

Game 129 and 130

Nationwide Children's Hospital Foot X-Ray

The next morning, the pain, swelling and bruising had not subsided at all. She could not put much weight on it.

We skipped the 8am game to go to the urgent care center of Nationwide Children's hospital instead. As she was getting x-rays her team was lost 2-0.

Fortunately, the x-rays were negative, no breaks. This gave her confidence to put more weight on the foot, but she could not bear much. She did not play in the second game and the team lost 3-0.

The Main Point

I never missed a game in my life until I was blew out my ACL playing adult softball at age 26. I played my entire senior year of lacrosse with a painful hairline fracture of my shin. I needed to get my dad to sign a school release to allow me to play with the injury. My mom wouldn't sign it. I wore a soccer shin pad and took lots anti-inflammatories to get through the season.

My wife had never missed a game in her life either.

We half expected our daughter to jump out of bed and play through it the next day. She didn't. She couldn't.

As I was wheeling CC through the hospital I saw a little kid who looked very ill. His parents were holding back the tears. I thought to myself even if the foot is broken things could be a whole lot worse. So what if she misses a game or two or ten. Ironically, this is the same advice I gave my sister in the post about her injured son last week.

Youth Golf: Substitute Coach

The head coach of the golf team had a conflict and was not available to coach the match last Wednesday. He sent an email out to ask for volunteers, even though it was my birthday I answered the call.

My duties were simple. I made the pairings. I handed out score cards to the players. I walked the course between my first and second team to spot balls and answer any questions regarding the rules. I collected the cards at the end of the match. I then verified the individual scores on each card. I selected the four lowest scores from the six players on each team. I added up the four scores. I compared my results with the coach from the other team. We announced the medalist (the lowest individual score) and the winning team.

The only coaching I did was with the number two player on our team. He started off (+7) on the first four holes. He was uncharacteristically spraying the ball all over the place. On the fifth hole, he hit a monster hook into an area loaded with trees. He immediately looked away in disgust and did not see the ball rebound perfectly down the fairway. Head down, he walked into the woods to look for the ball. I caught up to him and showed him where his ball was. I told him good drive. He looked at me strangely and did not say a word. I said, "Listen to me it looks like a really good drive by a really good player. Sometimes you just need a break to get on a roll." I looked him in the eyes, "This is your break. You are a good player, run with it." He calmed down and finished 10 over.  His score was good enough to be in the top 4.

Game 126

Conversely, my son, Nic, started off just one over after the first 4 holes. On the fifth hole, he hit what looked like a great drive down the right hand side of the fairway. Unfortunately it clipped a tree limb and got knocked down. Instead of punching out into the fairway, my son tried to thread the needle. He again hit a tree. His third shot hit more trees and he ended up just short of a green-side bunker. Unfortunately for his fourth shot, he had have one foot in the bunker and one foot out. Despite the awkward position, he tried to flop the ball just over the lip of the trap to a pin nestled right beyond the bunker. His shot did not clear the lip and rolled back into the bunker. He ended up with an 8. I watched the debacle from afar while I was with the number two player. I could not get over to him to offer advice.

Nic was pissed. He wanted desperately shoot low on my birthday. He could not calm himself down and started to struggle. With each shot he became more upset. While he did not throw clubs, he did start taking full John Daly-esque practice swings even for short chips. I did not get on him because it was my birthday and I did not want that as a memory. He finished with an 11 over and his score did not count.

His team won the match 162 to 176.

Game 128

The next day. He struggled again. This time he could not contain himself and slammed his sandwedge into the rock hard ground (It has not rained here for weeks) and bent the club. It's lesson time now. He is without a club until he finds a way to get it fixed with his own money and problem solving skills.

The Main Point

No matter how good you are at golf, golf is a frustrating game. Every golfer, regardless of handicap high or low, wants to play great every round, hole, shot.

The best golfers contain their emotions 99% of the time. My son contains his emotions about 80% of the time. 80% is a huge improvement over the last couple of years. If he wants to excel at golf he will need to continue to improve on that.

Youth Football: Injuries Part of the Game

My nephew is lighting fast and incredibly strong. He is a threat to score a touchdown every time he touches the ball. When you see him play, you know, everyone knows, that he is the best player on the field. He just stands out. Stands out so much that he is being recruited by Division I college programs.

On Wednesday he got a letter from a famous coach, on Friday, he was injured. He hobbled off the field with what looked like a sprained ankle. X-rays revealed nothing, but a specialist determined that it was a rare lisfranc fracture.

He will miss the remainder of his junior year football season. He will miss his entire junior year of basketball. He was expected to be a star as the team's point guard and shut down defender. He will likely miss next football season too. My sister, my brother-in-law and my nephew are devastated.

His highlight reel is short but very impressive. A college coach will take a chance on him with limited data and be rewarded.

The Main Point

All athletes need to prepare for a life without sports. It may be because you are just not good enough anymore. It may be because you get hurt. It may be because of the politics of sports. It may be for financial reasons. Regardless, athletes need to prepare for that day and have a back up plan. The best backup plan for young athletes is excelling in school.

On the same night my nephew was injured, a local high school kid was skateboarding home late at night. He was hit by a car and was killed. That is devastating. That puts the injury into perspective.

Youth Golf: It's a Team Game

Before the golf match, the coach told the team that every shot counts. He told them to keep their cool and do not let one bad shot lead to more bad shots.

Yesterday, my son's team came in second in a big regional tournament. They lost 285 to 287. They lost by a meager two strokes. 

There are six golfers active on a team during a match. The final score is made up of the four lowest scores among the six golfers. Yesterday my son shot a 77 and had the 3rd best score on his team. He shot a 77 despite getting a 9 on the 8th hole. He shot a 46 on the front (Par 35) and a 31 on the back (Par 27). 

After the match, two of the players were needling my son about his 9 on number 8. They reminded him that if he did not blow up on that hole they would have won. The two players needling him the most were the two golfers whose scores did not count at all. 

My son laughed it off while he reminded them that the team would have come in second if they did not even get out of bed. 

The Main Point

During a golf tournament every single player can look back at his or her game and find one or two shots that they could have played better to save a stroke or two. It might have been a errant drive that went OB. It might have been a short putt that lipped out. Of course every player can look back on their game and find one or two lucky shots saved a stroke or two. I might have been a shot through the trees that did not hit a single limb. It might have been a 40 foot putt. Golf is a team game.

Game 122

I walked and watched the entire 18 holes of Nic's match. Well actually, I missed the 8th hole. It started to rain and I ran back to the car to get an umbrella. That's the hole he blew up on. The 8th hole is a tricky par 4 hole with a huge tree that blocks the left side of the green and OB that runs down the right side. The green can be reached in one, but target golf is probably the better play. My son is aggressive at this stage of his golfing career.

He approached the tee with a driver in his hand and rain dripping off his visor. He approached the hole with the intent to put the ball near the green. He pulled his first aggressive drive OB into the woods. He got mad and tried to make up for it with an even bigger drive. He again pulled the drive into the woods. He ended up getting a 9 on the hole. He did not heed the coach's advice and let one bad shot turn into two. He almost let two bad shots turn into three.

He approached to par 4, 236 yard 9th hole still seething. The hole is a dog leg right with trees protecting the green. I was standing under my umbrella next to the green, I did not have time to get to the tee after my run to the car. I got down as low as I could to see Nic on the tee box from under the trees. I could see the swing and then I could hear the ping of the ball making contact with the driver. Then I could hear the ball clipping the top of the trees. I scattered to avoid getting hit with the ball. The ball landed 10 feet to my right and darted passed several trees trunks and rolled up to the green. He was about 10 feet short of the green and 20 feet from the pin. It was a good shot. It was a lucky shot. He later told me that he swung his club as hard as he could still angry about the 8th hole. I told him to remember what his coach had said that every shot counts. He calmed down and had one of the lowest rounds on the back nine.

Youth Soccer: Over Zealous Coaches

I have a novel idea for youth sports coaches who want to improve. The idea came to me while I was watching my daughter's soccer practice. Coaches should video themselves. Coaches both learn and teach from video that captures the action on the field. Similarly, coaches could learn a lot from watching video of themselves on the sidelines during games.

Crazy Youth Sports Parents Series

Yesterday, during my daughter's practice, I was completely distracted by the antics of coach who was working the sidelines of a U9 boys soccer game on an adjacent field. The guy was loud and animated. He was both encouraging and demeaning. He was both optimistic and pessimistic. He was both nice and mean. He would clap and raise his hands in support as often as he would throw his hands down and turn away in disgust.

"Good play David! Good play!"
"Johnny what are you thinking?! You are so much smarter than that"
"YEAH, Andy. YEAH, YEAH that is exactly how we want you to do that. PERFECT!
"Really Jason! That's the best you can do. We all know you can do better!"
"Run Cameron, Come on you are faster than that!"
"Way to get back Josh. Awesome!
"Get up of the bench Jack and get Billy out of the game. I am tired of watching him walk around."

I was thinking to myself. I wish I had my video camera with me. I would love to video tape this coach and show him that he is acting like a complete jackass. (My iphone was not charged at the time.)

I also realized that when I was first coaching that I was more like him than not. I was not as negative as this coach, but I was way too animated. I mellowed over time when I realized that the good coaches do not act like this. If this coach just looked down the sidelines at the opposing coaches, he would have realized that they did not shout out a single command, yet their kids were controlling the game and ended up winning 1-0.

The Main Point


There are a lot of well intentioned dad coaches who need coaching. I am sure that this coach thinks that he is encouraging. I am sure that he would be appalled with his own behavior if he could just see it. Obtaining coaching training and a soccer coaching license is recommended. During the licensing process  learn a lot about how to act as a coach.

Youth Soccer: Elite Level Soccer

Not all select soccer tournaments are the same. There are some tournaments that are very selective. Meaning they select the best select teams from all the applicants. The following comes from the FAQ on one of the best tournaments in Ohio, the Mead Cup it illustrates my point. 

My team has an excellent record, so why can't we be in the FiveStar (top) Division?

With over 40 State Cup Champions and almost 20 State Cup Runnerups in the U12, U13, & U14 Age Groups you can clearly see that the level of competition is extremely high. This occasionally means a few teams are surprised when they are not in the FiveStar Division. The Tournament Committee does an extensive review of the applications we recieve, and seeds teams based predominantly on their performance record (occsasionally geographical diversity factors in). Although you may not agree with our assesment, we assure you that we try to give it our best possible effort based on the information that was submitted by each team.

Games 118, 119 and 120

My daughter's team competed in the U10 Girls Five Star division. Her team competed hard in pool play winning 1 and losing 2. They did not advance to the elimination round.

The Main Point


There are levels within the levels. Soccer players move up to select from rec. Select players are then placed on E level, D level, C level, Premier and Elite teams. My daughter is only a U10 Elite level player, when she is a bit older she will have even higher levels to reach if she continues to develop as a player. The top select players move on to CUP level and ODP (Olympic development). There are also super regional teams. Parents need to understanding the levels within the levels if they want to help their kids reach the highest levels of soccer.

Youth Soccer: Respect the Ref Video

Crazy Youth Parent Series

This is a great video produced by TheFA.com called Ray Calls for Respect which clearly and effectively illustrates just how ridiculous crazy youth parents can behave on the sidelines. Verbal attacks toward the referees and their own kids can be so damaging to the kids involved and the game as a whole. It is a powerful video that all parents regardless of the sport their kids play should watch.

The Main Point

According to the video, it is getting harder and harder to find people willing to referee. I can believe this because I would not want to subject myself to the barrage of insults and complaints from crazy youth sports parents. The video correctly states that there would be no games if there are no referees. 

The other point that the video makes is that players improve by learning from their own mistakes. I have seen it in all sports where parents unrelentingly find faults with their kids performance and do not hesitate to make it public by yelling from the sidelines. Kids of parents like this eventually play tentatively. When this happens a kid starts thinking too much about what to do and not do that they do not react instinctively. A slight moment of hesitation can be the difference between success and failure. The best line in the video: How is your son suppose to learn if he's not allowed to make mistakes.

Youth Basketball: Refereeing is not Easy

I learned that basketball refereeing is not easy.

My daughter had a scrimmage basketball game last Saturday. The dad of one of my daughter's teammates is a certified ref and offered to officiate the game. He is used to refereeing with another ref so he approached the stands and asked the other dads to take the other referee spot. I was volunteered by the other dads because I was wearing a referee like white golf shirt with black horizontal pinstripes. I could not argue. Heck, I had been refereeing games from the stands for years, how hard can it be.

I found that it is much easier to referee from the stands.

The first challenge is to be in the right position. The referees movements are almost choreographed. They move fluidly together. I never paid much attention to the refs movements before. In the beginning of the game, the real ref was constantly telling me were to be. I found myself paying more attention to where I was positioned and not paying close attention to the action on the court. Eventually the positioning around the court became intuitive and when it did I was better able to concentrated on the game.

The second challenge was calling fouls. I could see them, but I had trouble blowing the whistle in a timely manner. I see the foul. I think to myself what a hack job that was. The play continues. I realize I am the ref. I reach for the whistle then decide that it is too late to call the foul. The ref told me that that is a common issue with new refs.

The third challenge was not rooting for my daughter. I was running the court with the teams and watching my daughter do her thing as the point guard. Several times I had to restrain myself from yelling instructions to her like "watch your back" or "Rachel is open" etc.

Game 115

My daughter's team won the game 15 to 9. CC had 4 points and 3 assists. Most importantly, my refereeing had no impact on the game result.

The Main Point

Refereeing from the stands is easy. Refereeing on the court is not.

Youth Soccer: Coaching Licenses (Part 1, the F License)

My daughter's soccer coach just returned from Pittsburgh where he just completed his C license. This is a big accomplishment that takes a substantial amount of money, time and commitment. If you are serious about coaching soccer, you should consider taking some soccer coaching certification classes and obtaining a license. Start with the F license.

In this 6 part series I will give you information on all the soccer coaching certification opportunities.

F License

Step One: The first thing you need to do is contact your state soccer association. Google Soccer "soccer coaching license" + your State to find the website with the information. You can typically register for coaching certification courses through the state soccer website.

Start with your F license it is easy to get and will give you some exposure to the process. If you know that you are definitely going to get a higher license you should start with the E certification because the F license is not a prerequisite for the E class. If you are unsure about your certification goals start with the F license.

The F license is a 9 hour course that consists of 3 hours of class room instruction and 6 hours of instruction on the field (weather permitting) or a gym. Bring a pad of paper to take notes, a pencil or pen, soccer cleats, shin pads and a #5 ball. If you didn't pay online bring a checkbook to pay for the course which will cost about $35.

The course will cover basic soccer techniques and coaching philosophy. The course is perfect for coaches of very young players or older recreational players.

Everyone who participates in all 9 hours of instruction will receive an F license. There is no written test.

The Main Point

If you want to be a good soccer coach for young players 5 to 8 years old and recreational level players 9+ spend the $35 and 9 hours of your time to obtain your F license. If you are a bit reluctant to take this step because you are nervous about your soccer abilities, don't be.  I have to admit I was a little worried about the 6 hour on field training because I had not played soccer in over 20 years, but every thing was done at an easy to understand and do pace. 

Youth Baseball: Little League vs Select

August is Little League World Series time so I thought that I would do some reading about the great worldwide event. 


As such, I stumbled upon the Bleacher Report post entitled Little League World Series 2010: Top 30 Little Leaguers Turned MLB Stars. I have to tell you that I found the list surprising and thought provoking. The list spans players debuting in 1959 to present day players. Check out the list of the Top 30 MLB players who played in the Little League World Series over the last 50 years and tell me if you are not surprise by how short and unimpressive the list is. I have watched and marveled at the talented players competing in Williamsport for years so surely the list of players reaching the MLB has be more expansive and impressive than this list. I did some checking and found a similar list on Wikipedia Little League Post.

Here is the list compiled by Bleacher Report - Name (MLB debut year)


30. Chin-Feng Chen (2002)
29. Jim Barbieri (1960)
28. Keith Lampard (1969)
27. Bill Connors (1967)
26. Adam Loewen (2006)
25. Guillermo Quiroz (1998)
24. Marc Pisciotta (1997)
23. Jim Pankovits (1984)
22. Hector Torres (1968)
21. Bobby Mitchell (1970)
20. Yusmeiro Petit (2006)
19. Carl Taylor (1964)
18. Sean Burroughs (2002)
17. Larvell Blanks (1980)
16. Lloyd McClendon (1987)
15. Lastings Milledge (2005)
14. Ken Hubbs (1962 NL Rookie of the Year, died in air traffic accident.)
13. Ed Vosberg (1992)
12. Charlie Hayes (1983)
11. Dave Veres (1994)
10. Wilson Alvarez (1994)
09. Dan Wilson (1993)
08. Jason Marquis (1996)
07. Derek Bell (1991)
06. Jason Bay (2003)
05. Jason Varitek (1997)
04. Rick Wise (1964)
03. Carney Lansford (1977)
02. Boog Powell (1959)
01. Gary Sheffield (1988)

I think I know why this list is so unimpressive. Pure and simple, the best players do not play Little League Baseball, they play select or travel ball instead. Generally speaking, here are the reasons why Little League players are not as strong as their select counterparts.


Select players typically get better coaching / training


In our city the best players shun Little League and opt to play on highly developed select ball teams where the instruction level is typically superior and often year round. Little Leaguers are often coached by dads. While dads are involved in select ball too, kids are also being instructed by former major league, minor league and / or college players. My son's current team has a former Mets minor league catcher and a former Big Ten Michigan player as trainers. The team also has a direct connection to one of the best High School baseball programs in the state. Through this association, the team gets some instruction from the HS coaches and use of top notch facilities for winter training. Little Leaguers do not typically train year round.


Select players get more playing experience


The typical Little League schedule has anywhere from 18 to 30 games which includes an end of season tournament. (Keep in mind that the Little League World Series is made up of All Stars from the entire league and is played by a select few after the regular season at age 12). 12 year old select players typically play in 50-80 games. I have also noticed that select teams carry less players on their rosters compared to Little League teams. This of course means that each select player will get more innings and at bats compared to a Little Leaguer.


Select players are playing against better competition


As the name suggests, select ball is made up of a selection of the best players in the region. Little League has an open registration and team are often randomly selected. Little League gets some really talented players as we have seen on ESPN, but during the regular season they are playing with and against developmental players. Select players are always competing against the best players in the region and often travel far and wide to play in top talent tournaments.


Select players play on bigger fields

Another reason the top players do not play Little League is the size of the fields. 12 year old Little Leaguers look over grown when they play on a field with 60 foot base paths and 46 foot pitching distance. In select, 8U and 9U players play on a field this size. By the age of 12, the age of most Little League World Series participants, select players play on 70 foot base paths and 50' 6" pitching distance. 13 year olds play on 80 foot base paths and 54' pitching and 14 year olds play on MLB size fields. The slow progression in the field size helps the select player prepared for High School Ball. I assume Little League uses the smaller fields for the developmental players that are on every team. I would imagine that many Little League players jumping up from 60 foot to 80 or 90 foot base paths would struggle initially. This struggle may come when they are trying out for a high school team.


Select Players play a more sophisticated game.


Little League does not use High School rules. They use modified rules because many of the kids are developmental. In Little League a batter is automatically out on a dropped third strike and base runners are not allowed to take a lead. In select, stealing and dropped third strikes are played by U9 players who play at the highest level. 


This is an important distinction. Select pitchers, from a really young age, are learning pick off moves. Select base runners are learning how to read pitchers moves and steal bases at a young age. Select catchers are learning how to throw out base stealers. It is a much more sophisticated level of play and gives these players a clear advantage whey they move on to high school. I can tell you that the best players have no problem with these advanced rules. I also understand why Little League has these rules. Little league takes all players and randomly assigns players. Some players are very talented for sure, but many are not. The smaller field and the modified rules are make the game easier for the developmental players.

The Main Point


The Little League World Series showcases some great baseball talent for sure, but the evidence is clear that these players are not making it to the pros and the reasons are obvious. 

Youth Sports, Communism and Crazy Parents

Is there a difference between crazy youth sports parents in America and state sponsored athletic programs in say China, Russia or former eastern block countries?

I was having dinner with a guy from Romania and a women from Canada. We were talking about youth sports. The guy from Romania is somewhat quiet so I asked him many questions about Romania. I remembered when Nadia Comaneci captured the hearts of people worldwide in 1976. I asked him if Nadia Comaneci was still a legend there. He said yes. He talked about national sports programs where kids are shipped off to train night and day to make the Olympics.

I always had the impression that the state selected the top athletes and shipped them off to train. He explained that the state did not take the kids, the parents sent them off in hopes of bettering the family situation. He said in the US there are probably opportunities to train at top facilities close to your neighborhood. In some countries, access to top training is very limited, so parents need to send their kids away if the kid is going to have any chance of reaching the top levels of sports. I said, "That seems like a sad situation. The kids lose their youth and perhaps weaken the family bond. And for what? We only see the ones who make it big. There are probably hundreds of failures for each kid who made a name for themselves. That is a big risk. It's sad."

Crazy Youth Sports Parents Series

The women from Canada who was listening said something very interesting. She said, "Is it really different in the US?" Perhaps kids are not handed over to a state controlled, completely regimented training program where they tell you what to eat, when to sleep, when to study etc. In the US, crazy moms do the work of the state."

The Main Point

I grew up thinking that communist states were one big prison where the government controlled every aspect of the lives of its people. I assumed that the state patrolled the countryside looking for promising athletes and took them from their parents so that they could develop them into superior athletes in hopes that they would bring glory to the state. I often wondered if they killed, tortured or imprisoned the ones that did not bring glory to the state. Athletic success on the world stage demonstrated that communism was good and failure would bring communism into question. I am learning that it was not the state but the parents who controlled the situation in hopes that their kids would bring glory to their families and that is not very different from the situation of youth sports in the US.

Youth Soccer: Specializing in a Position

At what age should a young soccer player specialize at one position?

Last week, my daughter's soccer team won a very competitive pre-season soccer tournament against some of the best 10U teams in the region. My daughter, CC, played goalie for 150 minutes of the total 200 minutes of action during the 4 games. CC only played 20 minutes total on the field mostly at right wing. I was a little surprised by this because last season she was the second most productive offensive player on the team with 20 goals and 18 assists despite playing 50% of the time in goal. I know that my daughter likes playing goalie so it did not bother me that she played goalie in such an important tournament.

I did not want to make a big deal about it, but I did want to know the coach's philosophy on specializing on one position at such an early age. I emailed him the note below. My objective was to let him know that I do not mind my daughter playing goalie in tough games, but I would like her to continue to develop as a complete player. To inquire about the coaches intentions, I sent the following email. Note that I got the answer that I wanted without challenging the coach.

From: StatsDad
Sent: Monday, August 23, 2010 5:03 PM
To: Coach Roger
Subject: Goalie Training


Hi Roger, congrats on tourney win. CC enjoyed playing goalie during the tournament. Do you plan   to train her as a goalie?

From: Coach Roger

Sent: Monday, August 23, 2010 6:33 PM

To: StatsDad

Subject: Goalie Training

At this point, no, I know CC primarily played goalie this weekend, because she is an outstanding goalie, but I have no plans of making her a full time goalie. I want her on the field as much as possible, she is just as good on the field. My goal this past weekend was to build team confidence, by playing tough and having success against very good teams, we did that. I hope to rotate players through that position.


The club does offer keeper training and I will find out the times and days and encourage our players to go.


Now as CC gets older and really likes that position then we can start looking at that for her, but right now she is way too young to decide on one position.


I didn’t mean to send that message to her, I will let her know tonight , I want her on the field. But there will be times in tight games, where she can help us by playing in goal.

Games 111 - 114

CC's team won 2 games and lost one in pool play. They got to avenged their loss in the finals and won 2-1. CC made a game saving save on a corner kick with under two minutes left in the game. She made another spectacular save by tipping a high shot over the cross bar.

Tipped over the Crossbar

The Main Point

I do not think that a U10 player should be specializing at one position. If you have similar concerns talk to your coach. I suggest that you ask him or her questions without questioning his decisions.

Youth Baseball: Fall Ball

Fall Ball starts today.

My son has not played fall ball for several years. His last team did not play fall ball. The coach of that team was a strong believer that kids (pre-teens) should play multiple sports. He thought that playing baseball year round was not good for young developing arms.

Of course there are arguments on both sides of this debate. On the one side, doctors warn against repetitive use injuries while others argue that players from warmer climates like the Dominican Republic who play year round build arm strength. My only issue with Fall Ball, at least in this part of the country, is that the teams only participate in games. There are no practices and therefore players typically only throw once a week in the game. I think that this and not repetitive use is the biggest issue concerning arm injuries is especially as it gets cooler.

I too am a proponent of playing multiple sports during pre-teen and early teen years. I am, however, looking forward to this fall ball season. Perhaps because my son is on a new team with a new coaching staff. Or perhaps because my son missed the end of the spring / summer season with an elbow injury. I am not sure.

My thoughts on Fall Ball. Fall ball is NOT about winning. Fall ball is NOT about stats. Fall ball should focus solely on player development. Fall is a great time to experiment. Coaches should put players in different positions, allow interested players to switch hit, and have pitchers work on a new pitch. Finally, If a team is moving up to a division that plays on a larger field, fall is a great time to get used to the larger dimensions.

My son's coach has the right perspective:

The goal, once on the field, is to win the game, we expect the effort from the players to achieve a win.  However, mitigating factors influence the outcomes: New field dimensions; coaches getting to know the players; players getting to know the coaches and other players; players learning / trying new positions; Players pitching that have pitched little or not at all in the past; coaches experimenting with line-ups, positions and mechanics.  The coaches are looking for what we need to focus on this winter to train our players.  Be patient, have fun, dress for the weather!

The Main Point

Fall Ball seems like the end of the season. Actually Fall ball is the start of the next season. It is a time to stretch talents not stats.

Game 111

Nic's new team played their first fall ball game. Nic went 1 for 1 with 2 walks. He played LF, C, 2B and C.  He has not played anything but OF and C for two years. It was a refreshing change.

Youth Golf: How to Make the Golf Team

If you son or daughter wants to make the golf team it takes skills, practice, performance under pressure and passion because golf is typically very competitive and the margin for error is low. In baseball tryout you can miss hit a few balls and still make the team. In a basketball tryout you can miss a few shots and still make the team. In a football tryout you can miss a couple of blocks or tackles and still make the team. In a golf tryout, every shot counts.

Last year, my son's catholic school started a golf team consisting of 6th, 7th and 8th graders. A PGA teaching pro, who is a parishioner of the church, volunteered to be the coach. The coach conducted a 2 day tryout. Each potential player played 18 holes over a two day period. The players with the top nine scores were selected to be on the competitive A team. The A team played against other schools and clubs. The other 30 or so kids played on the B team. The B team competed weekly against each other.

Last year in 6th grade, my son, Nic, posted a total score of 101 and was the ninth golfer to make the team. I remember that he worked hard to secure that spot in the weeks preceding the tryout. During the season he became more and more confidence and improved with each match.

As the 2010 tryouts approached, Nic was busy playing baseball. Many of the competitors for the nine coveted spots did not play baseball so they had more time to work on their golf games. Nic heard that many of the kids had improved greatly. Nic knew he needed to make up for lost time, so once baseball ended, Nic dicated himself to golf. In fact, he played 37 straight days leading up to the tryout tournament. Some days he played 27+ holes. When Nic was not on the course he was in the back yard with his pitching wedge or in the basement making a miniature golf course.

The tryout was Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. My son shot an 82 (10 over par) and secured the 3rd position on the team. He was 6 over par after the first 3 holes of the tryout. I am proud that he kept his composure. He improved 19 stokes over last year. All of his friends who also worked hard made the team.

The Main Point

Self motivated people who pursue a goal with passion always succeed. The key is self motivation. My son would not have made the team if I was pushing him to do something he did not want to do. One parent of a kid who did not make the team said, "I wish my son had Nic's drive. If he did he would had a better chance."