ODP Regional Camp Experience

my2cents wrote:

Running wrote:

ontherightside wrote:There is no clear path to the National team other than be good enough - it also helps tremendously to be BIGGER, stronger, faster.

I get that but just wanted to know if there was any consensus on the best way to steer a good player.

And shouldn't it be (Smarter, More Skilled and Most Hard Working) as the attributes we need to get the US to the top of the World Stage?

Forget OTRS- Landon Donovan- period, end of conversation. As for the clear path you have identified the 2. ODP and DA. There are no other paths. Which is right for you depends on your individual circumstances. One thing though, for DA you need to live close to the North Dallas/Plano area because that is where they all are.

soccerrus2 wrote:

my2cents wrote:

Running wrote:

ontherightside wrote:There is no clear path to the National team other than be good enough - it also helps tremendously to be BIGGER, stronger, faster.

I get that but just wanted to know if there was any consensus on the best way to steer a good player.

And shouldn't it be (Smarter, More Skilled and Most Hard Working) as the attributes we need to get the US to the top of the World Stage?

Forget OTRS- Landon Donovan- period, end of conversation. As for the clear path you have identified the 2. ODP and DA. There are no other paths. Which is right for you depends on your individual circumstances. One thing though, for DA you need to live close to the North Dallas/Plano area because that is where they all are.

Solar trains in Grapevine as well.

my2cents wrote:

soccerrus2 wrote:

my2cents wrote:

Running wrote:

ontherightside wrote:There is no clear path to the National team other than be good enough - it also helps tremendously to be BIGGER, stronger, faster.

I get that but just wanted to know if there was any consensus on the best way to steer a good player.

And shouldn't it be (Smarter, More Skilled and Most Hard Working) as the attributes we need to get the US to the top of the World Stage?

Forget OTRS- Landon Donovan- period, end of conversation. As for the clear path you have identified the 2. ODP and DA. There are no other paths. Which is right for you depends on your individual circumstances. One thing though, for DA you need to live close to the North Dallas/Plano area because that is where they all are.

Solar trains in Grapevine as well.

U16 does

The DA teams?

Soccerismylife wrote:
I'm new With ODP, I know that 00's tryouts were moved, but did the 99's already went to there camp Tryouts. I have A nephew that is 99 & is interested. Is it too late For him to enter ODP?

Running wrote:

my2cents wrote:For the doubters of the value of ODP a quote from Top Drawer Soccer.com

U.S. Soccer held their initial identification camps for the Under-14 age group, as well as camps for the Under-15 age group this month. The US Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program (US Youth Soccer ODP) was again a common thread of those players called into U.S. camps as a total of 171 US Youth Soccer ODP players were selected, accounting for 77 percent of the participants. No other program or league in the U.S. has been as successful as US Youth Soccer ODP in identifying and promoting top players to the U.S. National Teams.


Read more: U14/15 National ID camp selections | Club Soccer Players To Watch(TM) | College Soccer Recruiting News

I have been lead to believe that if your kid is at the top of his age group he will play pre-academy and then development academy and that would be the way to the national team.

Do kids participate in both ODP and pre-academy/ Development Academy, or do they have to choose one or the other?

my2cents wrote:

Running wrote:

ontherightside wrote:There is no clear path to the National team other than be good enough - it also helps tremendously to be BIGGER, stronger, faster.

I get that but just wanted to know if there was any consensus on the best way to steer a good player.

And shouldn't it be (Smarter, More Skilled and Most Hard Working) as the attributes we need to get the US to the top of the World Stage?

Forget OTRS- Landon Donovan- period, end of conversation. As for the clear path you have identified the 2. ODP and DA. There are no other paths. Which is right for you depends on your individual circumstances. One thing though, for DA you need to live close to the North Dallas/Plano area because that is where they all are.

finish1 wrote:Read that article in the DMN last year just before the WC. Great story and very true. America has a twisted fascination with big, fast players, which is why we are not competitive beyond our borders.


Here is a nice goal by El Gringo.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIpZYvBG-8I

omega striker wrote:

finish1 wrote:Read that article in the DMN last year just before the WC. Great story and very true. America has a twisted fascination with big, fast players, which is why we are not competitive beyond our borders.


Here is a nice goal by El Gringo.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIpZYvBG-8I

you would have better luck bashing your head thru a brickwall here in NTX

Running wrote:

omega striker wrote:

finish1 wrote:Read that article in the DMN last year just before the WC. Great story and very true. America has a twisted fascination with big, fast players, which is why we are not competitive beyond our borders.


Here is a nice goal by El Gringo.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIpZYvBG-8I

you would have better luck bashing your head thru a brickwall here in NTX

I would hate to be the contrarian here, but I don't see anything wrong with having a preference for bigger, faster, stronger players. This does not bode well for my kids as they are on the smaller side, but do all things being equal, if I were a coach, I would pick the bigger kid over the smaller kid any day. I have seen too many games where great, skilled, little players get run off the ball by a bigger kid with more speed. Additionally, who is to say the bigger kid will not develop skills just as good as the little guy as he ages. Unfortunately, size and speed are too things you can't train but everyone can get better skills.

Examples of bigger players are Ronaldo (Real Madrid, 6-3 built like a linebacker yet has incredible skill and touch) That is the ideal type player, not the tiny guy with great skill. I agree Messi and Barceloa do a great job with little guys but I have seen Iniesta, Xavi and Messi get pushed off the ball.

So, I think the little guys have a chance, but do not faiult coaches for giving preference to the big guys. I think sometimes the "he didn't pick me because I am too little" is either an excuse, or actually a very good reason.

omega striker wrote:well if your playing the ol' "kick and run" style then yes bigger,stronger,faster is th tops if you are going to play "hot potato" then a smaller,quicker,more skilled player will win out everytime! but i completely understand your point we are sort of stuck in the middle so-to-speak in the US

DragonStryker wrote:

omega striker wrote:well if your playing the ol' "kick and run" style then yes bigger,stronger,faster is th tops if you are going to play "hot potato" then a smaller,quicker,more skilled player will win out everytime! but i completely understand your point we are sort of stuck in the middle so-to-speak in the US

I'm curious why you think a smaller player is necessarily "quicker" or "more skilled"? In many instances, neither is the case. In fact, I've seen a huge number of kids who fall into the smaller, slower, and less skilled (or simply smaller and less skilled but quick or smaller and quick but less skilled categories). Lets face it, everyone wasn't meant to be an elite athlete (takes a unique mix of genetics and work ethic) and I think a lot of parents have a hard time accepting the fact that their child is average because everyone these days has been told over and over to tell their child how special they are (seems a lot of parents believe their own BS to some degree).

I have seen numerous instances of smaller players being passed over for larger players only to later hear their parents complaining that such and such coach cut my son because he's small when in reality, it's because your son doesn't have near the skill you think he has.

Even in a possession style game, the true keys to success are quickness, speed, and skill. Those things being equal, a larger player beats a smaller player many more times than the opposite would be true simply by virtue of being able to control the field of play better (blocking, shielding, pushing another player off the ball, etc).

I think the reality is that most parents VASTLY overestimate the skill their son possesses and the fact that their son might be either smaller than average or not as big as some of the kid's gives them a readily accessible excuse to continue to deny their child's actual ability level. Especially when everyone on this board is so convinced it's the case.

My son's present D1 team has a small, highly skilled, very quick center mid (love the way that kid plays too). If your theories were true, he wouldn't be playing, let alone starting, and probably wouldn't even be on the team. And we aren't talking a little small, I'm only 5'5 and he's small compared to me. Downside is, he does get pushed off the ball regularly and has to work harder than a larger, similarly skilled player would to be competitive at this level. Seems your theory that only big, fast, strong players make those teams doesn't hold a ton of water when you really get right down to it.

Bottom line, given similar skills, I'll take bigger and faster of smaller and slower any day. And for a smaller player to be the equal of a larger player, he's got to have sufficient speed to overcome the size difference and be skilled enough to exploit his speed. Not as many kid's out there possess that aptitude as some around here seem to believe.

DragonStryker wrote:

omega striker wrote:well if your playing the ol' "kick and run" style then yes bigger,stronger,faster is th tops if you are going to play "hot potato" then a smaller,quicker,more skilled player will win out everytime! but i completely understand your point we are sort of stuck in the middle so-to-speak in the US

I'm curious why you think a smaller player is necessarily "quicker" or "more skilled"? In many instances, neither is the case. In fact, I've seen a huge number of kids who fall into the smaller, slower, and less skilled (or simply smaller and less skilled but quick or smaller and quick but less skilled categories). Lets face it, everyone wasn't meant to be an elite athlete (takes a unique mix of genetics and work ethic) and I think a lot of parents have a hard time accepting the fact that their child is average because everyone these days has been told over and over to tell their child how special they are (seems a lot of parents believe their own BS to some degree).

I have seen numerous instances of smaller players being passed over for larger players only to later hear their parents complaining that such and such coach cut my son because he's small when in reality, it's because your son doesn't have near the skill you think he has.

Even in a possession style game, the true keys to success are quickness, speed, and skill. Those things being equal, a larger player beats a smaller player many more times than the opposite would be true simply by virtue of being able to control the field of play better (blocking, shielding, pushing another player off the ball, etc).

I think the reality is that most parents VASTLY overestimate the skill their son possesses and the fact that their son might be either smaller than average or not as big as some of the kid's gives them a readily accessible excuse to continue to deny their child's actual ability level. Especially when everyone on this board is so convinced it's the case.

My son's present D1 team has a small, highly skilled, very quick center mid (love the way that kid plays too). If your theories were true, he wouldn't be playing, let alone starting, and probably wouldn't even be on the team. And we aren't talking a little small, I'm only 5'5 and he's small compared to me. Downside is, he does get pushed off the ball regularly and has to work harder than a larger, similarly skilled player would to be competitive at this level. Seems your theory that only big, fast, strong players make those teams doesn't hold a ton of water when you really get right down to it.

Bottom line, given similar skills, I'll take bigger and faster of smaller and slower any day. And for a smaller player to be the equal of a larger player, he's got to have sufficient speed to overcome the size difference and be skilled enough to exploit his speed. Not as many kid's out there possess that aptitude as some around here seem to believe.

Running wrote:

omega striker wrote:

finish1 wrote:Read that article in the DMN last year just before the WC. Great story and very true. America has a twisted fascination with big, fast players, which is why we are not competitive beyond our borders.


Here is a nice goal by El Gringo.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIpZYvBG-8I

you would have better luck bashing your head thru a brickwall here in NTX

I would hate to be the contrarian here, but I don't see anything wrong with having a preference for bigger, faster, stronger players. This does not bode well for my kids as they are on the smaller side, but do all things being equal, if I were a coach, I would pick the bigger kid over the smaller kid any day. I have seen too many games where great, skilled, little players get run off the ball by a bigger kid with more speed. Additionally, who is to say the bigger kid will not develop skills just as good as the little guy as he ages. Unfortunately, size and speed are too things you can't train but everyone can get better skills.

Examples of bigger players are Ronaldo (Real Madrid, 6-3 built like a linebacker yet has incredible skill and touch) That is the ideal type player, not the tiny guy with great skill. I agree Messi and Barceloa do a great job with little guys but I have seen Iniesta, Xavi and Messi get pushed off the ball.

So, I think the little guys have a chance, but do not faiult coaches for giving preference to the big guys. I think sometimes the "he didn't pick me because I am too little" is either an excuse, or actually a very good reason.

FGFF wrote:

Running wrote:

omega striker wrote:

finish1 wrote:Read that article in the DMN last year just before the WC. Great story and very true. America has a twisted fascination with big, fast players, which is why we are not competitive beyond our borders.


Here is a nice goal by El Gringo.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIpZYvBG-8I

you would have better luck bashing your head thru a brickwall here in NTX

I would hate to be the contrarian here, but I don't see anything wrong with having a preference for bigger, faster, stronger players. This does not bode well for my kids as they are on the smaller side, but do all things being equal, if I were a coach, I would pick the bigger kid over the smaller kid any day. I have seen too many games where great, skilled, little players get run off the ball by a bigger kid with more speed. Additionally, who is to say the bigger kid will not develop skills just as good as the little guy as he ages. Unfortunately, size and speed are too things you can't train but everyone can get better skills.

Examples of bigger players are Ronaldo (Real Madrid, 6-3 built like a linebacker yet has incredible skill and touch) That is the ideal type player, not the tiny guy with great skill. I agree Messi and Barceloa do a great job with little guys but I have seen Iniesta, Xavi and Messi get pushed off the ball.

So, I think the little guys have a chance, but do not faiult coaches for giving preference to the big guys. I think sometimes the "he didn't pick me because I am too little" is either an excuse, or actually a very good reason.

If you are talking about Cristiano Ronaldo with Real Madrid you are making our point as he is very, very, skilled on the ball. The size and speed are awesome IF you have the skill on the ball. But he is 6'1" 170 pounds so I wouldn't say he is built like a LB as most of them are about 230#'s or more. Iniesta, Xavi and Messi get pushed off the ball? I have watched about 30 Barca games in the last 2 years and yes that happens once in a blue moon but 99% of the time the ball is gone before the defender gets there. There is a reason Spain is the World Champions and Barca owns the Champions League right now.

I'll put it to you this way we, as a country, have gone for bigger, stronger, faster for the last 30 years and where has that gotten us?? "Smash and Chase" might win a ton of games at U12 but when they are 23 they suck. There is one fact that will never, ever, ever, change: The ball moves faster than any player. And that is why a skilled, intelligent player will always be better than a big fast player. Now is it better to have a big, fast, skilled player? Obviously, but bigger and faster should be a secondary trait to Skill and Intelligence. There are way too many big fast kids who can't recv. a ball making it VERY far up the ladder of our youth systems.

I watched the U17 World Cup and I was embarrassed for our country as our fast athletes still hadn't mastered basic skills. An example, at the U17 World Cup we had a very fast winger and forward who kept zooming down the right side, these two guys could beat their man 90% of the time just because of their athleticism. The problem was when the pass came their first touch was so terrible that they had to take an extra touch almost every time to settle the ball and then continue their run but by the time they did this the defense had caught up to them. All that speed was for nothing because of a terrible first touch. Hell it goes higher up the ladder than U17. In the Confederations Cup Demarcus Beasley couldn't recv. a perfect pass that basically went through his legs and it led to a breakaway goal. I promise you the only reason he made it that far was because each coach he had kept him on the team and started him because they thought he was fast. I could go on and on but you get the point. I am all for us using Big, Strong, Fast players but they have to have ball skills first or that speed can often be useless.

FGFF wrote:

Running wrote:

omega striker wrote:

finish1 wrote:Read that article in the DMN last year just before the WC. Great story and very true. America has a twisted fascination with big, fast players, which is why we are not competitive beyond our borders.


Here is a nice goal by El Gringo.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIpZYvBG-8I

you would have better luck bashing your head thru a brickwall here in NTX

I would hate to be the contrarian here, but I don't see anything wrong with having a preference for bigger, faster, stronger players. This does not bode well for my kids as they are on the smaller side, but do all things being equal, if I were a coach, I would pick the bigger kid over the smaller kid any day. I have seen too many games where great, skilled, little players get run off the ball by a bigger kid with more speed. Additionally, who is to say the bigger kid will not develop skills just as good as the little guy as he ages. Unfortunately, size and speed are too things you can't train but everyone can get better skills.

Examples of bigger players are Ronaldo (Real Madrid, 6-3 built like a linebacker yet has incredible skill and touch) That is the ideal type player, not the tiny guy with great skill. I agree Messi and Barceloa do a great job with little guys but I have seen Iniesta, Xavi and Messi get pushed off the ball.

So, I think the little guys have a chance, but do not faiult coaches for giving preference to the big guys. I think sometimes the "he didn't pick me because I am too little" is either an excuse, or actually a very good reason.

If you are talking about Cristiano Ronaldo with Real Madrid you are making our point as he is very, very, skilled on the ball. The size and speed are awesome IF you have the skill on the ball. But he is 6'1" 170 pounds so I wouldn't say he is built like a LB as most of them are about 230#'s or more. Iniesta, Xavi and Messi get pushed off the ball? I have watched about 30 Barca games in the last 2 years and yes that happens once in a blue moon but 99% of the time the ball is gone before the defender gets there. There is a reason Spain is the World Champions and Barca owns the Champions League right now.

I'll put it to you this way we, as a country, have gone for bigger, stronger, faster for the last 30 years and where has that gotten us?? "Smash and Chase" might win a ton of games at U12 but when they are 23 they suck. There is one fact that will never, ever, ever, change: The ball moves faster than any player. And that is why a skilled, intelligent player will always be better than a big fast player. Now is it better to have a big, fast, skilled player? Obviously, but bigger and faster should be a secondary trait to Skill and Intelligence. There are way too many big fast kids who can't recv. a ball making it VERY far up the ladder of our youth systems.

I watched the U17 World Cup and I was embarrassed for our country as our fast athletes still hadn't mastered basic skills. An example, at the U17 World Cup we had a very fast winger and forward who kept zooming down the right side, these two guys could beat their man 90% of the time just because of their athleticism. The problem was when the pass came their first touch was so terrible that they had to take an extra touch almost every time to settle the ball and then continue their run but by the time they did this the defense had caught up to them. All that speed was for nothing because of a terrible first touch. Hell it goes higher up the ladder than U17. In the Confederations Cup Demarcus Beasley couldn't recv. a perfect pass that basically went through his legs and it led to a breakaway goal. I promise you the only reason he made it that far was because each coach he had kept him on the team and started him because they thought he was fast. I could go on and on but you get the point. I am all for us using Big, Strong, Fast players but they have to have ball skills first or that speed can often be useless.

FGFF wrote:

Running wrote:

omega striker wrote:

finish1 wrote:Read that article in the DMN last year just before the WC. Great story and very true. America has a twisted fascination with big, fast players, which is why we are not competitive beyond our borders.


Here is a nice goal by El Gringo.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIpZYvBG-8I

you would have better luck bashing your head thru a brickwall here in NTX

I would hate to be the contrarian here, but I don't see anything wrong with having a preference for bigger, faster, stronger players. This does not bode well for my kids as they are on the smaller side, but do all things being equal, if I were a coach, I would pick the bigger kid over the smaller kid any day. I have seen too many games where great, skilled, little players get run off the ball by a bigger kid with more speed. Additionally, who is to say the bigger kid will not develop skills just as good as the little guy as he ages. Unfortunately, size and speed are too things you can't train but everyone can get better skills.

Examples of bigger players are Ronaldo (Real Madrid, 6-3 built like a linebacker yet has incredible skill and touch) That is the ideal type player, not the tiny guy with great skill. I agree Messi and Barceloa do a great job with little guys but I have seen Iniesta, Xavi and Messi get pushed off the ball.

So, I think the little guys have a chance, but do not faiult coaches for giving preference to the big guys. I think sometimes the "he didn't pick me because I am too little" is either an excuse, or actually a very good reason.

If you are talking about Cristiano Ronaldo with Real Madrid you are making our point as he is very, very, skilled on the ball. The size and speed are awesome IF you have the skill on the ball. But he is 6'1" 170 pounds so I wouldn't say he is built like a LB as most of them are about 230#'s or more. Iniesta, Xavi and Messi get pushed off the ball? I have watched about 30 Barca games in the last 2 years and yes that happens once in a blue moon but 99% of the time the ball is gone before the defender gets there. There is a reason Spain is the World Champions and Barca owns the Champions League right now.

I'll put it to you this way we, as a country, have gone for bigger, stronger, faster for the last 30 years and where has that gotten us?? "Smash and Chase" might win a ton of games at U12 but when they are 23 they suck. There is one fact that will never, ever, ever, change: The ball moves faster than any player. And that is why a skilled, intelligent player will always be better than a big fast player. Now is it better to have a big, fast, skilled player? Obviously, but bigger and faster should be a secondary trait to Skill and Intelligence. There are way too many big fast kids who can't recv. a ball making it VERY far up the ladder of our youth systems.

I watched the U17 World Cup and I was embarrassed for our country as our fast athletes still hadn't mastered basic skills. An example, at the U17 World Cup we had a very fast winger and forward who kept zooming down the right side, these two guys could beat their man 90% of the time just because of their athleticism. The problem was when the pass came their first touch was so terrible that they had to take an extra touch almost every time to settle the ball and then continue their run but by the time they did this the defense had caught up to them. All that speed was for nothing because of a terrible first touch. Hell it goes higher up the ladder than U17. In the Confederations Cup Demarcus Beasley couldn't recv. a perfect pass that basically went through his legs and it led to a breakaway goal. I promise you the only reason he made it that far was because each coach he had kept him on the team and started him because they thought he was fast. I could go on and on but you get the point. I am all for us using Big, Strong, Fast players but they have to have ball skills first or that speed can often be useless.

Running wrote:

FGFF wrote:

Running wrote:

omega striker wrote:

finish1 wrote:Read that article in the DMN last year just before the WC. Great story and very true. America has a twisted fascination with big, fast players, which is why we are not competitive beyond our borders.


Here is a nice goal by El Gringo.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIpZYvBG-8I

you would have better luck bashing your head thru a brickwall here in NTX

I would hate to be the contrarian here, but I don't see anything wrong with having a preference for bigger, faster, stronger players. This does not bode well for my kids as they are on the smaller side, but do all things being equal, if I were a coach, I would pick the bigger kid over the smaller kid any day. I have seen too many games where great, skilled, little players get run off the ball by a bigger kid with more speed. Additionally, who is to say the bigger kid will not develop skills just as good as the little guy as he ages. Unfortunately, size and speed are too things you can't train but everyone can get better skills.

Examples of bigger players are Ronaldo (Real Madrid, 6-3 built like a linebacker yet has incredible skill and touch) That is the ideal type player, not the tiny guy with great skill. I agree Messi and Barceloa do a great job with little guys but I have seen Iniesta, Xavi and Messi get pushed off the ball.

So, I think the little guys have a chance, but do not faiult coaches for giving preference to the big guys. I think sometimes the "he didn't pick me because I am too little" is either an excuse, or actually a very good reason.

If you are talking about Cristiano Ronaldo with Real Madrid you are making our point as he is very, very, skilled on the ball. The size and speed are awesome IF you have the skill on the ball. But he is 6'1" 170 pounds so I wouldn't say he is built like a LB as most of them are about 230#'s or more. Iniesta, Xavi and Messi get pushed off the ball? I have watched about 30 Barca games in the last 2 years and yes that happens once in a blue moon but 99% of the time the ball is gone before the defender gets there. There is a reason Spain is the World Champions and Barca owns the Champions League right now.

I'll put it to you this way we, as a country, have gone for bigger, stronger, faster for the last 30 years and where has that gotten us?? "Smash and Chase" might win a ton of games at U12 but when they are 23 they suck. There is one fact that will never, ever, ever, change: The ball moves faster than any player. And that is why a skilled, intelligent player will always be better than a big fast player. Now is it better to have a big, fast, skilled player? Obviously, but bigger and faster should be a secondary trait to Skill and Intelligence. There are way too many big fast kids who can't recv. a ball making it VERY far up the ladder of our youth systems.

I watched the U17 World Cup and I was embarrassed for our country as our fast athletes still hadn't mastered basic skills. An example, at the U17 World Cup we had a very fast winger and forward who kept zooming down the right side, these two guys could beat their man 90% of the time just because of their athleticism. The problem was when the pass came their first touch was so terrible that they had to take an extra touch almost every time to settle the ball and then continue their run but by the time they did this the defense had caught up to them. All that speed was for nothing because of a terrible first touch. Hell it goes higher up the ladder than U17. In the Confederations Cup Demarcus Beasley couldn't recv. a perfect pass that basically went through his legs and it led to a breakaway goal. I promise you the only reason he made it that far was because each coach he had kept him on the team and started him because they thought he was fast. I could go on and on but you get the point. I am all for us using Big, Strong, Fast players but they have to have ball skills first or that speed can often be useless.

I see what you are saying and big kids with bricks for feet won't work. But, I think the problem is we do not demand the bigger players develop that better touch. It can be done, because you see it done in players like Ronaldo, even Crouch with Tottenham at 6-5 has decent touch. As I said earlier, all things being equal, I will take the larger kid because the size is an advantage. For headers in the box, for moving people off the ball etc.


We may allow the bigger kids to get away with not learning the touch in the USA but if that changes, we could have bigger, faster and skilled kids. Those things are not mutually exclusive. Look at most EPL Rosters and you will some large players. Vidic, John Terry, Emmanuel Adaboyur, Dawson, Lescott, Richards, all very big physical guys. There are tons in the league.

My mistake on Ronaldo, his Wikipedia page (alway reliable) says he is 6'1.

Ibystander wrote:

FGFF wrote:

Running wrote:

omega striker wrote:

finish1 wrote:Read that article in the DMN last year just before the WC. Great story and very true. America has a twisted fascination with big, fast players, which is why we are not competitive beyond our borders.


Here is a nice goal by El Gringo.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIpZYvBG-8I

you would have better luck bashing your head thru a brickwall here in NTX

I would hate to be the contrarian here, but I don't see anything wrong with having a preference for bigger, faster, stronger players. This does not bode well for my kids as they are on the smaller side, but do all things being equal, if I were a coach, I would pick the bigger kid over the smaller kid any day. I have seen too many games where great, skilled, little players get run off the ball by a bigger kid with more speed. Additionally, who is to say the bigger kid will not develop skills just as good as the little guy as he ages. Unfortunately, size and speed are too things you can't train but everyone can get better skills.

Examples of bigger players are Ronaldo (Real Madrid, 6-3 built like a linebacker yet has incredible skill and touch) That is the ideal type player, not the tiny guy with great skill. I agree Messi and Barceloa do a great job with little guys but I have seen Iniesta, Xavi and Messi get pushed off the ball.

So, I think the little guys have a chance, but do not faiult coaches for giving preference to the big guys. I think sometimes the "he didn't pick me because I am too little" is either an excuse, or actually a very good reason.

If you are talking about Cristiano Ronaldo with Real Madrid you are making our point as he is very, very, skilled on the ball. The size and speed are awesome IF you have the skill on the ball. But he is 6'1" 170 pounds so I wouldn't say he is built like a LB as most of them are about 230#'s or more. Iniesta, Xavi and Messi get pushed off the ball? I have watched about 30 Barca games in the last 2 years and yes that happens once in a blue moon but 99% of the time the ball is gone before the defender gets there. There is a reason Spain is the World Champions and Barca owns the Champions League right now.

I'll put it to you this way we, as a country, have gone for bigger, stronger, faster for the last 30 years and where has that gotten us?? "Smash and Chase" might win a ton of games at U12 but when they are 23 they suck. There is one fact that will never, ever, ever, change: The ball moves faster than any player. And that is why a skilled, intelligent player will always be better than a big fast player. Now is it better to have a big, fast, skilled player? Obviously, but bigger and faster should be a secondary trait to Skill and Intelligence. There are way too many big fast kids who can't recv. a ball making it VERY far up the ladder of our youth systems.

I watched the U17 World Cup and I was embarrassed for our country as our fast athletes still hadn't mastered basic skills. An example, at the U17 World Cup we had a very fast winger and forward who kept zooming down the right side, these two guys could beat their man 90% of the time just because of their athleticism. The problem was when the pass came their first touch was so terrible that they had to take an extra touch almost every time to settle the ball and then continue their run but by the time they did this the defense had caught up to them. All that speed was for nothing because of a terrible first touch. Hell it goes higher up the ladder than U17. In the Confederations Cup Demarcus Beasley couldn't recv. a perfect pass that basically went through his legs and it led to a breakaway goal. I promise you the only reason he made it that far was because each coach he had kept him on the team and started him because they thought he was fast. I could go on and on but you get the point. I am all for us using Big, Strong, Fast players but they have to have ball skills first or that speed can often be useless.

FGFF, marry me!