08 Boys Team preparing for academy

I coach two 08 boys rec teams in Coppell. From those two teams I have a solid 6-8 that I will form an academy team with next fall. For the spring season, I am having my academy hopefuls attend a futsal class on Mondays from 4:30-5:30 in addition to our regular outdoor rec practice on Wednesdays.

If you have an 08 who shows the potential and interest to play at a higher level, PM me and lets develop some base skills and get them practicing with a team that will potentially play an 07 division in the fall.

Maybe it would be more prudent to focus on individal development rather than being immersed in constructing a "team"...at the U8 age group the concept of "team" should have no place in youth soccer..it is far too early to be talking about teams at that age...just my view...

Rhino wrote:Maybe it would be more prudent to focus on individal development rather than being immersed in constructing a "team"...at the U8 age group the concept of "team" should have no place in youth soccer..it is far too early to be talking about teams at that age...just my view...

It says 08, not U8. That makes them U5

Rhino wrote:Maybe it would be more prudent to focus on individal development rather than being immersed in constructing a "team"...at the U8 age group the concept of "team" should have no place in youth soccer..it is far too early to be talking about teams at that age...just my view...

Futsal does focus on individual development. And when you have a group of kids who all have the same individual development experience and are excelling at their skills, it is generally considered fun to play a game together and exhibit those skills. A group of kids who all like to play soccer together is generally called a team. It even makes it more exciting when they have matching uniforms.

By the way, it is not U-8 it is 08 - that would be U-5 currently. If you have not experienced the joy of 5 year olds playing soccer, you are missing out on the sport in it's pure form... what other age do they go to bed in their full uniforms complete with shin guards the night before a game?

Well 08 makes it even more ridiculous to be immersed with consructing a team...it`s funny, as I like to call them training groups, not teams...sure, placing them into training groups in practice is fine..but we place too much emphasis on team this, team that with young players and are too eager to compete against other teams when it really means nothing at the younger age groups..interestingly, have you ever read the article by researchers Salmela and co. which is referenced in the book: Coaching Outside the Box: Changing the Mindset in Youth Soccer?...they highlight that a group of Brazilian pro players NEVER received any formal coaching or played on a 'team' when they were kids, yet they reached the pro level of the game at 18!...they simply devoted time to unstructured routines day in and day out and became top players doing it this way..kind of dispels the notion that we need to be placing kids on teams at such a young age and testing them against other teams week in week out!....

good4nuthin wrote:

Rhino wrote:Maybe it would be more prudent to focus on individal development rather than being immersed in constructing a "team"...at the U8 age group the concept of "team" should have no place in youth soccer..it is far too early to be talking about teams at that age...just my view...

Futsal does focus on individual development. And when you have a group of kids who all have the same individual development experience and are excelling at their skills, it is generally considered fun to play a game together and exhibit those skills. A group of kids who all like to play soccer together is generally called a team. It even makes it more exciting when they have matching uniforms.

By the way, it is not U-8 it is 08 - that would be U-5 currently. If you have not experienced the joy of 5 year olds playing soccer, you are missing out on the sport in it's pure form... what other age do they go to bed in their full uniforms complete with shin guards the night before a game?

I coach two 08 boys rec teams in Coppell. From those two teams I have a solid 6-8 that I will form an academy team with next fall. For the spring season, I am having my academy hopefuls attend a futsal class on Mondays from 4:30-5:30 in addition to our regular outdoor rec practice on Wednesdays.

If you have an 08 who shows the potential and interest to play at a higher level, PM me and lets develop some base skills and get them practicing with a team that will potentially play an 07 division in the fall.



You talk of the joy of the sport in its pure form after already referencing having a solid core of 6 to 8 four year olds and basically trying to recruit for a few more 4 year olds with "potential"? Really? Hopefuls? So there will be tryouts and cuts?

Are you playing in the YMCA league or CYSA?

Rhino wrote:Well 08 makes it even more ridiculous to be immersed with consructing a team...it`s funny, as I like to call them training groups, not teams...sure, placing them into training groups in practice is fine..but we place too much emphasis on team this, team that with young players and are too eager to compete against other teams when it really means nothing at the younger age groups..interestingly, have you ever read the article by researchers Salmela and co. which is referenced in the book: Coaching Outside the Box: Changing the Mindset in Youth Soccer?...they highlight that a group of Brazilian pro players NEVER received any formal coaching or played on a 'team' when they were kids, yet they reached the pro level of the game at 18!...they simply devoted time to unstructured routines day in and day out and became top players doing it this way..kind of dispels the notion that we need to be placing kids on teams at such a young age and testing them against other teams week in week out!....

I don't get why everyone always makes the jump from U-5 to pro soccer? Brazilians, seriously?

This is about fun in a structured environment - they could care less about winning, losing or being tested - they like to score because it is fun to get the ball out of the back of the net. And why not be good at something at a young age? It brings confidence in all other aspect of their lives - practice, work hard, enjoy what you are doing and it pays off - is that such a bad lesson to learn early?

It's too early - I am sick of hearing how everyone wants their kid to sit on the couch, watch sponge Bob, play video games and get fat - sorry, our culture is not like the Brazilians - if there is not structure in place for the kids and parents, development will not happen.

How about this - give your 5 year old boy a choice - go play soccer with 10 other 5 year old boys, a - or practice your skills in the backyard alone or with Dad. You see answer. Sorry, teams are fun - there is no disputing that.

my2cents wrote:

good4nuthin wrote:

Rhino wrote:Maybe it would be more prudent to focus on individal development rather than being immersed in constructing a "team"...at the U8 age group the concept of "team" should have no place in youth soccer..it is far too early to be talking about teams at that age...just my view...

Futsal does focus on individual development. And when you have a group of kids who all have the same individual development experience and are excelling at their skills, it is generally considered fun to play a game together and exhibit those skills. A group of kids who all like to play soccer together is generally called a team. It even makes it more exciting when they have matching uniforms.

By the way, it is not U-8 it is 08 - that would be U-5 currently. If you have not experienced the joy of 5 year olds playing soccer, you are missing out on the sport in it's pure form... what other age do they go to bed in their full uniforms complete with shin guards the night before a game?

I coach two 08 boys rec teams in Coppell. From those two teams I have a solid 6-8 that I will form an academy team with next fall. For the spring season, I am having my academy hopefuls attend a futsal class on Mondays from 4:30-5:30 in addition to our regular outdoor rec practice on Wednesdays.

If you have an 08 who shows the potential and interest to play at a higher level, PM me and lets develop some base skills and get them practicing with a team that will potentially play an 07 division in the fall.



You talk of the joy of the sport in its pure form after already referencing having a solid core of 6 to 8 four year olds and basically trying to recruit for a few more 4 year olds with "potential"? Really? Hopefuls? So there will be tryouts and cuts?

Nope, no tryouts, no cuts, just fun learning soccer skills - yes a solid 6-8 players already interested.

finish1 wrote:Are you playing in the YMCA league or CYSA?

CYSA

You seem annoyed...no idea why...relax!...anyway, if you are talking about a young team playing in a 'division' you are simply misguided...EACH PLAYER will present a unique set of developmental variables....so having them ALL play on the same together in a formal league is simply not right...one is good for one player may not be good for another player...surely you understand and appreciate this notion?...this is where the system breaks down altogher...and I was making reference the Brazilian players as THEY DID NOT COMPETE IN A STRUCTURED DIVISION WHEN THEY WERE YOUNG KIDS!!!!....unlike the objective you have!..let them train in small-sided game situations and forget about the formal division nonsense....it is all pointless anyway!

Rhino wrote:You seem annoyed...no idea why...relax!...anyway, if you are talking about a young team playing in a 'division' you are simply misguided...EACH PLAYER will present a unique set of developmental variables....so having them ALL play on the same together in a formal league is simply not right...one is good for one player may not be good for another player...surely you understand and appreciate this notion?...this is where the system breaks down altogher...and I was making reference the Brazilian players as THEY DID NOT COMPETE IN A STRUCTURED DIVISION WHEN THEY WERE YOUNG KIDS!!!!....unlike the objective you have!..let them train in small-sided game situations and forget about the formal division nonsense....it is all pointless anyway!

Not sure if you've ever actually watched a u5 game but it's all small sided 4v4, no goalie stuff. Outdoor might be a bit different in different areas but that's what I've seen indoor and out with my youngest. Practices for my 08 (who's playing with an '07 team presently) are focused almost entirely on individual skills and the kids have a foot on a ball 95% of the time during practice. It's rare to see passing or shooting drills and my son only barely knows the difference (which I'm perfectly fine with at this point).

I have seen many U5 games bud...and I am well aware that most try to implement 4 v 4...which is great...the point I am trying to make is that there is absolutely no need for structured divisions and leagues at the U5 level...period!

Rhino wrote:You seem annoyed...no idea why...relax!...anyway, if you are talking about a young team playing in a 'division' you are simply misguided...EACH PLAYER will present a unique set of developmental variables....so having them ALL play on the same together in a formal league is simply not right...one is good for one player may not be good for another player...surely you understand and appreciate this notion?...this is where the system breaks down altogher...and I was making reference the Brazilian players as THEY DID NOT COMPETE IN A STRUCTURED DIVISION WHEN THEY WERE YOUNG KIDS!!!!....unlike the objective you have!..let them train in small-sided game situations and forget about the formal division nonsense....it is all pointless anyway!

Oh I get it...

Lets do unstructured skills for practice, have an unstructured soccer platform where people just bring out there players and throw a ball on a field and let them run around with it, no set time, just show up as you see fit - no need for rules, equipment or instruction of any type because everyone is different and is entitled to their own personal development and needs.

They can teach and monitor themselves as they all have different learning styles and should go at their own pace, and by all means do not keep any type of score, we would not want to put any sort of mental stress on a kid.... and running? that is way too much physical stress on little bodies, we wouldn't want them to break a sweat and have anyone tell them they stink!

DONT FORGET THE PARTICIPATION TROPHIES!!!!!!!!!!!

What world do you live in? I would indeed love to visit and relax a bit...

G4N, you're probably going to get hazed quite a bit on the board trying to recruit a competitive team for 4-5 year olds. There are a lot of athletic kids in your town and you should have no problem fielding a team for the Academy league when they are old enough. Keep up the work. Your efforts may pay off when the kids hit HS and represent Coppell in the 5A state championship.

In the meantime, see you around WW and ABW...My bb is easy to spot, he has the whistle and reminds the little guys which way they're going (red goal or white goal)!

sorry at 5 my bb would have chose to kick around with his dad. Be careful chosing you ultimate team at 5 especially when you are region locked. You would be better off trying to recruit all of the interested players that you can and do as good a job as possible developing them. Some you will lose but hopefully what is left over will be a group of skilled kids who enjoy and play well together. My BB would definitely not have been a kid you wanted on your team at 5 but he loved the game even way beck then when he drove me crazy watching him. You do sound like you want to teach the all the great skill and the more great coaching in the area the better. but 5 is too young to seperate. Just get the kids who want to play and try hard to get better. There are fewer of those than you think

finish1 wrote:G4N, you're probably going to get hazed quite a bit on the board trying to recruit a competitive team for 4-5 year olds. There are a lot of athletic kids in your town and you should have no problem fielding a team for the Academy league when they are old enough. Keep up the work. Your efforts may pay off when the kids hit HS and represent Coppell in the 5A state championship.

In the meantime, see you around WW and ABW...My bb is easy to spot, he has the whistle and reminds the little guys which way they're going (red goal or white goal)!

Ha, he probably knows me well, I am the crazy one with 16 - 5 year old boys following me around on Saturdays (they usually schedule back to back games for me) - CYSA does a good job with their refs, scheduling and games.

This is my second go around with them as I coached my 03 daughter all the way through rec and finally handed her of to Solar - she now plays for SRSA 03 who many of the 03 boys teams on this forum are familiar with...

Sounds great, you should probably talk to Lou about forming a Coppell FC Academy team. He usually coaches, but it sounds like you are building a strong base. Maybe you guys could work something out and extend the franchise.

Focus on the basics for the little ones; touch, movement, and shape. So many coaches underestimate the value of discipline to shape. The sooner they understand a diamond (4v4) or triangle (3v3), the better. It's amazing what the little guys can understand when explained correctly.

pulls hair out...

walks away...

Odie doesn't believe 5 year olds can understand shape?

Odie cannot believe a lot of the crap he read in this thread. Can they understand it? sure. do they need to understand it? absolutely not. should they just be allowed to enjoy playing the game? absolutely.

they are 4-5 years old. all they should be learning is right now is to dribble the ball and dribble it in the right direction.

they should not be worried about playing academy soccer or even be worried with what an academy is.

I do not understand parents that want to put their 3-4-5 year olds in academy soccer. It baffles me. there is no reason for academy teams before U7 in north texas and I would argue (against the local trend) that it should wait until U9.

U10 should not be playing 11v11 on full sized fields...but I am digressing to a whole other issue with US Soccer with that issues...

We agree, Odie. Let the little ones dribble with freedom and score as many goals as possible, without someone yelling at them.

What about the kids that don't have the ball? They should also move, in shape, as a team. I have taught this concept successfully to hundreds of kids as young as 3. Kids love shapes and if they can apply them to the field, they can better understand the game. Shape is basic in understanding the game of soccer.

odie1993 wrote:Odie cannot believe a lot of the crap he read in this thread. Can they understand it? sure. do they need to understand it? absolutely not. should they just be allowed to enjoy playing the game? absolutely.

they are 4-5 years old. all they should be learning is right now is to dribble the ball and dribble it in the right direction.

they should not be worried about playing academy soccer or even be worried with what an academy is.

I do not understand parents that want to put their 3-4-5 year olds in academy soccer. It baffles me. there is no reason for academy teams before U7 in north texas and I would argue (against the local trend) that it should wait until U9.

U10 should not be playing 11v11 on full sized fields...but I am digressing to a whole other issue with US Soccer with that issues...

What does it really matter? They go to a field, they have a ball, they practice, they play - they don't know if its academy or rec - hell, if you told half of them it was basket ball, they would believe you. But there is nothing wrong with teaching them correctly from the beginning, with other kids who have the attention span and athleticism to execute what is learned. It only makes practices easier and facilitates development. Half the rec kids don't even want to be there.

Some people believe in using training wheels to learn how to ride a bike at this age as well, but there is a whole other set of people who say - no, a glider without training wheels is better because they learn balance faster. The end result 100% of the time is the same - they ride a two wheeled bike - regardless on how much people argue.

Just because we don't do things the way they have always been done does not mean they are wrong. Just because we do not do things the way the Brazilians do them, does not mean they are wrong.

Are we raising these kids to be professional soccer players? No. Maybe one out of 10,000 players will do that - we are teaching these kids that being fit, competitive and learning the game of soccer is fun - and yes, practice, skill, dedication and hard work mean you win. That is applicable to life and any profession.