Comments on: Youth Training – USA v Germany http://soccerlens.com/us-germany-youth-training/11209/ Soccerlens - Football News You Can Trust Sat, 21 Nov 2009 17:26:47 -0800 http://soccerlens.com/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: jim http://soccerlens.com/us-germany-youth-training/11209/comment-page-1/#comment-102636 jim Fri, 26 Sep 2008 02:45:43 +0000 http://soccerlens.com/?p=11209#comment-102636 I agree with all the previous comments. I grew up in the 70’s playing soccer in the US long before it became popular. We all learned the skills we needed from a young man who had spent some time in Germany, I am talking about individual skills; passing, trapping, shooting. The idea of the game and how it was played was not derived from some foreigner telling us how the game must be played. It came from the basic notion that the idea of the game was to put the ball in the back of the net. We are Americans. We are known for our ability to adapt and innovate. Why not allow our American ingenuity guide us as how to teach and play the game. Soccer is not that much different then any other American sport. Do we not have passing in other sports (football)? How about moving without the ball (basketball)? Team tactics that include breaking down a defense to isolate a shooter(basketball, hockey)? Why are we so concerned on what style we play? I think the problem with the US Nats. is that we are so confused on which style we play that all our natural ability is negated. We cease to be a US national team and we become whatever foreign style that is the flavor of the month. Let the kids play soccer. I agree with all the previous comments. I grew up in the 70’s playing soccer in the US long before it became popular. We all learned the skills we needed from a young man who had spent some time in Germany, I am talking about individual skills; passing, trapping, shooting. The idea of the game and how it was played was not derived from some foreigner telling us how the game must be played. It came from the basic notion that the idea of the game was to put the ball in the back of the net. We are Americans. We are known for our ability to adapt and innovate. Why not allow our American ingenuity guide us as how to teach and play the game. Soccer is not that much different then any other American sport. Do we not have passing in other sports (football)? How about moving without the ball (basketball)? Team tactics that include breaking down a defense to isolate a shooter(basketball, hockey)? Why are we so concerned on what style we play? I think the problem with the US Nats. is that we are so confused on which style we play that all our natural ability is negated. We cease to be a US national team and we become whatever foreign style that is the flavor of the month. Let the kids play soccer.

]]> By: Seven30 http://soccerlens.com/us-germany-youth-training/11209/comment-page-1/#comment-102602 Seven30 Thu, 25 Sep 2008 16:29:15 +0000 http://soccerlens.com/?p=11209#comment-102602 Nice article Cherie.. I've played my entire youth soccer career in the United States.. So i know first-hand how misguided it is.. the most frustrating thing about US soccer, is i actually believe we have the players to be a force on the world game...however we don't have the proper training from the day we are taught the game here.. the emphasis seems to be on conditioning and strategy instead of cultivating individual skill, creativity, and understanding of the game... to a 6,7, 8 year old kid these are skills that will form the blueprint of his game as an adult...and going hand-in-hand with this lack of training, is the lack of effective scouting of talent.. ... also finally their is too much emphasis on 'prototype' looking players and also how much you have in your pockets... the proper training and scouting points have been made so i'll start with the prototype issue... its like they judge talent here in the US for soccer, the same way the scout talent for american football... size and speed and the physical attributes usually get first priority... but what about, what can you actually do on the pitch?... ive played with tons of talented players during my youth soccer days who could out dribble and weave through any defense in front of them, or who could deliver a ball on your head from 60 yards with their eyes closed only for them to be looked over by a hs coach or club coach or whoever, because they werent big/strong guys... or even worse they were told NOT to be show-boats and forced to play a bland direct style of play... the way i see it is, you can have 500 onyewu's on youre squad, but i'll take the squad with 1 messi any day... furthermore, the system is completely ass-backwards...some of the best players in this country, never get to see the light of the day on a US youth team or an ODP team or even a major club team... why?... socio-economic factors... from my own personal experience in youth soccer here in america, my family was never able financially to put me on the best club teams due to the tremendous amount of money it takes to play year around and travel and what not... that being said, i was never good enough anyway to make a US youth team but I have friends and know of plenty of kids i grew up with who did have the talent... but they were struggling just like we were and never played on good club teams because their families couldn't afford it... which when u think about it, it is the exact opposite of how it works in the rest of the world..the most talented players always seem to come from the humble backgrounds instead of the more privileged backgrounds.. Also alot of youth soccer coaches and administrators are very stubborn and ignorant to how the game works in the rest of the world.. they don't see the errors and faults of the their bland style of football.. Nice article Cherie..

I’ve played my entire youth soccer career in the United States.. So i know first-hand how misguided it is..

the most frustrating thing about US soccer, is i actually believe we have the players to be a force on the world game…however we don’t have the proper training from the day we are taught the game here.. the emphasis seems to be on conditioning and strategy instead of cultivating individual skill, creativity, and understanding of the game… to a 6,7, 8 year old kid these are skills that will form the blueprint of his game as an adult…and going hand-in-hand with this lack of training, is the lack of effective scouting of talent.. … also finally their is too much emphasis on ‘prototype’ looking players and also how much you have in your pockets…

the proper training and scouting points have been made so i’ll start with the prototype issue… its like they judge talent here in the US for soccer, the same way the scout talent for american football… size and speed and the physical attributes usually get first priority… but what about, what can you actually do on the pitch?… ive played with tons of talented players during my youth soccer days who could out dribble and weave through any defense in front of them, or who could deliver a ball on your head from 60 yards with their eyes closed only for them to be looked over by a hs coach or club coach or whoever, because they werent big/strong guys… or even worse they were told NOT to be show-boats and forced to play a bland direct style of play… the way i see it is, you can have 500 onyewu’s on youre squad, but i’ll take the squad with 1 messi any day…

furthermore, the system is completely ass-backwards…some of the best players in this country, never get to see the light of the day on a US youth team or an ODP team or even a major club team… why?… socio-economic factors… from my own personal experience in youth soccer here in america, my family was never able financially to put me on the best club teams due to the tremendous amount of money it takes to play year around and travel and what not… that being said, i was never good enough anyway to make a US youth team but I have friends and know of plenty of kids i grew up with who did have the talent… but they were struggling just like we were and never played on good club teams because their families couldn’t afford it… which when u think about it, it is the exact opposite of how it works in the rest of the world..the most talented players always seem to come from the humble backgrounds instead of the more privileged backgrounds..

Also alot of youth soccer coaches and administrators are very stubborn and ignorant to how the game works in the rest of the world.. they don’t see the errors and faults of the their bland style of football..

]]> By: Will http://soccerlens.com/us-germany-youth-training/11209/comment-page-1/#comment-102588 Will Thu, 25 Sep 2008 14:01:14 +0000 http://soccerlens.com/?p=11209#comment-102588 I am always hearing how the big problem is that americans don't play football in the streets. I live in Honduras where almost every boy plays in the streets. They do learn some skills but most of those center on flashy plays that seldom are used in real football. Every 8 year old on my street can do a bicycle kick or grab the ball with both feet and toss it back to front. What they cannot do is pass the ball. They do not like to pass - ever. Also they do not learn to see the field strategically. They have very limited ideas about how to play as a team. They all love being the star. This is why they are much more excited if they, or a player on their national team, dribbles past two players and is then stopped because he hits a dead end, than if they pass twice and then score. That is the partial source of the Mexican idea that the US beats them but the Mexicans play better. When we lived in the US my children played youth soccer. One thing that I have thought might contribute to problems the american team has is that there was, at that level, an emphasis that winning or scoring was not important. They were not allowed to keep score at the games, the league kept no track of who won or lost, and there was no champion. The kids always knew. But the misguided adults felt that it was important that they not emphasize winning or scoring. I do not know how widespread this is but I do know that the us team has trouble with winning and scoring. I am always hearing how the big problem is that americans don’t play football in the streets. I live in Honduras where almost every boy plays in the streets. They do learn some skills but most of those center on flashy plays that seldom are used in real football. Every 8 year old on my street can do a bicycle kick or grab the ball with both feet and toss it back to front. What they cannot do is pass the ball. They do not like to pass – ever. Also they do not learn to see the field strategically. They have very limited ideas about how to play as a team. They all love being the star. This is why they are much more excited if they, or a player on their national team, dribbles past two players and is then stopped because he hits a dead end, than if they pass twice and then score. That is the partial source of the Mexican idea that the US beats them but the Mexicans play better.
When we lived in the US my children played youth soccer. One thing that I have thought might contribute to problems the american team has is that there was, at that level, an emphasis that winning or scoring was not important. They were not allowed to keep score at the games, the league kept no track of who won or lost, and there was no champion. The kids always knew. But the misguided adults felt that it was important that they not emphasize winning or scoring. I do not know how widespread this is but I do know that the us team has trouble with winning and scoring.

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