The big player

timbuck

timbuck

Theres lots of talk on soccer forums about teams using a bigger player in the ulittle age groups to win. In 7v7 soccer, one dominant physical kid makes a huuuuge difference.
At 9v9, it definitely helps, but not as much.
By the time they play 11v11, it starts to even out a little as some of the biggest kids stop growing and the others catch up.

What do you suggest a u10 team do with a big player, but one that isn't super skilled? They have flight 3 skill, but are in a flight 1 body. They (and their coach) use their size to their advantage and they are mauling smaller kids on the field.
 
You take the big flight 3 player, and develop his or her skills to become a big flight 1 player. You get three or four more of them, do the same, and before you know it you have a flight 1 team.
 
Take them to Hollywood FC. Where they don't focus on winnings, rankings, etc., but emphasize training over games.
 
timbuck said:
Theres lots of talk on soccer forums about teams using a bigger player in the ulittle age groups to win. In 7v7 soccer, one dominant physical kid makes a huuuuge difference.
At 9v9, it definitely helps, but not as much.
By the time they play 11v11, it starts to even out a little as some of the biggest kids stop growing and the others catch up.

What do you suggest a u10 team do with a big player, but one that isn't super skilled? They have flight 3 skill, but are in a flight 1 body. They (and their coach) use their size to their advantage and they are mauling smaller kids on the field.
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Switch clubs lol
 
timbuck said:
Theres lots of talk on soccer forums about teams using a bigger player in the ulittle age groups to win. In 7v7 soccer, one dominant physical kid makes a huuuuge difference.
At 9v9, it definitely helps, but not as much.
By the time they play 11v11, it starts to even out a little as some of the biggest kids stop growing and the others catch up.

What do you suggest a u10 team do with a big player, but one that isn't super skilled? They have flight 3 skill, but are in a flight 1 body. They (and their coach) use their size to their advantage and they are mauling smaller kids on the field.
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Develop the players by coaching them to play like a team, whether they are 7, 9 or 11 on the field.

You can take the European approach and work with the players to develop soccer skills, passing, balance, touch, etc. ... inspire to greatness but ignore the scoreboard at this age ... or ... you can adopt the US model and make it all about winning. The so-called coach that concentrates on using the "big player" by focusing on "getting the ball" to "Big Player" to the disadvantage of the rest of the team is an "idiot" and not deserving of any title other than "Mr." or "Ms." The coach that sticks to the plan of development of players by playing as a team ... even if it means a few (or more) losses is a "coach" and deserving of the title.
 
MWN said:
The so-called coach that concentrates on using the "big player" by focusing on "getting the ball" to "Big Player" to the disadvantage of the rest of the team is an "idiot" and not deserving of any title other than "Mr." or "Ms." The coach that sticks to the plan of development of players by playing as a team ... even if it means a few (or more) losses is a "coach" and deserving of the title.
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Agree completely. Soccer is a team sport, and each player must serve the team. No team goes far for long if it relies on one or two superstars.
 
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timbuck said:
Theres lots of talk on soccer forums about teams using a bigger player in the ulittle age groups to win. In 7v7 soccer, one dominant physical kid makes a huuuuge difference.
At 9v9, it definitely helps, but not as much.
By the time they play 11v11, it starts to even out a little as some of the biggest kids stop growing and the others catch up.

What do you suggest a u10 team do with a big player, but one that isn't super skilled? They have flight 3 skill, but are in a flight 1 body. They (and their coach) use their size to their advantage and they are mauling smaller kids on the field.
Click to expand...

Not clear if you are the one with the big player or the question is defending against a big player.

Since we know you have two girls teams, I assume its for your younger team defending against big players.

I guess the most difficult thing is for smaller players to get past the intimidation going against someone bigger and faster. Its a handicap that not much you can do about. Time and confidence is all that can be done if a player is intimidated by size. If not, then focusing on the ball and be selective body-to-body contacts is the way to go.

My recollection of my older kid playing up at Ulittle age by 2~3 years, he took advantage of bigger kids' lack of technical skills. Many coaches that stack the team with bigger kids tend to use the size and speed, and not develop technical skills, to win games. (Clearly, there are good coaches that do develop big kids.) Since bigger kids tend to dribble the ball too far away from their feet, or that their first touch is sloppy, there are plenty of opportunities for smaller players to take the ball away from bigger kids.

Biggest mistake little kids make is by listening to their coach yelling "pressure" and go into one-on-one too close and get blown out by bigger kids. Needs to be selective and keep distance, but nearby enough to slowdown the attacker, and focused on the ball - not the player.

If the bigger player is defending, that's easy. Create asymmetrical situations where you have 3-on-1 or 2, or something like it. Teach your kids to position without the ball and it can easily be defeated.
 
If it is training, work on dribbling and first touch. If defending, sandwich the kid before they get moving, one in front, one behind.
 
mirage said:
Not clear if you are the one with the big player or the question is defending against a big player.

Since we know you have two girls teams, I assume its for your younger team defending against big players.

I guess the most difficult thing is for smaller players to get past the intimidation going against someone bigger and faster. Its a handicap that not much you can do about. Time and confidence is all that can be done if a player is intimidated by size. If not, then focusing on the ball and be selective body-to-body contacts is the way to go.

My recollection of my older kid playing up at Ulittle age by 2~3 years, he took advantage of bigger kids' lack of technical skills. Many coaches that stack the team with bigger kids tend to use the size and speed, and not develop technical skills, to win games. (Clearly, there are good coaches that do develop big kids.) Since bigger kids tend to dribble the ball too far away from their feet, or that their first touch is sloppy, there are plenty of opportunities for smaller players to take the ball away from bigger kids.

Biggest mistake little kids make is by listening to their coach yelling "pressure" and go into one-on-one too close and get blown out by bigger kids. Needs to be selective and keep distance, but nearby enough to slowdown the attacker, and focused on the ball - not the player.

If the bigger player is defending, that's easy. Create asymmetrical situations where you have 3-on-1 or 2, or something like it. Teach your kids to position without the ball and it can easily be defeated.
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Not really for either of my girls. I'm no longer coaching the younger DD. We decided to mover her, for a variety of reasons.
This weekend, I noticed a few teams had 1 bigger girl on their team. The team played through this player and it made a big difference.
I'm sure the coaches work with her on skills. But her size was a big advantage.
My older team is pretty small, but they are able to play fairly physical. The smallest girl on my team is probably my best overall player.
 
timbuck said:
Not really for either of my girls. I'm no longer coaching the younger DD. We decided to mover her, for a variety of reasons.
This weekend, I noticed a few teams had 1 bigger girl on their team. The team played through this player and it made a big difference.
I'm sure the coaches work with her on skills. But her size was a big advantage.
My older team is pretty small, but they are able to play fairly physical. The smallest girl on my team is probably my best overall player.
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Your posts suggest that the players in question are "big," and therefore dominant. But Big+Big=Zero, at least in my experience. Most big kids I have seen are also slow kids. For every big kid who is dominant, I have seen 20 who can never get to the ball first, and who lose it to fast kid every time. Those dominant kids you are talking about probably have additional skill-sets other than size.
 
Daniel Miller said:
By the way, the way to beat a "big" kid is almost always to have a "fast" kid who beats the big kid to the ball.
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Soccer is NOT a size game. It is, and always has been, a speed and skill game. Not just speed, not just skill. The player who can display the necessary skills, with speed, rises to the top of the chain. Some, if not all, of the greats fit this mold. Now, if they have size as well, fantastic. NOT common. But, so many coaches are enamoured with size, regardless. For football, yes. Futbol, no.
 
Ah the Big Player,,,wait until they play 11v11 and you will see some 5' vs 6' players, the size and weight difference can be substantial.

Some group(s) of player(s) grow quicker sooner but in the end during HS and beyond the level out and you have to rely on technical skill to go any further.

Soccer is one of the few sports where size or physical attributes doesn't matter as much, play club basketball where kids can dunk at 12 or you have 6+ footers in volleyball or little league throwing ~ 70mph at the little league WS.

Peter Crouch is a "big player" but I would rather watch the smaller guys like Messi, Suarez, etc.

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Big, strong, fast players may need extra skill training at the younger ages. They can too easily get into the habit of using speed to solve problems. That works great until they are no longer the fastest player on the field. Have them play futsal, practice juggling and do private training on first touch and skills. A good first touch is probably the single most important physical skill for any player.
 
jrcaesar said:
They don't look very big - http://www.uclabruins.com/roster.aspx?path=msoc

THESE guys are big - http://www.uclabruins.com/roster.aspx?path=baseball

(And, you're right, so are these guys, although I might not call them Fast relative to other national team players: http://www.ussoccer.com/mens-national-team/latest-roster#tab-1)
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Too bad most club teams don't have that many assistant coaches that actually assist in the training vs. just added in case the head coach can't make it to the game due to game conflicts with their other teams.
 
Since my kid is a girl-- I've noticed that a lot of the younger girls' teams are stacked with "big" kids at younger ages. Basically, the more physically developed ones are stronger.

I see so many teams who have kids that seem 1-2 years older based on their physical development/attributes. Also see a ton of girls who have body habitus on the way to obesity which to me says they won't be playing competitive soccer for much longer.

Part of me thinks they should stratify kids not based on birth year but on their bone age/development. Kids with delayed physical development are at a competitive disadvantage early on due to the size/strength difference. However, on the other hand, the small kid has to develop strategies to get around the giant, lumbering kids. Perhaps that is good for them in the long run. Helps them avoid getting caught and flattened.

I don't think a lot of the big kids will end up being better in the long run as the others catch up.
 
Pele, Maradona, Messi, etc. etc. etc.
Marta, Mia, Sun Wen, Homare Sawa, etc. etc.

Of course there are exceptions with size that are/were great. But, for the most part, not a prerequisite.

Seems that American coaches are insistent on trying to make it a prerequisite. Thinking size will win out. I'll take a team full of short, speedy, highly skilled athletes over BIG, strong and fast all day long.

A close friend of mine, former pro, tells a story of playing on a US National team VS an Asian team and getting thier asses handed to them. He said his team was loaded with 6 footers and they were all 5'4 or 5'5, but fast as hell, as well as highly skilled.
 
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