# Switching Positions?



## Papa's Fritas (Oct 15, 2018)

Hello all,
           Need some perspective. Sorry to be vague....my dd skill level is an ODP travel team
starter at her current position. The higher ups at the club were talking with her about
switching to new position, like she played oddly couple times out of the blue, which now
makes sense. They were saying to her that she would be a stronger player in this area.
She is a beast in her current position, so this suggested switch is very odd.

My dd is pretty excited because she always wanted to play this position. 
The higher ups have helped put alot of girls into college ball and I do not sense any
douchebagginess from them. Not sure if it is politics saying your dd isn't that
good and we need her to get out of that position. Maybe. See? Confused.

Still young player, but starting recruiting process is around the corner. 
Any real downside to this "suggestion", as if it is?
Thanks.


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## espola (Oct 15, 2018)

Papa's Fritas said:


> Hello all,
> Need some perspective. Sorry to be vague....my dd skill level is an ODP travel team
> starter at her current position. The higher ups at the club were talking with her about
> switching to new position, like she played oddly couple times out of the blue, which now
> ...


There's a lot left out of this.


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## jpeter (Oct 15, 2018)

Happens and is normal, maybe team needs more help at the other positions? 

If she wants to play that position don't see any downside.  Always good to learn, play, & be good at mutiple positions.


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## TangoCity (Oct 15, 2018)

espola said:


> There's a lot left out of this.


It was likely done on purpose to be as anonymous as possible.  Nothing wrong with this.

OP: <- The more positions you can play "well", the more valuable of a player you are (for obvious reasons) as you climb the soccer food chain.


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## espola (Oct 15, 2018)

TangoCity said:


> It was likely done on purpose to be as anonymous as possible.  Nothing wrong with this.
> 
> OP: <- The more positions you can play "well", the more valuable of a player you are (for obvious reasons) as you climb the soccer food chain.


I understand the wish for anonymity, but knowing the positions involved might help get more rational responses.


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## socalkdg (Oct 15, 2018)

Julie Ertz.  CB to mid.  
Crystal Dunn. Forward to wing


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## MWN (Oct 16, 2018)

Being able to play multiple positions well means many more opportunities. especially at the next level (college for girls).  Where we see a lot of consternation with parents is their kid is a good striker/forward, they and often the kid equates goals with value and see anything but striker as a demotion.  Not saying this is you, just a trend that is repeated over and over.

When it comes to college recruiting, every and I mean every college coach wants players that can play multiple positions well.  A college coach has limited scholarships and the strength/weakness of the team changes each year.  They may be full at Striker or Center-Mid, so having a player that is a one-trick pony isn't ideal, but having a freshman come into the program that can play mid and striker is much more valuable.

The other thing to consider is that your player appears to be a middle schooler, just finished puberty or towards the end.  Maybe the growth spurt wasn't kind or maybe it was and her body type looks to be more suited for another position ... tall and lanky (move to goal, center back, striker where the extra stride length can be taken advantage of) ... shorter with hips (move to the outside where she can use her leverage better).

On the boys side I can't tell you how many kids (its been many) that failed to switch positions in time and now are out of soccer.  It was most frequently the forwards who were awesome as 11 and 12 year olds, but once puberty started and the genetic lottery didn't go their way, became bench players because their speed was neutralized once the other players caught up and they just didn't have the other skills/smarts to play the mid or defense.

Good luck


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## focomoso (Oct 16, 2018)

Papa's Fritas said:


> They were saying to her that she would be a stronger player in this area.


This is the key. If this is really about making her a better player, then switch. If it's about a team that needs to fill a hole, then she should find another team where she can play at her best position. If you (the parent) aren't a soccer player, it may be hard to tell which of these is going on. My advice would be to try to find another parent who is a soccer player and get their take on it.


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## mirage (Oct 16, 2018)

Papa's Fritas said:


> Hello all,
> Need some perspective. Sorry to be vague....my dd skill level is an ODP travel team
> starter at her current position. The higher ups at the club were talking with her about
> switching to new position, like she played oddly couple times out of the blue, which now
> ...


Agree with knowing the current position and the new position would help put the conversation into a context.

Often forwards are switched to outside back in 4-4-3 system because the outside backs need to be able to push forward and attack, and have pace.  Another common switch is a center back to a holding mid.  Also many GKs are former forwards.

Attacking players should be able to adjust to most attacking positions but there are some limitations.  With all things being equal,  to be an effective attacking mid, a player needs creativity as well as excellent technical skills.  Effective forwards need a natural ability to score (more mental than physical) and have an excellent route IQ (for runs) without the ball.  Many coaches believe, based on what's been said by them, real forwards are born and not taught.

Defending players should be able to play most defending positions but it is quite different role to be CB vs LB or RB, and traditional CM.  Of course the physical stature tend to make CB's much taller and bigger than other positions but it also require anticipation of attacking players and require the need to direct other defenders at any given time.

So think about what is being asked and if it makes sense or not.  There could be many reasons why and pros and cons.  Keep in mind that it could be as simple as the coach trying to get the best 11 players on the field and the move can facilitate that....


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## outside! (Oct 16, 2018)

DD had an 18 month period (U16-U17) where she played every position (including keeper) at least once during a game. She did better at some than others, but she learned from all of them. For instance, she learned that she never wants to play keeper again. Her last year of club, she played mostly defense (center back and outside, left and right) but sometimes played outside mid or forward. She has been playing forward and outside mid this year.

If your player likes her team and coach, it could be worth a try.


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## Paul Spacey (Oct 16, 2018)

Really good players can play in any position and if they want to help themselves, they should be happy to play multiple positions. In late HS (junior/senior) you probably want to have at least one position nailed down but you can still play multiple positions. Knowledgeable coaches know that versatile players are valuable (look at the top level of the game today for proof of that). 

Everyone is looking for a red-hot striker who can finish like aguero but those players are very few and far between. Versatility and fluidity will continue to be a big part of successful soccer teams (and individual players) in this age of the game.


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## mirage (Oct 16, 2018)

Paul Spacey said:


> Really good players can play in any position....
> 
> Everyone is looking for a red-hot striker who can finish like aguero but those players are very few and far between. Versatility and fluidity will continue to be a big part of successful soccer teams (and individual players) in this age of the game.


Ummm, I'm raising the BS flag here. 

Really good players can fill in in a pinch but to say "can play any position" is an over generalization.  I have never met any really good forward that can play CB effectively or holding mid position.  Their natural tendency to attack takes them out of position and cannot recover.  Also they have no idea the intricacy of each position brings.

Also what is "at this age of the game"?  We have no idea what age the player is.  For all we know, the player is in the last year of youth soccer or U12 - who knows.

While versatility is good, it can also land the player into a role of an utility player.  I see so many youth games where the coach takes the most athletic and talented kids and play them everywhere.  The consequence is that the player never learns how to properly play the position best suits them, or develop sufficient soccer IQ unique to the position.

The only context in which your generalization is valid is for younger players.  For older, its not always a good advice to give - to play every position....


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## Sons of Pitches (Oct 16, 2018)

If your DD can become the best player on her team at multible positions it will help her, and her team.  No matter what team she plays on.  Playing multiple positions really well gives a coach flexibility with substitution patterns, injury replacement, and any other need that arisies.  

Sounds like your DD is 13 to 15 years old?  If that is the case, let her play another position.


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## RecLegend (Oct 16, 2018)

If a coach moves a player to a different position isn't that the coach's decision?  

It's confusing as to why the "higher ups" would make this suggestion and not the coach.   Playing more positions is beneficial, but the communication in your situation seems odd.


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## Paul Spacey (Oct 16, 2018)

mirage said:


> Ummm, I'm raising the BS flag here.
> 
> Really good players can fill in in a pinch but to say "can play any position" is an over generalization.  I have never met any really good forward that can play CB effectively or holding mid position.  Their natural tendency to attack takes them out of position and cannot recover.  Also they have no idea the intricacy of each position brings.
> 
> ...


‘In this age of the game’. Meaning 2018, where fluidity and versatility are more important than they might have been many years ago because the game has moved on. Shame you didn’t understand that point although I’m not surprised.

Well done for raising the BS flag. Reading one or two of your posts, it’s clear you are a soccer expert. I’ll leave you to educate the OP here and step aside.


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## mirage (Oct 16, 2018)

Paul Spacey said:


> ‘In this age of the game’. Meaning 2018, where fluidity and versatility are more important than they might have been many years ago because the game has moved on. Shame you didn’t understand that point although I’m not surprised.
> 
> Well done for raising the BS flag. Reading one or two of your posts, it’s clear you are a soccer expert. I’ll leave you to educate the OP here and step aside.


Ouch I think I was just insulted..... 

Why make it personal?  Stay on the subject.  I simply disagreed with your statement and nothing about you.

No need to step aside, we just have different perspective.  No more, no less.


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## End of the Line (Oct 16, 2018)

mirage said:


> I have never met any really good forward that can play CB effectively or holding mid position.  Their natural tendency to attack takes them out of position and cannot recover. Also they have no idea the intricacy of each position brings.


You have obviously never met Julie Ertz, Abby Dahlkemper or Hallie Mace, all of whom could safely be classified as "really good forwards" through HS and club, and Mace and Ertz in college.

I think the moral of this story is to stop telling girls what they can and can't do.  @Papa's Fritas, do whatever you and your daughter think is best.  If your daughter can play, continues loving the sport and has dedicated coaches and family, the rest takes care of itself.


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## Papa Teran (Oct 16, 2018)

"My dd is pretty excited because she always wanted to play this position. "


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## jpeter (Oct 16, 2018)

mirage said:


> Ummm, I'm raising the BS flag here.
> 
> Really good players can fill in in a pinch but to say "can play any position" is an over generalization.  I have never met any really good forward that can play CB effectively or holding mid position.  Their natural tendency to attack takes them out of position and cannot recover.  Also they have no idea the intricacy of each position brings.


Seen some CB's playing FWD and vice versa even at the training camps so does happen and I've seen them be successful at mutiple positions either in Leagues, tourments, training, during the training camp call ups.    Once in colleague or in senior teams might be different?


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## LASTMAN14 (Oct 16, 2018)

Papa's Fritas said:


> Hello all,
> Need some perspective. Sorry to be vague....my dd skill level is an ODP travel team
> starter at her current position. The higher ups at the club were talking with her about
> switching to new position, like she played oddly couple times out of the blue, which now
> ...


I can only share my personal experiences and observations of my two children with true honesty. My oldest has honed and continues to improve at her set position (defense), though she is able to play all positions in her respective field role. In fact she is the only one on her team used in all spots across the back-line and to boot has developed a very functional left foot. To me this has made her quite versatile within her given position. My youngest has moved positions from midfield to the defense. Which has also served her well. She uses her midfield attacking mindset and applied it into her defensive role. From time to time she does play midfield, which makes they think they may once again move her. Therefore there is nothing wrong with giving the positional change a chance. If in the end it does not work speak to the coach.


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## mirage (Oct 16, 2018)

End of the Line said:


> You have obviously never met Julie Ertz, Abby Dahlkemper or Hallie Mace, all of whom could safely be classified as "really good forwards" through HS and club, and Mace and Ertz in college.
> 
> I think the moral of this story is to stop telling girls what they can and can't do.


You're right.  I have no idea who those women are.  And if they are exceptional, good for them.  That's would be the exception and not the norm.  I don't follow women soccer at all and the game is different but I also know human responses and sports as sports regardless of the gender.

Both of my kids are boys. One currently playing in college and another still in HS. 

No I am not telling anyone what to do or not to do (go back and read my posts).  All I said was pros and cons as well as what I have observed over time.


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## End of the Line (Oct 16, 2018)

mirage said:


> You're right.  I have no idea who those women are.  And if they are exceptional, good for them.  That's would be the exception and not the norm.  I don't follow women soccer at all and the game is different but I also know human responses and sports as sports regardless of the gender.
> 
> Both of my kids are boys. One currently playing in college and another still in HS.
> 
> No I am not telling anyone what to do or not to do (go back and read my posts).  All I said was pros and cons as well as what I have observed over time.


Girls apparently have better natural tendencies and a better understanding of the intricacy of each position than the boys....


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## outside! (Oct 16, 2018)

mirage said:


> I don't follow women soccer at all


WWC coming up in France next summer, perfect time to start following women's soccer! USWNT has some great players that are fun to watch. Hoping they all stay healthy, since the competition will be intense. France is looking to match their men's team. Canada, Australia, Germany, Brazil are looking good also.


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## Simisoccerfan (Oct 16, 2018)

Without a doubt being able to play multiple positions at a high level is exactly what college coaches want.


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## espola (Oct 16, 2018)

Simisoccerfan said:


> Without a doubt being able to play multiple positions at a high level is exactly what college coaches want.


And if a club/team claims to be supporting a "development" model, one might think that they would work to improve player weaknesses.  Otherwise it's just a recruiting sham.


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## Multi Sport (Oct 16, 2018)

End of the Line said:


> You have obviously never met Julie Ertz, Abby Dahlkemper or Hallie Mace, all of whom could safely be classified as "really good forwards" through HS and club, and Mace and Ertz in college.


Hallie was more then really good as an attacker. 

I was watching my DD play this past weekend and for about 10 minutes the coach moved her to left back. She now can say that she has played Striker, Mid and Defender in College.


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## Papa's Fritas (Oct 17, 2018)

Hey OP here. Thanks for feedback and thoughts. I will try to give some clarification.
I was hoping that there would be someone who's kid changed positions when everything looked pretty good, 
but maybe it wasn't and turned out to be the right choice. Mouthful, I know.

Higher ups mean TD and DOC types, which is odd and big flag. She was a ODP starter in this position, so
she knows to play it very well.  We have had other coaches and trainers telling us for couple years
that she should be playing the new role, but never was in the cards or easier for status quo by everyone.
So, this isn't a total surprise, but just really odd how this is turning out. 
It's her technical skills and first touch that stands out, so says the higher ups. 

Maybe she isn't as good in her current position and this is a wake up call to try something new.
Frankly, I am glad that she is being given an opportunity. Easier to keep on doing what's
currently working and put her on the bench when it isn't.  Comments welcomed. Thanks.


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## Mystery Train (Oct 17, 2018)

Papa's Fritas said:


> Hey OP here. Thanks for feedback and thoughts. I will try to give some clarification.
> I was hoping that there would be someone who's kid changed positions when everything looked pretty good,
> but maybe it wasn't and turned out to be the right choice. Mouthful, I know.
> 
> ...


This depends a little bit on how old your kid is.  You said that recruiting was going to start soon, so I'll just guess that she's under 15.  The younger they are, the easier it is to move around and the better for their long-term development.  If your kid is a "beast" at one position, I wouldn't worry too much about a switch.  At the youngers levels, it is rare to see players who are beasts in just one position only, because dominating at that age is more about physical superiority and mentality.  The older the kids get, the more the technical aspects of the positions make the difference.  So in general, I would tell you to embrace the chance to see her learn a new place on the field.  It should help her in the long run.  

To answer your question specifically, my DD hasn't gone through this herself, but I've seen several of her teammates go through it.  I can think of two players in particular that she played with at U13 who were great forwards/strikers.  Together, they were the top goal scorers for her team, which was a "b" team at the club.  Today, one is a starting right back for a DA team and the other is committed to a D1 school as a defender.  Back in the youngers ages, I never would have guessed they would become so good as defenders.  Both players are extremely fast, and both have great attitudes and dedication to constant improvement, so they take to coaching well and are adaptable people in general.  On the other hand, I know a kid who was "better" than them at that age.   This girl was the starting striker and top goal scorer at the same club on the "A" team.  She was even faster than the other two, and was absolutely 100% committed to being a goal scorer.  One coach tried to move her around to mid-fielder and defender, but she hated it.  You could tell when she played those positions, she was unhappy and frustrated.  She just loved to outrun people and finish.  Today she's still very good, but her game never developed beyond being a straight line speedster.  Last I heard, she's looking at playing as a walk-on at a small DIII school.   Not that these stories mean anything to your DD, because everyone's path is unique.  Just to give you some assurance that switching positions can work out and sometimes staying in place can hurt your game.  

Also note, although you didn't specify positions, if she's going from attacking to defending, it will help her in the recruitment process.  I had a national team coach tell me that they (and college coaches) are ALWAYS short on great defenders.


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## Grace T. (Oct 17, 2018)

Mystery Train said:


> Also note, although you didn't specify positions, if she's going from attacking to defending, it will help her in the recruitment process.  I had a national team coach tell me that they (and college coaches) are ALWAYS short on great defenders.


Soccer positions are like a rock band.  Everyone wants to be the lead singer...they take all the glory and money, but the competition is fierce.  No one wants to be the bass player....but they'll always work, and have to work hard to produce.  And the drummers, they are just weirdos.


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## Simisoccerfan (Oct 17, 2018)

Unless you see another girl on the team that is better than her in her old position or she has been told specifically she is not good enough and needs to move don't assume that this move is about her no longer being good enough in this position.   Most likely the coaches just see that she has the skills to be amazing at her new position.   This is exactly what happened to my daughter at the start of U15 when she was converted from outside mid to outside back.   It was hard to understand the move at first since she was so good at her position but it's actually been a blessing and in retrospect it was this move that led to all of the amazing things that have happened for her since then.


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## davin (Oct 17, 2018)

mirage said:


> Ummm, I'm raising the BS flag here.
> 
> Really good players can fill in in a pinch but to say "can play any position" is an over generalization.  I have never met any really good forward that can play CB effectively or holding mid position.  Their natural tendency to attack takes them out of position and cannot recover.  Also they have no idea the intricacy of each position brings.
> 
> ...


Lauren Holiday(Cheney) played forward for UCLA and set the career record for points and goals. She was the starting(and very effective) holding mid for the USWNT for many years. There are other examples of forwards transitioning to other positions effectively, as mentioned above.


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## full90 (Oct 18, 2018)

Directly from a college coach's mouth on an official visit when asked about position: "we don't care where your club coach plays you. we are looking to see where your skill set fits for us and how and where we can use you. It may be in the position you've played your whole life or it may be somewhere else. Or we may get you here thinking you will fit at one spot and we see you develop into something else we need."


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## mirage (Oct 18, 2018)

full90 said:


> Directly from a college coach's ......."we don't care where your club coach plays you. we are looking to see where your skill set fits for us and how and where we can use you. It may be in the position you've played your whole life or it may be somewhere else. Or we may get you here thinking you will fit at one spot and we see you develop into something else we need."


Completely agree.  Any coach will deploy any player as he/she see it appropriate.  You see in every team sports.

The whole point of this thread, I thought, was that OP was concerned about his kid being placed onto a different position than what she excels at.  Its not to say that that doesn't happen.  It happens all the time.  So the question then becomes what is the probability of success once it occurs.


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## MakeAPlay (Oct 19, 2018)

My player mainly played a different position her whole career until  U14 at the old Manchester Cup at Nike headquarters in Oregon early in the first half when Madison Haley scored a goal off them in under 30 seconds.  She was switched to central defender, they came back to win that game 2-1 and win their group and she rarely played forward again and has started every game of her college career at her “new” position.  She was an ODP player originally as a forward. 

Position changes are oftentimes the best thing that can ever happen to a player.  Also very good attacking players are fairly common.  Great defenders are rare and worth their weight in gold.  Good luck to you and your player.


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## Papa's Fritas (Dec 29, 2018)

Hey OP here.
I wanted to give an update. Nice long talk with DD and she is very happy what is happening.
She totally embraced this new role and the coaches were happy to see the positive attitude.
Funny, that a little thing like saying "yes, coach, I will do my best" can bring positive changes
on both sides.

As a parent, I was worried what all parents could be worried about. But at the end, if
you can't trust your coach, td, or doc, then there are bigger issues at play here.

It was scary for her. She was told that she is great at X, then someone says
you need to try this because you will be better. She had some bad days, but overall
pretty positive experience. 

Is this a good fit? She says that she would rather play this new position than the old. 
Something clicked with her. Hard to describe, but gotta believe the player. 
Well, she will be tested very soon if she gets to play this position.
Thanks for the comments! Best soccer advice site.


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