# How much Soccer does your Child Actually Play



## SOCCERMINION (Oct 1, 2016)

So there seems to be alot of talk out there on how much soccer our children play, Id like to start a topic for people to post the truth so others can get an idea of the amount the kids are actually playing.
*U14 Girls Club player.
Max play time in a week:16.5 hours*
Monday: 6-7:30 Private Lessons
Tuesday: 4:30-6 Team Practice, 6-7:30 2nd Practice
Weds: (personal play time at the park 2 hours)
Thursday: 6-7:30 Team Practice
Friday: 4-5:30 Small goup training, 6-7:30 Team Speed and Conditioning training
Saturday: Mourning Game 2 hours, (Warm up and Play time.)
Sunday: Mourning Game 2 hours, Futsal 6-7:30
*Min Play Time in a week: 8 hours*
Monday: Off, (to allow player rest and parents wallets to cool from privates)
Tuesday: 4:30-6 Team Practice, 6-7:30 2nd Practice
Weds: Off
Thursday: 6-7:30 Team Practice
Friday: 4-5:30 Small goup training.
Saturday: Mourning Game 2 hours, (Warm up and Play time.)
Sunday: Off, (One game on weekend and Skip Futsal becuase hassle to get there.)
*GU14 Girls Club Soccer estimate average 12 training hours a week. *


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## mommato2girls (Oct 2, 2016)

Gu13 schedule 
Monday practice 530-7
Tuesday attack clinic 5-6
Wednesday off (this is homework/study day)
Thursday practice 530-7
Friday conditioning 4-5, futsal 7-8
Saturday game 1 hr warm up, 1 hour play
Sunday Indoor 1 hour various weekends when time permits
She also runs with her dad Tues, Thurs and Sun about 2/3 miles in the morning before school bc they like to run, regardless of soccer.
So only 9 hours not including her runs.


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## timbuck (Oct 2, 2016)

2 practices back to back?  Please explain.


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## Surfref (Oct 2, 2016)

College in-season.  2-3 hours of training Monday-Friday on non-game days plus at least an hour of film review the day after games.  Games twice a week ~3 hours each game. If no games the coach gives them Saturday and Sunday off but expects them to run or do some other cardio or strength.  My DD does a gym weight session and exercise bike three mornings for 90 minutes Monday, Wednesday and Saturday mornings in addition to the team stuff.  My DD also plays an indoor pickup game on Friday evening if she does not have a game.  She likes these pickup indoor games because it gives her a chance to let loose and be more physical.  The men who play in these pickup games have learned that the little 5'2" girl will and can knock them on their ass.  I really like going to watch, when my DD lets me, these pickup games.


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## SOCCERMINION (Oct 2, 2016)

timbuck said:


> 2 practices back to back?  Please explain.


My DD guests on a 2nd team and practices once week with them on same day as her other team.
Anyone have a child playing club and HS Soccer that can share their schedual?


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## timbuck (Oct 2, 2016)

SOCCERMINION said:


> My DD guests on a 2nd team and practices once week with them on same day as her other team.
> Anyone have a child playing club and HS Soccer that can share their schedual?


Got it.  Thanks. 
Is she cooked after? 
Ill coach my 2 teams back to back on Tuesday and I'm exhausted after.  It's good to be young and full of energy!!!


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## pooka (Oct 2, 2016)

GU14 Club Player
Team Practice Monday/Wed/ Thurs 1.5 hours (4.5 total) 630-8, 515-645
Small Group training Tuesday 1.5 hours 7-830
Speed and Agility Tuesday 1 hour 5-6
Friday free day
Depending on the weekend she will have one or two games at 2 hours each, so 2-4 hours
Total is 9-11 hours weekly


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## pewpew (Oct 2, 2016)

G03 Club/GK
Mon. 2hrs keeper training
Tue. 1.5hrs team training
Wed. 1.5hrs team training
Thu. 2hrs keeper training
Fri.  2hrs-1hr skills clinic/1hr shooting clinic (keeper training)
So in theory she could spend 9hrs just on training for the week.
Sat/Sun depends on game schedule. But the norm for game days. 2hrs (warm-up/game)
13hrs max for the week unless it's a tournament weekend and we all know how that can run. 
Thu/Fri we are flexible in that we usually pick one over the other depending on how the week has been going. If it's a bye weekend or maybe only a Sunday game she might train Mon-Fri. We always remain flexible. I don't want to burn her out either. And she needs rest from throwing her body around the way she does. If she's tired or not feeling well we'll keep her home. I don't see the need to train train train if it's going to be counter-productive and possibly cause her to miss more days then the one night she's taking off.  Homework is still first priority so if there's too much and she has to miss training she will. But she is pretty good about getting it done so it doesn't become a problem. She maintains a good GPA.


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## mirage (Oct 3, 2016)

When our kid was U13, he trained 2x week w/his team and 2x week with U15 team on the other two days.  So that's 4x week @ 90~120 min per, or 8 hours or so a week.  Anywhere between 2~4 games on the weekends (club + Santa Ana league games).  Before U13 he did his team 2x week and travel baseball 2x week and both sets of games on the weekends.  Privates were used to address specific issues and never ongoing activity for us.

At U14, he trained 2x week with his team in fall, through winter (his club team had 6 HS players at U14 so the team continued to train and compete in tournaments - he only trained with the team) while he had daily training with HS.  In the spring of that year he trained 4x with DA team (he moved to DA) though June.  He ultimately liked HS better than DA (friends and representing his HS), he didn't bother going back to DA.

U15 on (he's now U17 playing on U18 team competing in U20 in CSL and CRL), he only trains 2x week with his team.  During HS season, he trains with HS team only, and transition back to club after CIF playoffs. 

We've balanced sports and academics as he got older and HS years.  The benefit of extra training and soccer, we believe, diminishes as the player gets to be around 15+ yrs.  While the players get better with more repetitions, tactics becomes much more important aspect of the game and how well the player performs, especially at the high level (assuming that the player has sufficient technical skills and natural abilities, such as speed and agility).  The benefit of academic achievements will outweigh the time spent on extra soccer training in our view (we're not thinking that our kid will be a pro - otherwise, we'd have sent him to Europe already since he is a dual US/EU citizen).

If you're wondering how all this has worked out for college - not playing DA and only training 2x week - he's recruited.   And, if all goes like it should (keeping our fingers crossed!), he'll be playing next fall for a great academic institution.  So there are many different ways to get to there.  Just have to have a bit of luck and find what works for your kid....


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## mommato2girls (Oct 3, 2016)

Mirage everything you said above was pretty much what I heard thus weekend from a mom who has two girls playing college. Both played highschool, over academy after trying it and not feeling it as the right fit. She emphasized stamina, speed and ball movement. Hard work, good ethics and academics. It was interesting to me to hear from someone who went through it twice. She also said visibility is key, to never burn bridges with coaches as they transfer clubs, ages etc all the time and that the soccer world is small. Our conversation echoed what you wrote so much. Thanks for your insight.


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## Mystery Train (Oct 3, 2016)

SOCCERMINION said:


> My DD guests on a 2nd team and practices once week with them on same day as her other team.
> Anyone have a child playing club and HS Soccer that can share their schedual?


Whew.  Your daughter's schedule similar to what my daughter's schedule was like a couple years ago (u12/13).  Now doing club soccer, HS volleyball, and HS soccer.  I've posted my thoughts about this on other threads, but I think it's too much.  When she was 11 or 12 (also a GK, so there was GK training) all the high impact training and sports weren't so bad.  Less massive bodies mean less force applied in collisions and less strength means less torque on the joints.  But as she's gotten bigger, the beating is taking its toll.  We've cut back dramatically on soccer practices because of the HS volleyball commitment (the two seasons overlap) but it is still a ton of hours of sports (probably 16 hours + a week).  I think she's going to drop Vball next year because it has been just too much.  HS soccer and club don't overlap, so I imagine it will be a tiny bit lighter during the HS soccer season, but not by much.  Looking at some of the other schedules posted here, I would say that it looks like not enough recovery time.  Those schedules are ok in short bursts or over a season, but I promise you a year of that with no breaks, and something else will break eventually.  I was thinking about interspersing two weeks of recovery every few months, regardless of what her club does.  Rest is a seriously underrated part of high performance.


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## Lambchop (Oct 3, 2016)

mommato2girls said:


> Mirage everything you said above was pretty much what I heard thus weekend from a mom who has two girls playing college. Both played highschool, over academy after trying it and not feeling it as the right fit. She emphasized stamina, speed and ball movement. Hard work, good ethics and academics. It was interesting to me to hear from someone who went through it twice. She also said visibility is key, to never burn bridges with coaches as they transfer clubs, ages etc all the time and that the soccer world is small. Our conversation echoed what you wrote so much. Thanks for your insight.


Academy????


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## mommato2girls (Oct 3, 2016)

Lambchop said:


> Academy????


Sorry, ECNL, which she said is the girls version of Academy until this fall. Not my opinion, I'm not familiar with either and we haven't hit those aspirations yet. I thought her insights were interesting nonetheless.


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## SOCCERMINION (Oct 3, 2016)

Mystery Train said:


> Whew.  Your daughter's schedule similar to what my daughter's schedule was like a couple years ago (u12/13).  Now doing club soccer, HS volleyball, and HS soccer.  I've posted my thoughts about this on other threads, but I think it's too much.  When she was 11 or 12 (also a GK, so there was GK training) all the high impact training and sports weren't so bad.  Less massive bodies mean less force applied in collisions and less strength means less torque on the joints.  But as she's gotten bigger, the beating is taking its toll.  We've cut back dramatically on soccer practices because of the HS volleyball commitment (the two seasons overlap) but it is still a ton of hours of sports (probably 16 hours + a week).  I think she's going to drop Vball next year because it has been just too much.  HS soccer and club don't overlap, so I imagine it will be a tiny bit lighter during the HS soccer season, but not by much.  Looking at some of the other schedules posted here, I would say that it looks like not enough recovery time.  Those schedules are ok in short bursts or over a season, but I promise you a year of that with no breaks, and something else will break eventually.  I was thinking about interspersing two weeks of recovery every few months, regardless of what her club does.  Rest is a seriously underrated part of high performance.


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## SOCCERMINION (Oct 3, 2016)

My post was to show Min and Max. My DD training time is somewhere in the middle. Obvioiusly we look at the total she is training and make her take time off but sometimes the stars align and her club has extra training and her friends invite her to some new activity. All this is driven from my DD . And if it was up to her she would probably play even more soccer with her friends. Its an odd thing , socccer in the OC. For my DD is not just bout her love of the game but also a social activity. The friends that will  be there plays a big part in her decisions if she wants to attend extra trainings or not. I don't think my DD would attend half the extra activities or play futsal at all if her friends wernt there playing as well....


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## Desert619 (Oct 8, 2016)

G2008 gu9
Monday 1 1/2 hrs soccer training
Tuesday 45min of martial arts
Wednesday 1 1/2 hrs soccer training
Thursday 45 min martial arts
Friday 1 hr of gymnastics
Saturday 2:10 hrs game including warm up
Sunday 1 hr private soccer training

B2009 bu8
Monday 1 1/2 hrs soccer training
Tuesday 30min martial arts
Wednesday 1 1/2 hrs soccer training
Thursday 30 min martial arts
Friday nothing
Saturday 2:10 hrs game including warm ups
Sunday 1 hrs private soccer training

B2001 bu16
Monday 1:45 hrs of soccer training
Tuesday nothing
Wednesday 1:45 hrs soccer training
Thursday nothing
Friday nothing
Saturday 2:30 hrs game including warm ups
Sunday nothing


Sorry I know the question was soccer but over the years i have learned to much of one sport can be damaging and they can get burned out. So I mix it up.


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## chondrichthyes (Oct 8, 2016)

GU 14 (scdsl,crl)
Mon: practice 530 to 7 PM 
Wed: practice 530 to 7 PM 
Sat: Game 1hr 10 min. With 45 min warmup
Sun: Game one hour and 10 minutes with 45 minutes of warm-up time 
 Almost every waking minute of time other than that listed above is spent doing schoolwork, eating, sleeping


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## jrcaesar (Oct 9, 2016)

Desert619 said:


> Sorry I know the question was soccer but over the years i have learned to much of one sport can be damaging and they can get burned out. So I mix it up.


3 kids, and yet that doesn't even add up to 40 total hours? How will they ever succeed?! I keep reading on this board that most (many? only good ones?) players spend 30-40 hours at soccer.


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## Desert619 (Oct 9, 2016)

jrcaesar said:


> 3 kids, and yet that doesn't even add up to 40 total hours? How will they ever succeed?! I keep reading on this board that most (many? only good ones?) players spend 30-40 hours at soccer.



Lol I know right!? Well I should say my b2001 made the odp player pool this year and he made varsity as a freshman last year.  So he must be doing something right. Also I have 4 kids. My 19 year old daughter plays college soccer,  so there's that. They're successful and all with a under 30-40 hour soccer schedules.

I'm speaking from experience. To much of one sport is damaging and it's ok to take a break. People shouldn't go overboard on training. These hours I'm seeing are a lot in my opinion.


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## Simisoccerfan (Oct 10, 2016)

G01 Club (during the club season)
Monday: 5-6:30 Club Team Practice, 7-8 Yoga class at the gym
Tuesday: 2:30-4 High School practice, 6:30-8 24 gym
Wednesday: 5:30-6:30 Club core workout, 7-8 gym if no homework
Thursday: 2:30-4 High School Practice, 5-6:30 Club Team Practice, 7-8 occasional gym
Friday: No workouts.  Rest for weekend games
Saturday: 1 hour warm up, 1:20 hour game time
Sunday: 1 hour warm up, 1:20 hour game time

Yoga, Club core workout with Division 1 trainer and gym visits are the key to limiting injuries and getting stronger.


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## Sped (Oct 10, 2016)

3x a week, 1.5 hour practice
1 or 2 games per weekend

Simple


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## SocalSoccerMom (Oct 10, 2016)

Sped said:


> 3x a week, 1.5 hour practice
> 1 or 2 games per weekend
> 
> Simple


Same here. Our 3rd training session of the week would be coach led, club skills clinics or conditioning/speed&agility


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## Sped (Oct 10, 2016)

SocalSoccerMom said:


> Same here. Our 3rd training session of the week would be coach led, club skills clinics or conditioning/speed&agility


Same.  I can see more for older kids, but I'm far more interested in keeping my kid's joints healthy and love of soccer high than I am having her play 20+ hours a week so she can be great at age 12.


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## God (Oct 10, 2016)

But what you all are talking about is practice, it's not playing the actual game. The majority of you are talking about practice i.e., exercise and drills for the most part. Involves alot of running.

I'd like to know how much time is spent playing the actual game. Pick up games, could either be street, futsal, or at a park.

Not many hours I can tell you that. And that is most important part of this game, the passion.


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## SocalSoccerMom (Oct 10, 2016)

Sped said:


> Same.  I can see more for older kids, but I'm far more interested in keeping my kid's joints healthy and love of soccer high than I am having her play 20+ hours a week so she can be great at age 12.


By the time you factor in drive time and traffic, 5 hours practice a week can be 7-8 hrs. With a moderate HS course load of 3-4 hrs of homework each night, anymore time spent on soccer becomes impossible.  That is not factoring HS clubs, sports or volunteering.


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## Sped (Oct 10, 2016)

SocalSoccerMom said:


> By the time you factor in drive time and traffic, 5 hours practice a week can be 7-8 hrs. With a moderate HS course load of 3-4 hrs of homework each night, anymore time spent on soccer becomes impossible.  That is not factoring HS clubs, sports or volunteering.


I suppose.  But if you live close by, 5 hours of practice can be 5 hours and 15 minutes a week.  For us, it's about 20 minutes each way, 3x a week.  I will say, however, that I'm actually in favor of having HS kids so busy they can't see straight.  Athletes tend to be good at using time wisely and prioritizing, both of which are valuable life skills.


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## socalkdg (Oct 10, 2016)

GU12, plays keeper in Club,  Forward in AYSO to get some field work.  She has the freedom to try anything she wants with AYSO. 
Monday: 6-7:30 Practice AYSO
Tuesday: 6-7:30 Club
Weds: 6-7:30 Practice AYSO
Thursday: 6-7:30 Club
Friday: 1/2 the time AYSO game, 90 minutes total(if not Friday the game is Saturday morning) Wants to play Futsal Fridays.
Saturday: Game 2 hours, (Warm up and Play time.)
Sunday: Game 2 hours, (Warm up and Play time.)

Total hours 11.5 hours.  She will also put in 1-2 hours banging an indoor ball off the couch or wall in our house.  One of the few places that she practices her left.

Best ball ever:  
https://www.amazon.com/Tachikara-Soft-Kick-Fabric-Soccer/dp/B000IY0KGC/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1476138316&sr=8-4&keywords=indoor+soccer+ball

Past week was a little crazy as we had a mid-season tourney for AYSO so she played 3 games before 1PM on Saturday.  She has missed parts to two AYSO games this year, never misses a club game.  I know many frown on playing both, but she is only 11 and not ready to fully commit to keeper.   

By the way, my older daughter dances and has been putting in 20 hours per week in Ballet, Jazz, Tap and Lyrical for the past 4 years.   Soccer is so much cheaper and less of time consumer.  Give your girls a ball and keep them out of dance.


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## mirage (Oct 10, 2016)

socalkdg said:


> Best ball ever:
> https://www.amazon.com/Tachikara-Soft-Kick-Fabric-Soccer/dp/B000IY0KGC/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1476138316&sr=8-4&keywords=indoor+soccer+ball


Had one for our boys. It didn't last more than two weeks.  The material started to fall apart and left a mess on the carpet.

Gator Skin dodgeball is much better and holds up to years of indoor kicking...


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## mirage (Oct 10, 2016)

God said:


> I'd like to know how much time is spent playing the actual game. Pick up games, could either be street, futsal, or at a park...


Yup, games, games, games.  Pickup games and street soccer on concrete basketball courts.  Kids really learn how to be creative and play quick.


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## SocalSoccerMom (Oct 10, 2016)

socalkdg said:


> GU12, plays keeper in Club,  Forward in AYSO to get some field work.  She has the freedom to try anything she wants with AYSO.
> Monday: 6-7:30 Practice AYSO
> Tuesday: 6-7:30 Club
> Weds: 6-7:30 Practice AYSO
> ...


Why not have her play part keeper part forward at club? It seems to be a lot to juggle for a 11 yrs old.


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## socalkdg (Oct 11, 2016)

mirage said:


> Had one for our boys. It didn't last more than two weeks.  The material started to fall apart and left a mess on the carpet.
> 
> Gator Skin dodgeball is much better and holds up to years of indoor kicking...


Interesting, daughter has been pounding hers for almost 2 years.  At $10 one of the better purchases I've made.   I wonder if how much you inflate the ball has a effect on how long it lasts.


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## socalkdg (Oct 11, 2016)

SocalSoccerMom said:


> Why not have her play part keeper part forward at club? It seems to be a lot to juggle for a 11 yrs old.


That was the original plan, but the other keeper got hurt.   My daughter is a high energy kid.   I gave the AYSO team the day off yesterday after playing 4 games in 4 days, so my daughter went to the park and played basketball for a couple hours.  I think because two games a week are in goal, plus some of the practice is keeper practice, she still leaves a lot of energy on the field.


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## soloyosh (Oct 12, 2016)

B04
Monday: 1.5 hours practice
Tuesday: 40 minutes of touches in his room, 60 minutes of pick-up (mostly men's league players)
Wednesday: 40 minutes of touches
Thursday: 1.5 hours practice
Friday: 40 minutes of touches
Saturday: 1 or two league games once every couple weeks
Sunday (when we do not have league games): 1.5 hours practice

B07
(outside rec season)
Monday: 1.5 hours practice
Tuesday: 40 minutes of touches
Wednesday: 1.5 hours practice
Thursday: 40 minutes of touches
Friday: 40 minutes of touches
Sunday: 60 minutes of pick-up with friends rotating between beach, futsal, indoor, and outdoor.

(during rec season)
Monday: 40 minutes of touches
Tuesday: 45 minutes of rec practice
Wednesday: 40 minutes of touches
Thursday: 45 minutes of rec practice
Friday: 40 minutes of touches
Saturday: 1 game
Sunday: 60 minutes of coached pick-up with club team.

Recreational participation is mandatory for my B07's club.  They do not attend competitions during rec.  This goes for all their competitive teams up to U16.  It is the main club in town.  Some parents were dissatisfied with the offerings of that club and split off to form a new 04 team.  They are organized under a Phoenix club (3 hours away) with myself as the coach.  No one in this area gets paid for anything soccer related except the high school coaches.

Boys wanted to go mountain biking with dad and so we got them a couple bikes.  This will likely cut into some of their soccer time.


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## soccer4theboy (Oct 14, 2016)

Similar to others who have posted, my B04 practices with team T & Th 1.5 hours.  Private training 1 hr on Wed.  Games often both Sat and Sun, 1 hour warm-up, 1 hour game time each. 

There was a time on a different team where the program was much more rigorous.  Frankly, I'm happy for the more workable schedule.  My son has many interests.  School always comes first; he's an excellent, hard working student...he actually blows me away in this respect.  And he's also active in Boy Scouts.  So...we're redlining "schedule-wise" as it is. 

But, as time allows, we go to team practices early to kick around with some of his teammates...and dads.  We dads can't let the kids have ALL the fun!  And, some random Friday and Sunday nights we'll grab the neighbor kid (with his mom's blessing, of course) and go to the local park for some pick-up games until it gets too dark to see.  Schedule be damned, we simply enjoy being on a pitch together and it's a healthy way for us to be together.


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## timbuck (Oct 14, 2016)

I thought my kids did the following:
Practice 2x per week for 90 minutes. 
Games 1x per week for 60 minutes.  Plus 45 minute warm up. 
I don't count drive time. 
My 07 player does gk training 2x per month for 90 minutes. 
This is the scheduled stuff. 
But-  my 2 oldest daughters play 1v1 in our long hallway almost every day for 30 minutes. They are 11 and 9 years old. 
They've also started trying to teach a younger boy down the street how to play. This is 30 minutes a few days a week. 
And when we go out to dinner with other soccer families, 4-6 kids grab a ball and play outside for 30+ minutes while they wait for the food to arrive.  This is at least once a week. And often after soccer practice. 
At school, during PE they don't play soccer yet. But they do run the mile a few times a week. And I tell them they need to finish in 8:00 minutes or less. 
And they do a volleyball clinic once a week for 2 hours.


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## socalkdg (Oct 16, 2016)

I think most kids put in 30 to 60 minutes of some type of exercise that we parents don't even count.   I think because of this we need to watch how much organized soccer that they play.  If we leave time available, they end up wanting to so some type of unorganized soccer that they can make up as they go.  My daughter has been watching a lot of instagram soccer videos of different tricks, balancing the ball, etc. and she likes to try practicing and mastering(has a very long way to go, but did see her learn a penalty kick one where she swings the front foot and kicks it into the goal with the back foot).  Its these type of things that keep them having fun and enjoying the sport of soccer.


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## MyDaughtersAKeeper (Oct 24, 2016)

God said:


> But what you all are talking about is practice, it's not playing the actual game. The majority of you are talking about practice i.e., exercise and drills for the most part. Involves alot of running.
> 
> I'd like to know how much time is spent playing the actual game. Pick up games, could either be street, futsal, or at a park.
> 
> Not many hours I can tell you that. And that is most important part of this game, the passion.


In response to your post, not very much.  An hour per week in organized soccer game(s) and around 1/2 hour each week at the end of the futsal training.  I would guess that this is part of the reason that the US lags other countries in soccer.  I am guessing that in other countries there is less training and more game play, be it pick up games, street soccer, small sided games, etc...  I believe that the US has great athletes, but we are still behind as respects to the level of soccer we play. 

As for my daughter's in season training schedule (off season is different), she has the following schedule:

Monday - 1.5 hour keeper practice
Tuesday & Thursday - 1.5 hour team practice 
Wednesday - 1.5 hour club organized practice (45 minutes conditioning/45 minutes futsal)
Friday - 1 hour keeper clinic (about every other week) 
Saturday morning - 2 hours (1 hour warm up/1 hour game time) 
Saturday evening - 1.5 hours futsal 
Sunday - 1 hour private keeper training
Total - 11.5 hours each week
She is a 2005 F/T Keeper


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## mahrez (Oct 25, 2016)

God said:


> But what you all are talking about is practice, it's not playing the actual game. The majority of you are talking about practice i.e., exercise and drills for the most part. Involves alot of running.
> 
> I'd like to know how much time is spent playing the actual game. Pick up games, could either be street, futsal, or at a park.
> 
> Not many hours I can tell you that. And that is most important part of this game, the passion.


Before 11v11: 3-5 hours of games a week.
Practice on their own another 3 hrs or so.

Both my kids learned to love the game and played without coaches or formal practice until we moved back to the states.

In general they both think the us youth game is over coached and spending these amounts of hours does'nt really move the needle for most players.

I don't know if the 10k hrs to get the sport is real but when you spend 90% of that time in practice I wonder?


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## espola (Oct 25, 2016)

mahrez said:


> Before 11v11: 3-5 hours of games a week.
> Practice on their own another 3 hrs or so.
> 
> Both my kids learned to love the game and played without coaches or formal practice until we moved back to the states.
> ...


An old adage is that the real coaching takes place in practice and games are just the weekly exams.  

A well-structured practice is as much fun as a game.  In fact it can be structured as a series of small games, focusing on overcoming the team's weaknesses and building their strengths.


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## mahrez (Oct 25, 2016)

espola said:


> An old adage is that the real coaching takes place in practice and games are just the weekly exams.
> 
> A well-structured practice is as much fun as a game.  In fact it can be structured as a series of small games, focusing on overcoming the team's weaknesses and building their strengths.


Yeah but soccer is not math class and rarely have I ever heard a kid say practice is even close to as fun as real games.

Of course there are no shortcut's,  practice is important and you must put in the work.  IMO we (USA)  tend to spend a disproportionate amount of time in training,  practice and don't let the kids play enough or have free play.


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## espola (Oct 25, 2016)

mahrez said:


> Yeah but soccer is not math class and rarely have I ever heard a kid say practice is even close to as fun as real games.
> 
> Of course there are no shortcut's,  practice is important and you must put in the work.  IMO we (USA)  tend to spend a disproportionate amount of time in training,  practice and don't let the kids play enough or have free play.


You need a better coach.


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## mahrez (Oct 25, 2016)

espola said:


> You need a better coach.


There is another old saying "the game is the best teacher"

Coach is there to help the players like a tutor, they can inspire, teach, give advice but kids want to play more than practice no matter how good the coach is.


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## espola (Oct 25, 2016)

mahrez said:


> There is another old saying "the game is the best teacher"
> 
> Coach is there to help the players like a tutor, they can inspire, teach, give advice but kids want to play more than practice no matter how good the coach is.


Nobody rides the bench at practice.


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## mommato2girls (Oct 25, 2016)

I agree that the best practice is playing the game. There is no better situation than real game time plays that help teach the skills kids need. I wish coaches did friendlies more and less of the drills and tournaments, especially where you end up playing the same teams over and over again. Why pay all that money when you can just pick up the phone and say hey we a have a field at this time, let's play. Even during practice most teams practice said by side with other age groups or boy teams from their club. Pull them together and let them play, if there's a huge skill difference split them 50/50 and play on. I wish we played more and drilled less. And played less structured. Just my two cents.


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## socalkdg (Oct 26, 2016)

Scrimmages are great so that the girls can just play against another team, but both coaches can occasionally stop play to talk about positioning, movement without the ball, thought process behind what they are doing, playing support.


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