How do you develop soccer IQ?

[mirage]

.....generally speaking the kids with higher Soccer IQ understand angles, spacing, possession, timing of runs, they know when to delay and wait for help, box in opponents, have crosses like demons and are unselfish players. They play all the positions, even goalkeeper at the uLittle stage. If your kid hasn't been playing all the positions, then his soccer IQ will remain stunted.

The points made are very true, except the last statement. While the last sentence may be true at times, its one of those things that analytically sounds correct but not necessarily so in practice.

If the point is to say one needs to understand the game tactics and spacing for attacking and defending, in the context of overall strategy of the game, then fine. We agree completely. But its not necessary to play every position to learn and know the concepts and tactics being employed. Excellent players know all the intricacy that the position brings that he/she plays. At the higher levels, each position has its own specialist, as it were. In other words, its a age old question of is it better being a specialist or generalist.

..........When a College coach asks here what position she plays, she needs to answer "Whatever position you need me to play." Right now, she only understands striker. We still have a few years to develop her into a complete soccer player. I'm going to have her play in the back and when she has mastered that she is going to be moved to mid.....

This approach is fine when the player is younger but as he/she matures into older, need to really develop instinctual knowledge of how to play the primary position. All the subtleties that any position brings need to be an automatic reaction/muscle memory and not something that has to be thought of, since the game is significantly faster at a competitive levels.

The cliche really fits (jack of all trades, master at none) because all around good player can be a utility player that can fill the void at times but not likely to be the featured player. While all excellent players are good overall players, they excel at one or two positions. And to be excellent at one or two positions, they don't get there by playing every position.

I'm not arguing for the sake of arguing or disagreeing these points. Rather, sharing a different and counter intuitive perspective because there's a real danger of compromising a real quality players into a role that makes no sense for the sake of "development" by conventional wisdom. Just need to evaluate and make decisions based on who the player is.

 

[MWN]

@mirage,

To be clear, my comments were in the context of the uLittle (U6-U10), and early youth stages (under U12). My experience and training has made it clear to me that specialization should not occur until after the first stages of puberty, generally U12 for girls and U14 for boys because puberty is a cruel thing and many a specialist youth player has found themselves out of soccer for lack of Soccer IQ.

The current prevailing wisdom of US Soccer and I agree is that the uLittles should not be playing competitively because adults tend to put winning over development. Once teams start chasing trophies, kids are pigeon holed in positions and few make it out of their hole. This is one of the reasons that sports like Futsal and 5-a-side soccer are good, its forces all the players to become defenders, midfields, forwards, etc.

 

[MWN]

Wow! You are spot on.
He is a forward and has rarely played any other position. One coach moved him to center-back for about half of the season and son really liked it after he overcame the initial frustration. However, coach moved him back to forward next season.
Great feedback from all. Food for thought for Spring...

As you navigate doing what is best for your son, consider the path of my son (2003/U16/Sophomore):

• Rec Soccer to U10 - Plays all positions, is one of the best athletes on the field, I'm the coach and move players around.
• Club at U11 (Presidio AA-C) No longer the best athlete, wake-up call. But coaches move him around working on his Soccer IQ. End of season wants to be a GK
• Back to Rec - Spring U12, I coach the team, but play him on the field 3/4 of the time and in goal 1/4.
• Back to Club Fall U12, to be a GK and begin specialized GK training.
• Club U13 (Flight 3/Bronze) - GK, splits time.
• Club U14 (Flight 3) - GK, splits time with other GK, but also plays on field at Wing and Sweeper.
• Club U15 (Flight 2 - U16 team) - 2nd Puberty growth spurt. Move clubs, coach of 2002 team wants him to play up at a higher level.
• HS - Freshman makes JV team, skips JV-Reserve/Frosh/Soph. Called up to Varsity at end of season.
• Club U16 (Flight 1 - U18 team) - Move clubs looking for better GK training, coach of 2001 team wants him to play up 2 years at higher level.
• HS - Sophomore makes Varsity team. Becomes starter over Senior GK 2nd game into league season. Currently leads his CIF division with a GAA of .33 (2 GA / 33 Saves).

My kid didn't really even start playing club until U11/U12. Even then, he only really specialized in the GK position once he was a U13/14. He still is capable on the field, during a scrimmage last fall between the U18 and U19 team (remember he is only 15), the coach put him up as a forward and he scored 3 goals because he read the defenders and GK. His Soccer IQ at the positions of GK, Forward and Defender is where it should be because he played those position through U14, as a GK he must know what the opponent is planning on doing so he can direct his back line and head off the attack. He would not be the soccer player he is today, if I would have let his coaches pigeon hole him early on.

The good news is that it is not too late. Take a step back and ask your son what he wants. Does he want to play at the next level (college, semi-pro) or is he happy in a forward role. Depending on his answer, find a coach that understands his responsibility to develop your player into a complete soccer player and don't worry about the Flight until he is a sophomore in HS because HS boys are not recruited in a meaningful way until their Junior year, which is about the time puberty has completed.

 

[surf&donuts]

100% this. I don't know if this is your son's situation, but if he is being coached or has been coached by coaches that shout instructions incessantly during games (i.e. joysticking) his ability to think for himself and develop soccer IQ may have been stunted.

I highly recommend this book https://www.amazon.com/Soccer-IQ-Things-Smart-Players/dp/1469982471. Its a simple, practical guide to soccer IQ.

Thanks. Just ordered it!

 

[Iknownothing]

Long story short is the coach is telling you in a nice way that he’s not a team player.

 

[surf&donuts]

Long story short is the coach is telling you in a nice way that he’s not a team player.

??? I don't understand how that fits.
No. He is a team player and that specific comment has not been directed at him.

 

[Sons of Pitches]

Parents (and coaches) will say "You need to play faster!!!!"
Reality is that sometimes means you need to slow down.
You look like you are playing "fast" when you have a great touch on the ball and then make the right decision. If your touch isn't great, then you look like you are playing too slow, because you spend 1/2 a second trying to collect the ball, but then you get closed down. Or if you took a step or 2 backwards or sideways when receiving the ball, you are further away from the defender and have more time, making you look faster.
Additionally, if your teammates are giving you crappy passes, it makes you look "slower". - If they fire a ball at you in the air, you've got to trap it and get it to your feet. If they pass it right at your feet when they should have played it into space (and vice versa) or if they play it to your wrong foot.
Some of soccer IQ is reading the game and off the ball movement. But it's also doing little things to make the game look easier for yourself and your teammates.

To the poster above who mentioned a kid who has been able to look like a superstar because they've always been the fastest/strongest player. Putting that player in an environment with other fast and strong players should cause the player to have to become smarter. It may take a bit of time to realize that their speed has been neutralized and that they need to adjust their game. Fast wingers are great to have. But a fast winger who constantly takes off and finds themselves in a 1v4 situation will get shut down. Their ability to hold up play, connect and move will allow them to get more quality chances.

Our coach calls it " playing at the speed of success" I learned that when I asked him if my daughter needs to play faster (becuase I incorrectly thought she did).

 

[mirage]

@mirage,

To be clear, my comments were in the context of the uLittle (U6-U10), and early youth stages (under U12). My experience and training has made it clear to me that specialization should not occur until after the first stages of puberty, generally U12 for girls and U14 for boys because puberty is a cruel thing and many a specialist youth player has found themselves out of soccer for lack of Soccer IQ.

The current prevailing wisdom of US Soccer and I agree is that the uLittles should not be playing competitively because adults tend to put winning over development. Once teams start chasing trophies, kids are pigeon holed in positions and few make it out of their hole. This is one of the reasons that sports like Futsal and 5-a-side soccer are good, its forces all the players to become defenders, midfields, forwards, etc.

Well thanks for clarifying. Not sure why we'd be talking about U-little on this particular thread.

The OP said his son has been playing tier 1 (I'd read that to mean either Flight 1 or Gold/Premier) for 7 years. Since Flight 1/Gold didn't use to start until U8 or 9, the player has to be in the Olders category now (U15~16).

My response was directly based on the assumption that the player is at least U15, since there no other indication of the age. As such, my impression of your original post was over generalizing the obvious.

For Youngers, there are overwhelming evidence to support playing multiple sports and positions can only help prevent burnout, injuries and develop all around abilities - no argument there. It only becomes more of an issue as the transition takes place with puberty and the players level of commitment to the sport is made.

Since the thread is about soccer IQ in particular, from my over 10 years of experience in youth clubs, almost no coach teaches tactics to players before U14. And if they do, its almost always in the form of set-plays without any explanations. Few coaches do work on the player movements with and without the ball starting late U13 early U14, where the IQ really starts to build but you have to find those coaches. Unfortunately, most coaches just work on standard drills with and without small-sided 2v2, 2v3, 3v3 and so on mixed in, regardless of player's age.