Are taller younger usually in defense?

L

lulu9155

SILVER
Forgive the ignorance of this question. I grew up playing club and college volleyball so soccer is new to us.

My son is 9 and very tall for his age. He looks like he is 12 or so. He currently plays only defense on his F1 team. In U10. He is aggressive and has no fear of using his body. And I can see he plays defense well. He will play almost the entire game if not the entire game and no one else on his team plays more than half in any position.

When I would take him to other club practices before we chose a club for this year, and even last year, or like clinics, camps etc. the coaches all approach me and all comment on his height, are shocked by how old he is, and the next inevitable question is always does he play defense, can he play defense, we need a defender are you interested, or something along those lines.

I am wondering does my son being tall mean he will be doomed for defense forever? He is always the tallest kid in his age group. So he may always be the tallest kid. Both parents are tall.

Obviously I have no crystal ball but those of you with more experience with soccer, is this the trend and will it stay this way? Can I do anything so even though he is tall he can be given a chance somewhere else ? I never thought being tall would be a disadvantage for him but now he sees it as one.
 
lulu9155 said:
Forgive the ignorance of this question. I grew up playing club and college volleyball so soccer is new to us.

My son is 9 and very tall for his age. He looks like he is 12 or so. He currently plays only defense on his F1 team. In U10. He is aggressive and has no fear of using his body. And I can see he plays defense well. He will play almost the entire game if not the entire game and no one else on his team plays more than half in any position.

When I would take him to other club practices before we chose a club for this year, and even last year, or like clinics, camps etc. the coaches all approach me and all comment on his height, are shocked by how old he is, and the next inevitable question is always does he play defense, can he play defense, we need a defender are you interested, or something along those lines.

I am wondering does my son being tall mean he will be doomed for defense forever? He is always the tallest kid in his age group. So he may always be the tallest kid. Both parents are tall.

Obviously I have no crystal ball but those of you with more experience with soccer, is this the trend and will it stay this way? Can I do anything so even though he is tall he can be given a chance somewhere else ? I never thought being tall would be a disadvantage for him but now he sees it as one.
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Nope... it doesn't. And you don't want it to. Kids his age should play as many different positions as possible but don't freak out if his coach uses him at back most of the season. Most coaches don't like to change defenders once each position is established because of continuity. So the flip side is he'll get more minutes. And he can always do what my daughter did... who is 5' 11" now and used to be a foot taller than everyone on the field. Go up on corner kicks. Put a ball in the net using that height. As long as he can get back, no reason why he can't do that. He also used to let her play the 9 (center forward) when they got up on teams.

Coaches like tall backs because, in theory, they break up corners and crosses. In fact, eventually it's usually just the center backs because, as he gets older, coaches want outside backs that can run up and down the field but it depends on the formation they use. You just don't want your son losing interest to the point of quitting. My other daughter plays volleyball, so I get you, but being tall doesn't mean he's destined to be a middle blocker. ;)
 
You know what they say at tryouts, every kid is a winger and a midfielder. You need to very good to stand out. On the other hand, if you just say you like playing defense, coaches are all over you.
 
I saw kids taller and better at every age group for every year , all the taller bigger ones hit their ceiling around 13-14 yr old and are now the smaller less skilled ones.
Enjoy your time
 
A good problem to have! As you have already noticed, your kid will get lots of attention. Yes coaches seem to tend to put taller players in defense typically because they are also physically stronger. Coaches love strong defensive players. Just watch for your kid’s touch. Make sure your son’s touches are as good if not better than the midfielders. My opinion is that you should be concerned if you notice that your kid is not making good passes or the ball bounces off their feet too much (signs that he is placed in defense just because of size but is lacking in skills). I’ve seen too many young players play exclusively in defense because they are taller and bigger and have terrible touches, can’t receive balls well, don’t know how to make good passes, can’t dribble, etc. and just rely on being able to run fast and shove players off a ball.
 
Jar!23 said:
A good problem to have! As you have already noticed, your kid will get lots of attention. Yes coaches seem to tend to put taller players in defense typically because they are also physically stronger. Coaches love strong defensive players. Just watch for your kid’s touch. Make sure your son’s touches are as good if not better than the midfielders. My opinion is that you should be concerned if you notice that your kid is not making good passes or the ball bounces off their feet too much (signs that he is placed in defense just because of size but is lacking in skills). I’ve seen too many young players play exclusively in defense because they are taller and bigger and have terrible touches, can’t receive balls well, don’t know how to make good passes, can’t dribble, etc. and just rely on being able to run fast and shove players off a ball.
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Great advise and it's 100% spot on. So many kids/teams play the "just clear it" style, and that does nothing for the development of the defenders.

When he goes to 9v9 next year, have him ask the coach to play him at RB or LB. These are my favorite positions. You get involved in both defending and attacking if your coach gives him that freedom.

On the other hand, in our experience a strong defender often plays full time. Do you prefer to play 100% of a game as a defender or only 50% as a winger?
 
I think a big problem in youth soccer is parents who believe that being forward is best and playing defense sucks. There is a lot of education that is needed for parents and part of that is understanding that soccer is soccer regardless of what position you're playing on the pitch. I would encourage your kid to play the same whether they're at forward or defense as the concepts of attacking and defending apply to all field positions.
 
rainbow_unicorn said:
I think a big problem in youth soccer is parents who believe that being forward is best and playing defense sucks. There is a lot of education that is needed for parents and part of that is understanding that soccer is soccer regardless of what position you're playing on the pitch. I would encourage your kid to play the same whether they're at forward or defense as the concepts of attacking and defending apply to all field positions.
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I had to log in after reading your response to say "PREACHHHHHH"
 
lulu9155 said:
Forgive the ignorance of this question. I grew up playing club and college volleyball so soccer is new to us.

My son is 9 and very tall for his age. He looks like he is 12 or so. He currently plays only defense on his F1 team. In U10. He is aggressive and has no fear of using his body. And I can see he plays defense well. He will play almost the entire game if not the entire game and no one else on his team plays more than half in any position.

When I would take him to other club practices before we chose a club for this year, and even last year, or like clinics, camps etc. the coaches all approach me and all comment on his height, are shocked by how old he is, and the next inevitable question is always does he play defense, can he play defense, we need a defender are you interested, or something along those lines.

I am wondering does my son being tall mean he will be doomed for defense forever? He is always the tallest kid in his age group. So he may always be the tallest kid. Both parents are tall.

Obviously I have no crystal ball but those of you with more experience with soccer, is this the trend and will it stay this way? Can I do anything so even though he is tall he can be given a chance somewhere else ? I never thought being tall would be a disadvantage for him but now he sees it as one.
Click to expand...
rainbow_unicorn said:
I think a big problem in youth soccer is parents who believe that being forward is best and playing defense sucks. There is a lot of education that is needed for parents and part of that is understanding that soccer is soccer regardless of what position you're playing on the pitch. I would encourage your kid to play the same whether they're at forward or defense as the concepts of attacking and defending apply to all field positions.
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The other problem is that US soccer coaches look at size first and stereotype a kid's position (particularly at the younger ages) based on size over touch, IQ, etc. (In the belief that those things can be taught).

Its unlikely a kid at 9 is going to be playing the same position at age 14. Like others have said don't disparage the position of defender. If the soccer is being played correctly your defenders are your first attackers (although I claim you keeper is your first attacker).
 
From my limited experience with volleyball, the defenders are the liberos and defensive specialist positions (and many people refer to those two positions interchangeably). The libero can play quite a bit since he doesn't count against the sub rules but can't play front row. The defensive specialist (non-libero) seems to have limited playing time due to the rotation.

No such rule in soccer. The defender can attack. Of course at 11 v 11, the field is so big you won't see that often but at the younger ages, it's quite common for defenders to go up the field.

In any event, as other posted have said, being a good defender will bring your son many opportunities (and also just being bigger), so don't stress and keep an eye out on the things I mentioned in my other reply (make sure skills are being developed). And yes, kids change positions over time. By 14-15, boys even out in size. If at that time the kid plays as defender cause he's a great defender, awesome! If he plays as a defender because he has poor touch and can't pass, and thus is stuck at a lower level team, then that would suck.
 
lulu9155 said:
Forgive the ignorance of this question. I grew up playing club and college volleyball so soccer is new to us.

My son is 9 and very tall for his age. He looks like he is 12 or so. He currently plays only defense on his F1 team. In U10. He is aggressive and has no fear of using his body. And I can see he plays defense well. He will play almost the entire game if not the entire game and no one else on his team plays more than half in any position.

When I would take him to other club practices before we chose a club for this year, and even last year, or like clinics, camps etc. the coaches all approach me and all comment on his height, are shocked by how old he is, and the next inevitable question is always does he play defense, can he play defense, we need a defender are you interested, or something along those lines.

I am wondering does my son being tall mean he will be doomed for defense forever? He is always the tallest kid in his age group. So he may always be the tallest kid. Both parents are tall.

Obviously I have no crystal ball but those of you with more experience with soccer, is this the trend and will it stay this way? Can I do anything so even though he is tall he can be given a chance somewhere else ? I never thought being tall would be a disadvantage for him but now he sees it as one.
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The short answer to your question is that yes, he will have opportunities to play in many different positions throughout his youth soccer journey as long as he sticks with it. There are plenty of very tall forwards and strikers at the upper levels of the game.

The more complex issue has to do with how youth club soccer works, the types of coaches he will run into, and what happens after puberty. The worse a youth coach is, the more they are focused on winning meaningless U10 games, the more they will rely on the size and physical traits of their players to win those games. (I'm surprised your son wasn't asked about playing in goal if he's that tall.) But after puberty starts to hit, the balance of size and speed shifts among his peers, and suddenly kids that used to look huge on the field now aren't so special. Your kid might be tall relative to the average now, but that could change in HS. Or it might not, especially if you and/or your wife are very tall. But regardless, you should be cautious of youth coaches who are overly fixated on how naturally big, strong, or fast a 9 year old is. To me, that says they don't have a big picture, long-term mindset. They'll do things like always put the fastest kid at striker or wing, or always the tallest kid as center defender, or always the biggest, strongest kid in goal. At 9, the only reason to do that is to win 9 year old soccer games. A coach who is willing to move players around teach them all skills regardless of their current physical stature is a coach worth finding. Don't let your relative ignorance of the sport as a newcomer make you put soccer coaches on a pedestal and think they know more than they do. Take it from the veterans on this board: club soccer is an ego magnet for people with failed athletic careers and unfulfilled soccer dreams, both coaches and parents. Be wary.

Another point which has been made by others in this thread already is this: embrace playing defense at a young age. In college and HS, a field player who can only play one position is a liability. And it is much harder to take a kid who played forward all the time as a youth and teach them defense than to take a good defender and teach them attack. Players who learn how to defend early on are SOOOOOO much better off than vice versa. There is a point at which the knack for scoring goals will naturally draw a player over to the attack side of the ball. So if he plays defense now, and is good at it, but still shows an ability to put the ball in the back of the net, he'll be a coaches' dream.
 
lulu9155 said:
I am wondering does my son being tall mean he will be doomed for defense forever?
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This is a tell... In an evenly matched game, you spend half the time defending. Defenders get more touches than forwards and even midfielders in many cases. Defenders usually play the full 90, whereas even the best strikers are lucky to get 60. Teams are always looking for good defenders.

That said, at this age, any future defender should also play at the 6.
 
lulu9155 said:
He will play almost the entire game if not the entire game and no one else on his team plays more than half in any position.
Click to expand...

I think as long as he doesn't hate it right now, the fact that he's valued by the coach to play the whole game and just being out there every game... I think this will benefit him in the long run.

I know a player who used to play CB when younger because he was so tall... but then played defensive mid... then the 10... then the 9 as the main target man as he grew older...

I don't think he'll be "doomed" forever... unless... he's the best CB in SoCal... then he'll continue to play CB... but that won't necessarily be a bad thing... every team in the world (from U10 to Premier League teams...) is looking for a quality CB... :D
 
I appreciate everyone’s feedback. It’s very helpful. I would like to say that as his parents we don’t care at all where he plays. For us it makes zero difference the position as long as he is happy. We see him play 75-100% of every game more than other players. It’s fun watching him. No matter where he plays. We never talk about positions with him.

It’s him that brings it up. He likes defense just not 100% of the time. And I was just wondering if the height was going to influence position in the next few years too. Hence my question. Both od us are tall mom 5’8” dad 6’3”.

But it seems no from responses. Again thank you.
 
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