I think they can play normal soccer for couple hours, maybe taking a few breaks. But by normal soccer, I mean walking part of the time, as you do in soccer. Not running back and forth like in basketball. In basketball they sub a lot more. I don't think there's much I can do personally. I can moan and gripe and suggest ideas. I can criticize US Soccer and their approach. I think soccer here is overmanaged; they look at it like MBAs. But they are inefficient like GM, ignoring common sense while the Japanese ate their lunch in the 70s and 80s. Our society has changed. It's a deeper issue than the scope of this. More helicopter parenting, fewer kids. We don't let kids play outside much anymore. But they can watch screens for many hours. I'm not saying its wrong per se; it's just an observation.
Drove 2 hours to a field today. Took an hour to get in and park. My kid played maybe 30 minutes between 2 games. Then drove 2 hours home. I WISH I could drive 30 mins and have my kid play 30 minutes LOL. I hate my life haha. I laugh cause it's better to laugh than cry I'm okay. I've got Netflix on, whiskey in hand, BigSoccer on my phone... Time to wind down...
They sub a LOT more in basketball than in indoor soccer? You must not have a deep bench. I read your posts as more than "moaning and griping". It sounds more like you think you have the answers that if people followed what you said, all the kids would end up on pro teams and the US would be winning WCs left and right.
We've had a couple of those in our careers. It really comes down to how wide of an area the league pulls from. I think the furthest we've gone for a single game was 7 hours (maybe that was two games, the wife made the trip). Of course, this was doing 35 or 40 minute halves. The better organizers will arrange it so on long trips, you can at least get two games in. We've often driven 2-4 hours, played a Saturday afternoon, a Sunday morning, then driven home.
fair point. so if you have a lot of subs then have the kids run more and sub in/out more? like every 5 mins? but if you have few/no subs then have them conserve their energy? they need it for the long haul
We just played "5 a side" yesterday (slightly smaller than indoor, walls, but they're out of play). We had 1 sub. Coach rotated about every 5 min. Personally, I dont like "line changes" (more than 2 subs at once). But for indoor, if you have a deep bench, run them ragged and sub them out often. You dont need to conserve energy on the field if you can rest on the bench.
@NewDadaCoach -- like two minutes of google proved that as usual, you know absolutely nothing. England U9=25 minute halves. Kids lose focus after longer periods of time. Indoor is different, indoor is weird. When I coached indoor, I loved the hockey line change aspect of it.
lol where did i say england U9 didn't do 25 min halves? i said their kids play more than our kids overall. They play more at school and at the local park. I didn't say their structured games were longer.
Regardless, you’re still complaining about how your kid is being asked to play as a guest in indoor soccer yet you think unstructured street ball is the answer. Kids get enough minutes, they get enough training. What they don’t get is the cultural aspect of the game. They don’t watch enough professional soccer, their parents don’t watch enough professional soccer. The game has not been handed down from one generation to the next. These are generational things that can’t be rushed. Most parents have played basketball, football or baseball. Enough to know the training milestones and what is important to introducing the game to their kids. Take a look back at your own posts. Don’t you think your kid would be much further along if you had an innate clue of what was important to soccer development at his younger ages? Now think of all the parents who aren’t asking questions or thinking about development the way you are. If there is no passion or understanding of the game from the parents what kind of street ball culture do you expect to develop?
There's a solid amount of irony in this sentence here, considering you've seemingly been wanting to manage your son's soccer life since he was 5 or 6.
Don’t you think your kid would be much further along if you had an innate clue of what was important to soccer development at his younger ages? What? How much further along could my kid be? He's playing at the highest level available. He's on the A team at the highest league. Going back to my original thesis - the game lengths are what they are. It comes from the top (the governing bodies). To get adequate total minutes a kid will need to play more than just that one game on the weekend with two 25 min halves. That doesn't cut it. So pickup games or play in multiple leagues or add'l tournaments.
The games are over managed. That's why we don't have any super stars like Messi. We want all the kids to fall in line with the coach tactics and leave little room for creative freedom. It's kind of a psychology thing. We supress their mentality, so they don't play with joy and flare like the Brazilians.
And as you have found out, European league games are the same length as ours at the same ages. When this is pointed out to you, you move the goal posts and claim “overall, cumulatively, kids in Europe play more minutes than our kids do, via recess, street ball etc.” So, our structured governing bodies have similar training and game times but you expect our governing bodies to replicate the unorganized aspect of soccer culture in Europe?
I don't expect the governing bodies to change. They have to err on the side of caution, as do the clubs. Probably the best solution is just to join more teams and play more pickup games. Like they do in every other country. I don't see how this is controversial. It's like learning a language. If you only use the language 3 times a week for one hour each, it's going to take a long time to learn it. But if you use it everyday then you'll learn it faster and be more fluent. To get fluency in soccer is the same.
But you started the thread because the ORGANIZED games are too short. It sound like (to me at least) that you wanted the ORGANIZED games to be longer. Are you now saying you want more UNORGANIZED games? If that's the case, I agree, that would be a good thing. BUT, that's going to totally depend on the kids. When my son was in the 7-10yo range, they'd play every day at recess (ok, at least 4/5). Griping on a message board that there's not enough unorganized play doesn't really do anything. Or are you asking HOW to get more unorganized play?
I mean I do think organized games are too short. That's my opinion. You get 20 or 25 min halves. So if you have subs each kids is getting let's say 35-40 mins of play time. Man that is so low. But I'm not expecting US Soccer to read my post and agree. Just like you made a post about other ways to decide a game than PK shootout. We're just shooting the breeze here. Anyways I was just complaining. The kids play a bit of soccer then go home and play minecraft for 3 hours. I guess that's ok with @The Stig. We don't want our kids to get an owie now do we. They'll probably all get pre mature carpel tunnel though from video games and internet usage.
My kid has played a ton. She played for two clubs simultaneously full time for 3 years. Played in pickup summer leagues, futsal, Super Y, 3v3, indoor soccer, various side training and personal training. She’s played on boys teams through her youth. Guest played whenever asked. The reality is, many of those opportunities were earned and also sought after. Playing opportunities are out there if you want them. There is no shortage of minutes for kids to play, especially for good players. Our league games are no shorter than our European counterparts. Our players have just as many playing opportunities as our European counterparts for those who seek them out.
That's great, but how is it possible to play for two clubs simultaneously full time? I've never heard of that. I thought the clubs do not allow that. My kid plays a lot too, but I cannot fathom doing two clubs at same time. He does club, pickup, indoor and guest playing here and there. And playing at home and at school when he feels like it.
The kids don’t have to play Minecraft for 3 hours when they get home. I’m sure my kids would play 3 hours of video games if it was their choice but we don’t think that’s good for young kids so we don’t let them have that much. All parents can make their own choice on how much screen time they think is appropriate but “shorter” game times doesn’t mean your kid has to stare at a screen during their other time.
Most kids do though. Its the day and age we live in. Kids need more physical activities to do. Sure we can say that's on them but they really don't know what's best for them. Most of them would play physically if they had the options. It's the single parents that have it hardest. They are too tired to make the kid do something physical so they just let the kid do screen time. And they don't want to let the kid go outside and play without supervision, afraid something bad might happen to them. There needs to be places for kids to go and play. There are some community centers here and there but they have weird hours. Open gym is needed.
Step 1. Get two clubs to agree to share. Be transparent and be talented enough for both clubs to be willing to do it. Step 2. Make sure both clubs play in leagues sanctioned by two different carding organizations. Step 3. Pray that practice and league schedules work out. Step 4. Be prepared to drive, a lot. The main point is, if you think your kid needs more playing time, game minutes, etc. then get creative and figure it out yourself. That is your responsibility and not some governing body’s responsibility. If your son reaches the top of the pyramid in the US and makes a MLS Academy AND a youth national team then prepare to home school in order to accommodate the travel and training demands at that level of youth soccer. If you don’t live near an MLS Academy well then plan on driving or moving. It always comes down to personal sacrifices and commitment well beyond what organized club soccer will offer or demand. And after all of that, success is still not guaranteed. If your son is truly gifted there are lots of opportunities and options out there for you to take advantage of but they will not be spoon fed to you. You need to think outside the box, be creative and be flexible.
My kid gets lots of playtime overall. But still the game times are too short. There's not much value in only playing a few minutes. You blink and its over. Kids need much more repetition in that environment. Playing pickup is great but not the same thing. We did do a tournament that had 3 games in one day. That was great. When he reaches U13 we'll tryout at a MLS Next team. Then a couple years later for MLS academy (2-6 hours away). Ideally a residency where he can live and go to school there. But I could also move. Maybe we'll try out in Europe too. I could move there. Maybe a bundesliga academy.
That's because you kid is a striker who stays up. My kid plays midfield and has to track back to help and doesn't get subbed out. Regular game duration is plenty for him. Maybe you can ask the coach to have him play midfield. Easy solution to your complaint about game time being too short.
Pick your MLSNext team carefully because they are essentially intended to be set up to be feeders to the local MLS club. If they are not within the geographic area of a MLS Club they likely do not feed a MLS Club directly and are just a club added to fill out a playing schedule. Pick the MLSNext team that has a proven track record of working with a MLS Club. As far as Bundesliga, obviously you need a eligible passport and then as a player, your son needs to be a pretty special player. MLSNext and MLS Academies will go a long way to determining if that is in fact the case. Hopefully your kid has the chops, time will tell.