Individual development

Are there any coaches that put a players development as a priority.  The last 3 years my daughter has been labeled a defender.  I agree that this is probably her natural position however we have worked on skills tremendously and she has grown.  We are not given the opportunity in the games to play other positions despite voicing our concerns to the coaches.  Is this the norm in north Texas soccer?  Are there coaches out there that truly aim to develop girls as well-rounded field players?  It seems a lot of coaches/clubs preach player development but it never amounts to anything

Yes, there are some. What age group are you in? That might help the forum give you some tips.

08. Have been playing up this past year but will drop back in the fall

Ntxsoccerdad1 wrote:I agree that this is probably her natural position however we have worked on skills tremendously and she has grown.  We are not given the opportunity in the games to play other positions despite voicing our concerns to the coaches.  Is this the norm in north Texas soccer?

Yes, it's normal. Question it and you are a difficult parent. Expect no empathy from the other parents. The forward's parents are usually the most vocal about you not being a team player, which is quite amusing.

Ntxsoccerdad1 wrote:08.  Have been playing up this past year but will drop back in the fall

Wow ... and no.  Any coach worth his/her salt wouldn't have pigeon holed a kid from ages 6-9 into only one position.  

There are plenty of strong coaches out there, but unfortunately, not too many working with your daughter's age group.

Good luck out there!

BigErn wrote:
There are plenty of strong coaches out there, but unfortunately, not too many working with your daughter's age group.

Good luck out there!

Yeah, I think Foxy has recommended 08s play volleyball.

I have experienced the same thing. My daughter joined an Academy team and before the first game the coach asked for volunteers for GK. My daughter raised her hand having experience as GK for her rec team. From that day forward she was the team's GK. My daughter (and I) are okay with it but I was expecting the coach to try the girls out in different positions and then determine positioning. That was NEVER done. Is that normal. I'm agreeing with the original poster- How do they know the player's potential if they've never seen them play any other position? Not to mention- if my daughter is out for a game- our team is screwed because none of the other girls have played GK.

Sideline Mom wrote:Not to mention- if my daughter is out for a game- our team is screwed because none of the other girls have played GK.

Yeah, that's pretty much the same for all teams and it won't change until your kiddo gets to upper age groups and roster sizes hit roughly 22-24, allowing 2 keeps per team.

Sideline Mom wrote:I have experienced the same thing. My daughter joined an Academy team and before the first game the coach asked for volunteers for GK. My daughter raised her hand having experience as GK for her rec team. From that day forward she was the team's GK. My daughter (and I) are okay with it but I was expecting the coach to try the girls out in different positions and then determine positioning. That was NEVER done. Is that normal. I'm agreeing with the original poster- How do they know the player's potential if they've never seen them play any other position? Not to mention- if my daughter is out for a game- our team is screwed because none of the other girls have played GK.

While it may be the norm for a substandard coach, this is not what should happen and is certainly detrimental to your daughter.  Every young GK needs work in the field as well to develop touch on the ball and a better understanding of the game.  If your coach refuses to give her that opportunity, I'd recommend you look elsewhere.

There's lots of sorry coaches out there good luck finding your way....bad coach bad parents and selfish kids welcome to the real soccer world.

Sideline Mom wrote:I have experienced the same thing. My daughter joined an Academy team and before the first game the coach asked for volunteers for GK. My daughter raised her hand having experience as GK for her rec team. From that day forward she was the team's GK. My daughter (and I) are okay with it but I was expecting the coach to try the girls out in different positions and then determine positioning. That was NEVER done. Is that normal. I'm agreeing with the original poster- How do they know the player's potential if they've never seen them play any other position? Not to mention- if my daughter is out for a game- our team is screwed because none of the other girls have played GK.

Keep in mind that most players, coaches and parents do not understand the position, they never played it. Also remember there are 100's of good wingers and midfielders in NTX but every year coaches are looking for keepers. It's the hardest position out there due to the mental stress and pressure. Most girls will do anything to avoid being put in that situation. Thus when your daughter raised her hand the entire team let out a huge sigh of relief knowing they wouldn't be asked.

As stated above if your coach does not give her an opportunity to play the field either in practice or some games then find another coach. It's imperative that your daughter learns to play with her feet. It's also a must for her to get a feel for every position on the field as it will help her understand how opponents are playing, where the danger is coming from etc.

Poor coaches w little communication skills is very common.