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Post by soccermom on Feb 10, 2011 6:58:27 GMT -6
I've been involved with club soccer for quite sometime but this was our first year in highschool soccer. Wasn't the best year, it sure was a eye opener. My question to you coaches is this;
As a coach do you look to develop players or do you look for players who are already developed and experienced in soccer? I understand that once in a while you get a natural athlete who is good at whatever sport she plays but do you play her above a experienced player just b/c she's faster? There are alot of girls who are fast but with little to no experience or knowledge of the game itself. It takes a long time to truly understand the game of soccer. Up until then, it's all kick ball.
Nothing like watching a coach put a freshman in starting varsity who only had middle school experience just b/c she's fast. She was never taken out, played every game. She was also allowed to play JV which took away from other girls.
So back to my question do you look to develop players or do you want players on your varisty who are already expereinced in soccer?
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Post by methuselah on Feb 10, 2011 7:32:03 GMT -6
Not a coach at the high school level but from coaching different sports at younger age (up to about 12-13), I can share with you what I used to put in my letter and talk to parents and players at the beginning of the year. Going from memory but it went something like this:
"I understand that for each decision on playing time, positions, etc. there will be differences of opinion. Heck, there is probably a different opinion from each parent on the team for each position. If you have a question or suggestion about these things feel free to approach me after practice or away from the field. I am always open to listening. However, reality is that only one person can make the final decisions and that person is the head coach. I take this responsibility seriously and I will make those decisions I feel are best for the team."
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Post by soccermom on Feb 10, 2011 7:34:26 GMT -6
I understand that methuselah but I'm asking you as a coach..do you look to develop a player or look for players already developed. My daughter qot quite a bit of playing time this year; so i'm not questioning her playing time.
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Post by soccerwarrior on Feb 10, 2011 8:26:31 GMT -6
As a hs coach I look to develop my girls from the first day to the last day. This is always a challenge because I do not have premier players. It is nice to have experienced players, but it is not the case for us. That being said, we are not considered a powerhouse for the state title. We are always competitive but other teams do not think us to be the front runner. At the end of the season, the investment in the development is the most important and most rewarding part. You will not have success in the short term with this approach (and is the reason a lot of coaches don't do it), but if you are looking to build a program, it is the right way to do it.
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Post by furriner on Feb 10, 2011 8:36:32 GMT -6
I have seen a number of teams develop players gradually, but there are some studs out there who will start for 4 years. So called powerhouse teams have an advantage where they can have games sewn up in 15 minutes and let the lesser experienced players have playing time.
If I were a varsity coach, I would always play the varsity game first and then the JV (it is invariably the other way round). If some "fringe" players did not get much playing time in the varsity game, then they would get JV time. too often I have seen players who are "too good for JV but not good enough for varsity" getting splinters sitting on a bench.
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Post by soccermom on Feb 10, 2011 8:36:06 GMT -6
I totally get what you are saying soccerwarrior and I agree with it. My thing is if you do have a decent selection of experienced players; do you put a non expereinced player in instead of them to "develop" the player?
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Post by keepernut on Feb 10, 2011 8:53:08 GMT -6
I find the number of good coaches in HS to be shockingly low. I have also been amazed that several of the schools appear to go out of their way to avoid getting good coaches. Good coaches doesn't just mean winning games. Several schools would be greatly served by simply getting coaches that the players and parents don't hate.
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Post by soccermom on Feb 10, 2011 9:05:16 GMT -6
boy you pegged that keepernut! amazing that you have to have all sorts of license to coach competitive soccer but dont' need many if any to coach highschool soccer
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Post by soccermom on Feb 10, 2011 9:10:23 GMT -6
If I were a varsity coach, I would always play the varsity game first and then the JV (it is invariably the other way round). If some "fringe" players did not get much playing time in the varsity game, then they would get JV time. too often I have seen players who are "too good for JV but not good enough for varsity" getting splinters sitting on a bench
I agree with this. That way everyone gets some play time and development. I have seen freshman girl with no experience start every varisty game then is pulled to the JV games as well b/c she's still a "freshman" so when she is played, someone sits the bench and is not getting play time or developed.
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Post by pompey on Feb 10, 2011 9:49:59 GMT -6
soccermom - understand the thoughts on varsity freshy while still playing JV games. Minutes are indeed a tough balance. As for initial question. If i can be blunt........... An experienced player who is slow will find it hard to contribute to a team. We are to the stage now - i believe - in this state that an experienced player who struggles immensely with game pace will be overtaken by a speedy freshman if their learning curve continues onward and upwards. Remember, a HS coach gets a newbie player for a considerably long time so they may help with individual development. Whats the old expression, you cant teach speed? My suggestion to parents of experienced players who are not receiving the playing time they perceive. Maybe the child needs to work on areas to develop their game. I fully agree that experience is HUGE. Tell the kid to work butt off and roar like a Lion  |
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Post by wohslcfan on Feb 10, 2011 10:27:35 GMT -6
I totally agree with Pompey!
Players need to focus on their own improvement on their areas and quit comparing to other players.
Sorry, but parents and players usually and understandably have skewed point of view of skills and playing times.
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Post by cuttysark on Feb 10, 2011 10:27:45 GMT -6
As a coach I always look to develope players. That is the reason I coach. To feed the passion of a young player to improve both technical and tactical abilities. The key is whether or not that player wants to improve. Some kids show up for practice ready and willing to learn. I recommend all my kids play some sort of league soccer (indoor or club ball). Do I love players that have great ability?? Of course YES but I coach soccer to develope players and to teach the game I love so much.
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Post by griffDad on Feb 10, 2011 10:57:38 GMT -6
I think that the topic of this is to the point. If you have a question of why your coach is doing something, you should ask them. I also have not seen any Varsity coaches that are not playing to win, so they obviously feel that they are fielding the best team they have.
I also know several players who took a year or two off from club soccer, who would appear to alot of people to have no experience, but actually have 5-6 years.
And finally, last year, I watched a young girl with 1 year of school experience become one of the top players on a top club team as well.
As always, go to the source and ask your coach, and he will (hopefully) let you know why he is playing that person or at least what he is looking for in others.
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Post by Steven Gerrard on Feb 10, 2011 13:15:50 GMT -6
If I were a varsity coach, I would always play the varsity game first and then the JV (it is invariably the other way round). If some "fringe" players did not get much playing time in the varsity game, then they would get JV time. too often I have seen players who are "too good for JV but not good enough for varsity" getting splinters sitting on a benchI agree with this. That way everyone gets some play time and development. I have seen freshman girl with no experience start every varisty game then is pulled to the JV games as well b/c she's still a "freshman" so when she is played, someone sits the bench and is not getting play time or developed. This seems like simple logic, but sometimes it is not followed. If a freshman is good enough to start and get quality minutes on the varsity, then why would you put them on the JV? The JV should be where you get playing time for those girls who are not on varsity. And, why make parents upset by sitting their JV child so that a varsity player can get playing time on JV? Grade should not matter. If they get plenty of minutes on the varsity, then they should not be playing JV. Otherwise, why have those girls (who are not getting to play at all) on the JV? (btw, in case my daughter's coach is reading this, I am not talking about your team). |
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Post by soccermom on Feb 10, 2011 13:23:26 GMT -6
yeah well you when you do go to the coach; they think you are questioning your kids playing time which I hear is a big no no for parents. What if the player doesn't feel like she can approach the coach? he says you can but when you do; you get no reasonable answer that makes sense. Guess it will just be a frustrating 4yrs of highschool soccer.
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Post by soccermom on Feb 10, 2011 14:20:32 GMT -6
EXcellent point Steven but it happens quiet a bit on our team. It causes lots of ill feelings between the girls, between the girls and the coach and between the parents and the coach. And he just doesn't change a thing! you confront him on it and he always has a reason which makes you feel like a whiney parent or a jealous kid. What makes it even worse is this freshman will never play club soccer, or go on to college to play. She is in to waste time till her true love sport is ready.
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Post by doubled on Feb 10, 2011 14:30:38 GMT -6
Most girls playing soccer will never play in college.....same as most HS kids in any sport. A good coach will play his best players, regardless of class. Just because someone doesn't play a club sport doesn't mean they are not better than some of those that do. Some kids are just naturally good athletes and can excel in more than one sport.
As for the varsity girls playing JV, at our school we didn't have enough Freshmen and non-starting Varsity girls to field a strictly JV team so some varsity players including the 3 freshmen who made the varsity (1 started and 1 got lots of playing time) also played JV. The freshmen started the JV matches and Sophomores filled in the remaining spots. It would be best to have a separate JV's and Varsity teams but you have to have the numbers.
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Post by Garrincha! on Feb 10, 2011 15:43:29 GMT -6
I am not a coach, but have approched coaches both on the club, high school and college level with that question. Most of the time the answers are about the same. First, all coaches look for players with speed or who are strong and even better who posses both qualities. It doesn't matter what grade a player is in ( you have 16y.o.'s playing on the US National team). All coaches would love players with speed who have experience. But we all know that some teams are stack with club player and others have to work with what they have. So do you play a fast freshman with no experience or a soph/jr with experience that is not as fast as the fresh? On a club team the Soph/jr will probably start over the fresh. because the makup of the team is better and her speed is not much of a factor, but rather foot skills and knowledge of the game. But in H.S. if that fresh. is all you have at the chance to advance the ball and score you play her. Will her finishing give parents headaches? Yes. But this is her development for next season. Also the coaches encourage these players, if they want to develope into better players to play club ball at least on the D-1 level. You would be surpise at the rate they excell if they touch the ball all year and have more knowledge of the game. I also agree that if you are going to play her at varsity, keep her on varsity and don't let her take time away from jv players unless the number are just not there.
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Post by bhssoccercoach on Feb 10, 2011 15:56:10 GMT -6
My goal is and always will be to develop ALL my girls into better soccer players, no matter how much soccer experience they have. Had a freshman this year that has only played rec. soccer (not year-round either) who is really fast but has trouble finishing. She progressed throughout the season, scored the only goal for us in our playoff game and worked her tail off all season long. I only have 3 club players on the team so it is imperative to try and get the most out of every girl. HS is also the time when these young ladies have to learn the hard lessons in life, such as just because you made the team doesn't necessarily mean you'll play every game. This is when they learn that hard work and determination gets you somewhere.
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Post by lcpsoccermom on Feb 10, 2011 18:08:22 GMT -6
Obviously not a coach, but having had 2 kids play high school, club and college, thought I would weigh in. It was an interesting question. Seems to me that coaches make these decisions based on their bench and their need to win versus develop players. When you have a deep bench, you can sit the freshman, even the speedy one, because you have other players who are just as good. Speed is a critical factor in soccer. If a coach believes that speed is more important than experience, that the player with speed can help the team win, then the decision to play that player seems reasonable. The decision to also have that player play on JV is to possibly develop chemistry with the players they will be playing with for 4 years. Just because parents are unhappy or players are unhappy does not make the coaches decision wrong. I have not always been happy with the decisions that coaches have made over the years, but I have always understood that coaches are making decisions based on a whole lot more than I understand. But in high school soccer especially, playing the player who is fast, seems a no-brainer to me.
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