For each age and skill level of a soccer player there is the right amount of fun, learning, and training. It’s much like a recipe. Too much or too little at the wrong time can really mess things up.
Here are some quick guidelines.
Youth
This is the entry level player. They are usually between six and ten years old.
They might occasionally be older, even adults. I know of a lot of women who start playing league soccer with little or no experience.
For the younger athletes, they need to focus on having fun, learning teamwork and sportsmanship, gaining athletic, ball and beginning game skills.
Use games and keep things as simple as possible. I have found that if I think the kids are at level 3, they usually are around level negative two.
Midlevel
MIdlevel players may be younger (eight to ten) or as old as fourteen.
Sadly, older kids if they are at this level will frequently leave the game because of frustration and lack of playing time.
These players still need emphasis on fun, but it can be in a more competitive environment. They also need to maintain their work on fitness and ball skills. More time will be spent learning game skills.
This level should be introduced to the idea of practicing on their own to improve some levels of their game. They will need some adult supervision, but they need to start taking responsibility for their fitness and performance.
Advanced
These athletes are fourteen years or older. They usually have at least four years of competition behind them.
The focus here will be more on improving game skills and perfecting fitness and ball skills. They also need to work on their mental skills.
They are still young athletes, however. They are not professionals or even college age. If they are, then at this point they can handle longer, and more challenging practices.
At this level, they need to take much more responsibility for their fitness and skills. They should be training at least thirty minutes every day on improving their skills beyond practice.
Summary
By keeping in mind the developmental levels of soccer, our kids will learn to enjoy the game well beyond the high school years. Perhaps one day we will see them white haired and wrinkled, running around in the park kicking a ball back and forth with their grand kids!
