06 Outlook is Promising

Crickets in the 06 divisions after such a huge tourney!

Regardless, here are some of my key takeaway from tourney and outlook for 06 division:

1) 06 Division is far deeper in talent and in # of teams than I ever thought!
-I was worried b/c historically the depth of age divisions skips a year. So, given the 05 division is deep, and it took so long for 06 division to get going, I was worried about the outlook for the 06 group. Not anymore! The 06 division is deep and getting deeper every season. I believe there are approx 80 teams.
-The Gap b/t all of the top 4-5 teams, b/t 6-10 team, bt 11-15 teams, etc is not huge, which will is awesome!

2) Classy Parent group developing
-The sportsmanship amongst the girls and the parents during the tourney was very good for such a young group. Typically, at the younger ages, maturity and lack of vision about the big picture exists, which results in a lot more parent fighting on the sidelines. Of course, there were some tense moments, but most of it was directed towards refs not amongst the parents. If someone figures out how to stay calm with refs, let me know. :-)
-I also thought the Tulsa parents were very classy. Look forward to seeing them for many years to come.
-I thought the Sting Black & Solar Red final was one of the most classy events by parents that I have witnessed. Very Cool!

3) A chance to break the norm and increase national team representation
-OOL and I have been on the pitch for a long time and I share the sentiments from his post about the games he witnessed. My only caution to parents is NTX historically starts off fast developmentally U7-U9, but peeks and starts to decline from U10 on, resulting in under-representation on National Teams. I believe the NTX demise starts by going to 11v11 too early at U10 vs the rest of the US. I believe CA does not go 11v11 until U12/U13. Putting young kids on a large pitch reduces touches and stunts tactical understanding of triangle based soccer.
-I hope that next year at U10 we can get the top 10 teams to lead the charge and request a platinum 9v9 league for girls and for boys.

I hate posting but I had a lot to say! Good luck with balance of Fall season!!

Great post.

I also

I think 9v9 platinum can happen next Fall. I assume coaches will want to play 11v11 for Spring U10 to prepare for Lake Highlands QT though. We're stuck with this model unless something radical happens.

Cobra_Kai wrote:I also

I think 9v9 platinum can happen next Fall.  I assume coaches will want to play 11v11 for Spring U10 to prepare for Lake Highlands QT though.  We're stuck with this model unless something radical happens.

So who created this model? Is it a governing body or has it just become tradition by the leagues? Should be easy to address as long as it is local. Now openness to change, might be a different story!!??

FierceLightning wrote:

Cobra_Kai wrote:I also

I think 9v9 platinum can happen next Fall.  I assume coaches will want to play 11v11 for Spring U10 to prepare for Lake Highlands QT though.  We're stuck with this model unless something radical happens.

So who created this model? Is it a governing body or has it just become tradition by the leagues? Should be easy to address as long as it is local. Now openness to change, might be a different story!!??

Somebody more knowledgeable than me would have to answer that. My guess is that LHGCL would need true competition before considering radical changes.

Big clubs control the leagues.  Big money controls the clubs.  Those that keep just writing check after checks for the bragging rights keep it all afloat.

Couple years back some coaches tried to form their own academy league. "for developmental purposes"... im not sure it lasted one season... if the parents cant say suzy beat top dog, or played top dog... they arent happy.

That's the shame of it... At this age it should be all about the girls developing skills, having fun, gaining confidence, having fun, learning to compete, having fun, learning discipline, having fun! Learning to love the game, to find themselves in the game!

If coaches unlock the fun for the girls, the will to improve the skill follows... Developing their skill, cultivating their love for the game will, teaching them life lessons through soccer will pay bigger dividends at the select level than bragging rights now.

yes, but some parents cant sit nicely and keep their pocket books in the back pocket. The clubs feed off of it. "Oh, you are willing to write a bigger check so long as suzy is playing 11v11 at U10... sure, Ill take that check" says Hassan aaaallllll day.

I think there is enough interest from the
Coaches from the top teams including the top
Teams from Big Clubs that we could change
The precedent for the 06 group.

07s aren't playing 9v9 as you all did... Now the 7v7 sucks with a 30 yard wide field and one ref so no offsides... but girls are getting more touches. Our coaches and fellow forum members got Nicole to change. It can be done if the top teams don't rush to bigger fields with more players.

SkeetsG06 wrote:I think there is enough interest from the
Coaches from the top teams including the top
Teams from Big Clubs that we could change
The precedent for the 06 group.

Ok, so even if you could get enough of the top teams from the Top Clubs to hold off on 11v11 next year, there's no way those same coaches and clubs agree to hold off on 11v11 for u11. And isn't that what everyone really wants to see changed? It would take all of the BIG clubs to come together and force LH and NTSA to change the age that 11v11 starts in NTX, and I don't see that happening any time soon, if ever. Sad really

To be done properly, the league needs to be approached will enough advance warning to make it happen right.

7v7 at Pepper Park is spot on for the amount of touches you would ideally want, but then comes the next question... how many of your coaches already have multiple teams.. what is an acceptable roster number for 7v7, at what point does the coach need 2 teams, 3 teams just to end up with enough for select?

Go overseas and you see rosters jam packed with kids. they send them in in waves... they get a good couple minutes at high intensity then are subbed out to rest, have a chat with coach and get ready for the next shift... emphasis is on the training recieved during the week. they see their coach 4-5 times per week, 1 game on the weekend.

FierceLightning wrote:

Cobra_Kai wrote:I also

I think 9v9 platinum can happen next Fall.  I assume coaches will want to play 11v11 for Spring U10 to prepare for Lake Highlands QT though.  We're stuck with this model unless something radical happens.

So who created this model? Is it a governing body or has it just become tradition by the leagues? Should be easy to address as long as it is local. Now openness to change, might be a different story!!??

As others have said, its driven by clubs, parents and $$. USSF developmental guidelines actually suggest 6v6 at U10, 9v9 at U12 and they don't move to 11v11 until U14. It will take a sea change in thinking to implement here.

The clubs claim they want smaller sided-games, that the games allow for more touches, etc., but its all lip service.

Which of the following benefits the club ($$ to the bottom line) more:


5 teams of 16 players, needing 5 coaches, registering for 5 11v11 leagues

8 teams of 10 players, needing 8 coaches, registering for 8 7v7 leagues

(of course, you could do 5 teams of 16 only playing 7v7)


This issue and discussion came up with multiple higher-level people at our old club a couple of years ago.  The Jr Director and age-group director touted the benefit of smaller-sided games - and proceeded to sign their top teams to 11v11 leagues as soon as they were available. They'll talk-the-talk, but they won't walk-the-walk.

We complain but, we are the one's signing the checks to play 11v11.. If we want to change the system only have DD play 7v7 or 8v8, we write the checks.. Then the coaches will do the right thing!!! DO NOT get sucked into peer pressure!!!

Good luck with that - not likely to happen with one of the larger clubs (on better teams).

You can find the occasional coach willing to play in smaller-sided games, but these will generally not be "top-50" teams.

On lower teams, you could likely find your daughter playing with girls who should never have left rec.

06DD wrote:

SkeetsG06 wrote:I think there is enough interest from the
Coaches from the top teams including the top
Teams from Big Clubs that we could change
The precedent for the 06 group.

Ok, so even if you could get enough of the top teams from the Top Clubs to hold off on 11v11 next year, there's no way those same coaches and clubs agree to hold off on 11v11 for u11. And isn't that what everyone really wants to see changed? It would take all of the BIG clubs to come together and force LH and NTSA to change the age that 11v11 starts in NTX, and I don't see that happening any time soon, if ever. Sad really

There's no changing LHGCL. Another poster alluded to a possible US Club Soccer Select League in North Texas. I don't know if it would work, but competition is usually good.

Does anyone know how other areas of the US do this for the age groups? Are they holding off 11v11 until U12/U13? And if so, why? If there is not a financial reason, then it has to be another reason? Or maybe it is all financial, but if that was the case other areas of the US that do not do this would end up like NTX. At least, I would think they would.

It seems to me that there must be a benefit of some kind for the large clubs or the leagues or both to do it this way? Perhaps it is just money with more kids per team needed to play 11v11 than 9v9, 7v7. If that is the case, then the leagues and the clubs are to benefit. It seems like a strawman reason though to me, because at 7v7 or 9v9 there wouldn't be less players, there would just be more teams, thus same money. Maybe it lies in the back end management systems of the leagues and clubs that just don't do it because it would require systems changes? That usually brings fear and anxiety to people as they need to change.

I think ultimately the leagues would need to change their rules and make this happen. The clubs would have to follow to play.

Gunner9 wrote:

FierceLightning wrote:

Cobra_Kai wrote:I also

I think 9v9 platinum can happen next Fall.  I assume coaches will want to play 11v11 for Spring U10 to prepare for Lake Highlands QT though.  We're stuck with this model unless something radical happens.

So who created this model? Is it a governing body or has it just become tradition by the leagues? Should be easy to address as long as it is local. Now openness to change, might be a different story!!??

As others have said, its driven by clubs, parents and $$.  USSF developmental guidelines actually suggest 6v6 at U10, 9v9 at U12 and they don't move to 11v11 until U14.  It will take a sea change in thinking to implement here.

Thanks for that. Very Interesting what the USSF guidelines are! Do you know if most regions around the US follow these guidelines?

Why would it take a sea change in thinking to implement it? It seems to me to be a systems change only....that could be expensive though. Are there a lack of fields to handle the numbers?

Understanding where the problem really exists is the best way to address it. I appreciate any thoughts here. I am not quite sure why it is this way here if it is not that way in most other areas.

FierceLightning wrote:Does anyone know how other areas of the US do this for the age groups? Are they holding off 11v11 until U12/U13? And if so, why? If there is not a financial reason, then it has to be another reason? Or maybe it is all financial, but if that was the case other areas of the US that do not do this would end up like NTX. At least, I would think they would.

It seems to me that there must be a benefit of some kind for the large clubs or the leagues or both to do it this way? Perhaps it is just money with more kids per team needed to play 11v11 than 9v9, 7v7. If that is the case, then the leagues and the clubs are to benefit. It seems like a strawman reason though to me, because at 7v7 or 9v9 there wouldn't be less players, there would just be more teams, thus same money. Maybe it lies in the back end management systems of the leagues and clubs that just don't do it because it would require systems changes? That usually brings fear and anxiety to people as they need to change.

I think ultimately the leagues would need to change their rules and make this happen. The clubs would have to follow to play.

more teams = more coaches = greater expense

more teams = more coaches = greater expense[/quote]

So you feel that it is only a cost reason? Why don't all the areas of the US do this then? I'm not sure that is the only reason, because if you have the same amount of players, then the money is the same and the clubs are getting the same amount, but then maybe the coaches would be getting less per team with less players....so in this scenario, perhaps the coaches control the reason? Is that right? Do the coaches control the clubs and the leagues here?

simpel solution is increase roster size, cut into playing time. Then you wouldnt need more coaches, just make the minutes as quality as you can, and with small field size they will get the touches, no matter the minutes.

Key element is training. How much of it do they see.

Our boys team played an 06 team from Austin called One World at Plano.

Their manager told me that they play almost exclusively 6v6. They were probably the most advanced passing team we have played, including some pretty good 05 boys teams from NTX.

In the end they couldn't quite get by the talented and more physical NTX teams. But the Austin team were fun to watch (aside from when they scored the goal in the final minute to pull out a draw against our boys).

I think the small sided focus had something to do with their excellent close passing and first touch.

AGREE. 11 v 11 is a complete waste of time and development at U9/U10. This model is hysterical in the international soccer community for development. I can promise you we are the only nation that does this, hence our deficiences at the pro club level, and national team.

If we cant change legislation, or status quo then supplement via 3 v 3 or futsal.

http://blog.3four3.com/2012/03/23/a-phenomenal-soccer-education-in-12-minutes-video/

Those boys are playing full field 11v11 @u11.

Top teams in socal go 11v11 same time as we do (mostly u10 year).

Kids should be getting plenty of small sided in training and other venues. Assigning all this blame on when NTX  goes to 11v11 is easy to do, but once you start really looking into it....doesn't hold much water.  

STX and several other areas that don't put any more girls on national team rosters than we do stay small sided for longer. We need to be looking more at coaching and style of play than 11v11.