US Youth Soccer debuts Player Development Model

So tell me, why is our way better than the model these people have proposed? Just asking. It seems to be settled.

https://ysr341.americaneagle.com/assets/coaches/US_Youth_Soccer_Player_Development_Model.pdf

toro wrote:So tell me, why is our way better than the model these people have proposed? Just asking. It seems to be settled.

https://ysr341.americaneagle.com/assets/coaches/US_Youth_Soccer_Player_Development_Model.pdf

The problem with the foundation of this method is that it assumes the end goal is for all players to play pro soccer and not really compete until they are 18.

Learning to compete, to win, and to lose is an important part of life and a lesson well learned through athletics. I think most parents are not putting there kids in sports with the primary goal to get a pro player but more to let them have fun and develop character while staying healthy and fit at the same time allowing them to explore the possibility if the passion and talent exists to advance to the next level.

That being said, there are many good aspects of this plan and I agree at U6-U8 there should be an increased awareness and evaluation of the questions “Are they having fun?” and “Are they getting better?” every week. This doesn't mean we have to shy away from healthy competition.

Found this part interesting:

Beware of Tournamentitis
Tournamentitis – true it’s not a real word, but it does convey the condition of too many tournaments on the American soccer scene. On almost every weekend of the year there are hundreds of tournaments of every type taking place. They are for all ages and every level of play.

Tournaments started as a means to supply games for teams when there were far fewer teams than today. The distance between the teams often meant that the investment in time and money to get to another soccer club caused everyone to maximize the effort by playing many games. These tournaments began in earnest in the 1970s. Clearly, the number of soccer clubs has grown dramatically since then. The distance between clubs has become closer simply because of the proliferation of teams in towns. Yes, geography still plays a major role in the way soccer is managed in the U.S. The impact of distance on time and cost for travel will not change. What has changed, and will continue to change, is the distance between the home grounds of clubs.
In the 1980s, tournaments took on another focus. They became the main revenue stream for many clubs. Proceeds helped build facilities, turning the wheels of local governments and businesses to support soccer because of their financial impact on a community. The profits made even helped create jobs within the clubs for administrators and coaches. Tournaments have certainly aided with positive outcomes for the growth of soccer in our nation; yet, the dominant place of tournaments in youth soccer is a double-edged sword.

When a team plans to play in a tournament, it must ask: who, when, where and why. Teams should indeed play in tournaments to get exposed to a different style of play or a different level of competition. With young teenage teams, it can be part of learning how to play on the road. For older teams, the chance at regional and national level competition can also provide for scouting opportunities by college and professional coaches. In any case, the number of tournaments must be balanced with the rest of the team's schedule for training sessions and matches.

The most talented players tend to play the most matches (100 plus a year) and are generally the least rested. By virtue of the number of matches played (and the minutes played therein) the most talented players tend to be under-trained [ideal 5:1 ratio; 10,000 hour rule (Balyi & Hamilton, Spring 2004)]. Most select players never learn how to train appropriately. With so many tournament matches in two or three days, players go into survival mode and play in low gear. Seldom, except perhaps in the semifinal match, do they give 100 percent on the field. This means élite players never learn how to play appropriately for the level of competition. Mental and physical exhaustion leads to poor play, typified by kick-n-run soccer. These factors may also contribute to injuries as players who make slow decisions get into tight situations leading to bad tackles, unnecessary fouls, poor tactical positioning and etcetera. To avoid the malady of tournamentitis, the coach must carefully plan the season with a good balance of league matches, training sessions and tournaments. In closing, here is the Position Statement from the 55 US Youth Soccer State Association technical directors on the topic of tournament play:

We believe that excessive play at competitive tournaments is detrimental to individual growth and development and can reduce long-term motivation. Multiple matches being played on one day and one weekend have a negative effect on the quality experience and development of the individual player. Further, far too many playing schedules include so many tournaments and matches that there is never an offseason. We believe that players under the age of 12 should not play more than 100 minutes per day, and those players older than 13 should not play more than 120 minutes per day. We also recommend to tournament managers and schedulers:

Slakemoth wrote:Found this part interesting:

Beware of Tournamentitis
Tournamentitis – true it’s not a real word, but it does convey the condition of too many tournaments on the American soccer scene. On almost every weekend of the year there are hundreds of tournaments of every type taking place. They are for all ages and every level of play.

Tournaments started as a means to supply games for teams when there were far fewer teams than today. The distance between the teams often meant that the investment in time and money to get to another soccer club caused everyone to maximize the effort by playing many games. These tournaments began in earnest in the 1970s. Clearly, the number of soccer clubs has grown dramatically since then. The distance between clubs has become closer simply because of the proliferation of teams in towns. Yes, geography still plays a major role in the way soccer is managed in the U.S. The impact of distance on time and cost for travel will not change. What has changed, and will continue to change, is the distance between the home grounds of clubs.
In the 1980s, tournaments took on another focus. They became the main revenue stream for many clubs. Proceeds helped build facilities, turning the wheels of local governments and businesses to support soccer because of their financial impact on a community. The profits made even helped create jobs within the clubs for administrators and coaches. Tournaments have certainly aided with positive outcomes for the growth of soccer in our nation; yet, the dominant place of tournaments in youth soccer is a double-edged sword.

When a team plans to play in a tournament, it must ask: who, when, where and why. Teams should indeed play in tournaments to get exposed to a different style of play or a different level of competition. With young teenage teams, it can be part of learning how to play on the road. For older teams, the chance at regional and national level competition can also provide for scouting opportunities by college and professional coaches. In any case, the number of tournaments must be balanced with the rest of the team's schedule for training sessions and matches.

The most talented players tend to play the most matches (100 plus a year) and are generally the least rested. By virtue of the number of matches played (and the minutes played therein) the most talented players tend to be under-trained [ideal 5 ratio; 10,000 hour rule (Balyi & Hamilton, Spring 2004)]. Most select players never learn how to train appropriately. With so many tournament matches in two or three days, players go into survival mode and play in low gear. Seldom, except perhaps in the semifinal match, do they give 100 percent on the field. This means élite players never learn how to play appropriately for the level of competition. Mental and physical exhaustion leads to poor play, typified by kick-n-run soccer. These factors may also contribute to injuries as players who make slow decisions get into tight situations leading to bad tackles, unnecessary fouls, poor tactical positioning and etcetera. To avoid the malady of tournamentitis, the coach must carefully plan the season with a good balance of league matches, training sessions and tournaments. In closing, here is the Position Statement from the 55 US Youth Soccer State Association technical directors on the topic of tournament play:

We believe that excessive play at competitive tournaments is detrimental to individual growth and development and can reduce long-term motivation. Multiple matches being played on one day and one weekend have a negative effect on the quality experience and development of the individual player. Further, far too many playing schedules include so many tournaments and matches that there is never an offseason. We believe that players under the age of 12 should not play more than 100 minutes per day, and those players older than 13 should not play more than 120 minutes per day. We also recommend to tournament managers and schedulers:

Yea I found that part interesting as well and agree with much of it.