When kids are young, they need to play all positions

DSherry

DSherry

DSherry

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So don't mouth off because I'm teaching your kid how to play goal keeper and centre back when you want him up front.

All kids need to know how to play all positions. Look at any other sport, for example athletics, kids do a variety of events and then when they get to 14/15 one or two will start showing dominance over the others. Look at swimming, all kids train for all the strokes, and then when they are 15 or so one or two if they are lucky will start showing dominance over the others.

That is how it should be in football. ALL children should learn all of the skills and knowledge to play in every position and when they get to mid teens certain positions will start looking more suited towards them.
 
That's the route my first team took. End result? We often got beat 13/14-0. I always wanted to play in goal, if I was told to play upfront for a training session, it would have been pointless because I simply didn't have the ability for it.
 
So you think assigning kids positions at 9 years old and making them play that all the time is the way to develop players?

Bodies change, mindsets change, skills change so much between 9 and 15.
 
Yup, you can develop them in that position from an early age, and they'll become good at it very quickly. If they decide that the position is not for them, then change the training and have them focus more on that. They'll still be able to play in their old position becuase they'll already have the skills for it.

If you had a team built around this mentality, up till the age of 15, you'd have a bunch of mediocre kids, probably getting beaten most weeks, which would cause them to lose motivation and stop playing. A team of kids trained well in the areas they want to be in will be far better than a team of kids trained averagely in all positions.

Master of one is always better than knowledge of all.
 
If so why do swimmers train for pretty much every single event when they are age groupers, why in athletics do kids train for a variety of events within reason (ie an obvious sprinter would still probably train for 100, 200, 400, long jump, and possibly 800 or high jump). As kids mature one or two events will start to stand out from the others. I don't see the distinction between events and 'positions' in football.

In Basketball children will learn how or experience playing every position, and in the sports big in continental europe for example handball. I would also bet a house on the most respected coaching programs around in Europe would also adopt this viewpoint.
 
Creature said:
Yup, you can develop them in that position from an early age, and they'll become good at it very quickly. If they decide that the position is not for them, then change the training and have them focus more on that. They'll still be able to play in their old position becuase they'll already have the skills for it.

If you had a team built around this mentality, up till the age of 15, you'd have a bunch of mediocre kids, probably getting beaten most weeks, which would cause them to lose motivation and stop playing. A team of kids trained well in the areas they want to be in will be far better than a team of kids trained averagely in all positions.

Master of one is always better than knowledge of all.
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Why the score matters at age group level I really don't know.
 
Football kids get an idol, and try to play like them.

I don't agree about they should play 'all positions' but if they're naff in one, time to move on! :p

DSherry said:
Why the score matters at age group level I really don't know.
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Because it's still football. Still pathetic that you can't 'win' in races etc at primary school etc nowadays.
 
Because football is football.

It comes naturally, some people are born to be defenders and some are born to be forwards, or combatitive midfielders, attacking flair players, hard working full backs...

The level of natural ability is the most important thing, training in this postition is what helps you develope in the game, expirence of playing that position, what helps you attract a big club and play at a top level.
 
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DSherry said:
So you think assigning kids positions at 9 years old and making them play that all the time is the way to develop players?
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Sometimes it's a case of making the most of what you've got.

Fatest kid goes in goal, tallest kids play in defence, nutter with mental problems plays in midfield alongside skillful kid, fastest kids go on the wing and the kids that can kick the most accurately play upfront.

Easy :D
 
kids should learn positions, though they will learn positions they like better.

THe odd training session in the opposite position to learn what that position is trained to do will do a world of good. A striker who has no idea what a defender he's up against is trained to do won't do as well as a striker who has a very good idea what that defender has been trained to do.

Theres little reason to put a goalie in a different position very often though or an outfield player in the goalie position. The fact is that during skills drills, learning to pass and things the goalie can do those things to improve their general ball skills fine, but theres little reason to actually play a practice game with a goalkeeper out as a striker, once in a blue moon will be a laugh, give them a bit of help with fitness probably and feel more involved maybe.

if you train players to specifically like English player often are, you end up with Lennon, clearly practiced running with the ball every day since he was 5, no one seems to have told him to learn to cross till it was too late though.

But thats not necessarily for kids, thats what any players should be doing. I'm not completely convinced kids half the size they will be 10 years later, with a ball that goes up to their knee's who have a constantly changing body who literally run differently and have different control of their bodies are really learning much at all at that stage.
 
I agree to an extent that they should be able to play most positions but they should still have their prefered and best position.
Goalkeeper is an exception though and only the kids that want to be in goal should play there.

I think Defense/Midfield should be interchangeable as should Midfield/Striker but I wouldn't have kids playing ALL positions.
 
Smit said:
I agree to an extent that they should be able to play most positions but they should still have their prefered and best position.
Goalkeeper is an exception though and only the kids that want to be in goal should play there.

I think Defense/Midfield should be interchangeable as should Midfield/Striker but I wouldn't have kids playing ALL positions.
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Obviously they will have preferred positions but their preferred and best position at 11 might not be what it is at 15 or their body type might not suit that position, they might be the tallest at 11 and play centre back and when they at 15 are only 5ft7 and you don't see many 5ft7 centre backs
 
Kind off, when i was playing ice hockey as a kid. My main possition was centre forward but every now and then i played right wing or right defender. Hated when i played defender. ;)

So yes its good to try them at different possitions at time to time but i wouldnt change most/all of them for every game.

Think you looking at it from more mature point of view which kids at that age havent got yet.
 
I play football every Sat with friends and their younger brothers and their school friends. We are 25 and the "young uns" are anything from 10-18. We have been playing for around 4 years so have seen the kids developed. Of course, you are talking for under 10s but it's not that far off.

Whilst we know where we want some kids to play, it just doesn't happen and there is no point to tell them where to play because they are going to be unhappy and not give their best. Of course some of them go in a secondary positions temporarily when required but eventually, they always revert to their preferred positions or perform so bad that we end up telling them to go back to where they want. Few are them are versatile/happy enough to cover everywhere.

Oh, and I am also all for winning/losing...I am not particularly fond of sports when there is no competition involved because there is no incentive to improve, perform better, not to mention bragging rights and banter among friends.
 
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DSherry said:
Obviously they will have preferred positions but their preferred and best position at 11 might not be what it is at 15 or their body type might not suit that position, they might be the tallest at 11 and play centre back and when they at 15 are only 5ft7 and you don't see many 5ft7 centre backs
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Its hardly much of a transition from CB to LB/RB is it.

Training kids to play in their preferred position it the way forward. If little tommy wants to play right wing, why on earth are you forcing him to play right back where he hates it and has no motivation?

Then you have the problem of playing to a higher level, team A have been trained from 6-7 years old and play their best position and are now 16. They have had 10 years of playing that one position and know it very well. Team B are also 16 and have been playing from 6-7 years old also so its a level playing field. Team B have only been in their "best" positions for a year and don't really have any experience in their positions.

I know who i'd rather manage/play for.
 
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