Recognizing Potential in Young Soccer Players

I once heard a story about potential and it touched me so much that I share it every chance I get. It goes as follows:

• A man died and went to heaven. Upon approaching the gates of heaven, the man met St. Peter. St. Peter welcomed him to heaven and affirmed that the man lived a good life and has received his final reward, St. Peter stated to the man that he can ask any question he wanted and St. Peter would answer it. The man being a military history buff asked St. Peter, “I’ve always wanted to meet the greatest general in history, where is he?” St. Peter immediately turned around and pointed at a man dressed in denim coveralls and had a plumber’s tool belt around his waist. The new resident of heaven looked at the man St. Peter pointed out and looked back at St. Peter and asked, “That man looks like he is a plumber, how was he the greatest general in history?” St. Peter answered, “He is the greatest general in history, but he didn’t fully realize his potential.”

Soccer coaches sometimes have to put a team of 11 young players on the field with only a couple of weeks practice. When talking to any coach or soccer administrator, they would tell you that player development should be the utmost priority and winning shouldn’t be the main focus. But, winning is part of a soccer’s player’s development by giving them confidence and instantaneous feedback of what works and what doesn’t work and needs to be focused on in practice. Youth soccer coaches want their players to have fun but doesn’t want to be completely annihilated and humiliated several times over the season, which could potentially lead a young player to lose interest in soccer. This is were putting players in the right positions is key.

Coaches don’t want to and should not keyhole players into set positions, especially at young ages, but in order to be competitive at all levels from recreational to premier leagues, coaches should attempt to put players in positions that utilize their raw potential and where they can flourish on the field leading to a positive contribution to the team. Some coaches can recognize potential in players just by watching them in practice and how they interact with their teammates. Other coaches have to spend a considerable amount of times, maybe a whole season, with their players to understand where they fit in on the roster.  I looked for the following characteristics and utilized the following observations to help young soccer players to realize their soccer potential:

• Goalkeepers
  1. Use of Hands – Coaches should find out how many players on their team play basketball, volleyball, and/or any other sports that require the quick action and reaction of using their hands.
  2. Fearless – Coaches should look for the players that aren’t afraid to get hit by the ball or hit by another player. Also, look for the players that skylark with teammates during water breaks or constantly fidgits with their teammates.
  3. Fear – In youth sports, goalkeepers are sometimes hard to find. In my experience, this is due to the perceived fear of being in goal and having a ball fired point blank at the goalkeeper. This can be alleviated by describing the benefits of being a goalie and the contribution of the goalkeeper to the team. Also, coaches can train goalies to alleviate balls being fired directly at them by practicing strategies to minimize chances of being in that situation.
• Defenders
  1. Fearless – Coaches should look for the players that aren’t afraid to get hit by the ball or hit by another player. These players usually play other contact sports (i.e. football, karate, lacrosse, etc.). Also, look for the players that skylark with teammates during water breaks or constantly fidgits with their teammates.
  2. Closing Down Angles – Look for the player(s) who closing down the angle of attack when in open play. This means that when an attacking player is attacking the goal, the player makes a run at an angle to where on the field the attacking player will be. The defender should have an instinct to meet the player where they will be at to mitigate the effectiveness of the attack and prevent a goal. This skill is very important for a defender when a player has a step on them.
• Outside Midfielders
  1. Bunny Rabbits – Outside midfielders should be the players that run and run and run. The outside midfield players should love getting in the attack, BUT not afraid to get back on defense. The last thing you want as a coach is for your team to be under attack from a counter from the other team and your outside midfielders are standing next to the forward(s) in the attacking third instead of getting back to the defending third.
• Center Midfielder(s)
  1. Best Dribblers/Passers – Coaches should want their center midfielders to be their best dribblers and/or passers. Controlling the middle of the soccer field is one of the most important aspects of soccer team strategy and a coach would want their best dribbler and passer to control the middle and to help their team keep possession of the ball.
  2. General – The center midfielder should be the general and help direct the play of the team. Coaches should look for the outgoing player(s) and natural leaders. These are the players that try to motivate the team even during the first practices when not familiar with everyone.
  3. Stamina – Center midfielders must have stamina and be able to support the attack and support the defense. The center midfielder’s territory is the middle third of the field.
• Forwards
  1. Goal Sniffers – These are the players that shoot at the goals even when doing other drills or on breaks. This could be an irritant to the coach, but coaches should recognize the potential of these players.
  2. Hunger – Coaches should look for players that try to get the ball in the goal at all cost. For example, the whistle has to be blown several times before the player stops.
  3. 0-60 in 1 Second – This doesn’t mean that the forward has to be the fastest player in a 100-yd sprint, but they are quick off the mark. They react quickly. Goal scoring is mostly being first to the ball, making a quicker decision than the defender, and doing whatever it takes to get the ball in the goal.

The above characteristics and descriptions are not all inclusive, but can be used as a starting point when trying to decide how to field your team. Coaches may see players with a mish-mash of some of the above characteristics and that is good. This would allow players to experience different positions and see which position they like best and can excel. Coaches will have to balance player development with the desire to win. Nothing says you can’t put a player in a position that they don’t seem a good fit, sometimes through experimentation or through necessity. You might be surprised.

Coaches should focus on the soccer basics: Control, Dribbling, and Passing; but combining the basics with recognizing the potential in players and putting them in the right positions is a recipe for success. For youth soccer, focusing on the basics and letting raw potential take over may surprise the coach and imagine when the two meld. That will be an effective and exciting soccer season.