2. A little about me
I have a passion and love for the game
I follow major leagues in world soccer
UK: English Premier League
Spain: La Liga
Italy: Serie A
Germany: Bundesliga
France: Ligue 1
Europe: Champions League
USA: Major League Soccer
Daily, I spend some time reading about soccer(match analysis, tactics,
scouting, transfers, team philosophies, manager philosophies, player
strengths, players career graph, managers career path, formations…)
I have a kid who is interested in soccer and I am struggling to find a
good/best way forward for him. I am specifically looking at a age group of
7-10 year old kids
I know there would be more like me out there, and together we can find a
way forward with the help of each other
3. Soccer Playing Options
Recreational Soccer
Join a club recreational program, where professional coaches train
your kids
Join AYSO, where parents volunteer to coach a team
Weekly Training and/or scrimmage
Scrimmage on every weekend
Competitive Soccer
Join a club competitive program
Weekly Training and/or scrimmage
Matches at the weekend, which may or may not involve travel
Futsal
Indoor soccer with a somewhat heavy ball
Classes are conducted by some private agencies
4. Drawbacks
Recreational Soccer
Each season there is a influx of kids wh0 are totally new to soccer. Since your kid
has already played some amount of soccer, frustration kicks in, since the newer
player will take his own sweet time to come to that level
Each season the kid is grouped with unknown kids. By the time they get to know
each other, the season ends. As mentioned earlier, at this age its important for
the kids to be comfortable and confident
Competitive Soccer
Too much emphasis on winning
No style of play to look forward to
Creativity gets killed
Type casting players in their early stages
Too much costs involved
Any mode you choose involves “Pay to Play”
No year around play
Lack of soccer academies who can invest in the future player(a
certain lack of a talent crop might be stopping this)
5. What the kids really need at this age(7-10)
Psychological Factors
Should feel comfortable
Are more comfortable playing with family/friends
Should be allowed to improvise/experiment a lot on their own, since at this age
they think they are experts in all matters, and that confidence should not be
broken
Should feel confident
Technical Factors
Introduce technical skills with some amount of random repetition
Leave decision making to them while playing
Focus on basics, passing/receiving/dribbling/shooting/maximum touches on the
ball
Introduction to team play
Maximum small sided games(4v4)
Minimum teaching, the game is the best teacher
Maximum fun and exploration
6. How is it done elsewhere?
A strong soccer culture and free play:
Most of the soccer stars(Zidane, Maradonna, Pele) grew up
playing soccer on the streets
Brazil: All soccer skills are developed on the street just by
playing
Free play boasts creativity
State of the art soccer academies
Academies invest in the player starting from the age of 6-8
until when the player signs a contract
7. Can it be done here?
Its all about:
Keeping it natural
Maximizing play time
Planning about year around soccer
Making it a enjoyable experience
Maintain and increase passion and love for the game
Focus on player development
8. How it can be done?
Start with forming a group of 15-20 like-minded parents who are
somewhat serious about their kids soccer needs
Parents should have passion about the game or be willing to
contribute in other ways
It would be like a club team of kids. Same kids, working together,
practicing alongside each other, giving them to know each other,
and allowing them to play the game in a known environment
All kids stick together and progress for several years
Maximize play time by planning for year around activities
Once the kids reach a level where they can compete, we can start
participating in soccer leagues
Plethora of resources are available to carry out the trainings, some
of us can also do the USSF coach certifications. As stated earlier, at
this age passion is the only fuel which is needed
9. What do we get out of it?
Provide a natural, free and flourishing soccer environment for the
kids
Kids stick together with the same group for years, which will act as a
boost, considering team work is the most important part in soccer(I
am sure we will also grow on the social front making it a bigger
family)
Everybody has a sense of ownership and pride in what they are
doing
Bunch of people working together in a common interest are bound
to do something good
If kids continue to play for 5-6 years in this mode, this will serve as
a very strong platform to launch their professional careers
Best value for money
Kids will have a time of their life!!!!!!!!!!
10. Resources Needed
Human resources
Training
Logistics
Finance
Planning
Equipment
Soccer goals, balls, cones, jerseys
Field
11. Does it create a spark?
Please email me at: kedsambardekar8@gmail.com
with the following details:
Your Name, Email Address, Phone Number and Occupation
Child’s Name, Date of Birth
Child’s Soccer Experience
Year and Season
Club/Organization
I will add you to the “FreeFluidSoccerGroup” on
Google
You will be notified with the further announcements
12. Where to go from here?
Stay tuned to the group announcements. As soon as
we have enough buy in, we will get the ball rolling
13. FAQ’s
I don’t have any soccer knowledge but my child is really interested in soccer, can I join?
> Its ok if you do not have soccer knowledge or experience. But your kid should have
some soccer experience and you should be somewhat serious about his soccer
Will this approach be cheaper?
> It all depends on how much we want to do. There are some variable factors like
field rentals, league costs etc. We cannot give a number until we get into it
We are not professional coaches, how will the kids thrive?
> At this age what they need is exposure. Training for kids can be carried out by the
parents. We will definitely be doing everything by the standards and laws of the
game
How much commitment is needed from the parents?
> This would be a totally volunteer driven work. There would be some commitment needed. But
as the group grows, things should ease out. Tentatively we would not expect more than 3
hours of work per week per person
How is this different from AYSO?
> This is very similar, except that, its like we are forming our own team which will play together
for years, giving the child the maximum potential to develop. We will also participate in
competitive soccer leagues, once our team is ready to compete.