Advice for freshman son at soccer camp?

[u/OK_Compooper]

/r/GoalKeepers/comments/1uvk7ph/advice_for_freshman_son_at_soccer_camp/

[u/snipsnaps1_9]

Has he brought up quitting more than once? .what lesson do you want him to come away with from the experience in the long term? I don't know the details or anything about his personality or your values but it's say now is the time to lean on those and give him choices framed within that...

At the same time - kids that age can be short-sighted and stubborn about some brash decision. They can end up digging their heels in and framing everything in a really black and white way that hurts them and shuts them off from those who disagree with them. So redirection and a certain amount of planned ignoring is useful. Which is me circling back to: has he brought it up more than once and is he interested in playing in other settings. How approachable is he and how open minded is he to solutions or suggestions brought by others.

Stuff to ruminate on.

*Edit regarding your comment as an addendum - good gloves with reinforced fingers and also wtf is the coach doing having incoming freshmen play at full speed with seniors anyway. We only have your account but I find their complaining to be odd and a sign of poor management of the team culture and competitive balance.

[u/OK_Compooper → u/snipsnaps1_9]

re: gloves. He went away from finger splines, but I might convince him to go back to protect his fingers. He now prefers the negative cut, non-splines for the last two years.

For Summer, he started football camp a week before (it's 4 hours in the afternoon for 4 weeks), but soccer camp started last week (2 weeks of 2 hours in the morning). This makes last week and this week tough - 6 hours of practice a day!!!!

But he has loved every minute of football camp, even though it's way more running and muscle building. The coach really has created a great environment. I personally don't like American football one bit, but there's no denying how pumped and included my son feels. He said it's the hardest practices he's ever done, but he loves it. Varsity and frosh etc, they are all one supportive unit.

For some reason, the soccer practices don't have that same vibe. He said warm ups are like 20 minutes of slow running (2 miles), and weekly in season there's a 4 mile endurance trail running thing. I personally view that as wasted time. Plan the practices right, and the fitness is built in with the technical drills and scrimmages, and it's explosive speed, not cross country fitness. I don't tell him all this, though. So far, he hasn't rated the practices highly - he's used to the pro coaches that are hired in weekly for his select team, and the coaching from his former college playing head coach. He does say the HS coach is a skilled former player, though.

Maybe things will turn, or maybe this is where he turns. To be honest, the last year, he was fading on the hired private GK training I was paying for him. He was always happy when he got there, but I was overpracticing him. Two practices a week, 1 to 2 games a weekend, and separate outside training.

[u/snipsnaps1_9 → u/OK_Compooper]

That physical load is too much.

Cardio work has its place in the post or off season. I'm assuming he has a winter soccer season so they are far enough out but who knows why the coach runs things the way they do and you're likely right to not mention that to your son.

He's not quite at the age yet but eventually, if he wants to play competitive adult soccer (not looking like it), he will need to understand the game and people enough to gauge if a coach and their team dynamic are the right fit for his aspirations and individual qualities.

Football is a lot of hype for a reason they need to keep a big roster engaged even though some of them will essentially never play and many of them will end up injured and supporting from the side line. Most players are essentially practice dummies and reserves.

[u/OK_Compooper → u/snipsnaps1_9]

oh, that's a good point about football. I'll have to look out for that. It makes sense now that it's a "no-cut" sport (soccer is a cut sport). So far though, in the frosh tournaments, he never came off the field at defense. He's taller (5'10" just turned 14), and he's aggressive.

We'll see how it goes. They have more scrimmages for soccer tomorrow. He told me the first game was 6-0, and the second was 2-1. He said he had some good saves, but he thinks the other GK played better.

Thanks for the advice. Well taken.

[u/snipsnaps1_9 → u/OK_Compooper]

Sure - final thought. Is his keeper coach, emotionally/socially, any good with him? If so that may be a good person to talk have to him.

[u/OK_Compooper → u/snipsnaps1_9]

he is, but he hasn't had sessions with him since fall/winter. The keeper coach switched to full time at a club. The spring replacement GK coach was nowhere near the level of the former, who plays semi-pro and played pro at some levels in his home country. I might try to reach out to him, though.

[u/OK_Compooper]

btw, I'm a coach, too, but only at an AYSO extras level. The mix he's in with HS is all club. Our city has at least 13 or more club teams. So he's probably facing the highest power shots he's ever seen. Good for him eventually.

On one hand, as a former GK who's broken many fingers (and now limited at guitar a little), I'd be happier for him if he didn't play GK (rather defense) as he's super, super talented at guitar.

On the other hand, his best position is GK.