CC United Directors of Coaching. 2011. - 9 p.As we go into U11 more teammates are added and some players begin to look effective in certain positions. Having come through a first growth spurt, some players develop physical attributes that allow them to be successful in some areas of thefield. One example is the child who gains height, suddenly becoming the number one choice for goalkeeper. As he/she is able to stop the high shots, which at U11 is how a large amount of goals are scored At U12, players should have a good idea of the requirements of certain positions and of which ones they are physically and technically suited to. The coach should also have a good knowledge of their players overall abilities, and be aware of which positions to put them in that will allow them to achieve the most success. The coach should beable to recognize when a player is playing well through either the enjoyment of the game that the player shows, or the effectiveness on the field that the player demonstrates. It is vital for the players development at this key age that they receive plenty of playing time in the position that they are most successful in.
One of the most frustrating things that I see in youth soccer, is when players come off the field having played well in a position, and they return to the field, in a completely different area. It is the coaches responsibility to monitor when players achieve success in certain positions on the field, and reward them with the opportunity to play there again .
