Dribble to Avoid Pressure – ‘turning’ with the ball away from pressure to maintain possession.Dribble to Accelerate into Space – when receiving the ball in space and moving it forward at speed.Dribble to Beat an Opponent – when in possession of the ball and facing a defender, the attacking player must be able to maneuver past the defender using a change of speed or body feint to accelerate into open space.At the 8-10 year old stage of development, dribbling needs to be able to serve multiple purposes for a player: One of the first things most players learn to do when being introduced to the game is dribble the soccer ball. THE TOP SIX SKILLS EVERY PLAYER MUST HAVE AT THE 8-10 YEAR OLD STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT Skill #1: Dribbling What should you be expecting of your child at the U9 to U11 age group as building blocks to enable them to become an impact player in the future?īased on 20+ years of experience as a player and over 15 as a coach at various levels of development, I have a pretty good idea of what an 8-10 year old player looks like. How do you, as a parent, determine if your young and aspiring player has the potential to be an impact player in the future?

What should you be looking for in your child to understand if they have the potential to play at a more competitive level in the future?Ī youth player will be evaluated on these four areas – what is referred to as the “coaching pillars”: If your child is one of those players, most likely, you know it and, as a parent, you’re confident in their ability to play at a competitive level.īut what if your child is NOT the overly dominant one on the field however they love the game and aspire to continue playing at a more competitive level? Their dominance presents itself in various ways: It might be the crafty player who oozes self-confidence and proficiency with the ball at their feet…It might be the physically dominant athlete who muscles over their smaller counterparts….It might be the player who has figured out that finding space away from the crowded pack will afford them time and space to dribble or shoot….Or, it might be the ‘scrappy’ youngster who fights for every loose ball with unbridled enthusiasm. When watching countless youth soccer games (ages 8-10), I find it relatively easy to spot the “difference makers” on any team.

Individual soccer skills for kids