It's soccer still fun if you are not scoring goals?

Jamisfoes

Jamisfoes

SILVER ELITE
My 7 year old kid currently plays forward and scores the majority of goals on his team. He was new to the team and took someone else's forward spot. We are new to club soccer but know that no position assignment is guaranteed. I've been telling him that playing forward means you are the leader of the team and you have to act like one. I told him that in practice he has to be the first one to finish the laps, be the best in doing the drills. He listens to me and goes all out in the practice.

But knowing that kids develope at different rates and club is highly competitive, would soccer cease to be fun if one day he is not playing forward for his team? I just think soccer is not as fun if one is not scoring goals. Am I wrong in thinking this way?
 
I don't mean to start a controversy. I'm interested in what kids go through when they are are switched out of they're preferred position. Would love to hear from parents with kids that used to play forward and no longer. I honestly don't know. Not a soccer player myself.
 
While there are always exceptions, more often than not, kids scoring goals is more important to the parent than the kid themselves. Also, watch a bunch of professional games one of these days and count how many forwards you see wearing the Captain's armband, vs a Center Back or Goalkeeper. You might be surprised at who a team's leaders actually are.
 
7 yr olds have a lot to learn, develop, and experience so take a holistic approach.

Scoring is fun so can be winning, getting a assist, making a good pass, freekicks, tackling, or just playing.

At these ages expand your perspective, have him play futsal where there is lots of touches, scoring, passing or other sports like basketball.

One of our kids was a scoring machine at the u younger ages but one best things his early coaches ever did is too teach him to play defense and other positions. Would play a half or so at forward and the rest @ mid or defense. Through out his young career and now into college his versatility has been key and has always gets a lot of minutes since he is still used on offense, midfield, and defense and will switch up during the games.

Forward is a tough position full time and there is a lot of turnover, scoring only gets harder as you move up and on. The mental strength is one thing but the physical attributes of being fast along with the technical skills to beat multiple defenders and finish is a gift,. If they have that of course use it but remember they will change, grow, and need to keep developing overall not just in one area.
 
Don't worry about how many goals your kid scores or how many W's your team has at this age. Focus on kid's skills on ball and developing a love for the game. Soccer is a true team sport where everyone attacks and everyone defends together.
 
Are your kids getting forward specific attack training or defense specific training in their regular club practice? Or are these skills learned on their own/ private training/ from parents?
 
One of our kids was the top goal scorer by a big margin at U9s on his team. While he enjoyed scoring goals, he really didn't like being the only one. A couple of years later he's now attacking mid and scores maybe 10-20% of the goals. Of course, no good coach is going to have a player play only one position at this age. That's detrimental to their development. It's part of the win-now mentality. Our kid struggled with non-central positions initially. If I were you I'd request your coach not always start him up top. Also, no singular position is the "leader" role.
 
I've seen kids at a young age love to play in the back. It's not all about scoring goals and the kid needs to understand and love the game, not just the goals. My kid at a young age scored goals, not the most but probably the 2nd-3rd goal scorer on his team. But it was pretty clear that his strength was passing and providing assists. We loved talking about his assists. Now the big field, goals are harder to come by. Most games are 1-2 goal games. He only scored 3 goals in the past year. Played more defensively (defensive mid or right back). We have fun talking about new things he is learning or doing like heading the ball, tackling, etc. I took him to another team practice to check out another team and during the practice scrimmage the coach had him in right back. He had the ball plenty of times and I'm glad he is versatile.
 
Jamisfoes said:
I just think soccer is not as fun if one is not scoring goals. Am I wrong in thinking this way?
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Almost every player (forwards, mids, defenders) on my older kid's team was the leading scorer of their U7 AYSO teams. You're worrying about a non-issue. Not including Messi and Ronaldo, the best of the best pros in the world score only slightly more than 1 goal in every 2 games.

Wrong is a strong word, but your thinking is somewhat typical of a new soccer parent. IMHO if you want to enjoy the club soccer journey, you need to invest the time to understand and watch soccer more. Then you can truly appreciate what your kid does on the pitch even if he is not scoring goals.

Those that don't invest in learning the game tend to worry the most about W-L and goals scored, complain non-stop about referees, and constantly yell "clear it". My wife is in this category. :)
 
The vast majority of kids who were great goal scorers at age 7 stop being great goal scorers at some point, not because they've switched positions (although that happens as the goal scoring declines), but because they simply aren't good enough to score easily anymore. They aren't skilled enough, they don't understand ball movement or movement off the ball, the defenders and goalkeepers get better and/or they lose the size/speed advantage that helped them early on. Just based on the odds, that will be your kid one day and it may come fairly soon. The movement to a large field and 11 v. 11 is the death knell for most early goal scorers.

If you don't want your kid to end up quitting because it's no longer fun when he almost inevitably stops scoring goals like he is now, then stop rewarding/praising goals, which are so frequently because of the lack of quality in the opposition, and start praising other things like holding up a ball, coming back to win a ball he or one of his teammates lost, creating space etc.
 
I appreciate what the OP is sharing. People thought I was nuts when i first came on here to ask a few questions. I take the position that everyone is honest and come on here for help. Here's my help. Some players want all the goals to be top goal scorer. This can take place early in one's career or later. My dd was quick and fast to the ball and coaches wanted her to score so the coach could win. My dd didn't like that style because she likes to pass the rock to her pals on the team. Scoring all the goals or most of them is not fun, moo. Passing so others can taste glory is way more fun, moo. I hope that helps Jamisfoes
 
Not being critical... but, the kid is 7. He doesn't even know if he wants to brush his teeth ever again let alone what position in what sport he wants to play even a year from now. In a year, he might watch a YouTube video and decide he wants to be a ninja by night, inverted underwater basket weaver by day. Just saying... in all honesty... take the pressure waaaaaay back. At 7, it's about having fun and general skill development. I'm more worried about a 7 year old eating grass in between drills rather than how's his hold-up play. Figure out what part he enjoys and if it contributes to his development as a person... and then secondarily as an athlete then tertiary as a soccer player... then do that.
Over the next 3-4 seasons, he should have extended runs at a wide variety of positions.

If you make soccer about soccer, the kid loses. You make soccer about being a better person, we all win.
 
I know this is a soccer forum, but....

You know what I never hear from parents (although I'm sure they're out there). My kid in kindergarten can count to 10 the fastest in his class and his small letters never go above that dotted line on the paper, while most of his classmates still poop their pants. Should I have him stay at his current public school or should I drive him 30 miles to the closest private school? Maybe he should move up a grade? I don't want him to miss out on an academic scholarship for college. What do you guys recommend?
 
Playing soccer should be fun. As they get older- less goals are scored. Lots of 1-0, 0-0, 1-1 scorelines. If your team of 7 year olds is scoring a lot of goals, but only 1 or 2 kids are doing most of the scoring- You are in the wrong place.

Soccer becomes "not fun" when your drive a few hours for each game and your kid doesn't play much.
 
Having fun and working hard is not mutually exclusive. I don't think me telling him to finish laps first in practice is pushing too hard.
 
watfly said:
I know this is a soccer forum, but....

You know what I never hear from parents (although I'm sure they're out there). My kid in kindergarten can count to 10 the fastest in his class and his small letters never go above that dotted line on the paper, while most of his classmates still poop their pants. Should I have him stay at his current public school or should I drive him 30 miles to the closest private school? Maybe he should move up a grade? I don't want him to miss out on an academic scholarship for college. What do you guys recommend?
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I recommend you drive that extra 30 miles because he might learn bad habits (Ed Sheeran) like his current classmates and start pooping his pants while writing above the dotted line.
 
timbuck said:
Playing soccer should be fun. As they get older- less goals are scored. Lots of 1-0, 0-0, 1-1 scorelines. If your team of 7 year olds is scoring a lot of goals, but only 1 or 2 kids are doing most of the scoring- You are in the wrong place.

Soccer becomes "not fun" when your drive a few hours for each game and your kid doesn't play much.
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I was told this back in the day tim buck. However, were so watered down in Socal that it's not uncommon to see 9-0, 14-1 and 6-0 with the older girls now. Check old ECNL scoreboard ticker from 2016 and their were only 8 teams and it was 1-0 all the time. No Jackson or Turner going for hat tricks every weekend. My dd was taught at younger age that you might only get 1 or two shots if your going against the true elite players when you get older. Soccer is mental anguish for so many girls. Watch Tic Tok. Girls are so stressed about getting into college as a soccer player. Math is causing emotional pain. Some parents will just pay someone to take the fucking test for their kid and that is no joke. SAT test takers is the norm. That is called being enabler btw and is not solving the problem with soccer. Some of you are very slow at learning and admitting your all wrong about school and soccer. The two need to be separate and I mean quickly, for the sake of everyone and soccer. Talk about being hijacked.....
 
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