Rethinking Youth Soccer
Change can be challenging, but clinging to traditional rules/regulations that are not working can be even more detrimental. If we want to avoid progress, we can maintain the status quo and hope no one notices we’re merely kicking the air!
So, what’s a paradigm anyway? It’s basically a set of assumptions, ways of thinking, and methods that everyone in a community accepts as the norm.
Back in the 1970s, the fitness paradigm was all about being in top physical shape. Training focused on wind sprints, endless running, and pushing oxygen debt to the max. The soccer ball was almost an afterthought. Big lungs equaled a big-time athlete.
Then came the 1980s, and with it, a new way of thinking: one player, one ball, fifty moves to mastery. Suddenly, ball bags were flying off the shelves. This new paradigm, inspired by moves like the “Cruyff Turn,” celebrated individuality and skill. We were told to name it, isolate it, and excel. It was all about big-time moves and big-time athletes. Imagine the potential for a more engaging and enjoyable soccer experience for our young players.
Now, here we are, more than forty years later, and it feels like we’re stuck in that old paradigm. But what if we dared to question it? We cling to the status quo because it feels stable. But maybe it’s time to shake things up—just for fun and especially for our kids.
Current statistics reveal a startling truth: 70 to 75% of children playing soccer drop out in their teens. This alarming drop-out rate is a clear sign that our approaches aren’t working for a lot of young players. It’s a call to action, a plea to change this paradigm and find a better way to keep kids engaged and enjoying the game.
The ‘4-Goal Game/Rules’:
SOCCERevolution – Fundamental Soccer
FUNdamental SOCCER – U6 Playing Rules – Fundamental Soccer
FUNdamental SOCCER – U8 Playing Rules – Fundamental Soccer
FUNdamental SOCCER U-10 Playing Rules – Fundamental Soccer
FUNdamental SOCCER – U-12 Playing Rules – Fundamental Soccer
Paradigms fail. Paradigms shift. They aren’t set in stone; they’re flexible ideas. And that’s okay. Times change. But when a paradigm is beyond question, it breeds complacency. Sometimes, out of ego, pride, or fear of the unknown, we cling so tightly to the past that we hinder our future.
Maybe we prefer the comfort of sticking our heads in the sand to looking in the mirror. But what if we dared to question our assumptions? There’s no harm in examining them. All progress is born from intellectual flexibility and a bit of creative thinking.
We might return to the methods of the 1970s or stick with the 1980s model. Sure, picking the low-hanging fruit is easier. But what if we reach for the higher branches? We might discover something amazing.
Paradigms shift. They’re not unchangeable rules but adaptable ideas. So, let’s be brave enough to explore new possibilities together—not just for ourselves but for the kids who look up to us. They deserve that.
Please take the time to share your input and support the SOCCERevolution!
