In the ever-evolving world of youth soccer,⚽ the question of whether to play up a year frequently arises. As you navigate your soccer journey, it's important to weigh the benefits and challenges to determine what’s best for your development and enjoyment of the game.
This week, Blayze soccer coach Xavier Mayol answers this question.
Some kids may be happy dominating players at their normal age level; however, this may not be the best for their development in the long run.
At the same time, if you move your player up to an older age bracket, the player might struggle with finding their place on the team. Some may not like that they are not the best player on the team or find themselves sitting on the bench more than their younger team.
Benefits:
👍🏽When you are the weaker player on a stronger team, you can develop faster.
👍🏽 You can use the older teammates as mentors and teachers on what to do.
👍🏽 Playing with more difficult teams teaches lessons about competition and adversity.
👍🏽 Older teams typically employ more sophisticated strategies and tactics. This exposure can broaden your understanding of the game and improve your decision-making on the field.
👍🏽 You can increase your speed of play.
Drawbacks:
👎🏽You may receive less playing time than before.
👎🏽 You will have to work hard to earn your starting position.
👎🏽 Facing tougher competition might lead to fewer immediate successes, which can impact your confidence.
👎🏽 Some players may get discouraged at being smaller or not as fast/physical as their teammates.
Key Factors to Evaluate
❓Current Skill Level: Are you excelling in your current age group? If you are consistently at the top, playing up might provide the necessary challenge to keep you engaged and growing.
❓ Physical Readiness: Assess your physical development. Are you capable of competing with older players without a high risk of injury?
❓ Emotional and Mental Maturity: Can you handle the pressures and potential setbacks that come with playing up a year? Your mental and emotional readiness is just as important as your physical readiness.
Ultimately, playing with players who are better than you should never be something that you shy away from. Playing a year or two up can help to make you a better player if you work hard and have a positive attitude regardless of the circumstances.
Article of the Week: Avoid Generic Soccer Drills, Use Individualized Training
What do great players do in their training sessions that separates them from the rest? This is a question that everyone in the soccer world is seeking an answer to at the moment. Social media holds many answers to this question. Unfortunately, most of what you find on social media is a complete waste of your athlete’s time.
