Professor Dr. Arne Gullich speaking at the Youth Athlete Development Conference, as the head of Sport Science and Director of The Institute of Applied Sport Science, Kaiserslautern University of Technology has an important message for soccer parents in the US and many years have passed since it was first identified.
One of many astounding conclusions that came out of extensive data analysis was that 10, 11…pre-pubescent athletes do indeed benefit from extensive training, but only as 10, 11.. year olds. The long-term benefits are not there. The data clearly shows that you can’t make a pre-pubescent child an elite athlete or soccer player at these ages with the 10,000 hour rule.
It is important to note that play and physical activity are not the same as extensive training. Play and physical activity that focuses on soccer movements and decision making are not the same as extensive training. After-school classes, recreational team practices and seasonal camps that are age-appropriate and provide an evidence-based environment for decision making are good. If your child(ren) wishes to play with their friends everyday, practice skills at home and is loving the daily fun of it, that is also different than extensive training. If your child under 12 has been rostered to a soccer team that practices 5 days a week and competes year round, that is not evidence-based and is a choice that goes against what the science tells us, yet each and every family is different and that’s ok. The science does tell us that 10 and 11 year olds do get better when they are 10 and 11 with extensive training, but do not continue that path afterward from 12-18 years of age.
The players exposed to extensive training at the younger ages don’t improve enough after the age of 12 to continue to compete as they go up in ages and stages. These players are also at much higher risk to injure out, burn out or elect another sport.
If there is one piece of advice that I could scream from every roof-top is for parents to relax and enjoy their child’s soccer experiences and journey. Let them PLAY as long as possible, without parental input or too much supervision. Supervision is best done by an older responsible sibling, friend or neighbor, not you! Why? The free-play space is what creates the ability in children to make good decisions for the long term. It’s an environment where children learn from each other how to problem solve and become autonomous decision makers that will make all the difference. Executive function is what soccer develops better than any other team sport, so make it as much about that and less about winning, losing and everything in between