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 U.S., and many years have passed since it was first identified.
One of many astounding conclusions that came out of extensive data analysis was that pre-pubescent athletes do indeed benefit from comprehensive training, but 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.
Play and Training are Not Equal
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 every day, practice skills at home, and love 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 every family is different, and that’s ok. Science tells us that 10- and 11-year-olds get better when they are 10 and 11 years old with extensive training, but they do not continue that path after 12-18 years of age.
The players exposed to extensive training at 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 of injury, burning out, or electing another sport.
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The Argument for Play
If there is one piece of advice that I could scream from every rooftop, it 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 in the long term. 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.
