04/30/2026
Long post, but I wanted to be thorough about my thoughts on 7v7 and club soccer for the youngest ages. This explains why I started the Alternative Pathway program.
🚨 Please give your input, any engagement is appreciated. 🚨
Year after year and especially now as a referee, I watch the same cycle happen to our youngest players. These young players that are 5, 6, & 7 years old have begun to enjoy the game from experiencing recreational soccer. The parents then recognize that the next step for them to learn and be challenged is to join a club team.
I am an advocate for club soccer. It’s essential to foster player development, team identity, and competition at the highest level. The club system in the US is flawed compared to those in Europe and South America, but thats not the battle I’m fighting.
I am most passionate about the start of a players developmental journey.
Players will attend their first tryout where those with better athletic ability and aggression will make the team. Those farther behind in physical and mental development will be cut and likely opt to play another season of rec. That following fall, both rec and club players will compete against other teams in the 7v7 format. This is the beacon of where everything falls apart. 7v7 though is a smaller sided game compared to 11v11, is an advanced format. The field is large, player’s visual perception and awareness cannot grasp the space. Players will need to be put into positions that they won’t understand the responsibilities of or comprehend the formation. The result is 2 crowds of kids chasing a ball and from some luck, the fastest kids gets the ball and scores. Coaches will attempt to delineate from there and introduce some of the most antidevelopment concepts in an attempt to not lose. They’ll assign 2-3 players on defense and tell them to stay back and not leave the build up area or even cross half. They will be told to clear or boot the ball forward and to never pass amongst the backline, goalkeeper or across the middle of the field. When the ball goes out they’ll have the daunting task of completing a legal throw-in technique. They’ll be told to throw down the line exclusively, never sideways or backwards. Foul throws will be penalized often and confusing stoppages will break down continuity in play. Those assigned midfield and forward roles will sprint forward with the ball whenever possible. They will be told to only consider forward passes. Many times players will be offside or dribble out of bounds. The result will be a goal kick or free kick where there will be no attempt to organize and create a passing pattern to move forward. The players with the hardest kick will be assigned to boot the ball and the mess will resume. All along, the parents on the sideline will hysterically cheer and moan about a players effort, fouls, and to kick everything forward or “push em back”. All will be well if the team wins, then everything is positive with the world and the players did good. The losing players will face negativity and failure will loom amongst the players and parents. As the season goes on, game play may improve slightly and more so with the advanced players at the club level. Even then, players will not get enough opportunities on the ball, many will be banished to certain positions because they are too much of liability to make mistakes leading to goals against.
Training sessions will often be inefficient, boring, and not follow a development model. Players will struggle to develop passing, receiving, and dribbling technique in tall grass at most fields. The main focus will be shooting on the goal and scrimmaging.
A counter to this protest would be that it starts off ugly but eventually blossoms to become better game play. Players may develop more skills and better understand teamwork. In some cases this is true, some teams do make it out and transform into proper teams.
My main take is that we shouldn’t even take the risk of wasting our time in this format. I believe that in the first 2 years of a player’s developmental pathway (after already having introductory experience), the approach should be more about growing a players relationship with the ball and getting them to excel in smaller game formats varied between 1v1 and 5v5. These games should also be way more informal with rules that are easier to understand and less restrictive. We will maximize the player technical ability first while introducing competition of individual dribbling and defending. Then slowly add teammates so passing decisions can be made. Minimize decisions to dribble, pass, or shoot and tackle, contain or mark. We should aim to find a balanced approach of “street soccer “style play and technical instruction. The product will then be players that are comfortable doing skill moves, understand passing options, and have ambition to defend. We’ll eliminate the winning at all costs mentality and praise the development of the child. Club soccer politics, rival antics, significant travel, parental feuds, lack of playing time, captive positions and other undesirable club soccer outcomes will be a non-factor.
We will grow together, and with that growth we will experiment. Trying 3v3, 4v4, 5v5 and futsal tournaments. We will encourage players to guest play occasionally with outdoor teams. We will allow players to get chances training in older groups. Those player advancing well will be encouraged to make the jump to club soccer and use FYF for supplemental training, winter/summer futsal, and alternative tournament opportunities.
Alternative Pathway has already begun and we have already accepted a few players. I'm confident this is the best decision a parent of a young player could make and the results will show next year and every year following.
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