There is a funny learning curve that is typical for U4 players. The players are all close in age to each other yet they are all at different stages in their physical and mental development. They each come to the game with a different set of, let's say, capacities. Some have the physical capacities of speed and agility pretty early, some have the mental capacity to understand the basic concept of the game and many have some combination of both. But we also see lots of beginners who need time to develop their running stride or their balance or who don't yet understand what the game (or any game) is about. With that in mind what I tell parents and coaches at the beginning of each new U4 season is that it's not really about playing soccer games yet and it certainly isn't about teams winning and losing. Right now at the U4 stage it's just about letting them have the experience, letting them learn how to run and keep their balance; learn how to be in proximity to other kids, even getting bumped and jostled, all without being offended (that's a big step for many kids); learning the rhythm and flow of the game and the social conventions that are part of a team sport. We give them time and space to experience all that in the context of weekly practices/games where we just work on the same basic skills over and over again: control the ball with your toes, keep your balance, look around.
What's funny about the curve of this learning experience is that at some point most kids reach a sort of critical mass of physical and mental familiarity with the game and suddenly they can't play U4 anymore. It's just not a real challenge for them. It's like they suddenly become a different sort of animal from the other players, a shark among a school of fish. The fish stay together but they don't know where they're going or why. The shark knows exactly what he's doing. And in my experience it can be any kid at any point in their development, the quick ones and the slow ones, the ones who can stand on one foot and the ones who seem to stumble more than they run, any kid can have that sudden epiphany where the whole situation makes sense and from then on they are predators among prey. The ball becomes My ball to them and their whole attitude changes.
So, the thing with U4 players is that just when they seem to really get the game you have to think of pulling them out and moving them into U6 for their own sake and for the sake of the other players who are still developing. With the U4 Yankees it's about half the team that needs to move on to U6. Will and Damien have clearly outgrown U4. Damien had, what, three goals yesterday and would have had more if he'd been in longer. They both are so completely engaged in the game and have such a clear understanding of what they need to do that the game has gotten somewhat easy for them. They've earned that through diligent work on their skills but they need more of a challenge now and more playing time. By the way, Will had the longest goal I've ever seen in U4 that wasn't an accident. He took a shot from about eighteen yards and he knew when he hit it that he was wide open and could make it.
Caroline has made a leap too and is now totally committed as a player. She never concedes possession of the ball and she uses her body to shield players off the ball. That's a big step as it shows that she's now completely comfortable with the contact typical of the game. That's a hurdle that takes many kids a long time to get over, well into U8 or even U10.
And finally, Ethan (E.J.), as little as he is, is just running circles around everyone else in U4. In yesterday's game he got clear on a breakaway from our end and with a beautiful controlled dribble he darted up the field. At about the half line, with the ball rolling just a step ahead of him, he looked up from the ball for I think a full second or more to see where the next defender was. He was so confident in his skills right then, he looked like a much older player. Fantastic.
So we'll figure out what the next step for these kids will be but it's a lot of fun coaching them right now. And everyone else on the team is coming along nicely too. Dakota had his best day yet yesterday and I expect him to cross that threshold to being a real predator soon.
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