When should my child start playing competitive soccer?

- Jeremy Sorzano, Soccer Shots Partner

I’ll often have parents ask me what the appropriate age is for their child to start playing competitive soccer. It’s a great question, because every couple years local clubs seem to add another younger age group to their club. Some of these clubs do a great job handling these younger age groups, but many do not. I can appreciate the desire for a parent to want their child to be in the premier club or have them compete against the best players in town; however, it is a short-term perspective.

Photo courtesy of froginnorthgeorgia.com

There are two points I ask parents to consider when determining what is the best option for their 5- to 8-year-olds. The first is that quality coaching and skill development at this age trumps playing on the best teams that are emphasizing winning every time.  Although children of this age are well aware of the score (and so are the parents!) the main goal for this age group is to continue increasing their ball skills and understanding of the game. Often, in order to win at this age, you sacrifice those two key ingredients. The second factor to consider is which team or club will keep your child interested in soccer and enjoying the exercise and benefits of the game. Often this is not the team that is playing two games every weekend year-round and demanding a child and parents’ complete attention. It may be the team that practices once or twice a week and has a very short game schedule. In fact, they may not even play in the winter!

Ultimately, these two factors will determine a child’s long-term success and enjoyment in the game. Let’s make sure we’re focused on the right goals for our kids.