Hutton Sharp

Glad to be nominated again for the girls soccer TPSN Excellence Award. Proud of all the good things we've got going on at @TascosaSoccer. 🤘🔴⚪ My good buddies @ShaunChesterUtd and @Timmyu12 also got nominations on the boys side!

@jisamill JdP is more than just a style of play. It's a way of seeing the game, of dominating the opponent by creating superiorities. That's one reason it's so flexible: there are many ways to create superiorities. But I'm happy to hear about another model you think could be better. 👍

@Hutton_Sharp Various styles of play have dominated eras. This one will have its end too.

Is it time for us to admit that Juego de Posición (Positional Play) is the best game model for youth development? 🇪🇸⚽🇺🇸 Its various iterations have dominated the game for nearly two decades. Not the only way to play, but the track record very clearly shows it's the best. 🤷

From country roads to big cities, playing at home meant everything to us this summer. We'll see you again soon.

I don’t really care about the obsession with youth soccer development in this country. My issue with pay to play is the way it markets fear to parents. It convinces mom and dad that if their 5 year old isn’t getting private training, elite coaching, extra development, and playing on the right team, they’re falling behind. 99% of these kids are not going pro. Most of this system exists because parents want to feel like they’re doing something serious for their child. Developmentally, most kids are better off playing cheap rec leagues, trying multiple sports, being outside, competing, and actually enjoying the game. That’s why rec sports matter. just let kids play.

@stejim95 "Shorter, more dynamic blitz type matches" is exactly what you get with 3v3. 👍

@Hutton_Sharp All good points but 3v3 to that is ridiculous. What the game needs is shorter, more dynamic blitz type matches at 7 v 7, move to 9 aside at age 10 / 11 and 11 aside at 12 / 13.

Okay, here's how I'd do it: 1. Add soccer to all elementary/middle/high schools 2. Make coaching licenses cheaper AND required 3. 3v3 until age 10, 7v7 until 13, then 11v11 4. Require MLS to subsidize youth leagues/clubs 5. Prioritize ind. development in team contexts 🇺🇸⚽

No matter where you are in your career, you have to persevere and keep going. @SachaKljestan | Bob Bradley

@RyantheRed22 @ragincajuntsw Thank you as well. More people talking about it is the first step to growing the game!

@Hutton_Sharp @ragincajuntsw Awesome, thanks for the conversation and answering my questions!

@RyantheRed22 @ragincajuntsw Too much for a tweet, but I see the game in universal, collective, and individual concepts. 3v3+ has all those; 1v1/2v2 lack some. So 3v3, you play the whole game. 7v7/11v11 are bigger versions of 3v3. But it can't be reduced lower and still be the whole. 👍

@RyantheRed22 @ragincajuntsw Not universal, but near me U13s are playing 11v11 for the first time. They were 9v9 before. The age groupings aren't set in stone. My concern is that big numbers too early hinders technical development. I'd rather err on the side of big numbers too late!

MLS season part II, now loading. Come back July 13 for more. 👀

@RyantheRed22 @ragincajuntsw It is a known practice to reduce numbers to increase touches on the ball/technical development. 👍 Plus, all the universal concepts of the game are present in 3v3. Those scale up easily to 7v7 or 11v11.

@Hutton_Sharp @ragincajuntsw Are these known coaching practices or your opinion? Just curious, because waiting until 10 feels late for kids to be playing 11v11

@Zskins33 I can only speak for what I've seen the last five years here in Texas. 👍

@Hutton_Sharp That’s good to know. Is that replicated in most states. Everything is bigger in Texas.

@CuboneKing_ ........that's what would happen if we added soccer to all schools. 👍

@Hutton_Sharp Just make it free for kids under 10

@dandixon95 I agree with this! The closest MLS team to me is six hours away. (I support one 7.5 hours away.) USL, etc. should also pitch in. 👍

@Hutton_Sharp Good post to add to a discussion of solutions. Since many communities are not served by MLS affiliates, I’d recommend the pro academy system include USL teams. Might limit it to their top division at first, with the intent to expand to lower divisions as they are able.

@LPrime2087 @huskyjayhawk That's just not true. Most rural schools do not have soccer. Plus, the OP adds elementary schools. 👍

@Hutton_Sharp @huskyjayhawk Most high schools and middle schools have soccer

@savanah2j Great idea. Should we adopt the Spanish way? The Japanese way? The Moroccan way? The Brazilian way? The Dutch way? The German way? The English way? Oh, and all these ways are different. Which is best?

@Hutton_Sharp what if and now hear me out….we just adopted the way they do it in other countries that already works 🤯

@Zskins33 This just isn't true. Texas High School soccer championships had thousands of fans in the stands this year. 👍

@Hutton_Sharp Nobody goes to HS soccer games unless they are related to a player. Same goes for many HS sports. Football, basketball have draw. And where I grew up lacrosse had draw. I went to few because I love sports and had buddies playing.

@RyantheRed22 @ragincajuntsw Players won't get enough touches on the ball in the early stages of their development if they play 11v11 at 7 or 8. 👍

@Hutton_Sharp @ragincajuntsw I appreciate the thoughtful response but I agree with the other guy. I think you could easily start 11v11 at 7-9 years old, 7 or 8 being my preferred age

@gregorysomethin @K0jiii Kids can play inside gyms/cafeterias and on blacktops. 👍

@K0jiii Exactly. Straight blacktop in many cases

They’re not installing football pitches to elementary schools because the usa hasn’t improved past Ro16

@ImBillRay Yes, change can be tough. 👍

@Hutton_Sharp I love every point but #2 would sink every recreational league in the country immediately and would be the hardest the implement.