I’ve been going to my sister’s kids’ games since they started and there’s ALWAYS a huge skill disparity in the younger games. And honestly it’s just one thing that seems to click and instantly make twice as good: predicting where the ball will go.
Kids that age ball chase because they have no idea what’s going to happen next. They will literally stop and wait for an opposing player to make their move before deciding what to do.
It’s exceedingly frustrating to watch but also really funny to see a whole field pause to watch a player do some tippy taps before kicking the ball straight into the feet of another.
Under 5 years old, an age difference of 2+ months can already be a major advantage in any sport that requires coordination, dexterity, anticipation, and agility without even considering raw talent. There’s a documented phenomenon where leagues that start splitting kids into skill levels at a young age are split predominantly based on the proximity of the month the kids were born to the age cutoff. Being older is already a massive advantage around then because their brains and bodies are developing rapidly and a few extra months of development has a lot of effect on their cognitive and physical abilities, and their height and weight.
This kid may be an outlier in raw skill. But honestly that also may even out considerably as other kids’ motor skills develop. This shit is temporary and part of playing sports in this age range. All of the people involved need to just chill out and watch the kids play whether they are killing it or chasing the ball.
That’s true about age differences being much more significant when they’re young. And I remember reading about the disproportionate amount of January and February birthdays in hockey leagues of the 90s/2000s so that other part tracks, too.
We’re on the same page about the rest. And (aside from foot coordination) it’s not a steady skill increase, it happens in big steps as ideas click for them. The worst player in the team can become the best overnight at that age lol
I’ve been going to my sister’s kids’ games since they started and there’s ALWAYS a huge skill disparity in the younger games. And honestly it’s just one thing that seems to click and instantly make twice as good: predicting where the ball will go.
Kids that age ball chase because they have no idea what’s going to happen next. They will literally stop and wait for an opposing player to make their move before deciding what to do.
It’s exceedingly frustrating to watch but also really funny to see a whole field pause to watch a player do some tippy taps before kicking the ball straight into the feet of another.
Under 5 years old, an age difference of 2+ months can already be a major advantage in any sport that requires coordination, dexterity, anticipation, and agility without even considering raw talent. There’s a documented phenomenon where leagues that start splitting kids into skill levels at a young age are split predominantly based on the proximity of the month the kids were born to the age cutoff. Being older is already a massive advantage around then because their brains and bodies are developing rapidly and a few extra months of development has a lot of effect on their cognitive and physical abilities, and their height and weight.
This kid may be an outlier in raw skill. But honestly that also may even out considerably as other kids’ motor skills develop. This shit is temporary and part of playing sports in this age range. All of the people involved need to just chill out and watch the kids play whether they are killing it or chasing the ball.
That’s true about age differences being much more significant when they’re young. And I remember reading about the disproportionate amount of January and February birthdays in hockey leagues of the 90s/2000s so that other part tracks, too.
We’re on the same page about the rest. And (aside from foot coordination) it’s not a steady skill increase, it happens in big steps as ideas click for them. The worst player in the team can become the best overnight at that age lol