Top Tip Tuesday – Benefits of Playing Different Positions
Read a great story about Casmiro – the Real Madrid player who has won multiple Champions League titles as a defensive midfielder.
He was on trial at Sao Paulo as a child and saw 50 other players put their hands up when asked, ‘who plays forward?’.
Another 50 did the same when asked, ‘who plays No. 10?’.
He went there to trial as a striker and saw a lot of competition for those places but RAISED his hand when he saw that only 8 players were there to trial as defensive midfielders.
The rest is history.
From time to time your player might be asked to play different positions.
Some parents (and coaches) believe a child should be given a specific position from a young age – this means they lose so much opportunity for development.
The child may also believe they are a ‘striker’ or ‘CDM’ etc.
Instead of complaining about it, embrace it and see it as a good thing.
A young player who can play a variety of positions gives themselves a lot more options as they get older.
They should become a more complete player and it’ll help their game-intelligence.
It might be the difference between them getting into a better team or not.
Maybe getting into the school team or the ‘A’ team.
Or, like Casmiro, it might even help them get into a pro club.
For parents, it’s down to you to praise the things that need to be praised in regards the position they are playing – tackles, passes, goals, movement off the ball etc etc.
Give them a sense of ‘success’ no matter where they play and they’ll likely embrace it.
For grassroots coaches, remember that we are here to create footballers…not players who can only play one position.
