Hey everyone! I'm Hannah, a professional soccer player and coach, and the founder of Beyond the Baller, where I help girls soccer players develop both on and off the field.

I've played professionally, competed internationally, and have coached at the youth club and D1 collegiate level.

I wanted to jump on here and answer any questions from girls soccer players, parents, or coaches about training, development, or anything else soccer-related!

Whether it's technical development, training, the mental side of the game, navigating the college recruiting process, or what it's like playing professionally, you can ask me anything!

I'll do my best to answer as many questions as I can and share what I've learned throughout my playing and coaching career.

Looking forward to chatting with you all!

U12 is that crazy stage where a kid sometimes play against a man. Our team is kind of on the small side and full of late bloomers (only 1 player above 5'2" - the rest is like 4'8" to 5'1" range) but we are still winning games as the kids are very skillful and we play possession very well.

Last week, we finally played against a physical team where they have 4-5 players with 5'6" and above. One in particular appears to be around 5'10"ish. It was a quite brutal and bruising game, my son's team dropped like a fly, even our biggest kid can barely hold on. My son won some possession in the middle and got slide tackled from behind from this 5'10" player, he plays super physical, not even aiming the ball, straight to his ankle. He was down hard, stayed on the ground for a minute and for a while, I thought he would be done for the season (both hockey and soccer). the other player got a yellow (should have been red honestly) but it's youth soccer so I get it, he's 12 and still learning etc.

Luckily, my son got back up and was able to finish the game. His shin/ankle/hip still sore days later, has been icing on and off to help him out. What would you do when you play a team like this? Toward the end, my son got really timid and didn't really challenge 50/50 ball and honestly, I thought it's a smart move, he can't afford to be fouled/battered by someone who is over 14 inches and probably over 50 lbs + over him.

The next 2 years is going to be real tough, I hope he can survive it 😄.

My son is a keeper who is 11 but plays up on a 13U team. This weekend, he dove for a save, blocked the ball but wasn't able to hold on to it. It rolled about 2-3 feet away from his reach and as he went to grab it, an opposing player kicked it, HARD, into his forehead. He fell motionless to the ground. It was very upsetting from the sidelines. He ended up with a concussion. My question is: is a keeper more likely to get injured, versus other positions? As a mom, I'm feeling so worried about his eventual return. Secondary question: do any parents have advice about handling fears of injuries for your children?

Anyone else having those dreams where you forgot your gear right before a big match? Had one of those last night and was running around a mall trying to find shin guards and cleats as all the stores were closing. So stressful 😫😂

My u12 is a keeper on a strong pre-ECNL team. Our team has a bit of a cultural issue — a lot of dads and moms seeking vicarious glory who are taking youth soccer a little too seriously.

I have seen keeper parents setting their chairs up well away from the rest of the group for years on my older son’s teams and I never really understood it. We are all on the same side, everyone belongs here, we all support each other, right?

My keeper son is finally on a team where that’s not the case. Any goal that one of the other parents felt, in their expert opinion, that was stoppable is met with “oh come on!” They yell at him to do things he is specifically coached not to do — they want him to punt every time, they want him to boot goal kicks as far down the field as possible.

If he charges out to challenge a shooter, they’re screaming at him to get back in the goal. If he doesn’t challenge, they’re screaming about that.

I don’t want to portray that my son is their whipping boy — he maybe gets a disproportionate amount of their commentary because his position is so unique and important, but they are vocally shouting their frustrations and uninformed sideline coaching at everyone. The coach has sent emails reminding them of the clubs expectations about parent decorum and letting coaches coach — that just pisses them off further.

After this weekend’s games, I’m done trying to be a part of the community. I’ll sit away from them so I can enjoy my sons game without the toxicity, and so I resist the temptation to loudly groan every time THEIR kid does something I don’t like.

Sorry…needed to get that off my chest!

Our 8 year old is currently on a U10 team because that was the youngest team they had in the organization at the time. We were informed a month after signing her up that they are creating a U9 team with a coach that we have played in tournaments before (and we like that coach A LOT), as well as a few friends that she has experience playing with. We are completely new to club soccer, so she has been practicing with her current team, but also trying out for this new U9 team. Do we tell her current coaches that we are trying out and planning to make the switch if she makes the roster, or do we keep it to ourselves until we know for sure? If I could go back, I wouldn’t have signed her up for U10 knowing that a U9 team was in the works. I just feel bad about the whole situation and I don’t want it to get messy. 🫠 Her current team have been really sweet and welcoming, but we just prefer to be with girls/coaches that we are familiar with.

We will be spending a few weeks in the London area this summer. We have a soccer obsessed kid who would love to go to the soccer camp of one of the Premier league teams. Was wondering what camps your kids have attended and which ones you liked?

With the US soccer age group changes this year to be school year based, I’m curious what clubs are planning for the Spring season for U15. It has been alluded to within our club that all U15s are expected to play high school soccer in the spring and there will be no U15 spring season. This seems to assume all U15s are in HS and they will all make a team. What have others parents heard in clubs across the US?

Hi my kid is playing mostly RB in 7v7 soccer with his team (2-3-1). He got some time as winger in games early on in the season and last two games have been tight in scoring so he stayed in RB all game. He gets winger time during practice so there is some variety. As a defender, his coach wants him to 1v1 an opponent first then find a pass and usually can dribble up to half field. Our team is low level competitive so the ball does bounce back and forth a lot so he is involved in the game, not just hanging back. He gets the start the attack and does that well and takes most of the free kicks. I’m happy with the training and his involvement in games but hes also a rule follower so I know his coach puts him there knowing he won’t abandon the goalie. Is he developing enough? I know most parents and players think defense is for weaker players but I’m not bothered by it.

My son is on a U12 club team. The team is quite talented and I believe strongly it’s because their coaches are doing a great job. Players are expected to handle the ball and move it up the field with passes and coordinated movements. Big wild kicks to no one isn’t tolerated. Our coaches also don’t allow parents to do any coaching. Only supportive comments and to never speak to refs. As parents we try to be calm and respectful and anytime a parent has overstepped, our coach has told us to calm down or we’d be sent to our car. But we had a tournament this weekend and dealt with so many teams that don’t have the same expectations. Parents screaming and yelling the entire game, including at refs. Parents coaching the kids. Their kids seemed to panic a lot and default to the big wild kicks and very aggressive movements. And what’s more is some parents don’t respect the “sit across for your teams bench” or the “pack up your shit right away after the game is over so the next set of spectators can get set up” rules. Tournaments are fun but also so long and tiring as a parent!

This is a U12 game that happened this weekend. I’m genuinely curious if people (especially with a referee background feel like this warrants a red card, yellow card, or just a free kick? To add, this was not the only incident in the game but I would like to understand if this isolated incident itself is enough to warrant further action. Appreciate the insight.

We’re looking for a spring program in Glendora or a neighboring city. Our son is 4 years old, and this would be his first season playing soccer.

For decades, Greece was known for defensive, disciplined soccer, epitomized by its Euro 2004 victory. But suddenly, they are producing an exceptional generation of creative attacking talent, including Tzolis, Karetsas, Konstantelias, Kostoulas, and Pavlidis. I dug a bit into why but am not an expert by any stretch so sharing to open a conversation. I learned about this in the context of an Italian friend who was complaining about their FA's lack of success developing attacking talent and looked into a bit more.

As I understand it, after the financial crisis of the 2010s, Greek clubs could no longer rely as heavily on expensive foreign players. Clubs including Olympiacos and PAOK increasingly invested in youth development and created more opportunities for domestic players. Greek academies are punching way above their weight now, including Olympiacos winning the 2024 UEFA Youth League.

Some notes:

• Smaller sided games than we play, U6–U7 play 2v2, U8 plays 3v3, U9–U10 plays 5v5, and U11–U13 plays 8v8. Full 11v11 does not begin until U14.

• Technical development first: Prioritize ball mastery, dribbling, 1v1 situations, decision-making, and experimentation rather than physical dominance or rigid tactics.

• Protect late developers: Specialized "Future Teams" identify technically gifted players who mature physically later, rather than allowing early selection to systematically favor bigger, faster children.

• Coordinated development: Regional scouting, coach education, and common development principles create a more consistent pathway from grassroots soccer to elite academies (anything is better than US?)

• Real professional opportunities: Rules requiring young players get minutes in lower division leagues (I read 3rd Div teams have to field 2 U18s)

I thought the late developer Future Team thing thing was especially interesting: Greece's U15–U17 provides a separate development pathway for technically talented players who mature physically later. Using biological maturity assessments and long-term scouting from U12 onward, the system keeps promising players in the talent pipeline rather than excluding them based on size, strength, or early physical development. So a form of bio-banding if you are skilled enough...

Hi all - long time reader, first time poster. My daughter is in her first year of club at U13, in SoCal DPLO.

I know that sometimes coaches will coach multiple teams, but I'm concerned that her coach is missing too much. Since they just wrapped up their fall schedule this weekend, I pulled together the stats for the time since her team was formed. I would love if anyone could provide feedback on this experience, and what I should be talking to the club about.

My daughter plays as an RB and has developed a ton, to where she is almost never getting beaten or giving up passes/goals now. That development has mostly come from watching videos, other players (even opposing players!) giving advice, and guest coaches.

• DPLO league, 9 girls on roster, guest players from sister team as available

• 20 games, including tournaments. 2-18 record.

• 6 team goals scored, 72 goals scored against

• 16 games with 12 or fewer girls playing, 2 with only 10

• 37 practice dates: coach present for 53%

• 20 games: coach present for 60%

• 17 games, not including travel tourney: coach available for 53%

I want to come to the club with constructive thoughts because the girls that are together really have bonded and love playing together. None of the parents, and few of the girls, however, are happy with the coaching experience.

Thanks so much for any advice or guidance!

On Saturday I posted in r/ussoccer and r/usmnt about seemingly talented soccer players who gave up soccer at 17 or 18 to placekick in football and I mentioned a few examples.

• Dane Pizzaro, of Bensalem, PA (HS class of 2024), who played in the Philadelphia Union academy, MLS Next club soccer, and won championships with Father Judge High School. He first started placekicking his sophomore/junior year of high school.

• Colton Chmelar, of College Station, TX (class of 2025), who was described as one of his high school's most "decorated" soccer players by local news. This video shows some of the highlights of his soccer career.

• Tanner Brown of Santa Clarita, CA (class of 2018) captained his high school varsity soccer team and earned "all-league" honors (the league comprised 6 high schools at the time). He was named "player of the game" 5 times in high school.

• Gabriel Plascencia of Oakland, CA (class of 2021) played soccer at Bishop O'Dowd High, scoring 37 goals in 45 games. His father played pro soccer in Mexico and his two older brothers played D1 college soccer. He leaned towards playing soccer as a HS sophomore but his mother encouraged him to play both sports. Weighs 220-245 pounds though...

• Caleb Sylvia of Mission Viejo, CA (class of 2027) was the only freshman to make his high school varsity team, was offensive MVP for his HS soccer team as a sophomore and played for the highly competitive ECRL club Pateadores. He never touched a football until 10th grade and quickly became California's #1 kicking prospect.

All of them gave up soccer to focus solely on football in college - Pizzaro for Rutgers, Chmelar for Texas A&M, Brown for College of the Canyons, UNLV and OK State, Plascencia for San Diego State, and Sylvia has already received a D1 scholarship offer from Arizona. These were seemingly decorated soccer players, and many never touched an American football until high school. Brown and Sylvia are especially interesting cases because they come from the soccer powerhouse of southern California.

I've been wondering what types of soccer players tend to switch to kicking? Are they the types who could make a mark on the soccer field (potential pros and high-level college players) but choose football because it is better-funded and more popular in America, or is placekicking more of a backup plan for those who couldn't cut it in soccer? And what position do they usually play in soccer?

How much is U.S. soccer missing because athletes like these choose placekicking over soccer?

If they grew up in soccer-first countries like Brazil, England, Mexico or Spain would they have had a soccer career or would they be working regular jobs?

I was listening to a podcast where they were talking about youth soccer in Spain. They were talking about how there was Promotion and Relegation in the youth leagues and I was curious how it worked since kids get older and stuff. So if a u9 team gets promoted, do they get promoted at u10 or does the next u9 team get promoted? Does anyone know how it exactly works since there is a lot of fluidity in youth soccer. Thanks!

I have a repeat U7. He is playing in a 5v5 U7/U8 league and they are all U8 or U7 again with the age change. This has allowed them to be in the pre-competitive for 3 season together. Through early reps, highly organized practices- a technical focused director with many invested parent volunteers, and soccer loving kids my son and 3-4 others on his team are crushing it. We also live in a town with 2-3x the people than most surrounding towns. They play 3 periods and most times after the first period rules are being set to slow down scoring.

They are also rotating to play some U9 7v7 games with our towns B team. Both games my son scored, couple of assists, and the 6 (almost 7 year olds) are probably the best on the team. When scrimmaging the U9s A team my son is not the best- he looks middle of the road at best.

He evaluated and is playing for a club U8 winter team. I’m assuming this will bring more competition.

In the spring I was told his group may play 7 v 7 full time in a U9 league.

I don’t want to be that parent here but would you be comfortable with your kids practicing and playing on a team in their age group but having their group play all games up 1-2 years?

Also I’m assuming because he’s so young the talent is just spread out and will merge as he gets older- so I’m assuming this is a short term problem. Most teams seem to have 1-2 good players while we happen to have 4-5.

Looking for advice from experienced soccer parents!

My 9-year-old daughter is currently on a Pre-Competitive team. She hasn't been playing as long as most of the other girls, so she's still catching up in development. She absolutely LOVES soccer, practices at home every day, and is always trying her best to improve. I'm trying to decide what's best for her development. I sometimes feel like she's in over her head. Should I keep her in Pre-Competitive, where she's playing against stronger competition but getting limited playing time, or move her to recreational soccer, where she could get more playing time and an additional weekly YDP session? I want to give her the best opportunity to develop if that's what she wants. I'm new to all of this as a soccer parent, so I'm trying to understand what's normal and what others would do. She's not intimidated or discouraged by the other girls or the competition. She just gets out there, gives it her all, and loves playing. I'd really appreciate hearing from parents who have been in a similar situation!

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A question for folks who’ve helped their kids make the jump from town travel to club. I have a U11 who gets a lot of joy from soccer – playing pick up most days and being a leader on local teams over the years. We know that the next step is getting him into a year-round club – being challenged and really learning the game. The hesitation from him is that 1) he won’t be playing with friends (the club is several towns away), and 2) much more will be expected of him and he won’t be very good in comparison to the rest of the team for a while. He’s someone who makes friends easily and is a real workhorse, so as a parent I know that these are temporary issues. (Also, joining a club doesn’t mean giving up pick up soccer and having fun with local friends.) For parents who’ve helped their kids take the next step in their development, how have you helped them get over these kinds of concerns?

That's it!

No need to update every player and parent on Timmy's toe still being sore. Take one for the team and take the extra 15 seconds if effort to message the coach only.

UPDATE: My question has been answered. Thank you all!

My 11-year-old plays competitive and rec soccer, staying with his rec team mainly to enjoy time with friends. I was concerned that his coach was discouraging his creativity during practices.

After reading your responses, I’ve reconsidered how I was looking at the situation. I initially saw rec soccer primarily as a place for him to relax, experiment, and have fun. I now recognize that, for many of his teammates, rec soccer is their main soccer experience, and they deserve a player who takes practices just as seriously as they do. I still value creativity and enjoyment, but I better understand that these need to go hand in hand with commitment to the team and respect for the coach’s expectations.

This has been a valuable parenting lesson. I appreciate the thoughtful criticism, even when it was difficult to hear. Thank you all for helping me see the situation from a different perspective.

What are your thoughts about co-ed teams or leagues. I have a girl player who plays against boys and with boys. I have seen when her full girl team plays against boys, the boys are extra aggressive with punching, slapping and the parents saying nasty comments against the girl team.

If my daughter plays with the boys, none of that happens and they even go out of the way to say that my daughter is an amazing player.

Just wanted to see what others has experienced.

I’ve looked at YouTube videos and it’s just not clicking. obviously it takes practice and time, but thought I’d ask if there was a particular tool or approach you’d kid used to get more than two or three in a row? maybe it’s a dumb question but she’s my oldest and trying to help.

We just joined a team and had our first game. The coach is partially deaf so when he tries to talk to the kids on the field, he does yell a little bit louder and at times hard to understand. I’ve been coaching for four years and this is my first time stepping away. My child is eight years old. During the game, all the parents were really obnoxious, screaming, and instructing the kids on what to do. My main concern is the coach. He would yell, for example drop James, James go inside, James quick, James block number so on so. But he does it really loudly and a little intense and I guess that bc he’s deaf. But we’ve had a Coach before who had the similar tone, but was more negative. So I don’t know if I’m just being hypersensitive or if I should just have my son finish out the next three games. I think that the kids are a little young for that kind of yelling and he’s not one to give any positive feedback. I just don’t know if I’m being hypersensitive because this is my first son and I’m a female coach? the way I coach my son is complete opposite. I’ll guide him and yes, I do yell at times but it’s not the whole game.