Competitive Youth Soccer: Every player brings something special to the game of soccer.  When watching players, Mac Millan reviews how each player plays their position.  Midfielders, defenders and forwards all have special and unique talents for success.  Mac Millan is looking for players who stand out on a consistent basis.

Shannon Mac Millan says “We are looking for the players that make an impact on the game when they are out on the field. For example: forwards who are creating and finishing chances on goal; midfielders who are play making and defending well; defenders who are shutting down the opponet's attack; keepers who can make athletic saves.”

Mac Millan enjoys watching and observing players that really make a difference on the field.  “The ones that really stand out have that passion; they are making an impact at all times.  Great soccer players love soccer.”

SN asked what is more important – Skill or Talent?

Mac Millan says “You can take any athletic player and teach them the basic skills but you can’t teach the love and passion which is required to work hard. Great skills and development come from training.  I look for the players who have the skills and the HEART AND DESIRE TO PLAY SOCCER.”

What should players do to get noticed?

“They should do their best every chance they have to play.”  A great philosophy for life in general and even more so in soccer as you never know who and when someone might be scouting.

 Where do you go to observe players?

“U.S. soccer asks me to watch specific tournaments and scout players, but I am always out and about in the community and looking to see who is playing great soccer."

"Determined to try and find the ones that fall through the cracks, Claudio Reyna has launched monthly training centers where players come to train with national staff coaches in addition to their regular club coaches."   

Shannon Mac Millan herself is a perfect example of a soccer player who was identified late for the U.S. team and never went through the Olympic Development Process (ODP) of identification.  “I am a prime example, I played for the same club for most of my youth and went off to college and then, as a 17 year old freshman, got called to play nationally.” 

“I grew up playing everything, lots of different sports and soccer was the one I kept always coming back to.”“U.S. soccer wants to be sure we are seeing everyone.  There is great talent out there across America and building a great national teams that can compete internationally will take time,” says Mac Millan “Remember, there are only spots for fifty or sixty youth players on the national team and this is out of millions of young soccer players in the U.S..”

Presenter, Shannon MacMillan introduces Hall of Fame inductee Joy Fawcett during the induction ceremony for the National Soccer Hall of Fame at Wright Soccer Campus in Oneonta, NY, on August 2, 2009.   Photo Credit: ISI PHotos Howard C. Smith

How young is too young for organized competitive soccer training?  Or to be “identified” as a prospect?  When should you start competitive training is a big question in youth soccer.  Can you see talent in younger teams?

Mac Millan says “There is tremendous talent on my U11 team. The question is which players will want to consistently play soccer passionately and will develop and improve as they mature.”

U.S. Soccer has defined BASE players as between the ages of 6 to 12.  What should these players concentrate on? 

“While soccer players are in their early base years (between ages 6 and 12), they should focus on ball skills. “

What is key for success as a soccer player? 

“Agility is very key; soccer is not linear.”

Is our youth too competitive today? 

Mac Millan says “It is different for every single player. There is a fine line between over training and wearing them out and providing enough development so players can be successful.  This can be different for each soccer player.  Competition can be great as long as the kids are enjoying it.  Burn out is what we want to avoid.  Players should want to learn and grow.”

Is Burn out a concern?

“Burn out is high.  Private lessons, extra coaching, team practices – it is all exhausting.  We are working to identify players at a younger age so that we can watch them grow and see how consistent they perform.  We are looking for players who will thrive in the national team environment,” says Mac Millan.

One of the reasons U.S. Soccer is trying to identify players younger now than ever before is to avoid losing players to burn out.  “If we can identify players younger, then we can send them off to a U 14 camp and watch their growth and help avoid burn out,” says Mac Millan.

As a final note, world class soccer player Mac Millan says “I am a big believer in organized sports.   Team sports keep kids out of trouble.  I could not imagine where I would be without soccer.”