8 Y/o Daughter Wants to Learn to Play Soccer. No Experience. at All.

I started playing soccer for the first time in my life when I was a junior in high school. Within a few days of starting, I was playing on the JV team against girls who'd been playing since they could walk.

Do you have a YMCA near you? I have found their sports to be very good with developing skills, but not over-the-top serious. My kids love Y sports.

There are a lot of soccer camps in the summer. Let her do that before you sign her up on a team. Then she can get some experience/training and see if she likes it before you sign her up to play on a team. I am not familiar with camps in Ft Worth, but I know in Dallas the SMU girls soccer players run several camps as do some of the private school. The YMCA may also have a camp.
Good luck! My almost 8 year old loves soccer!

Kids start soccer at all ages. At the end of the day, it's running and kicking a ball. Lots to develop to be competitive, but not lots to learn to be able to just play.

In most communities, recreational soccer is a fall sport - that's when most kids play. In many communities, there are smaller programs in the spring and summer - some of those are for really competitive kids who go to tryouts, etc. but many are just to have fun, develop skills, and provide fall soccer kids who don't want to play a spring sport something to do in the spring and summer.

Check the website of your communities soccer league for info...if they're running any spring or summer programs, that's where you'll find the info.

If you can't get her into a spring program or summer clinic, just enroll her for the fall and have her play with her friends over the summer to get comfortable with the ball and the basics of how to play and she'll be more than ready for fall.

I started two of my girls in 2013 spring season. One was 7 and the other 9. The 9 yr old was put on a travel league because that is all they had at her age. It was tough, because all of her teammates had been playing since they were little. We switched leagues after that season and she was able to be on a recreation team. She liked it better because they are subbed in more often and able to play all positions.
I have since become her teams coach and I love it. It's a good gateway sport and a good way to teach sportsmanship.
I would recommend finding a league that has recreation level play at her age (u-8 recreation vs u-8 select or travel).
But don't worry about her having little experience. The coaches can still work with her to ensure she is getting the most from her experience.

Our 8 yr old is starting soccer today. First practice, first time she's ever played.
We'll see how it goes.
No harm in signing her up if you and her are up for the commitment.

Don't do a google search, just ask around. School, other parents, the community center (that's where our local soccer league is at) the YMCA/Boys & Girls Club, etc. You need to find out where the local kids are playing.
It's a myth that a child can't start playing a sport until the ripe old age of 9. My daughter played soccer from 7 to 13, and was REALLY good, then decided she was done and wanted to try out for HIGH SCHOOL volleyball. ZERO experience. I thought, oh wow, sure.
She made the team.
Not only that, she actually got to play. A lot. AND she is only 5'2"!!!
So just find a place and let her go for it. If she's talented it won't matter that she's coming in "late."

i get worried when i see posts like this, as it seems to foster a fear in parents of younger kids that they MUST get them started in sports when they're too young to have any clue what will interest them, or it will be 'too late.'
surely there are some recreational leagues out there. if not, start one! the Y is always a great place to start.
good luck!
:) khairete
S.

I second the i9 suggestion. We chose them for that exact reason. Our son has been uninterested in sports and we are just "trying out" soccer. It's a 7 week league, games and practices on Sundays back to back, and his other mom is the coach. I did a lot of research and believe that this agency has the the philosophy that you are looking for. Only a very small percentage of kids play sports on their school teams, most kids only play for a little while until they really figure out what they like. 8-9 year olds need a positive sport experience to become active adults! I'm determined to find that! Good luck!

Try and start with a Y league. They are instructional and encouraging and not super competitive. It's a great way to start out in any sport.

I would check out any community groups or maybe a YMCA. She may have to accept that she will play with slightly younger girls for the beginning. Who knows, she may pick it up very quickly.

Last year my son was playing recreational soccer on a U-9 team. That means the kids are "U"nder 9. Just the age as your daughter.
There were kids on that team who have been kicking a ball since they could walk (my son) and kids that had NEVER played an organized sport.
My husband was coaching.
As long as the child tried my husband didn't care how good they were.
I think it's like that for a lot of teams! Sign her up for rec through your city and she should be fine. Having her play with kids that are better than her is good for her!! Rec means ALL levels.Some that will be trying out for premier in the coming years and some that have two left feet.
Fun!
L.

Does your town or borough have a recreational league? I would get her enrolled in an in-house league which is meant to be instructional. If she really excels than you can consider a travel league or cup team.

I'm not sure what part of Ft Worth you're in, but see if there's an i9 Sports in your area. My son and 2 of his friends decided to try soccer when they were 8 and we all went with i9 because it's non competitive with an emphasis on learning the fundamentals. Most of the other kids on the team were new to soccer as well. Some eventually graduated on to competitive leagues and some still play with i9 because they said it was more fun and less pressure than a regular league.

I'm in N Ft Worth, my daughter just went back to rec after 3 years in academy. We have girls on her team who have never played before and we are in the top rec division, so your daughter would be fine in regular rec. However, you are probably too late for rec, so I second the i9 suggestion, I don't think they've started yet.

She's too late if you're thinking she is going to go out and be on the all-star or travel team...but she's totally fine to start at whatever age if she wants to get out there and give it a try. We have leagues by age, doesn't matter if you have played before.

My youngest son's baseball team has been playing together for 4 seasons, and this season they have a new girl who has never played a day in her life. It was refreshing to see them so encouraging and see her smile!

Same with my middle son, and his team did the same thing, they helped the new kid.

My daughter is a different story...she's in dance and it does take a lot of practice to get where she is...so a new person wouldn't be able to come on her team as it isn't by age, but by skill. They do have beginner classes though and people can work their way up.

She'll be fine. My son didn't start playing baseball until he was 8. The beginning of the 1st year was a little rough but by his 2nd year he made the All-Star team. He is now a pretty good player & has true passion for the game.

See what your local YMCA and/or Boys & Girls club has to offer.

I started playing soccer when I was 10 years old.

Most states have three different leagues for kids:
Recreational, beginner and no skill. Almost everyone makes a team. Most games are in and around the area you live in.

District, mid level and some skill (where I played). There is some travel involved for games. Most of these players wind up on JV in high school. If they're lucky they might make Varsity.

Premier, highly competitive and the "best" skill. Lots of travel involved and a lot of politics involved. These players usually make Varsity in High School.

Here's a link for you through US Youth Soccer, hope it helps: http://www.usyouthsoccer.org/aboutus/NorthTexasStateSocce...

you've gotten some great advice, I would also add, try a google search for soccer skills, or soccer tips or rules for soccer. there are probably some great videos that could sort of "coach" her that way.

I see a few people have mentioned her just picking it up quickly and being a natural at it. I really think that depends if she is a naturally athletic kid and if she has had experience w some other sport. It makes total sense that a kid that is graceful in ballet and has a high energy endurance would be great at soccer, but if she isn't the most coordinated and hasn't had to take instruction from others and be on a team, it could be harder.

AYSO is a soccer organization that organizes teams by ages & has parent volunteer coaches. Around here (San Diego County) there are tons of teams, play-offs & a Spring season for the really dedicated. My girls all played several years on different teams & they had NEVER played soccer before they joined their first teams. And your girl can start at any age. They had a lot of fun, learned good sports skills & confidence. We had a lot of fun watching & met a lot of interesting people. Good Luck!

start with park district or ymca. they have teams and there are loads of kids who don't start a sport til 8 or 9. and while she may have no experience at all on a league type play she will have played it in pe class unless you homeschool and she has not been in grade school. she will be fine and will make new friends. teams are made up of kids in age ranges like 4-6, 7-9 etc they are not exact age groups. usually more grade level so 1st and 2nd graders, 3rd and 4th graders. ect. she will be fine. here are a couple links for your area. I think the first one will find what your looking for.

http://2point5kids.com/soccer/fort-worth-soccer/#recreati...

http://fortworthtexas.gov/athletics/youth/soccer/
http://www.fwyouthsoccer.org/aboutus.html

Just sign her up. Kids start all the time. She'll learn along with the other kids. They do drills every practice and sort of scrimmage. They work on all the basic skills so she will learn while practicing. I'd say if she feels really self conscious let her keep playing with the kids in the neighborhoods and she will pick up skills as she plays too.