Soccer School with Coach Kyle: Players Aren’t Positions | Minnesota United FC

It’s already been two weeks since our last session, and I must say, I feel that I’ve failed my faithful students. I envisioned an offseason bursting at the seams from all of the Soccer School content I had planned, and yet, here we are, nearly done with the break and only two lessons richer. Allow me to apologize profusely, but only for a moment; there’s still learning to be done, and I don’t actually feel that bad.

I’ve been quite busy lately, between keeping all you Loons fans informed about goings-on and coaching my U12 girls team. We played our first indoor game—with walls—and the girls were freaking out. The scoreline reflected their initial shock, but in a game that ended as a big loss, we won the second half. That learning curve isn’t too shabby, if you ask me. Through all of the confusion, we managed to find a sense of order, and while formations and positions helped, it wasn’t these rigid structures that helped the girls turn things around.

In the midst of all the hubbub, I was reminded of a mantra that I may or may not have mentioned in passing during a previous lesson: players aren’t positions. Let’s have some fun diving in and unpacking this lovely key to proper player development.

If They’re Not Positions, What Are They?

If you’re a Soccer School regular, you may remember our lessons about formations and position numbers. We’ve already revisited the topic of formations, establishing that while these frameworks are helpful tools, they’re ultimately superseded by the instructions given to each individual player. We can think of positions in the same way: merely placeholders that give us structure and make communication a bit easier.

Instead of thinking of any player as a striker, a center back, or a midfielder, think of their skills; what are they good at? If, instead of thinking about where a player fits in a certain formation or what position they most closely fit the typical mold, we simply identify strengths and weaknesses and get them into the right area on the pitch, we can free ourselves of rigidity and get the most out of the players at our disposal.

I can hear the rebukes already: that sounds like chaos; how are they going to work together? Isn’t that why we invented formations and positions to begin with? Valid questions, but you’re still looking at it the wrong way if that’s what you’re asking. Think about basketball. Players have “positions” that act more like roles. There’s a more fluid interchange of physical positioning, creating space and allowing flexibility and freedom. Maybe you’re more suited to the frontcourt or the backcourt, but you’re going to need some fundamental, universal skills if you want to be great.

Alright, Fine: Example Time

Okay, let’s clear this up a bit with some Loons-specific examples. Say you have a player whose skill set is generally more suited to having the ball at their feet and creating dangerous situations in the attacking third. Well, you’re probably going to want them in the attacking third more often than not, right? Take Robin Lod, for example. Our Finnish army knife has played as a striker, winger, and midfielder. Robin can’t be pigeonholed into any single position, because his skill set goes beyond these limited definitions.

Not satisfied? Another, slightly different example. Take Joseph Rosales, wingback extraordinaire. We’ve seen him play on the wing, in the midfield, and as a fullback. When you watch him play wingback, you can see the skills that made him an option in each of the other positions that he’s played: great foot skills, effective speed, and creative vision.

Devin Padelford has been utilized across the backline, making appearances at both fullback and center back. Sang Bin Jeong has featured on both flanks, as well as brief spells in midfield. Other players fit certain roles perfectly—like Wil Trapp at the six or Michael Boxall at center back—but that doesn’t mean they couldn’t put in a shift somewhere else on the pitch.

Sure, every square is a rectangle, but not every rectangle is a square. Robin Lod can play midfield, but not every midfielder plays like Robin Lod does. Whereas other sports—like American football—tend to require certain attributes to play certain positions, soccer allows flexibility in formation and approach to truly allow coaches to get the best out of the players at their disposal.

Feel Free to Get Creative

This principle isn’t new by any means, as evidenced by the many pseudo-positions that have cropped up across the beautiful game throughout the years. Wingbacks are a fusion of wingers and fullbacks; the false nine is a combination of a striker and an attacking midfielder; and inverted wide players combine elements of midfield with the attributes of a winger. We’re not going to get too into the weeds on these lesser-used positions today; we’ll save that for your next lesson. For now, ask yourself this question: What made these unique positions possible in the first place? Unique players with game-changing skill sets. Players—not formations or positions—are what ultimately dictate games.

When I coach the girls, I like to move players around to different parts of the field in an effort to expose them to all facets of the game and see where they’re unique style shines brightest. The best way to get the best out of someone is by giving them a chance to do things they never thought they could, and though they complain about playing goalie from time to time, it’s the smiles on their faces when they figure something out that remind me that I’m doing something right.

Players aren’t positions, folks. In the debate of which came first, the player or the position, I can confidently answer that it was indeed the player. When analyzing the game and players themselves, it’s important to remember this foundational idea. As far as the chicken and the egg are concerned, I saw some flow charts that indicated animals were laying eggs long before chickens came around, so let that be a lukewarm answer to that debate as well. You’re welcome.