>yeah, those skills are developed from early age.
>In Romania during Ceausescu's regime , it was not much to do besides school, and soccer was where kids would spend most of their energy. The problem was that we did not have full size soccer fields and we played soccer on handball fields. THat explains why kids developed a better ball technique and control. On the other side, we did not like to run that much:)


So many of the world's great players have learned the game under such circumstances. Zed-Zed, Maradona, and many others certainly did not grow up playing the game according to FIFA or with endorsement level equipment. They kicked around whatever vaguely roundish object they had, on whatever vague pitch was available. It's a street game, basically. Improvised goals, improvised coaching, nonexistent referees -- that's how they learned the game. Baseball developed the same way in this country. When you're young and hungry you make do with what you have. And I submit that is the best way to learn and love the game. I almost feel sorry for contemporary parents who think paying big money for a traveling team can instill passion for the game.

Funny that you mention running. The worst thing any coach can do is use running as punishment. Running stamina is essential to any sport I can think of. Why on earth make your players think they are doing penance rather than improving their ability to excel?