The five attributes

1. Technical ability (40% weight)
Can they control the ball? Pass accurately? Dribble in space? This is foundational.

2. Athleticism (20% weight)
How fast are they? How much distance can they cover? Can they repeat high-intensity efforts?

3. Decision-making (25% weight)
Do they see the pass? When do they shoot vs. pass? Do they understand positioning and spacing?

4. Attitude (10% weight)
Are they coachable? Do they want to improve? Do they help teammates?

5. Physical maturity (5% weight)
Are they early or late developers? (This matters at U10–U13, nearly irrelevant by U16.)

Evaluation template (per player, per month)

Player: [Name]
Age/position: [Age, position]
Technical: (1–5) [comment]
Athletic: (1–5) [comment]
Decision-making: (1–5) [comment]
Attitude: (1–5) [comment]
Maturity: (1–5) [comment]
Overall score: (1–5)
Ceiling estimate: (grassroots / semi-pro / pro)
Development focus next month: [one thing]

Record this monthly. After 5–6 months, you have a data picture of who's improving and who's plateauing.

What this does

  • Removes bias ("I like this kid so they're great" vs. objective evaluation)
  • Identifies late bloomers (low technical at U11, high athleticism, growing rapidly)
  • Identifies plateaued players (high technical at U10, no improvement by U12 — might not develop further)
  • Guides development focus (instead of saying "get better," you're saying "improve decision-making")

The ceiling estimate

At U12, you should have a rough sense of who might play semi-pro football (district/county level) and who's playing grassroots for enjoyment. This isn't harsh — it's realistic. Being honest helps you guide development correctly.

Grassroots potential: Solid all-around, coachable, probably maxes out at local league level.

Semi-pro potential: One strong attribute (technical OR decision-making OR athleticism) + coachability. Likely to play at county/regional level by U16.

Pro potential: Two+ strong attributes + high athleticism + fast learner. Very rare at U12 (fewer than 1 per 100 kids).

Update your estimates every season. They'll change as players develop.