I was in Italy for the month of August. My daughter is 12 and has been playing soccer since she was 3. I thought she was a really good player for her age. That is, until I saw the kids in Italy. There were 7 year olds playing with a ball on the concrete in the city. Their foot work and balls skills were amazing. All in all, they appeared to be slower than Americans, but their finesse with the ball makes our kids look like bumbling bafoons.