While trying to continually build upon my teams knowledge base what should a U11 player be able to know/retain in terms of say defensive plays, cutoffs, signs, offensively even. Any input woul dbe greatly appreciated.

If it is taught and reinforced throughout the season, there should be no reason why these kids can't retain this information. My son was fortunate to have learned from someone who had over 25 years of youth coaching experience. They had multiple pick off plays, double cuts, and offensive strategies which were above the majority of teams we played. They started introducing this to them when they were 9. I think the kids have no problem retaining the information if they are taught properly and also explain it to them why these are being done. Pay attention to detail while implementing these and you should see the results you want.

Eric,

When we were 11, I taught our kids everything a HS and college IF would know. We went over defensive situations every day in practice to reinforce what we had taught. Our longest rundown at 11U was 3 throws.

The kids WANT to learn and have the capacity to do so.

The sky's the limit...

But I think retention will depend on the player, and it will start with the coaches and their ability to explain, and drill correctly. As long as you practice, practice & practice some more your defensive strategies, they should be fine. Don't let a player nod his head or say that they understand, make them show you in practice that they really understand by doing.

The other thing to keep in mind, as you probably know already, is that no matter how good or talented these guys are, they're 11 years-old - they're NOT Pro's... Even the BEST players at 11 make bonehead plays, have brain-farts, and make big errors (mental & physical) on both sides of the ball... Plus, unbelievably, sometimes they all act like 11 year-old kids, too!