When is it too late to begin playing soccer?

There are always great conversations among parents at soccer practice.  Sometimes I just like to listen to the conversations around me.  I do not consider it eavesdropping as they must know that anybody around them is capable of hearing what they are saying.

Sunday I was watching my daughters in an academy scrimmage.  There were two moms near me having a very interesting conversation.  They were debating the age when it is too late to begin playing soccer.  They were lamenting the fact the U10 girls team that their daughters' are on had received some new girls this season that had never played soccer.  Their daughters had been playing since they were four.  They were complaining that it was too late to learn the skills needed to play at a competitive level.

Is there an age that is too late to begin playing soccer and have the ability to become a good player?  The ladies I was listening to thought it was possible with other sports but soccer required more time to develop the needed skills.

I would like to believe that they are wrong.  I think it depends greatly on the coach.  A good coach should be able to get a superb athlete up to speed an a fairly short time.  The problem is that most kids starting at a later age do not have a great coach or are not a superb athlete.

Let me know what you think.