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Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
Well.......yes.
On the one hand parents have the right to say 'it is my money'. They have the right to say 'yes' and the right to say 'no'. They also have the right to educate themselves and spend their money wisely or not so wisely. Youth sports is a business that provides a product. Like any other product there is advertising associated with it. Like any other product, some buy the first one they see and others shop around to find the right fit and see if it is affordable.
My only potential complaint about youth sports being a business is that there are no minimum standards nor any kind of regulation. I am not a fan of too much regulation or government, however, absolutely no regulation allows businesses to prey on the consumer.
But, 'yes'. The business of youth sports is rising and potentially out of control. -
Where are the discounts and groupons? Every other business seems to have them and my wallet and I are ready for a youth soccer "sale".Comment
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Not until enough customers walk away will you see the prices drop. Remember basic economics? Where supply and demand meet is where the price ends up. Drop demand and prices follow suit. Until then coaches/clubs/trainers will charge whatever they can get.Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
#1 rule is youth sports is a business.Comment
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I still think the first discount brand may do a brisk business.Originally posted by Unregistered View PostComment
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Not as long as the others keep up strong marketing/advertising. Just ask travel clubs. Some (not all) offer a product (training) similar to many of the lower-mid level premier clubs. Yet people leave travel and are willing to pay 2+ more because they believe the story.Originally posted by Unregistered View PostComment
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The travel clubs should improve their marketing efforts if they really have an equivlent product.Comment
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Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
As part of my earlier comment, travel clubs will only be as good as their coaching promises to be. Dad-coaches without some kind of credentials is not the right enticement for parents to keep their kids at bay. Thereafter, the level of competition has to be high. Travel teams will never get into NEP and will never get beyond the second division of MAPLE, if even that.
What are we left with? Club soccer.Comment
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I used to feel the same way until our town travel board shook things up. The program had also suffered the same of most towns - more and more kids leaving for premier at younger and younger ages. Several years ago new leaders who care were elected, they got the girls/boys high school coaches involved, and got rid of parent coaches and hired professionals. Yes the program is smaller than it used to be. But for awhile there were some age groups that had no teams and now every age group is full. Most of the teams have very solid records. Many of the kids are playing in HS. They aren't going to make varsity right away, but most stick it out and eventually do, playing alongside their club-playing teammates.Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
It can happen but it takes leadership and effort. There will still be plenty of parents who will opt for premier even when travel would suit their children and wallets better. But travel doesn't have to become extinct.Comment
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I can assure you that there are plenty of players from Stars, Breakers, NEFC and MPS that have received plenty of athletic soccer $$$ or used their soccer ability to get into a school they never would have a chance to get into. So for the top teams maybe 5 in Mass they have a shot but the rest of these clubs are not in the same boat. They don't go to the top showcases so the kids rarely get seen and it is better to stay and play town travel.Comment
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Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
While I am not about to say that politics don't exist in the club system, I can say that they absolutely exist in the town system to the nth degree.Comment
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You might want to do a little research. Kids from select, Western Mass, Aztec, CSU, and many more kids come through these clubs and get money, and/or help from coach to get in because of ability. Showcase point is valid, but very misleading. The landscape has changed dramatically over the past ten years, with the creation of elite leagues, super clubs, more coaching education, more showcase tournaments, more governing organizations, has had a major impact on recruiting. The top 40-50 schools will always get there's, but the rest of the D1 and the D2&3s have all gotten more competative. They've had to learn how to get better players closer to home. It's something like 80-90% of Students/athletes go to school within 150 miles of home. They're attending more club days, local showcases/tournaments, training sessions, and games. They're not going to town travel practice or games. There are very few exceptions to that rule in New England. The smaller clubs are in these shocases/tournamentments and not a lot of town programs, from what I've seen. What was written is far from the truth, and sounds more like trying to convince yourself of something, and as an asst. coach at the D1, 2, and 3, Ive seen many kids from a club like Aztec, CSU, and SSS, by the Head Coach, but rarely did we return an email of a town player, exception if it's from a trusted resource. Same for players just playing HS. Maybe one player a year!Originally posted by Unregistered View PostComment
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I agree with just about everything you write except for your conclusion that one must participate at the club level. That comes across as rather self serving if you ask me.Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
If the part I bolded is true (and I do know that it is) why do you think the college coaches stop at just the club level? Doesn't it make sense that if they are in fact learning how to turn over more stones in their own back yard that they wouldn't set such artificial limits as only looking at players that play for a club. The bottom line is if a player can play soccer and a coach thinks that they can help their program they are not going to recruit them just because they only play for their high school team.Comment
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This is trivially true, of course. The reason college coaches are reluctant to recruit kids who "only" play high school is not simply that they only play high school. But by only playing high school (except in cases of remarkably strong high school leagues), those kids make it very difficult for a college coach to evaluate the true level of ability--measured against roughly the type of comparably strong players who will be found in the college game, since by far most of those players are playing club soccer.Originally posted by Unregistered View PostComment
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Seems rather self-serving for you to pick out that one thing to object to because of your ongoing agendas here when you know that 99% of actual recruits come from the club ranks. Whether they NEEDED club is a different issue, and one where you also are largely wrong, but you are reaching too far is you are going to argue that college coaches are now getting their players from town and high school games.Originally posted by Unregistered View PostComment
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