HS versus Club Observation of Son

[Unregistered]

Unfortunately, it's true. There are two other club players on JV, but lower level club teams. The team is Division III and doesn't have a strong school system, so most HS freshmen elect to go to vocational school or private. Hence the club players that were on travel go elsewhere. I would have payed for private but my D was reluctant to leave her friends.

Good example of how each situation is unique. If one lives in a big town where everyone goes to the public HS, one tends to assume that's the situation of most others. It may not be.

[Unregistered]

Relatively small school. He would like to try a couple of other sports for fun, but his main and really only sport for the past 4-5 years is soccer.

You're in a tough spot. With hindsight, do you think you could have seen it coming? If it's a public high school and you have town youth soccer, that usually gives you a sense of who you'll be playing with in high school soccer. Some of the youth soccer players may choose a different HS, or a different fall sport, but usually you know some of those decisions, too. But it's hard to know much about the HS coach, for example, especially if it's your oldest child.

Your child will have to choose whether he can find challenges to motivate himself positively in the HS situation, such as shielding better, showing teammates one-two passes, and settling high or long balls.

[Unregistered]

I think it's simply luck of the draw. Between my two sons, we've had experience with 3 different high school soccer teams. Two of the HS's were horrible. Aggressive and physical with no emphasis on passing or properly moving the ball through the middle. One team had some decent club kids and really should have done well. This was even more frustrating because the coach's instructions were frequently the opposite of what the formally trained kids had learned. The club kids had little respect for him but some of the town/rec kids thought he was great. Kids that would have looked like a hot mess at a club game (recklessly aggressive, booting the ball at every opportunity), were the stars on that team.

This is hands-down one of the most frustrating aspects of high school soccer!!!

[Unregistered]

This is hands-down one of the most frustrating aspects of high school soccer!!!

This is life. You can't always just buy the perfect environment for your kid. Sometimes they need to learn how to make due with what is there and make the best of it. My experience is that parental condescension makes the situation far worse than it has to be.

[Unregistered]

Both of you last two parents with freshman have to come to grips with the fact that soccer is not always beautiful and that because your kids are probably less physically mature than the upper classmen that they will get that deficit used against them. That is just sports. Whatever you do, don't let your kid become their team's version of a club diva. Everyone hates them. My kid's team has a player who plays for a well known club. Every time a teammate misses one of their self proclaimed "beautiful" runs or doesn't put the ball right on their feet, they stop running, throw their hands up in the air, and start sulking. Just have your kid go out to play hard and let the chips fall where they may.

Yes, the coach has already told my son he needs to "hit the gym" even though he's really not small for his age, just not as bulky as the upperclassmen. Size has never been an issue with club, in fact he's always been one of the bigger kids. Go figure. And, the diva factor will never be an issue for him; he's by nature a very humble, low key kid.

[Unregistered]

You're in a tough spot. With hindsight, do you think you could have seen it coming? If it's a public high school and you have town youth soccer, that usually gives you a sense of who you'll be playing with in high school soccer. Some of the youth soccer players may choose a different HS, or a different fall sport, but usually you know some of those decisions, too. But it's hard to know much about the HS coach, for example, especially if it's your oldest child.

Your child will have to choose whether he can find challenges to motivate himself positively in the HS situation, such as shielding better, showing teammates one-two passes, and settling high or long balls.

Thank you. Of course we knew it wouldn't be pretty but honestly never realized just how ugly. Hoping he will find a groove and adjust. It's still early in the season.

[Unregistered]

Unfortunately, it's true. There are two other club players on JV, but lower level club teams. The team is Division III and doesn't have a strong school system, so most HS freshmen elect to go to vocational school or private. Hence the club players that were on travel go elsewhere. I would have payed for private but my D was reluctant to leave her friends.

That's a tough spot. For what it's worth, the soccer might understandably be difficult and challenging for your kid (and you), but like anything, it's an opportunity to grow and learn in ways apart from the soccer. Be the best leader and teammate in spite of the circumstances and your kid might end up getting more out of it than anyone would have imagined otherwise. Good luck with it.

[Unregistered]

Good example of how each situation is unique. If one lives in a big town where everyone goes to the public HS, one tends to assume that's the situation of most others. It may not be.

Spot on. The range and variables in HS is huge. You can find big/weak programs in D1, small/competitive programs in D4 and every combination in between.

For all the talk about club participation being a factor (and it is), the impact from the quality of a town's youth program is often overlooked and it shouldn't be.

[Unregistered]

Coaching is also a very big factor in hs programs. Look at the ones that are more succesful year after year and you will see quality coaches. Some towns are just lucky to have a lot of talented players also. You only need 4 players per class (16) (12 no Freshman) to be a great hs program. You need to identify these players at a young age and make sure they play club at the highest level possible from Ulittle until they graduate. These players will become your core group and you can fill spots with 3 sport athletes. You also need a keeper every 2 years.

[Unregistered]

I am a new poster to this thread. My son is a freshman in HS, playing varsity as a center mid. Yeah, the soccer sucks. The new coach is a soccer guy though, so there is hope. My son also plays club for a pretty decent team.
The difference for him between high school and club?

Girls.

He has never had a GF, and has discovered that girls watch soccer, or they watch the boys at least.

These are not your club teammates' sisters. He is delighted. He has had a chance to do DAP, but is simply not interested. Playing for his high school and in front of an audience is all he needs or wants

[Unregistered]

I should have added/clarified - if you want to make the case that too many HS coaches disregard touches and too quickly and too often training with one ball for the team instead of progressing from one ball with one player, then I'm with you completely (but pre-gameday training isn't the reason).

If your kid doesn't have basic ball skills by the time they get to high school, then they just aren't going to have those skills. No high school coach is going to get your kid a better first touch. High school sports is about winning. The coach takes what they are given and tries to win - there is no skill development in this equation, there isn't sufficient time for that to pay off.

[Unregistered]

If your kid doesn't have basic ball skills by the time they get to high school, then they just aren't going to have those skills. No high school coach is going to get your kid a better first touch. High school sports is about winning. The coach takes what they are given and tries to win - there is no skill development in this equation, there isn't sufficient time for that to pay off.

I'm not at all debating to the degree a given coach is focused on improving skills (certainly not compared to winning as primary objective) or those skills improve, but I'm trying to reconcile what this post implies with the fact technical training doesn't stop. Ever. At the most elite level. Skill mastery and winning aren't mutually exclusive, tare they?

[Unregistered]

Yes, the coach has already told my son he needs to "hit the gym" even though he's really not small for his age, just not as bulky as the upperclassmen. Size has never been an issue with club, in fact he's always been one of the bigger kids. Go figure. And, the diva factor will never be an issue for him; he's by nature a very humble, low key kid.

How 'bout the coach just say, "Don't worry about it. You'll physically mature with age."

[Unregistered]

I am a new poster to this thread. My son is a freshman in HS, playing varsity as a center mid. Yeah, the soccer sucks. The new coach is a soccer guy though, so there is hope. My son also plays club for a pretty decent team.
The difference for him between high school and club?

Girls.

He has never had a GF, and has discovered that girls watch soccer, or they watch the boys at least.

These are not your club teammates' sisters. He is delighted. He has had a chance to do DAP, but is simply not interested. Playing for his high school and in front of an audience is all he needs or wants

The DAPers will crucify this comment, but in one way, DAP has become like the old saying about ODP: it's not a team of the best players in the state, it's a team of the best players that showed up to try out. Please, please, dap is a way better program than ODP, more training and league play, etc. But there are so many kids out there who declined DAP offers that we have to acknowledge its a similar player pool to those who comprised ODP back when it was good.

[Unregistered]

The DAPers will crucify this comment, but in one way, DAP has become like the old saying about ODP: it's not a team of the best players in the state, it's a team of the best players that showed up to try out. Please, please, dap is a way better program than ODP, more training and league play, etc. But there are so many kids out there who declined DAP offers that we have to acknowledge its a similar player pool to those who comprised ODP back when it was good.

They will crucify you for it :) but I agree. DAP isn't for all and some excellent players opt not to do it for multiple reasons.