Arrogant Coaches

[Unregistered]

Nope, you are dead wrong. When you go to tryouts and do just as well as the other kids (who you knew were on that team already) and the coach selects you for a team, it is some form of validation that your kid has something he/she is willing to work with. Then when the season starts and your kid is doing just as well as any other kid on the team but get stuck at outside back for half a game while all of the stars get to screw up at central midfield or forward with 80% PT per game, something is off. Listen, I said if you dont think my kid can do it as a u-little, then do not take her. If you do, I deserve something in return (fair treatment). Do a better job in tryouts if you arent getting it right, coach!

The problem with this post are:

1) "doing just as well as any other kid" is based on your own opinion; all parents slant toward their own kid, even if subconsciously. So, that's discarded.

2) "stuck at outside back" - what does that even mean? Not every player has the physical tools to play center mid, and not every player has the physical tools to play outside back. It's possible that's where the kid's tools direct them to play. Teams don't always put their best players in center-mid, and work their way out.

3) I'm not seeing anything in your post that shows they aren't getting fair treatment. Only in how you view your child in a narrow-vision of what's important on the pitch.

[Unregistered]

Nope, you are dead wrong. When you go to tryouts and do just as well as the other kids (who you knew were on that team already) and the coach selects you for a team, it is some form of validation that your kid has something he/she is willing to work with. Then when the season starts and your kid is doing just as well as any other kid on the team but get stuck at outside back for half a game while all of the stars get to screw up at central midfield or forward with 80% PT per game, something is off. Listen, I said if you dont think my kid can do it as a u-little, then do not take her. If you do, I deserve something in return (fair treatment). Do a better job in tryouts if you arent getting it right, coach!

Stuck at outside back? As a coach, you are the type of parent I cannot stand. If you had any understanding of the game, you would know how critical of a position outside back is and how much of an impact you can have on a game from that position. Have you ever heard of Marcelo? Dani Alves?

[Unregistered]

Stuck at outside back? As a coach, you are the type of parent I cannot stand. If you had any understanding of the game, you would know how critical of a position outside back is and how much of an impact you can have on a game from that position. Have you ever heard of Marcelo? Dani Alves?

Thank you, thank you...a thousand times thank you!

Posters like that are so naive, and to come on and direct their ire on someone else and to use that as an attempt at a valid point make me, literally, sick.

So clueless.

[Unregistered]

Nope, you are dead wrong. When you go to tryouts and do just as well as the other kids (who you knew were on that team already) and the coach selects you for a team, it is some form of validation that your kid has something he/she is willing to work with. Then when the season starts and your kid is doing just as well as any other kid on the team but get stuck at outside back for half a game while all of the stars get to screw up at central midfield or forward with 80% PT per game, something is off. Listen, I said if you dont think my kid can do it as a u-little, then do not take her. If you do, I deserve something in return (fair treatment). Do a better job in tryouts if you arent getting it right, coach!

While I agree with your overall sentiment that there are waaaaay too many arrogant coaches messing kids up, as a long time coach who proudly went years winning 3/4's of our games while playing every single kid on my roster in every single one of them I will tell you that not every kid is the same and that what parents often think is equivalent talent and effort often is not. That said, I call the type of coach you are referring to as Svengali coaches because they typically grossly overestimate their impact on players and often do more harm than good. There are several prime examples at the leading clubs around here.

[Unregistered]

Stuck at outside back? As a coach, you are the type of parent I cannot stand. If you had any understanding of the game, you would know how critical of a position outside back is and how much of an impact you can have on a game from that position. Have you ever heard of Marcelo? Dani Alves?

Yes, as a u-little player, stuck at outside back. All of the time. Sorry ladies, I did play college sports and get it. Not wearing daddy-glasses either. You do not develop all-around players by pigeon-holing them early. Let them play 2 or 3 positions, all of them. Each position has more weight on different skill sets that are valuable to the whole player as they mature. At that club, outside backs, wings, and then forwards where were you stuck the kids you didnt care about developing. Those were always interchangeable, but the centerbacks and central players were the "stars" of the team who weren't as shiny as I believe the coach thought. I am not saying there isnt value for outside backs or wings if you play an active style of soccer, but that team did not engage those players offensively. Again, they were concerned at little ages with 3 or 4 players. If that is all you care about, take them and play short every game, they will play a ton and learn lots. Dont give me that BS that outside backs are star players in premier soccer, save it for some other schmuck.

[Unregistered]

Yes, as a u-little player, stuck at outside back. All of the time. Sorry ladies, I did play college sports and get it. Not wearing daddy-glasses either. You do not develop all-around players by pigeon-holing them early. Let them play 2 or 3 positions, all of them. Each position has more weight on different skill sets that are valuable to the whole player as they mature. At that club, outside backs, wings, and then forwards where were you stuck the kids you didnt care about developing. Those were always interchangeable, but the centerbacks and central players were the "stars" of the team who weren't as shiny as I believe the coach thought. I am not saying there isnt value for outside backs or wings if you play an active style of soccer, but that team did not engage those players offensively. Again, they were concerned at little ages with 3 or 4 players. If that is all you care about, take them and play short every game, they will play a ton and learn lots. Dont give me that BS that outside backs are star players in premier soccer, save it for some other schmuck.

No, clearly has not heard of Marcelo or Alves. Doubt he's ever watched a soccer match, other than one his daughter was playing in, during his lifetime.

[Unregistered]

Thank you, thank you...a thousand times thank you!

Posters like that are so naive, and to come on and direct their ire on someone else and to use that as an attempt at a valid point make me, literally, sick.

So clueless.

F*&^ you too! You don't know sh|t little man. You are the exact pompous soccer dad who thinks he knows everything because he played hs soccer and went to a Revs game 6 years ago because it was a company outing. Outside backs in premier soccer are mostly wasted and there are not ifs, ands, or buts about it in 95% of American soccer. In recent memory, Yedlin was the only senior outside back that did anything in the game other than play defense (and typical of american soccer, he was a converted outside mid/forward.

[Unregistered]

No, clearly has not heard of Marcelo or Alves. Doubt he's ever watched a soccer match, other than one his daughter was playing in, during his lifetime.

Right, do they play in NEP premiership? DIK!

[Unregistered]

F*&^ you too! You don't know sh|t little man. You are the exact pompous soccer dad who thinks he knows everything because he played hs soccer and went to a Revs game 6 years ago because it was a company outing. Outside backs in premier soccer are mostly wasted and there are not ifs, ands, or buts about it in 95% of American soccer. In recent memory, Yedlin was the only senior outside back that did anything in the game other than play defense (and typical of american soccer, he was a converted outside mid/forward.

Also a college grad who played, and I can tell you that the game is so different from my time. Outside backs just got to the center dot and ate a sandwich. Totally different game today.

Sorry it left us geezers behind, but it's OK. The game advances.

Maybe if we had more parents with an eye to see what the benefits of an adventurous outside back is vs. looking at it as a demotion, more kids would embrace it.

My D went through the same thing, but she did it on her own. Got to a more competitive club, saw how crowded it was in the midfield and offered to play in the back. Has the perfect mindset and physical tools to play it.

Maybe you should consider a town travel team where she can shine in the midfield. Would that make you happy?

[Unregistered]

F*&^ you too! You don't know sh|t little man. You are the exact pompous soccer dad who thinks he knows everything because he played hs soccer and went to a Revs game 6 years ago because it was a company outing. Outside backs in premier soccer are mostly wasted and there are not ifs, ands, or buts about it in 95% of American soccer. In recent memory, Yedlin was the only senior outside back that did anything in the game other than play defense (and typical of american soccer, he was a converted outside mid/forward.

"little man", "sorry ladies", "yeah I played a college sport". You sound like a dumb american football player or you think rolling kegs down stairs at each other and smashing cans on your head is a sport.

[Unregistered]

F*&^ you too! You don't know sh|t little man. You are the exact pompous soccer dad who thinks he knows everything because he played hs soccer and went to a Revs game 6 years ago because it was a company outing. Outside backs in premier soccer are mostly wasted and there are not ifs, ands, or buts about it in 95% of American soccer. In recent memory, Yedlin was the only senior outside back that did anything in the game other than play defense (and typical of american soccer, he was a converted outside mid/forward.

Demarcus Beasley

[Unregistered]

Are you saying that club soccer is a business? Driven by the metrics of the bottom line? I thought they were here to develop soccer players on the "from each according to their ability, to each according to their need" model. Oh wait, that was Marx.

Yeah, some coaches suck, some parents suck more, and they each deserve the other. Like the dad of the guest player at your kid's tournament with the video camera. You know, the player who shoots it every time she's within zip code of goal? You can be damn sure dad's not trying to get footage of her making that third straight gut-busting run to the back post that opens up the field. He's not there to put up a hudl video of her making the right pass in the final third that gets side-footed in by the hustle player. He's not looking to put up a post of his daughter back-checking to help win back a ball. NO, he's there for the goals. And who put that girl on the field? The coach who has orders from above to win the f*cking tournament and raise the profile of the soccer corporation who pays his mortgage. Who sucks more in this dirty business of kid's soccer?

ALL soccer is a business.

[Unregistered]

Demarcus Beasley

I actually like DB, but would hardly say he is relevant in world soccer. BTW, scroll this list and let me know how valued OB's truly are:

https://www.therichest.com/top-lists...occer-players/

Value comes out for a player in terms of contracts, so please report back all of them.

[Unregistered]

Stuck at outside back? As a coach, you are the type of parent I cannot stand. If you had any understanding of the game, you would know how critical of a position outside back is and how much of an impact you can have on a game from that position. Have you ever heard of Marcelo? Dani Alves?

I have found that the problem is that some of the coaches don't understand how important an outside back is. Many just dump kids on the back line. Horrible.

[Unregistered]

... I am not saying there isnt value for outside backs or wings if you play an active style of soccer, but that team did not engage those players offensively. Again, they were concerned at little ages with 3 or 4 players. If that is all you care about, take them and play short every game, they will play a ton and learn lots. Dont give me that BS that outside backs are star players in premier soccer, save it for some other schmuck.

"that team did not engage those players offensively"!!! That is classic dad-speak to cloud the lens, blame the coach, and avoid the reality that your kid is not an impact player.