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    Club recruiting

    Given the insane amount of recruiting going on by clubs this year, this article by Tiffeny Milbrett seems like an appropriate read. Have we lost our way?
    https://www.soccerparenting.com/tiff...er-recruiting/

    #2
    Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
    Given the insane amount of recruiting going on by clubs this year, this article by Tiffeny Milbrett seems like an appropriate read. Have we lost our way?
    https://www.soccerparenting.com/tiff...er-recruiting/
    While it’s all fine and good for clubs in the same league to have rules against in season recruiting, a lot of what the established clubs are complaining about as “recruiting” is just kids and parents seeking the best options for their kid and exploring whether something else might be a better fit. The clubs have always tried to prevent comparison shopping for their services by scheduling their tryouts at the same times. This year some of the actions by these established clubs have been just pathetic and embarrassing (kicking kids off teams for going to da discovery sessions, bad mouthing their competition, last minute scheduling of “optional” trainings at the same time and place as competing clubs’ sessions). These clubs should take a look in the mirror and think about what else they can do to better satisfy their customers rather than engage in all these shenanigans to get in the way of the opportunity to make informed choices.

    Comment


      #3
      I find that article to be a joke. So my kid is being tampered with/recruited when he is asked and attends training with other club(s)? Because he can either train with other clubs/teams for free or pay $250 for 8 weeks of privates, so my decision is pretty easy. Also, he is a kid and had a bunch of friends from school/other activities spread throughout all of the teams in town and likes to play soccer with them.

      “BUT right now there NO RULES that help protect clubs and the investment they are making”

      The best “rule” to protect your “investment” is to offer the best product. If you offer the best product you shouldn’t be scared of kids trying competitors. That being said, my kid isn’t a ****ing “investment.” He is a kid. Maybe the open letter to clubs should be to consider the players to be a) kids and b) clients/customers. If my kid is an investment, it’s my investment, not the club’s. I’m the one that writes the check, not the club. They wouldn’t be operating if they weren’t making money. Fact.

      Comment


        #4
        Spot on. Any discussion about "protecting the clubs" and the "investment [clubs] are making" laughable, given the pay-to-play model that dominates the landscape.

        My kids play at one of "big" ECNL clubs, I know the game, as both a player and coach. If I thought it was in my kids' best interests (for any number of reasons), we would leave in a heartbeat. As we should. Like it or not, we ARE consumers so long as a pay-to-play model is in place.

        And, frankly, if one of my kids was placed on a lower team so that a director or coach's kid can be on the A or B team (I'm thinking of two very specific, very obvious situations at our club where the 2 players are in over their heads), I'd absolutely consider leaving. Fortunately, that is not my kids' age groups.

        Our club (and the other "big" clubs) would gladly prioritize bringing in a new player over "investing" in their existing players, if it meant they could claim a state championship in the short-term and build their "brand."

        Like it or not, that's the state of things these days. (Unless, of course, your kid gets special treatment because you're a director, coach, or on the board.)

        Comment


          #5
          Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
          Given the insane amount of recruiting going on by clubs this year, this article by Tiffeny Milbrett seems like an appropriate read. Have we lost our way?
          https://www.soccerparenting.com/tiff...er-recruiting/
          That is a great article, but US Soccer seems to be okay with recruiting and tampering considering the Reign has recruited a few players from Crossfire Premier midway thru the season with a month before playoffs. Not only is US Soccer okay with it, but the US Soccer DA people are encouraging it.

          These players are eligible to play immediately for the Reign for the rest of the regular season and playoffs.

          It says a lot about the integrity of the DA and the people running the DA.

          Comment


            #6
            Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
            While it’s all fine and good for clubs in the same league to have rules against in season recruiting, a lot of what the established clubs are complaining about as “recruiting” is just kids and parents seeking the best options for their kid and exploring whether something else might be a better fit. The clubs have always tried to prevent comparison shopping for their services by scheduling their tryouts at the same times. This year some of the actions by these established clubs have been just pathetic and embarrassing (kicking kids off teams for going to da discovery sessions, bad mouthing their competition, last minute scheduling of “optional” trainings at the same time and place as competing clubs’ sessions). These clubs should take a look in the mirror and think about what else they can do to better satisfy their customers rather than engage in all these shenanigans to get in the way of the opportunity to make informed choices.
            Recruiting players is telling them if they switch they have a better chance of getting to a national team camp if they switch or telling them they can possibly train with the pro team if they switch.

            Tampering is telling them to quit on their club and teammate mid season so they can go play out the rest of the season the the Reign.

            I have seen both of these things happen.

            The problem is tryouts are happening before the end of the current season.

            Comment


              #7
              Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
              That is a great article, but US Soccer seems to be okay with recruiting and tampering considering the Reign has recruited a few players from Crossfire Premier midway thru the season with a month before playoffs. Not only is US Soccer okay with it, but the US Soccer DA people are encouraging it.

              These players are eligible to play immediately for the Reign for the rest of the regular season and playoffs.

              It says a lot about the integrity of the DA and the people running the DA.
              There is an open period for recruiting. DA was poaching left and right, but
              honestly, it is the parent's decision to leave. The goal of DA is to find players
              for the National Team. Nothing else matters. They don't care about college,
              high school, or local community. National Team. Ends justify the means.

              If you understand and accept what US Soccer is all about, then this
              shouldn't be a surprise why many of us picked choices outside of DA.

              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                There is an open period for recruiting. DA was poaching left and right, but
                honestly, it is the parent's decision to leave. The goal of DA is to find players
                for the National Team. Nothing else matters. They don't care about college,
                high school, or local community. National Team. Ends justify the means.

                If you understand and accept what US Soccer is all about, then this
                shouldn't be a surprise why many of us picked choices outside of DA.
                Sort of a silly goal if you think about it. Only about 2-5 players per age group will make a senior national team.

                US Soccer should divert the time and money spent on this DA experiment and reward the women that actually reach this achievement with equal pay. Isn't it at all embarrassing for US Soccer that a private company has to step up so that the female national team players are paid equally to the men's team?

                Comment


                  #9
                  On the boys side, it seems that Sounders recruit from all of the clubs, and clubs believe it is an honor for their kid to be chosen. It's free to those chosen. This is an outsiders perspective.

                  On the girls side, it seems that there isn't money for the Reign DA team to be funded, and the cost is quite expensive. Not only that, clubs are fighting to be everything to all levels--rec through elite--and call girls being called up to DA "being poached." Reign is creating their own club for their "reserves." This hardening of the club boundaries is all about protecting the club, and isn't about player development. This is made all the more convoluted in that if you truly are the best of the best and play for the National Team, you won't be making much.

                  This is youth sports. My daughter is going into 9th grade, and no matter her skill level or which club we choose, we'll be paying $10K. What the ever living bump.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                    On the boys side, it seems that Sounders recruit from all of the clubs, and clubs believe it is an honor for their kid to be chosen. It's free to those chosen. This is an outsiders perspective.

                    On the girls side, it seems that there isn't money for the Reign DA team to be funded, and the cost is quite expensive. Not only that, clubs are fighting to be everything to all levels--rec through elite--and call girls being called up to DA "being poached." Reign is creating their own club for their "reserves." This hardening of the club boundaries is all about protecting the club, and isn't about player development. This is made all the more convoluted in that if you truly are the best of the best and play for the National Team, you won't be making much.

                    This is youth sports. My daughter is going into 9th grade, and no matter her skill level or which club we choose, we'll be paying $10K. What the ever living bump.
                    Do the Sounders recruit or players just going to them? I figure the Sounders have a pretty good story so do not need to recruit much.

                    Comment


                      #11
                      How do players find the Sounders and go to them? It's not a magic wand...whatever the process is, it isn't called "poaching" or "recruiting" or any other nefarious description. Why/why not?

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                        Do the Sounders recruit or players just going to them? I figure the Sounders have a pretty good story so do not need to recruit much.
                        There are scouts everywhere. If you want to see them, goto
                        Starfire and look for them in the stadium. You will see tons
                        of parents watching them. Boys want to be discovered and
                        invited. No such thing as poaching here. Only Crossfire will
                        get pissed if boys leave, but if Sounders ask your kid
                        to come, you will go. Crossfire has nothing on them.
                        If you are not invited by U14 ish, then most likely your
                        son will never be invited. Not hard rule, but general understanding.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                          There are scouts everywhere. If you want to see them, goto
                          Starfire and look for them in the stadium. You will see tons
                          of parents watching them. Boys want to be discovered and
                          invited. No such thing as poaching here. Only Crossfire will
                          get pissed if boys leave, but if Sounders ask your kid
                          to come, you will go. Crossfire has nothing on them.
                          If you are not invited by U14 ish, then most likely your
                          son will never be invited. Not hard rule, but general understanding.
                          That supported my previous statement about there is not a need for the Sounders to recruit. They already have a pretty good story and don't need to do a whole lot of convincing.

                          Reign on the other hand.... poaching, stealing, lying, etc...

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                            That supported my previous statement about there is not a need for the Sounders to recruit. They already have a pretty good story and don't need to do a whole lot of convincing.

                            Reign on the other hand.... poaching, stealing, lying, etc...
                            Of course Sounders recruit, and some kids and families need some convincing before deciding whether it’s the best thing for their kid (and some conclude it isn’t).

                            Reign aren’t poaching or stealing kids. The kids and families who go there are making choices after considering their options, and Reign like any organization describes what it is doing and trying to do in a favorable light. Does the reality of every kid’s experience end up matching up with what they hoped for when they decided to go there? Of course not, as with any club or any experience in life, not everyone can get everything they want and that’s as true with 100% playing time or college offers as anything else. Are a significant majority of kids who are there and who have been there for a couple years happy with their choice and experience? Based on what my kid and her teammates say I’d say yes. Is the Reign only looking out for the ynt players and are only ynt players getting good college opportunities, getting opportunities to train with the first team, and getting a chance to train and compete with top players? Not at all. Is the program more expensive than others? Yes, particularly vis-a-vis XF (kids who are choosing Reign over XF are doing so for reasons other than cost). Are the higher costs because of some sort of subsidy of the first team? I don’t think so; I think it’s more that the Reign, with a smaller number of teams, and a technical director who doesn’t coach teams, is spending more per kid than other clubs on things like the technical director, operations manager, trainer, etc.

                            The negativity and hostility of a couple people on this anonymous message board— and of some people from other area clubs who have spent a lot of time this spring and mourning reign rather than minding their own houses— is over the top.

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Lot of insecurity from all the other clubs in relation to the Reign.

                              I guess if you were confident in the product you were selling you wouldn't have to worry about other choices out there.

                              At the end of the day, kids want to play for coaches they believe in. If the club has those coaches, they won't have to rely on tactics to recruit players. Have been doing this for a while now and the experience all boils down to the fit with the coach. Coaches make or break the experience at any level.

                              Comment

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