Birth Year Mandates - A year later

[Unregistered]

My small club made it through ok after a tremendous amount of effort recruiting to rebuild teams. Lots of friendships were lost or strained but we got through it.

The small club next door folded 2 teams over the winter and are folding another 2 or 3 at the end of this spring, almost entirely related to being forced to field small rosters of mixed age group and unqualified players due the birth year change and have maybe one new team forming.

Another small club nearby didn't lose any over the winter but are also folding 2 or 3 teams at the end of the spring and aren't forming any new ones this fall.

The larger club nearby lost 4 teams last summer, 2 teams over the winter and stand to lose another 2 or 3 at the end of the spring. And this was despite heavily raiding their interleague program for players.

As far as I can tell in looking around, most of the clubs in my league did an admirable job initially fielding teams last summer after the age group change but so many of them were patched together that they aren't lasting. I'd love to see USSF make the before and after numbers public after July registrations are completed.

[Unregistered]

USSF doesn't have registration numbers and team formation statistics. US Youth which cards by team would be the best source of the information for what you are asking.

[Unregistered]

USSF doesn't have registration numbers and team formation statistics. US Youth which cards by team would be the best source of the information for what you are asking.

I thought US Youth, US Club, etc had to kick back a certain amount per player up to USSF?

No matter who publishes the figures, I'd love to see where the before/after numbers end up.

[Unregistered]

Easier to work with the 8th grade issue because there's more players; a few leagues allowed older 8th graders to play down in the fall until they could play with the older teammates in the winter/spring. We're seeing a bigger issue at the older HS groups - if you're a younger 2000, many of your teammates are juniors while you're a sophomore. Next year is your big recruiting year (boys), but many of your teammates will be seniors. If they're not playing in college they may not play next year at all. Will you have a team to play on? What will happen with showcases? Girls have it easier because they tend to get recruited a year earlier than boys.

[Unregistered]

My kid went from being an older U10 to a younger U12 and from a town team to a Pre-Academy team and it may have literally ruined him as a player forever.

But at least he's now rostered in line with how the European academies do it! Yay!

[Unregistered]

My kid went from being an older U10 to a younger U12 and from a town team to a Pre-Academy team and it may have literally ruined him as a player forever.

But at least he's now rostered in line with how the European academies do it! Yay!

It's try out time. Beside the age change he may be at too high a level. Find the right level with a good and engaged coach and the shine will come back. Been there and 4 years later he's still playing and loving it

[Unregistered]

My kid went from being an older U10 to a younger U12 and from a town team to a Pre-Academy team and it may have literally ruined him as a player forever.

But at least he's now rostered in line with how the European academies do it! Yay!

Ruined? its a sport and he's 10. You must have it good to consider this a tragedy.
Everyone was affected by the age change .

[Unregistered]

My kid went from being an older U10 to a younger U12 and from a town team to a Pre-Academy team and it may have literally ruined him as a player forever.

But at least he's now rostered in line with how the European academies do it! Yay!

You pushed him into too high a level then the age change compounded what would have already been a struggle. Scale it back to a lower level and he should be fine. Kids who truly love it, love it.

[Unregistered]

My kid went from being an older U10 to a younger U12 and from a town team to a Pre-Academy team and it may have literally ruined him as a player forever.

But at least he's now rostered in line with how the European academies do it! Yay!

Don't blame the age change rules. Look in the mirror for the blame

[Unregistered]

Don't blame the age change rules. Look in the mirror for the blame

There was no blame. Just because something doesn't work out doesn't mean it was a wrong choice.

His team was split in half and ceased to exist. He tried out for a pre-academy club and made it. The kid was willing to stretch himself and we found out what his level is. He's playing down half a notch next year and, as others have said, may very well get his groove back.

Not sure why you're so quick to judge when you have virtually no facts or knowledge of the situation.

[Unregistered]

Ruined? its a sport and he's 10. You must have it good to consider this a tragedy.
Everyone was affected by the age change .

I used the "find in page" function and only found the word "tragedy" in your post.

And yes, everyone was "effected" by the age change, but more than half of the kids ended up playing with younger kids, not with older, so they were not all "effected" in the same way.

My point was really that there was no reason to change the way 99% of the teams were formed, just to align to an international standard that only (and barely) impacted the top 1%. The Academy and elite teams could have changed right away and everyone else could have been grandfathered in as to not split up teams.

[Unregistered]

I used the "find in page" function and only found the word "tragedy" in your post.

And yes, everyone was "effected" by the age change, but more than half of the kids ended up playing with younger kids, not with older, so they were not all "effected" in the same way.

My point was really that there was no reason to change the way 99% of the teams were formed, just to align to an international standard that only (and barely) impacted the top 1%. The Academy and elite teams could have changed right away and everyone else could have been grandfathered in as to not split up teams.

Actually there was a reason to make the change. This is a worldwide game, youth players are on calendar year worldwide. But we were following a school age calendar format which made no sense. The sport has nothing to do with school.

[Unregistered]

Actually there was a reason to make the change. This is a worldwide game, youth players are on calendar year worldwide. But we were following a school age calendar format which made no sense. The sport has nothing to do with school.

Why does it matter whether or not Long Island town teams match up with the international age standards when they will never be playing in a competition against international clubs? At the very least, they could have phased it in year-by-year starting at U8 for non-national or Academy clubs.

A solution in search of a problem. Not everyone was disrupted, but nobody benefitted.

[Unregistered]

Why does it matter whether or not Long Island town teams match up with the international age standards when they will never be playing in a competition against international clubs? At the very least, they could have phased it in year-by-year starting at U8 for non-national or Academy clubs.

A solution in search of a problem. Not everyone was disrupted, but nobody benefitted.

That's the complaint - hanging the system to benefit less tan 1% of US payers in the long run. It has created issues with 8th graders as well as a large subset of kids in the recruiting years. Calendar year is fine for DA and maybe the next highest level. Beyond that the school year cutoffs work well for the vast majority of players. Especially down at the town travel or rec level kids should play with their school peers.

[Unregistered]

That's the complaint - hanging the system to benefit less than 1% of US payers in the long run. It has created issues with 8th graders as well as a large subset of kids in the recruiting years. Calendar year is fine for DA and maybe the next highest level. Beyond that the school year cutoffs work well for the vast majority of players. Especially down at the town travel or rec level kids should play with their school peers.

ha ha changing the system, not hanging