the politics of soccer

[Unregistered]

Why the hell does youth soccer have to be so political? It isn't just the clubs themselves and the coaches. It's the darn parents and players. Parents jealous over another kid's talent isolating the kid's parents and their kids isolating the player. Kid plays on a top team and treated poorly because of jealousy. Moves to a lesser team in hopes of getting away from that crap only to encounter it there too. It's sick! I really don't understand why. Most of these kids are not going to get scholarships. Is that what all this is driven by?

Many of these parents who can afford travel soccer are successful, motivated individuals. Of course, they want the best for their kids and to satisfy their own egos. This means landing their kids on the top team, because that means your kid is the best and getting the best coaching and competition compared to lower level teams. The politics comes in when determining either who gets the playing time in games and who keeps their spot or gets promoted to higher level team.

From the coaches/clubs standpoint, when selecting players on the margins to favor, they consider who they like (maybe hot mom), who has multiple siblings to pay the club more, who pays extra money to attend their lame camps on the side to fleece parents even more. For the megagrowth clubs who are sprawling, they may favor a kid from some distant zone rather than one who lives next to the main park so they can claim geographic diversity.

It is what it is. You just have to hope your kid is clearly better or otherwise meets some of these criteria to receive favorable treatments.

[Unregistered]

Club soccer is the worst

[Unregistered]

The worst is Fysa

[Unregistered]

Many of these parents who can afford travel soccer are successful, motivated individuals. Of course, they want the best for their kids and to satisfy their own egos. This means landing their kids on the top team, because that means your kid is the best and getting the best coaching and competition compared to lower level teams. The politics comes in when determining either who gets the playing time in games and who keeps their spot or gets promoted to higher level team.

From the coaches/clubs standpoint, when selecting players on the margins to favor, they consider who they like (maybe hot mom), who has multiple siblings to pay the club more, who pays extra money to attend their lame camps on the side to fleece parents even more. For the megagrowth clubs who are sprawling, they may favor a kid from some distant zone rather than one who lives next to the main park so they can claim geographic diversity.

It is what it is. You just have to hope your kid is clearly better or otherwise meets some of these criteria to receive favorable treatments.

That about sums it up. It's not like swimming or track where objective times and progress can be more readily evaluated.

[Unregistered]

FYSA ODP - Most of the players are not even the best players on their teams but are related to club coaches, board members, team managers, and enough people of color to feel good about.


I am what you racists and liberals would consider a minority person so don’t act two faced with your reply.

[Unregistered]

That about sums it up. It's not like swimming or track where objective times and progress can be more readily evaluated.

Just ask the kids if you are in doubt. They are very aware of who is a threat and who is not.

[Unregistered]

New commercial for youth soccer?

Club soccer is the worst

Morgan and Morgan not for sure he people but for their peoples.

[Unregistered]

The issue is money. Coaches used to be strictly volunteer with specialized trainers charging fees. Now with so much money involved, parents (including myself) want to make sure they are getting what is being paid for. Coaches need to win and clubs need to succeed.

One of the other posters talked about his parents not being involved much and the same was for me. My folks came to the games but that was about it. I rode my bike, then drove to practice. County champs was the title everyone wanted and going to state got you a free meal at the local diner.

I mailed my tape and some clippings to a few colleges and a coach actually sent a player/grad student to scout me. Times have changed.

Whenever money is involved, politics will eventually attach itself.

[Unregistered]

Commercial for bad clubs

Morgan and Morgan not for sure he people but for their peoples.

Morgan and Morgan not for the people but for their people.

[Unregistered]

The issue is money. Coaches used to be strictly volunteer with specialized trainers charging fees. Now with so much money involved, parents (including myself) want to make sure they are getting what is being paid for. Coaches need to win and clubs need to succeed.

One of the other posters talked about his parents not being involved much and the same was for me. My folks came to the games but that was about it. I rode my bike, then drove to practice. County champs was the title everyone wanted and going to state got you a free meal at the local diner.

I mailed my tape and some clippings to a few colleges and a coach actually sent a player/grad student to scout me. Times have changed.

Whenever money is involved, politics will eventually attach itself.

Too many not for profit organizations are not about the kids but have people involved that are all about themselves and use the club as their own private plantation whereas if a person sees a wrong and inquires about it they are called a problem parent instead of a positive change being made. This is why our nation has no team in the world cup. To much corruption that talent either doesn't develop or just leaves the sport.

[Unregistered]

Too many not for profit organizations are not about the kids but have people involved that are all about themselves and use the club as their own private plantation whereas if a person sees a wrong and inquires about it they are called a problem parent instead of a positive change being made. This is why our nation has no team in the world cup. To much corruption that talent either doesn't develop or just leaves the sport.

Could be.

[Unregistered]

Too many not for profit organizations are not about the kids but have people involved that are all about themselves and use the club as their own private plantation whereas if a person sees a wrong and inquires about it they are called a problem parent instead of a positive change being made. This is why our nation has no team in the world cup. To much corruption that talent either doesn't develop or just leaves the sport.

Its a world conspiracy against the USA. Too many accents running US soccer purposely picking less talented people so we never win the world cup. There, had to be said so said it.

[Unregistered]

Men's NT failures are driven by lack of competent leadership. Much smaller countries with much fewer resources have done so much more. We have the $ for sure, we have the athletes. Put in competent leadership and coaching and it can be turned around. Will we ever win a World Cup? Not any time soon. But we can be competitive.

[Unregistered]

Men's NT failures are driven by lack of competent leadership. Much smaller countries with much fewer resources have done so much more. We have the $ for sure, we have the athletes. Put in competent leadership and coaching and it can be turned around. Will we ever win a World Cup? Not any time soon. But we can be competitive.

Good post but find it funny how we made the correlation from club youth soccer politics and greed to the failure of US soccer.

[Unregistered]

Good post but find it funny how we made the correlation from club youth soccer politics and greed to the failure of US soccer.

Because talent is not being developed on the youth level and could be great players turned off or chased away by the greed and moral corruption of those who hijacked the clubs for own personal/family gain.