Newbie Looking for Club Soccer Advice

[Unregistered]

Thankyou for the response. I sense some cynicism from you and others who have responded as well. At the end of the day, are most people happy they went the club route?

My goal is to get my son better coaching then he is receiving and the opportunity to play with stronger players. I'm not sure how else I do that without going the club route. We can do clinics etc. But then you have a scrimmage and not really a game.

I even tried to put an indoor team together over the winter and the local stronger players didn't want to do it. So I ended up with a weak team.

Don't get me wrong, my kids have been involved with club soccer for well over a decade and while it is true that we have pretty much seen it all, I must say that it has been a very positive experience (I have one playing in college and one going there shortly). That said, you certainly don't want to go into club soccer without some concrete goals and a clear understanding of what is all involved with achieving them. I would simply suggest that if you have the sort of modest goals you suggest that you seriously think through where you would be willing to go with club soccer once you find better coaching and more challenge? Truthfully, better coaching and challenge is definitely out there in plenty of clubs but usually playing at the club level entails significantly more than just showing up for practices twice a week. It definitely can take you down a pretty extreme path that will test the boundaries of your sanity and you would be well advised to think real hard before you leap because once you do you are apt to find yourself rapidly pulled into a vortex. If it is your son's dream and you have deep enough pockets for it, go for it.

[Unregistered]

Don't get me wrong, my kids have been involved with club soccer for well over a decade and while it is true that we have pretty much seen it all, I must say that it has been a very positive experience (I have one playing in college and one going there shortly). That said, you certainly don't want to go into club soccer without some concrete goals and a clear understanding of what is all involved with achieving them. I would simply suggest that if you have the sort of modest goals you suggest that you seriously think through where you would be willing to go with club soccer once you find better coaching and more challenge? Truthfully, better coaching and challenge is definitely out there in plenty of clubs but usually playing at the club level entails significantly more than just showing up for practices twice a week. It definitely can take you down a pretty extreme path that will test the boundaries of your sanity and you would be well advised to think real hard before you leap because once you do you are apt to find yourself rapidly pulled into a vortex. If it is your son's dream and you have deep enough pockets for it, go for it.

Thankyou for your comments and honesty. I won't lie. There was a time that I was against club soccer and my husband and I would make fun of people who shelled out the cash. I mean, just save that money and there is your college scholarship. :-)

Now we are in a situation where our son is asking for it because he loves the game of soccer and wants to be challenged more. If I thought that would or could happen at the travel/rec level, I wouldn't be considering club.

He's 9 so I have no way of knowing where this will take us. I'm just happy that he has found something he is so passionate about. And it seems that, for now, this passion goes beyond the pasding phase that I thought it was.

The things we do fo our kids........

Thankyou so much for all the responses in this thread. Lots to think about.

[Unregistered]

Thankyou for your comments and honesty. I won't lie. There was a time that I was against club soccer and my husband and I would make fun of people who shelled out the cash. I mean, just save that money and there is your college scholarship. :-)

Now we are in a situation where our son is asking for it because he loves the game of soccer and wants to be challenged more. If I thought that would or could happen at the travel/rec level, I wouldn't be considering club.

He's 9 so I have no way of knowing where this will take us. I'm just happy that he has found something he is so passionate about. And it seems that, for now, this passion goes beyond the pasding phase that I thought it was.

The things we do fo our kids........

Thankyou so much for all the responses in this thread. Lots to think about.

Just a few years ago travel would have been a fine option for your son (as well as a far less expensive and less cumbersome commitment for you). Unfortunately the proliferation of "premier" teams (quotes intentional) and too many parents buying into their promises has depleted most travel programs of coaching and player talent. It's the sad new reality.

Good luck on your journey.

[Unregistered]

Thankyou for the response. I sense some cynicism from you and others who have responded as well. At the end of the day, are most people happy they went the club route?

My goal is to get my son better coaching then he is receiving and the opportunity to play with stronger players. I'm not sure how else I do that without going the club route. We can do clinics etc. But then you have a scrimmage and not really a game.

I even tried to put an indoor team together over the winter and the local stronger players didn't want to do it. So I ended up with a weak team.

Too many cynics in the world in general, not just club soccer parents.....

But my child started club at 10 years old too because the local rec league didn't have a strong program (ours is more of a football and lacrosse town). We never regretted the decision. At first it was us driving the decision because we thought it'd be good for her since we noticed an interest and some talent on her part, but within two years she was the one eager to continue.

We were lucky in finding the right club, or rather the right team, from the beginning and never switched clubs, and here we are six years later. Teams transform all the time based on talent level, so weaker players will move down to a second team while coach tries to recruit other strong players from the competition to fill their shoes until you end up with A, B, C level teams by U15/16.

Also agree that you should NOT go into this thinking you will have some return on your investment in the form of a college scholarship at the end of the road. That is bound to end in disappointment for three-quarters of the kids who play club. In my experience, the people with that singular goal are the ones who end up club hopping, who end up with miserable kids, and who are the ones who give soccer moms and dads a bad name.

Good luck to you and your son. You sound like a reasonable person who is entering this game with eyes wide open. If you find the right fit, it will be a great experience for your son and a fun ride for you.

[Unregistered]

Just a few years ago travel would have been a fine option for your son (as well as a far less expensive and less cumbersome commitment for you). Unfortunately the proliferation of "premier" teams (quotes intentional) and too many parents buying into their promises has depleted most travel programs of coaching and player talent. It's the sad new reality.

Good luck on your journey.

We actually have some stronger players that do both club and town/travel. I don't know if anyone here does just club. At least not at the U10 level. More like U14.

My issue is that because my son was not a standout at the U6/U8 level, he was put on a lower U10 travel team. Once on a lower level travel team, it's hard to break out of that based on the ranking system. The players on higher teams are ranked higher therefore the sysyem doesn't take into consideration kids on higher teams that plateau and kids on lower teams that suddenly grow, such as my son.

Add to that the fact that the coaches are all parent volunteers who may or may not have soccer experience.

We live in a very small town so it's likely that plays a large role as well. Our rec (starting at U10) is our travel. Everyone makes the team. There are just several levels of teams. I gather from some of the comments that that's not the case in some larger towns.

My son's current team is comprised of a mix of kids who are forced to play to get exercise, kids that still run up and steal the ball away from team mates and a handful of ok players.

Perhaps if he was on the higher team that might be enough. But then I'm still dealing with the level of coaching.

I'm trying hard not to drink the kool aid here. However, if we stay with what we have; I think it's likely he'll become frustrated and lose interest.

Of course he may hate club. But I guess at least I'll know I gave him the opportunity.

Moving isn't an option. :)

Thanks for your response!

[Unregistered]

Too many cynics in the world in general, not just club soccer parents.....

But my child started club at 10 years old too because the local rec league didn't have a strong program (ours is more of a football and lacrosse town). We never regretted the decision. At first it was us driving the decision because we thought it'd be good for her since we noticed an interest and some talent on her part, but within two years she was the one eager to continue.

We were lucky in finding the right club, or rather the right team, from the beginning and never switched clubs, and here we are six years later. Teams transform all the time based on talent level, so weaker players will move down to a second team while coach tries to recruit other strong players from the competition to fill their shoes until you end up with A, B, C level teams by U15/16.

Also agree that you should NOT go into this thinking you will have some return on your investment in the form of a college scholarship at the end of the road. That is bound to end in disappointment for three-quarters of the kids who play club. In my experience, the people with that singular goal are the ones who end up club hopping, who end up with miserable kids, and who are the ones who give soccer moms and dads a bad name.

Good luck to you and your son. You sound like a reasonable person who is entering this game with eyes wide open. If you find the right fit, it will be a great experience for your son and a fun ride for you.

Thankyou for the thoughtful response. I'm glad your experience was a positive one for you and your daughter.

Did you go with a larger club? And did she do a development program or go right onto a team?

Since our program isn't strong, I'm concerned there won't be a place for him. But I've been assured by friends that there are multiple levels of teams and that we should be able to find something.

We've done local tournaments so I have an idea of the level of play on these elite teams. My son isn't there yet. However his growth in the last year and a half and his interest level tells me he could get there eventually.

Thanks Again!

[Unregistered]

Ask around whether your son has classmates who have joined a club team, because if the same team is a good fit, sharing the driving with another family helps a lot.

Opt for close by as you explore all this, maybe going to training sessions of a big club as well as a small club before tryouts come around. Then after tryouts, it will feel like a bit more informed decision that you make.

Games are fun, especially for parents, but the most promising thing you say is how much your child likes to go outside and play with a ball at his feet. Continuing to do that is the most important thing in the longer run.

[Unregistered]

Kind of off topic but sine the OP is thinking of joining club and the responses so far have been surprisingly mature and level headed I figured I would ask a question in this thread.

Is there much turnover on a clubs first team or is the team pretty much set at a certain age, say U10/U11 and they try to keep that core group together for a few years?

Asking from the point of view of "breaking into" one of the top teams in a club around the U10/U11 age group.

[Unregistered]

Would say that it's much easier at a younger age to break in to a top team then later. Teams seem to get more set with every year but can still be some small turnover

[Unregistered]

Kind of off topic but sine the OP is thinking of joining club and the responses so far have been surprisingly mature and level headed I figured I would ask a question in this thread.

Is there much turnover on a clubs first team or is the team pretty much set at a certain age, say U10/U11 and they try to keep that core group together for a few years?

Asking from the point of view of "breaking into" one of the top teams in a club around the U10/U11 age group.

This can be difficult, as the clubs are often forced to balance objective evaluation of talent with customer relations--it cannot be easy (or profitable) for the clubs to inform loyal high-paying customers that their son/daughter is being moved down to make room for a new player. The best times to break in are likely at the U12/U13 level--when teams jump from 8v8 to 11v11 and they need more players, so it is not a zero-sum game, and (on the boys side) at the U14 level, when some spots may open up b/c the very best players are moving to DAP. Also if your kid is a late entrant to the club and the "elite" team is already set, but you (or more importantly, a coach) thinks your kid may be good enough to move up, you should ask directly for opportunities to fill in on that top team--in tournaments or on vacation weeks when they may be short players and a club pass may be available. Also some clubs are more flexible w/winter practices or other opportunities to play with the "elite" team. The more frequently the coach of the top team sees your kid play, the better chance he or she will have to move up (assuming, of course, he or she is good enough).

[Unregistered]

Kind of off topic but sine the OP is thinking of joining club and the responses so far have been surprisingly mature and level headed I figured I would ask a question in this thread.

Is there much turnover on a clubs first team or is the team pretty much set at a certain age, say U10/U11 and they try to keep that core group together for a few years?

Asking from the point of view of "breaking into" one of the top teams in a club around the U10/U11 age group.

Big movement occurs as teams jump from 8v8 to 11v11, and rosters grow. Other movement seems to occur after U12-13, when it becomes more clear who the top teams in a particular age group are and will continue to be through the recruiting years.

After U15 (first HS year), the turnover appears somewhat minimal. Most of the turnover is the result of players/families realizing that the kid won't be getting adequate game time on the top team, and moving either down or out. Sometimes the coach assists in this process, but often times the family is somewhat in denial about the true ability of the player and looks for a coach that agrees with their POV.

One or two players may jump from another club to join a top team, looking for that last little recruiting edge, but that seems to be pretty rare.

Note that there are some horror stories from a few years ago of teams cutting older players ("moving them to the second team") in June, even after considerable success as a team. I think that the clubs took such heat for that type of move that they're much more careful now about how they handle these situations. Not many folks want to join an organization that is perceived to be that cold, so they seem to have changed their behaviors.

[Unregistered]

Kind of off topic but sine the OP is thinking of joining club and the responses so far have been surprisingly mature and level headed I figured I would ask a question in this thread.

Is there much turnover on a clubs first team or is the team pretty much set at a certain age, say U10/U11 and they try to keep that core group together for a few years?

Asking from the point of view of "breaking into" one of the top teams in a club around the U10/U11 age group.

My child has been on club since U9, and I've seen a lot of movement at younger age group, either players moving up to a higher level team or moving to a different club, which opens up spots all around. A lot of fluctuations going on as some develop, some stagnate, and some formerly strong players become weaker as their peers catch up in size. By U15 it becomes pretty set and the best players end up on two or three "elite" teams in that age bracket, usually Stars, NEFC and MPS on girls side, and those teams tend to have the same roster until U18.

If a player is on the second level team but has improved a lot to the point of being better than some on the top team, then they will most certainly move up. A coach wants the best players he can find, and will make room for a new player, sometimes by moving another one down to a lesser team or, if the player is loyal and been around a long time, then keeping them on the team but using them as a sub. In my experience I've seen two players move from barely making the Stars B team at U14 to being core players on their A team by U16.

[Unregistered]

Kind of off topic but sine the OP is thinking of joining club and the responses so far have been surprisingly mature and level headed I figured I would ask a question in this thread.

Is there much turnover on a clubs first team or is the team pretty much set at a certain age, say U10/U11 and they try to keep that core group together for a few years?

Asking from the point of view of "breaking into" one of the top teams in a club around the U10/U11 age group.

At that age, there's room to break in. Things step up in seriousness at u13, when there are state championships to chase. Even from then on, typical turnover seems to be 3-4 players per year. Though there's much concern about politics and favoritism, those situations are rare. Logically, teams will take new players if the one trying to break in would improve the roster. And players will also leave for the usual reasons.

[Unregistered]

Ask around whether your son has classmates who have joined a club team, because if the same team is a good fit, sharing the driving with another family helps a lot.

Opt for close by as you explore all this, maybe going to training sessions of a big club as well as a small club before tryouts come around. Then after tryouts, it will feel like a bit more informed decision that you make.

Games are fun, especially for parents, but the most promising thing you say is how much your child likes to go outside and play with a ball at his feet. Continuing to do that is the most important thing in the longer run.

Thanks for the sound advice. I'm definitely looking close by as both my son's play mulitple sports per season.

[Unregistered]

Kind of off topic but sine the OP is thinking of joining club and the responses so far have been surprisingly mature and level headed I figured I would ask a question in this thread.

Is there much turnover on a clubs first team or is the team pretty much set at a certain age, say U10/U11 and they try to keep that core group together for a few years?

Asking from the point of view of "breaking into" one of the top teams in a club around the U10/U11 age group.

Thanks for asking this. I didn't in my original post and it's good info for me to have going in.