Why do dual sport Spring HS athletes play club?

[Unregistered]

Thanks for the spanking but not buying it. Trying to understand why a parent and player would risk injury and/or alienation from other teammates and letting the team down. According to your analysis, your kid is just that special and you have a deal with the coach so that he/she will not be penalized. So because it works for you, and your kid to hell with the rest of the team.

This is a

No, that's not what I meant. What I meant was more of our soccer kids should be multi-sport athletes, and if my kid misses practice, then the coach should deal with that fairly, as he or she would with anyone else who missed practice. There's no alienation and no letting the team down, because my kid works 100% and contributes positively every game. Playing in the park and dossing around in general can lead to accidents and injury, but staying in shape and balancing club soccer with softball, golf, or tennis, for example, is not as unhealthy as putting the kid in a plastic bubble between soccer events to keep the injuries away.

[Unregistered]

This is not that complicated.

Is the club team better off with a multi sport athlete who has other spring commitments; or a soccer only player?

This means it would be dealt with across the board in all clubs on a case by case basis, throwing the "take it up with your club or coach" theory right out the window. So even a club who says they don't allow it, will allow it.

How do you address the injury risk as a parent.

[Unregistered]

Oh your kid must be amazingly super special awesome and the rest of the team bows down to have him for whatever time they can get him, even at 80%. No one resents it. He is glorified every moment he steps on the field and they are blessed to have him show.

Sheesh. You're all so bloody pompous. None of you have got any balls.

Nobody is bowing down and my kid does not show up at 80%. It's 100. As someone else posted, it's not rocket surgery or brain science: if the multi-sport athlete is valuable, then keep them and treat any attendance or performance issues as you would any other player on the team. If the multi-sport athlete is not valuable, then let them go at the next set of tryouts.

[Unregistered]

No, that's not what I meant. What I meant was more of our soccer kids should be multi-sport athletes, and if my kid misses practice, then the coach should deal with that fairly, as he or she would with anyone else who missed practice. There's no alienation and no letting the team down, because my kid works 100% and contributes positively every game. Playing in the park and dossing around in general can lead to accidents and injury, but staying in shape and balancing club soccer with softball, golf, or tennis, for example, is not as unhealthy as putting the kid in a plastic bubble between soccer events to keep the injuries away.

I absolutely agree with you. Multi-sport athletes should be welcomed. HS Soccer, Basketball, Winter Track, Hockey, do not conflict with club soccer. BUT you can be multisport and not do 2 sports same season. Why do both in the same season?

[Unregistered]

This is not that complicated.

Is the club team better off with a multi sport athlete who has other spring commitments; or a soccer only player?

Easy answer. Soccer only player who is fully committed to the team.

[Unregistered]

I absolutely agree with you. Multi-sport athletes should be welcomed. HS Soccer, Basketball, Winter Track, Hockey, do not conflict with club soccer. BUT you can be multisport and not do 2 sports same season. Why do both in the same season?

Well, my daughter is doing two sports in the same season because soccer is a four-season sport.

[Unregistered]

Sheesh. You're all so bloody pompous. None of you have got any balls.

Nobody is bowing down and my kid does not show up at 80%. It's 100. As someone else posted, it's not rocket surgery or brain science: if the multi-sport athlete is valuable, then keep them and treat any attendance or performance issues as you would any other player on the team. If the multi-sport athlete is not valuable, then let them go at the next set of tryouts.

Except that your player missing practices is likely NOT treated like any other player for missing practices and games. I'm guessing he probably starts. And it's highly unlikely someone putting in 10 or more hours for another sport, plus academics, and social life is showing up at 100%. But your player at 80% is more valuable than the others at 100%. So is that the motivation? You do it because you CAN get away with it. And team matters less than what you or your player wants.

[Unregistered]

Easy answer. Soccer only player who is fully committed to the team.

Too bad coaches won't do this. They'd rather win than set an expectation or tick off a parent, or risk losing the $$ for the club.

[Unregistered]

Well, my daughter is doing two sports in the same season because soccer is a four-season sport.

That doesn't answer why play club soccer as the OP asked.

[Unregistered]

Except that your player missing practices is likely NOT treated like any other player for missing practices and games. I'm guessing he probably starts. And it's highly unlikely someone putting in 10 or more hours for another sport, plus academics, and social life is showing up at 100%. But your player at 80% is more valuable than the others at 100%. So is that the motivation? You do it because you CAN get away with it. And team matters less than what you or your player wants.

It's all really straightforward:

She does start.

And, coaches should treat players fairly. And, you are right, the coach treats her favorably. And part of that is because she gives 100%.

If my multi-sport kid is more valuable than some other single-sport kid, then we are doing what's best for the team.

If my kid is not, then we'll see less playing time and not get picked up at tryouts.

Am not sure why you are whining about this.

[Unregistered]

That doesn't answer why play club soccer as the OP asked.

I already answered this: because soccer is her favorite sport.

[Unregistered]

Too bad coaches won't do this. They'd rather win than set an expectation or tick off a parent, or risk losing the $$ for the club.

I'm afraid that it's more about the money then ticking off a parent

[Unregistered]

To the OP - if you don't like it you can try and find another club where the team and coach take it more seriously. But it is a problem you'll probably find elsewhere. The only place you'll find 100% dedication is DAP because those kids have no choice. The kids who aren't playing DAP often times chose not to just so they CAN keep playing other sports.

How a coach handles it is key. A coach has 3 options 1) say missing events is unacceptable, have consequences and apply it equally to all 2) say missing events is not ok but lets some get away with it (bad idea, might as well not say anything at all) or 3) does the best he can with what he has (within reason, say allow x# practices in season with no more than one per week and games cannot be missed unless it's an important family reason). If players/families aren't in alignment with however he handles it conflicts will arise.

Parents bear some responsibility as well. Just went through this one of my HS players who decided he won't do basketball next winter. He came to the conclusion on his own but we talked with about many times at length to help him sort through it. Bums me out since I love basketball but it's his choice. I wasn't going to push him just so he had something else on his college applications.

[Unregistered]

It's all really straightforward:

She does start.

And, coaches should treat players fairly. And, you are right, the coach treats her favorably. And part of that is because she gives 100%.

If my multi-sport kid is more valuable than some other single-sport kid, then we are doing what's best for the team.

If my kid is not, then we'll see less playing time and not get picked up at tryouts.

Am not sure why you are whining about this.

Don't think OP is whining. You are clearly believing you are the exception and that 100% is possible. I don't buy it. But that said, maybe your 80% effort is better than most of the committed players 100% effort. Your player is special and can miss practices and probably a few games here and there and the coaches look the other way because they need her. How do you deal with overtraining and injury risk? And how do you rationalize making a commitment to a team (a group of other players not just the coach) knowing you will not honor it at the get-go. Because you can get away with it. That's why.

[Unregistered]

I already answered this: because soccer is her favorite sport.

Is it? Her favorite sport but not the sport she chooses to commit to in the Spring. Interesting.