What is the real reason...

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BTNT, it's official. You're psychotic.

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Don’t point this one at me. I had nothing to do with it and am
Laughing just as hard as you at the clown who started it.

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Just read the title of every thread on TS. Always about college. Let's not pretend. Some people can't even be honest with themselves. They believe the excuses and lies they are telling themselves.

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For us it's not about college no you see, my daughter is going pro. Someone told me she was really good at soccer so we took it and ran with it and now I'm in debt but that's ok because all her salary and endorsements from pro soccer will all be worth it!

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Just read the title of every thread on TS. Always about college. Let's not pretend. Some people can't even be honest with themselves. They believe the excuses and lies they are telling themselves.

Yep, kid went to college for 4 years and played for 4 years. Loved it. 3.85 in a real major. Thriving in med school. What's not to like.

Or, already 3 years out of high school and STILL not playing. Looking at maybe a 6 year plan. And maybe a Communications major.

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I see plenty of Kia mini vans in the parking lots. Kids with 10 year old hand me down cleats. Let's be real here. Plenty of poor parents looking to make a dream a reality.

Or their kids just really love to play? Couldn't possibly be that. Even struggling families want their kids to have experiences, so they make it work as best they can. But the majority of soccer families can afford it. There wouldn't be nearly as many clubs and leagues if that wasn't the case.

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Or their kids just really love to play? Couldn't possibly be that. Even struggling families want their kids to have experiences, so they make it work as best they can. But the majority of soccer families can afford it. There wouldn't be nearly as many clubs and leagues if that wasn't the case.

Does anyone actually doubt that there are parents out there who do club soccer hard that have absolutely no expectations of their participation other than seeing the joy in their children's eyes? Sure there are. The question has always been how big a percentage of the families actually think this way. The same goes for the families that get into the higher, more expensive, end of club soccer who aren't interested in chasing a scholarship. Sure there are some families that do that, but again it comes down to the percentages. Why then does every single discussion about recruiting or college soccer always come down to those particular parents stressing that their point of view is the only realistic point of view and then essentially shouting down all other points of view that differ with theirs?

[Unregistered]

Does anyone actually doubt that there are parents out there who do club soccer hard that have absolutely no expectations of their participation other than seeing the joy in their children's eyes? Sure there are. The question has always been how big a percentage of the families actually think this way. The same goes for the families that get into the higher, more expensive, end of club soccer who aren't interested in chasing a scholarship. Sure there are some families that do that, but again it comes down to the percentages. Why then does every single discussion about recruiting or college soccer always come down to those particular parents stressing that their point of view is the only realistic point of view and then essentially shouting down all other points of view that differ with theirs?

Why are you so distorted? You always have made sure that your view prevails. And the rest is almost all reactions to you always overreaching. And your motivation is always transparent.

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Everyone I talk to firmly denies wanting any college scholarship money out of all this. Their daughter loves soccer so much and loves to compete. Blah blah blah. Why am I having a hard time believing this to be true? Why do people spend thousands a year for no return when they could be saving that money for college? What is the real reason?

Love of the game. Spend 2x as much skiing, but don't have any expectations there.

Why is that so hard to grasp?

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Love of the game. Spend 2x as much skiing, but don't have any expectations there.

Why is that so hard to grasp?

He's gone around this circle literally thousands of times. Next will be why would you even have your kid playing D3 when they could be studying. And the juice worth the squeeze crap. And ROI. And more repetition over and over that any high school player can play soccer at good D3s just by showing up and saying "I wanna play." Now why he cares so much that he's still obsessed and still hammering away as though he hasn't been answered hundreds of times is a question vexing the top psychiatric minds in the country.

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Love of the game. Spend 2x as much skiing, but don't have any expectations there.

Why is that so hard to grasp?

Not unlike a family that spends a fortune on music lessons with no expectations of path to Juliard, or any other sport or activity. I went to school with a skater who literally just missed making the Olympic team. Went to college like the rest of us, paid like the rest of us, and became a doctor. Skating probably was his admission essay topic. Kids find a passion, parents want to indulge. Their choice on how to spend their hard earned dollars.

why do some TS posters feel the need to criticize the spending choices of others? I'd like to see their spending choices so we could criticize them equally.

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At our club, parents are so crazy that their is a ridiculous amount of competition within the team itself, to the point where the team isn't even friendly with each other as a whole. For those of us who do it for the enjoyment, the tension makes it awkward. I can't help but believe those chasing that will get what they want out of it, all of them. Wish it were more relaxed with the parents. They get wrapped up in results. It's just madness.

[Unregistered]

Everyone I talk to firmly denies wanting any college scholarship money out of all this. Their daughter loves soccer so much and loves to compete. Blah blah blah. Why am I having a hard time believing this to be true? Why do people spend thousands a year for no return when they could be saving that money for college? What is the real reason?

A motive of college money at the end is insignificant for most, because that would be REALLY insane and inexplicably misguided.

A motive of pursuing status and vicarious emotional satisfaction another matter. Nothing explains the commonplace of bad decisions and absurdly inappropriate behavior better than this.

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Altruism. Everyone involved in club soccer is doing for the kids. Just like civil servants and politicians, they're doing it for the people!

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A motive of college money at the end is insignificant for most, because that would be REALLY insane and inexplicably misguided.

A motive of pursuing status and vicarious emotional satisfaction another matter. Nothing explains the commonplace of bad decisions and absurdly inappropriate behavior better than this.

Even if it isn't about dollars there is a strong underlying current of thinking it gives kids an edge into better schools than they might without soccer. Top schools are crazy competitive to get into. Kids who have something the school wants (athletic or other talent ) might get the nod over others. Given the already high college angst among more affluent families none of it is surprising