Let’s talk about town soccer...

[Unregistered]

Now that the contracts are signed and tryouts for club are set club bashing might be on hold until spring recruitment starts again.

Can we get back to the heart of soccer? Towns.
Hoping the COVID break gave everyone perspective.
First off the town leagues need to go back to grade not birth year otherwise the seniors are screwed.
Second, can we get rid of the fake town teams? You know the teams that are under a town name but are really just a bunch of club players hand picked by coaches to give club players extra practice together while dominating the town scene.
And last, can we encourage SRI or whomever to get towns more player development? I’m hearing some towns are adding more practices up to 3 from 2 a week but more practices are meaningless if you are teaching skills and small sided games etc.
Towns can get the Revs, Liverpool, Ravens etc, and other clubs to partner with them and build proper development programs. This will help reach kids in all zip codes and diverse economic demographics. Town soccer should focus a bit leveling the playing field by offering more.

These points have been made before on this forum but quickly glossed over in another TS rabbit hole of fighting over clubs. Or people say who cares it’s only town? Well not every kid can afford club so let’s help with that by developing players in club.

[Unregistered]

*aren’t
Meant to say: but more practices are meaningless if you aren’t teaching skills...

[Unregistered]

Who signed?

If you signed you are setting yourself up to lose money. Most who have any brains are waiting. It's RI where they beg you to play until the night before the first game.

[Unregistered]

Clubs have signed as early as May. But you just made the point you quickly turned a thread about working together to develop town soccer into an opportunity to get into club. Stay on point please and focus on the kids in your state beyond your own club players.

There are inequities everywhere but we parents, coaches and those involved in soccer RI can do our part to make sure all kids in our state have an equal opportunity to play and develop in their hometown.

[Unregistered]

"so let’s help with that by developing players in club."
I think you meant to say developing players in town.

This is up to each town to make a priority. I will tell you I see towns doing this.
But not every town. Some work with colleges too. The issue is budget to get the coaches to come help out. They don't volunteer. Maybe there are grants for towns who need this?

As for the age issue, I hear it is in the works. The US Soccer is planning to go back to grade level instead of brith year, not sure if clubs will follow suit but towns know these kids play together in high school and it makes for better stronger high school teams. And yes helps Seniors.

This came out in the winter pre-covid and was a talk amongst coaches but still more of a rumor than a confirmation:
The birth year cutoff is challenging socially at the youngest age groups (1st graders don’t want to play with 2nd graders, and vice versa), and a big problem each year for the trapped 8th graders and trapped Seniors whose former club teammates have now moved on to high school or college.

The BEST cutoff would match the school cutoff (i.e., Sept. 30, but not sure if that’s consistent across the US).
US Soccer matching the culture of America (grouping by school year) is a better way to increase soccer participation than grouping like FIFA. The compelling reason to “switch back” is that participation has decreased (not certain and don’t have stats to prove it, but think so).

[Unregistered]

I'm not surprised this thread although well meaning and makes good points, is not blowing up TS. TS people love to fight over clubs not support town. They could care less about town. They think they have amazing players and town is just the fun club to socialize. Serious players play in club. That is the problem with thinking. Serious players aren't in club... rich or gullible parents are in club. The kids get sucked into their parents reliving their glory days and think they can buy them soccer skills. The kids playing in the dirt with buddies and not being driven around every night are the ones with what it takes. The town kids should get the development. I dare the club owners to volunteer their time and coaches to give town teams some free training. Give back a little to your community since you charge A LOT!

[Unregistered]

I dare the club owners to volunteer their time and coaches to give town teams some free training. Give back a little to your community since you charge A LOT!

Problem is this goes right into the "fake town team" problem. The club coach comes in, some of the families say, hey this is way better, let's join the club, and so it goes.

I think if people want town soccer to improve in RI then we have to figure out what town soccer OUGHT to be about. So what do you think soccer should be about? Development? Town pride? Having fun?

Then we have to decide what else we can compromise if we don't get our way. Are we willing to accept the "fake town teams" if their coach helps with the town training? (This has happened plenty of times in the past btw.) Or, we accept lower participation because the club kids have to go play somewhere else? Or, we accept EVERYONE and accept that our kids' team sucks for a few years but it's for the greater good?

Once that's all out there, then we have to work together and with SRI and the league(s), NOT ANONYMOUSLY, to get it done.

Is someone volunteering to organize this?

[Unregistered]

Ought to be? That’s weird? Would you ask a club owner that?
Town soccer is soccer. The rec level if a town has it is to learn fundamentals.
Competitive should be competitive and include development.
Every kid “ought” to have an equal chance to develop and compete as much as a club player on a town travel team. The towns should help with this. Clubs should step up.
Close the gap. I think Rick club parents don’t want poor town kids to get development because they might crush the club players for a fraction of the price. Club parents are trying to keep away competition likely by keeping the kids with less money down with less opportunities typical America.

[Unregistered]

Ought to be? That’s weird? Would you ask a club owner that?

The parents. The town parents who want it to be better have to ask themselves what they think town soccer ought to be about.

Town soccer is soccer. The rec level if a town has it is to learn fundamentals.
Competitive should be competitive and include development.

Is that what all the other town parents want and are willing to volunteer and/or pay to provide, not just for their kids but for all the other kids?

Every kid “ought” to have an equal chance to develop and compete as much as a club player on a town travel team. The towns should help with this. Clubs should step up.
Close the gap. I think Rick club parents don’t want poor town kids to get development because they might crush the club players for a fraction of the price. Club parents are trying to keep away competition likely by keeping the kids with less money down with less opportunities typical America.

I don't know how it is in your town, but in our town all the club kids came out of the town program, many still play there in the competitive programs, and they want their teammates to develop and win. Who wouldn't want the teammates to get development if it helps your competitive team and future H.S. team win?

[Unregistered]

Ought to be? That’s weird? Would you ask a club owner that?
Town soccer is soccer. The rec level if a town has it is to learn fundamentals.
Competitive should be competitive and include development.
Every kid “ought” to have an equal chance to develop and compete as much as a club player on a town travel team. The towns should help with this. Clubs should step up.
Close the gap. I think Rick club parents don’t want poor town kids to get development because they might crush the club players for a fraction of the price. Club parents are trying to keep away competition likely by keeping the kids with less money down with less opportunities typical America.

You are so right... “typical America” with trying to blame your problems on other people. You are free to shop around other town programs if yours isn’t meeting your child’s developmental needs. You are also free to coach and serve on boards in your own town to encourage a positive environment for the kids. You are also free to seek club soccer if you choose...most offer absurdly generous income based financial aid if that’s where you think the advantage is. The truth of the matter is, I have yet to see one program...town OR club...that serves the developmental needs of each of my kids fully. If we need GK we seek additional training. Footskills, we find opportunities and ways to improve. There is also a lovely thing called YouTube that levels the free access to training for families who are willing to give that effort. Get off your soapbox and put in some elbow grease. Your own laziness is keeping your kid down, not your town program and certainly not club soccer.

[Unregistered]

I don’t think anyone who cares about the inequities in sports is lazy. Much lazier to write a check to a club than get involved with kids in need. This conversation is valid and important.
I agree there is a big problem by grouping kids by birth year over grade. 8th graders and 12 th graders are not being considered. It will make for better high school teams keeping kids together by grade.

[Unregistered]

You are so right... “typical America” with trying to blame your problems on other people. You are free to shop around other town programs if yours isn’t meeting your child’s developmental needs. You are also free to coach and serve on boards in your own town to encourage a positive environment for the kids. You are also free to seek club soccer if you choose...most offer absurdly generous income based financial aid if that’s where you think the advantage is. The truth of the matter is, I have yet to see one program...town OR club...that serves the developmental needs of each of my kids fully. If we need GK we seek additional training. Footskills, we find opportunities and ways to improve. There is also a lovely thing called YouTube that levels the free access to training for families who are willing to give that effort. Get off your soapbox and put in some elbow grease. Your own laziness is keeping your kid down, not your town program and certainly not club soccer.

You are missing the point entirely. Because of your dismissive thinking kids in America from less income will never have equal opportunities. The thinking has to come from the top down. SRI, clubs, town leaders, the burden is not on the parents to fix the inequities it’s from the top. You mention you tube and some kids don’t have internet. Your privledge is showing. If one club would stand up and become more vocal on this it could have a positive ripple affect.

[Unregistered]

Inequities in Soccer in USA

A failing national team

For the first time in more than three decades, the US men’s team will not be competing at the World Cup. The national team has been unable to develop dynamic, creative players who can compete at an international level. Many see the roots of this failure in the expensive, well-organised network of pay-to-play suburban leagues. Some parents spend more than $10,000 (£7,420) a year on membership fees and out-of-town tournaments.
Those competitions are often where college coaches find recruits and national scouts identify prospects. Children in poor neighbourhoods in places such as Washington are priced out. Even the select few who get scholarships struggle with the logistics of reaching training fields far from public transport routes.
Mentally, the kids aren’t even thinking soccer is accessible
As a result, millions of children don’t ever try soccer – including some of the country’s best athletes.
“To not be allowing non-white kids to develop shows why we aren’t in the (mens) World Cup.”

[Unregistered]

Source above:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/cities/2018/jun/05/soccer-in-america-why-arent-more-black-kids-playing-the-worlds-game

[Unregistered]

If you want to discover real talent then you need to make soccer at high levels available to all youth. Not just the kids with money. Not just the white kids. All kids. Training only wealthy kids who are often over scheduled with the need to do everything weakens our teams in the us. Give the same soccer training to every child, every race at a competitive level and we will find our athletes. Lots of club kids only playing to make daddy and mommy happy or FOMO. It’s totally backwards. In the meantime kids who don’t have the resources for club go to basketball where the training is better at all economic levels. Us Soccer is responsible to fix this.