Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

League vegetable soup- Soccer leagues for newbies

Collapse
X
  •  
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

    League vegetable soup- Soccer leagues for newbies

    so I am new to this sport and my kid playing now travel with a town team at a good level( from what i can see of there performance compared to others on the field playing LIJSL Premier U11).
    I hear alot of other parents talking about EDP ECNL DA blah blah blah.... They talk like their kid is going to college next semester..... crazy...

    But thinking that my kid is getting into it, at what age should i start thinking about getting them into one of teams that play in whatever is the best league to give them to exposure to think about playing in college. I was thinking 14-15 but others tell me that is too late. I want them to have fun with their friends before it gets crazy and takes all the fun out of it--so to speak- i think you know what i mean.

    Thanks

    #2
    Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
    so I am new to this sport and my kid playing now travel with a town team at a good level( from what i can see of there performance compared to others on the field playing LIJSL Premier U11).
    I hear alot of other parents talking about EDP ECNL DA blah blah blah.... They talk like their kid is going to college next semester..... crazy...

    But thinking that my kid is getting into it, at what age should i start thinking about getting them into one of teams that play in whatever is the best league to give them to exposure to think about playing in college. I was thinking 14-15 but others tell me that is too late. I want them to have fun with their friends before it gets crazy and takes all the fun out of it--so to speak- i think you know what i mean.

    Thanks
    start now. i know what you mean, but the fun never really comes out of it. by the time a kid is 14 or 15, they have very strong habits that may not be easily broken if they need to be corrected.

    good luck and enjoy the journey with your kid!

    Comment


      #3
      Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
      so I am new to this sport and my kid playing now travel with a town team at a good level( from what i can see of there performance compared to others on the field playing LIJSL Premier U11).
      I hear alot of other parents talking about EDP ECNL DA blah blah blah.... They talk like their kid is going to college next semester..... crazy...

      But thinking that my kid is getting into it, at what age should i start thinking about getting them into one of teams that play in whatever is the best league to give them to exposure to think about playing in college. I was thinking 14-15 but others tell me that is too late. I want them to have fun with their friends before it gets crazy and takes all the fun out of it--so to speak- i think you know what i mean.

      Thanks
      D1 recruiting process starts at about 14/15, even with the new rules, that's why parents of 11/12 year olds talk like it's right around the corner. I can attest it creeps up on you quicker than you think. As far as having fun with their friends, both of my kids made some of their best friends from soccer. There's something to be said about escaping the same old same old of school friends, especially in the tween teen years when the drama can hit full throttle, lol. I promise you, there is still a ton of fun to be had on higher level teams, as long as your kid is into a higher level team.

      Comment


        #4
        Don’t go crazy and don’t spend a fortune at first. Be strategic and don’t get too involved (sucked in)..

        First let your child have fun. Develop a passion for the game. Rec soccer town team etc. let them see how they can exploit the level of natural ability they have. Be patient and supportive. Never judgemental. Let them build their confidence on their own, even if they make mistakes. That’s how they grow.

        Don’t force them at all. When you see them telling YOU “let’s go kick the ball” or “let’s go to the field” or “I will be in the back yard practicing” then you can start thinking about more serious teams and programs, taking them to more “advanced” clubs and ask that they be allowed to attend a few practices to see what is involved and where they are in terms of ability and development.

        Speaking of development (a word thrown around generically) know that no coach or program will download the sublime skillset to your child’s body and mind. Those are innate and will blossom by your child alone depending on the level of interest, passion and obsession with the sport. Barcelona did not make Messi. He was already “developed” by himself. They simply built upon that through physical, tactical, mental and character training. (Was he always a great free kick taker?). No he practiced on his own to create that aspect of his game well into his pro career.

        Yes you can argue that Messi is an exception but at the very beginning all successful soccer players (athletes) fell in love with the game. After that, environment, biology, DNA, work rate, character determined how much of their gross potential they were able materialize.

        Read entirely the top 15-20 threads in here so you can see the “culture” and at times, insanity of what is youth soccer.

        Step by step. Look long term and be supportive.

        I hope this helped a little. Enjoy the journey. They grow up too quickly.

        Comment


          #5
          Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
          so I am new to this sport and my kid playing now travel with a town team at a good level( from what i can see of there performance compared to others on the field playing LIJSL Premier U11).
          I hear alot of other parents talking about EDP ECNL DA blah blah blah.... They talk like their kid is going to college next semester..... crazy...

          But thinking that my kid is getting into it, at what age should i start thinking about getting them into one of teams that play in whatever is the best league to give them to exposure to think about playing in college. I was thinking 14-15 but others tell me that is too late. I want them to have fun with their friends before it gets crazy and takes all the fun out of it--so to speak- i think you know what i mean.

          Thanks
          Team, league, etc does not matter. All that matters is that the kid is having fun and is motivated to not only play in the games but to attend the practices with full gusto. If he is getting that where he is now and isn't by far the best player on the field every weekend that is simply toying with the opponents, I wouldn't rock the boat. There is NOTHING special about soccer training that any moron couldn't teach despite what all the people with accents tell you.

          The great soccer players all got there the same way, by getting thousands upon thousands of touches on the ball during their youth. There are no shortcuts or magical trainer secrets, just getting a feel for the ball and all that takes is time and individual effort.

          BTW, if you are interested in college for the scholarship money, you are wasting your time. There are very few full rides in college for soccer and most of those go to foreign players. If you chase that ghost with all sorts of extra paid trainers and paying thousands of dollars a season for an uber club, you are going to be rewarded with either your kid getting burnt out and quitting the sport long before college, or if he does make it to college, he'll get a few thousands of dollars a year at most in a partial scholarship. You will never make that money back.

          Comment

          Previously entered content was automatically saved. Restore or Discard.
          Auto-Saved
          x
          Insert: Thumbnail Small Medium Large Fullsize Remove  
          x
          Working...
          X