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    #16
    Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
    So I assume then you don’t let your kids attend the tournaments and showcases you are so opposed to?

    I also assume you are actively seeking change of the club system outside of this message board???

    If I am wrong in my assumptions, the other poster is right. You are just complainer full of hot air.
    Not sure any of the posters if they are parents are in a position to make change outside this thread. But it does shed light and give parents something to think about. Even if we can’t make change an awareness to the subject is a good thing. Club soccer has a way of making parents have a bit of FOMO. They worry if they miss a clinic or tournament they are robbing their kid from something. Articles like this remind me how crazy the mentality in our country is regarding club soccer. I think more of these types of articles should be shared so parents step back and gain perspective. We can’t just go on what the coaches and club managers say. Good to do our research.

    Comment


      #17
      Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
      Not sure any of the posters if they are parents are in a position to make change outside this thread. But it does shed light and give parents something to think about. Even if we can’t make change an awareness to the subject is a good thing. Club soccer has a way of making parents have a bit of FOMO. They worry if they miss a clinic or tournament they are robbing their kid from something. Articles like this remind me how crazy the mentality in our country is regarding club soccer. I think more of these types of articles should be shared so parents step back and gain perspective. We can’t just go on what the coaches and club managers say. Good to do our research.

      I would love to see a Club become the anti club. Minimal tournaments, possibly one in the Spring to get the team ready and State Cup. That's it. Focus on player development and practices. Keep team size's smaller and skill appropriate, etc. Imagine that.

      I think 100% too many tournaments and also on holiday weekends. Thanksgiving Weekend GPS? Memorial Day? Etc. These are family weekends that should not be committed to a kid's sport. Esp, not at the younger ages (I get the College showcases, etc).

      Comment


        #18
        Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
        I would love to see a Club become the anti club. Minimal tournaments, possibly one in the Spring to get the team ready and State Cup. That's it. Focus on player development and practices. Keep team size's smaller and skill appropriate, etc. Imagine that.

        I think 100% too many tournaments and also on holiday weekends. Thanksgiving Weekend GPS? Memorial Day? Etc. These are family weekends that should not be committed to a kid's sport. Esp, not at the younger ages (I get the College showcases, etc).
        Agreed!
        The holiday weekends should be family travel time to visit cousins.

        Comment


          #19
          Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
          Agreed!
          The holiday weekends should be family travel time to visit cousins.
          Screw that! I’d much rather be watching soccer.

          Comment


            #20
            Let this sink in...

            You are paying a club/coach to DEVELOP your player.
            Instead, you are getting a club/coach that rushes your player's development in order to win games/tournament.
            I have been around RI soccer for a good period of time. I don't see players improving. I don't hear parents talking about their players/teams development.
            I DO hear about tournaments, getting ready for tournaments, winning, losing, and rankings.
            Why?
            US is all about results. Not development. No patience for that. Has to be a game. Starting early on. Has to be a winner and loser. Has to be a tournament. And the gauge for your success is a ranking, a tournament champion, or points won to get up to Platinum level.
            Are they developing? That's where we fail.
            In Europe and the rest of the world the players really don't see a tournament of any significance until they hit at least U12. It's all about giving the players the same training and the game sorts them out by 12 years old. You barely need a tryout.
            Not here.
            Money for tryouts, the coach, the club, the uniform, tournaments, hotels, gas, food, etc.
            Who is developing players here. In RI?
            I could name barely a handful who i would entrust with my players development.
            Save your $$$ . Most of them are good salesman but don't know much about players or development.
            I've done this for a long time and two of my children were lucky enough to play D2 and D3 NCAA soccer. One received some scholarship money one received all the other deals you get at the D3 level, not much. Nothing crazy. They had decent coaching, however, the key to their development was a neighbor who coaches a HS team and loves the game. He would give them assignments to practice on their own in the back yard. And every two weeks or so he would test them and then up the training. If they did their own work and took it seriously he would help them. If not, why bother. It made them work. That was development.
            More than they ever received from a club or tournament.
            Unfortunately it has become a $$$ maker.

            Comment


              #21
              Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
              Let this sink in...

              You are paying a club/coach to DEVELOP your player.
              Instead, you are getting a club/coach that rushes your player's development in order to win games/tournament.
              I have been around RI soccer for a good period of time. I don't see players improving. I don't hear parents talking about their players/teams development.
              I DO hear about tournaments, getting ready for tournaments, winning, losing, and rankings.
              Why?
              US is all about results. Not development. No patience for that. Has to be a game. Starting early on. Has to be a winner and loser. Has to be a tournament. And the gauge for your success is a ranking, a tournament champion, or points won to get up to Platinum level.
              Are they developing? That's where we fail.
              In Europe and the rest of the world the players really don't see a tournament of any significance until they hit at least U12. It's all about giving the players the same training and the game sorts them out by 12 years old. You barely need a tryout.
              Not here.
              Money for tryouts, the coach, the club, the uniform, tournaments, hotels, gas, food, etc.
              Who is developing players here. In RI?
              I could name barely a handful who i would entrust with my players development.
              Save your $$$ . Most of them are good salesman but don't know much about players or development.
              I've done this for a long time and two of my children were lucky enough to play D2 and D3 NCAA soccer. One received some scholarship money one received all the other deals you get at the D3 level, not much. Nothing crazy. They had decent coaching, however, the key to their development was a neighbor who coaches a HS team and loves the game. He would give them assignments to practice on their own in the back yard. And every two weeks or so he would test them and then up the training. If they did their own work and took it seriously he would help them. If not, why bother. It made them work. That was development.
              More than they ever received from a club or tournament.
              Unfortunately it has become a $$$ maker.
              This is probably the most honest solid advice. We have been wondering at this point what is the reason for paying for a club anyway. The number of tournaments is really ruining it for our family. If we add up what we pay in club fees per year, tournaments, fancy uniforms, additional futsal, clinics and hotels it's a bit stupid. I mean really if your kid is in a club from age 10-18 you are looking at a minimum of $20,000 that you could have put away for your kids college, or a car for them or your own bills. I don't think many pros will be coming out of RI with this win at all costs and multiple tournaments way of promoting themselves. So backwards.Let's limit the tournaments to twice a year and give our kids solid training.

              Comment


                #22
                Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                This is probably the most honest solid advice. We have been wondering at this point what is the reason for paying for a club anyway. The number of tournaments is really ruining it for our family. If we add up what we pay in club fees per year, tournaments, fancy uniforms, additional futsal, clinics and hotels it's a bit stupid. I mean really if your kid is in a club from age 10-18 you are looking at a minimum of $20,000 that you could have put away for your kids college, or a car for them or your own bills. I don't think many pros will be coming out of RI with this win at all costs and multiple tournaments way of promoting themselves. So backwards.Let's limit the tournaments to twice a year and give our kids solid training.
                Glad to have helped. I've been a player, parent, and a coach. I've paid the money and in the end. A neighbor who has been a high school coach for a long time was the most helpful in their development. I was still paying the money though.
                My kids weren't the greatest but they were solid enough to go on and play. I give some credit to club soccer but not a whole heck of a lot.
                As you have summized... money could have gone to college, car, etc...

                Comment


                  #23
                  All depends on what a family's expectations are from the club soccer experience. In our family, both kids play club soccer. Both played town travel until they outgrew the town teams/competition and wanted/needed more. As they have gotten older, one has shown the talent, drive and desire to play D1 college soccer and is willing to put in what is required to get there:

                  * strength and conditioning 2-3 days/wk with professional sports trainers.
                  * track/fitness work 2-3 days with different workouts for anerobic and aerobic fitness.
                  * club practices 2-3 days per week with a team in one of the top leagues (ECNL) for girls.
                  * works on her own technical skills 2-3 days using various apps like Techne Futbol, DribbleUp, and BeastMode Soccer.
                  * adds in outside soccer whenever she can: ODP, Revs RDS, as well as 1on1 training with a former pro soccer player in Germany and the US.
                  * Attends College ID camps regularly for those college she is interested in

                  Where do the tournaments fit in this? They are just more soccer. The showcases give her the opportunity to reach out to coaches in attendance and maybe get additional looks from them in her home team environment. The reality is club soccer is a part of this, but it isn't the only part and the costs go much higher than you think to be competitive for D1. However, her club team travels all over the country and the expectation is she travels with them most of the time.

                  My other kid has different goals. Make varsity HS as a freshmen and be an impact player in HS. If there is soccer after HS, it isn't on the radar currently and that is fine too. This child plays on a club team, doesn't participate in much of what I wrote above beyond hitting the gym or track on their own, and doesn't really travel for out-of-state tournaments and such. Different goals, different outcomes, different soccer experience.

                  Figure out what you're trying to achieve and set reasonable, achievable goals. If your player can hit those goals and wants to play in college or beyond, you have an idea of what's involved above. Of course, every journey is different, but there are similarities as well. It isn't cheap and it isn't easy. Could we just skip the soccer and save for college? Sure, but the carrot out there is a D1 scholarship that, given the costs today ($30k-80k/yr depending) can add up to some big savings given what we have "invested" so far. I don't focus on the ROI because it isn't a done deal until an NLI is signed (and the money is only good for one year), but it shows why there is this "rat race" in club soccer.

                  Most importantly, be realistic. <2% of HS athletes go on to play D1 in college and that is where the money is. Even then, not every athlete gets a full ride. Less on the men's side than the women's. Even on the women's, it's likely less than 25% on a roster are getting significant scholarship. Different thread really, but again, it's about being realistic.

                  Comment


                    #24
                    Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                    All depends on what a family's expectations are from the club soccer experience. In our family, both kids play club soccer. Both played town travel until they outgrew the town teams/competition and wanted/needed more. As they have gotten older, one has shown the talent, drive and desire to play D1 college soccer and is willing to put in what is required to get there:

                    * strength and conditioning 2-3 days/wk with professional sports trainers.
                    * track/fitness work 2-3 days with different workouts for anerobic and aerobic fitness.
                    * club practices 2-3 days per week with a team in one of the top leagues (ECNL) for girls.
                    * works on her own technical skills 2-3 days using various apps like Techne Futbol, DribbleUp, and BeastMode Soccer.
                    * adds in outside soccer whenever she can: ODP, Revs RDS, as well as 1on1 training with a former pro soccer player in Germany and the US.
                    * Attends College ID camps regularly for those college she is interested in

                    Where do the tournaments fit in this? They are just more soccer. The showcases give her the opportunity to reach out to coaches in attendance and maybe get additional looks from them in her home team environment. The reality is club soccer is a part of this, but it isn't the only part and the costs go much higher than you think to be competitive for D1. However, her club team travels all over the country and the expectation is she travels with them most of the time.

                    My other kid has different goals. Make varsity HS as a freshmen and be an impact player in HS. If there is soccer after HS, it isn't on the radar currently and that is fine too. This child plays on a club team, doesn't participate in much of what I wrote above beyond hitting the gym or track on their own, and doesn't really travel for out-of-state tournaments and such. Different goals, different outcomes, different soccer experience.

                    Figure out what you're trying to achieve and set reasonable, achievable goals. If your player can hit those goals and wants to play in college or beyond, you have an idea of what's involved above. Of course, every journey is different, but there are similarities as well. It isn't cheap and it isn't easy. Could we just skip the soccer and save for college? Sure, but the carrot out there is a D1 scholarship that, given the costs today ($30k-80k/yr depending) can add up to some big savings given what we have "invested" so far. I don't focus on the ROI because it isn't a done deal until an NLI is signed (and the money is only good for one year), but it shows why there is this "rat race" in club soccer.

                    Most importantly, be realistic. <2% of HS athletes go on to play D1 in college and that is where the money is. Even then, not every athlete gets a full ride. Less on the men's side than the women's. Even on the women's, it's likely less than 25% on a roster are getting significant scholarship. Different thread really, but again, it's about being realistic.
                    You sort of contradict yourself. You say "the carrot is out there for a D1 scholarship" and then go to state the real facts. Less than 25 percent and it gets smaller every year because D1 and D2 are now going after internationals.
                    Out of all the girls graduating HS each year in RI that play soccer... you can count on one hand IF any are getting scholarship money. That's a fact.
                    Parents will tell you they are getting this or that in terms of scholarship money. That is just to save face for all the money they have spent.

                    Comment


                      #25
                      Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                      You sort of contradict yourself. You say "the carrot is out there for a D1 scholarship" and then go to state the real facts. Less than 25 percent and it gets smaller every year because D1 and D2 are now going after internationals.
                      Out of all the girls graduating HS each year in RI that play soccer... you can count on one hand IF any are getting scholarship money. That's a fact.
                      Parents will tell you they are getting this or that in terms of scholarship money. That is just to save face for all the money they have spent.

                      The worse case situation would be to get a little money, ride the bench and than miss out on normal college opportunities because of the heavy commitment.

                      Comment


                        #26
                        Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                        You sort of contradict yourself. You say "the carrot is out there for a D1 scholarship" and then go to state the real facts. Less than 25 percent and it gets smaller every year because D1 and D2 are now going after internationals.
                        Out of all the girls graduating HS each year in RI that play soccer... you can count on one hand IF any are getting scholarship money. That's a fact.
                        Parents will tell you they are getting this or that in terms of scholarship money. That is just to save face for all the money they have spent.
                        Not contradicting at all. The carrot is the elusive “D1 scholarship”, whether it be 25%, full ride or something in between. Players get them. Women’s programs have 14 scholarships to hand out. The stick is that 14 scholarships are split among rosters of 23-28. It’s pretty simple math given there are what, 300 D1 women’s soccer programs in the country?

                        I also agree with you that very few in RI will get anything. Those that do are usually playing for one of a couple of MA based clubs in top leagues (ECNL/DA). Feel free to look at the rosters of the local D1’s. They usually have background info on players. Up to parents to decide if the prize is worth the hunt and if the prize is even achievable. For us, the goal seems achievable given where we are in the process and that D hasn’t hit her performance ceiling yet while playing on a good team in a top league with good coaching. She is still motivated, working hard, and performing so we push on.

                        You won’t get there by not participating, if that’s what your getting at. I think you need to be realistic. Case in point, how did Bayside girls do this weekend? If your team is struggling to perform in what is currently the 3rd league for girls soccer in New England and you’re not an impact player on that team, what is your projected landing spot? D3? Nothing wrong with that, if that is the goal of the family. Bit more of a stretch, especially in the HS ages, to think players at that level will see any D1 money. Not a hit to Bayside either. They have decent boys teams, but their girls side struggles a bit given all the local MA competition.

                        Comment


                          #27
                          I am not a big fan of what we are seeing in RI either. I f your going to spend the money go with a club that is in MA. That's what we decided to do. More driving but worth it. As for the tournaments though they will be with the clubs in MA too. I don't think there is a way to avoid them. Our club has two required tournaments spring and fall, there is an optional opportunity to play in a couple holiday tournaments but there is no real pressure or requirement from the coach or team manager. The problem is/was the kids feel like they are missing out when the team goes and they don't so you end up going to them all.

                          Comment


                            #28
                            Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                            I am not a big fan of what we are seeing in RI either. I f your going to spend the money go with a club that is in MA. That's what we decided to do. More driving but worth it. As for the tournaments though they will be with the clubs in MA too. I don't think there is a way to avoid them. Our club has two required tournaments spring and fall, there is an optional opportunity to play in a couple holiday tournaments but there is no real pressure or requirement from the coach or team manager. The problem is/was the kids feel like they are missing out when the team goes and they don't so you end up going to them all.
                            For most players, RI clubs such as Bayside are not any different than the MA clubs. On girls side, some younger Bayside girls teams have matched up very well against pre-GDA/ECNL teams in the Northeast. The difference is that starting at U13, elite players will often have to look to neighboring MA to access ECNL/GDA which results in some drop off in competitive results. So unless you are going to play GDA / ECNL stay close to home. Coaching, league competition, tournaments etc are all the same.

                            Comment


                              #29
                              NEFC Central is looking good. If I were to move my kid to DA, it would be NEFC Central.

                              Comment


                                #30
                                Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
                                NEFC Central is looking good. If I were to move my kid to DA, it would be NEFC Central.
                                Your post makes no sense. NEFC Central is literally just another region like any other. NEFC DA and NEFC NPL are separate from that, other than they practice in the same area.Your post makes no sense. NEFC central is literally just another region like any other. NEFC DA and NEFC NPL are separate from any region, other than they practice/play in the same area at Central.

                                Comment

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