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    #16
    Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
    FIFA claims it's to prevent kids basically being trafficked one club to the next. That really only applies at the MLS DA level. The rest of youth soccer - 99.9999% of players - this shouldn't be necessary to play. Some of the best players my kids have played with are immigrants. There should be no barriers to playing
    I disagree that it shouldn't be necessary to play. All kids need to have validated proof to play-this is a fair clearance measure for any player, regardless of where they were born and regardless of where they live and play in the world.

    Validated proof protects these kids, their families, and their clubs. I've seen too much hatred and bitterness by adults who claim a player is older than (s)he is supposed to be, based on physical appearance or attire.

    I remember someone who killed our long-term friendship because she was angry and spreading lies about a player who earned a starting position on the team; a position previously held by her son. No matter how much OYSA, the club and I explained all of the steps we had to go through to verify his age, she insisted on filing complaints and spreading lies. Every time, her complaints were found to be without merit, but she still persisted with lies about the kid and the rest of us. She was a woman obsessed and I could no longer tell everyone that she was truly a good person. She completely changed to wackadoo.

    I also had to defend one of our players at a Vegas tournament after parents and the coach of a team we were supposed to play, complained to the tournament before the start of our game about one of our girls. I was told to bring the player's documents to the tournament director's tent. I though that perhaps it was that she was tall and quite poised for her age. I was stunned to learn that the other team wanted proof of her age and international clearance (docs I didn't think I needed but was glad I kept them in my team travel binder). After she was cleared, the other team's coach and parents ran up to the director's table with another issue. The parents and coach actually protested because she wore a long sleeved UnderArmour shirt and leggings under her uniform. She was a Pakistani Muslim. Her father had allowed her to play as long as she was covered up. We witnessed bigotry and racism throughout the game. Thankfully our team won the game, but that poor kid suffered by things said to her and by the Vegas heat.

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