If you can't beat them, join them. MAPLE rebrands joins US Club

[Unregistered]

Really? That isn't right. We are at a small club and this never happens. Only our regular roster plays all games and tournaments. Only exception was when we were short for a tournament. In that instance we had a couple of the kids on the younger age group play up with us. I thought that's how it was for everyone but I guess not.

It's not as common as made out to be.

[Unregistered]

Really? That isn't right. We are at a small club and this never happens. Only our regular roster plays all games and tournaments. Only exception was when we were short for a tournament. In that instance we had a couple of the kids on the younger age group play up with us. I thought that's how it was for everyone but I guess not.

I'm the OP and I hope it isn't common at all. I really do hope its the exception not the norm. It was just our one horrid experience with a coach that was so focused on winning games no matter what, that he had no problem disregarding a ton of his rostered players in favor of those"guests" he thought could help him win. He had no problem taking our money and putting these U12 & U13 girls his U14 team roster, but he had a big problem playing them (well except for his own U13 daughter who he never took out of the game). The funny thing is that my daughter has long since moved on, and as I said, has started on an NEP team ever since. He is still coaching his daughter's team in the old Maple league,and we've played and beaten them in a few tournaments already. A little sweet justice for my kid, who he obviously wrote off from the beginning.

The moral of the story, is do your due diligence with your child's soccer path. She was my first, and I definitely made some mistakes that I totally regret now, and never since repeated with the rest of my brood. One is to never let them play up at that young age, except on occasion to help out an older team short on players, and to occasionally test themselves. But never rostered on an older team, unless they are a bonafide NT caliber player, where even their ECNL level age group is not good enough. Another thing I never would do again, are to let me kid play for parent coaches above rec level sports. It was a nightmare. Lastly, never join a club that makes me fund raise. Ugh.

[Unregistered]

So..... Maple is obviously making an effort, everyone agrees there. However, not a single club that has left is returning and worse still, more continue to be snapped up by NEP clubs. Everything being implemented is about 3-4 years too late. If NEP opens its doors to more clubs at least another 5-6 will leave.