The putrid business of competitive youth soccer

[Unregistered]

Many clubs are into real development, hence the having to hire coaches who know what the hell they are doing. Where does your kid play?

And paid coaches are the ones who have the incentive to exploit the youth athlete.

[Unregistered]

Many clubs are into real development, hence the having to hire coaches who know what the hell they are doing. Where does your kid play?

I am sure they are, but when you play year round...and have tournaments most weekends it hurts development.

[Unregistered]

Answering

I think they are referring that many clubs are just in it for the wins and not actually Developing as for that a parent will rather place their kids in an academy, but its not as before where regardless clubs developed now you have private coaches, and have to pay $$$$ for developing when before all that would come with it. This has become a money factory, for the short term rather than for player development.

[Unregistered]

The big issue I have is fairness between clubs. Kids go to the US Club FPL/NPL tryout to really be seen for other teams who will play in FYSA/USYSA leagues. They go early to get recognized and the club says you will make the next team, come back next week for FYSA tryouts and you are IN. Also, a FPL team often also plays in two leagues, like US Club FPL and USYSA Southern Region league. So kids are really trying out a week early and making a FYSA/USYSA affiliated league at some clubs, while other clubs are not given that same opportunity to recruit early. FKK, OC, JFC and more clubs had teams playing in both FPL/NPL and USYSA Southern Region League, and were able to have tryouts and recruit a week earlier than other clubs. It's just not fair!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!

[Unregistered]

The big issue I have is fairness between clubs. Kids go to the US Club FPL/NPL tryout to really be seen for other teams who will play in FYSA/USYSA leagues. They go early to get recognized and the club says you will make the next team, come back next week for FYSA tryouts and you are IN. Also, a FPL team often also plays in two leagues, like US Club FPL and USYSA Southern Region league. So kids are really trying out a week early and making a FYSA/USYSA affiliated league at some clubs, while other clubs are not given that same opportunity to recruit early. FKK, OC, JFC and more clubs had teams playing in both FPL/NPL and USYSA Southern Region League, and were able to have tryouts and recruit a week earlier than other clubs. It's just not fair!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!

It is about trying to get as many kids as possible. Pick a club. they do it.

[Unregistered]

So please tell us what you did about the problem during the many years that you had the bully pulpit of coaching High School?

Your jab at the standing of coaching high school soccer is stale and misses the mark entirely. This is not about comparing the quality of play in high school soccer to club. This is about the entirely different experiences of the two. Aside from a handful of coaches who lack scruples regarding recruiting, high school soccer is by and large a fair environment in which coaches know they will be coaching the kids they inherit and those kids are loyal and proud to represent their school. This cannot be said about club soccer, in Florida for sure. Quite the opposite, in fact. In club, it is the rare coach/club that takes the moral high ground. That club or coach that will be honest with players and parents and not attempt to sell them a bill of goods just to have that one more kid's money in the club.

What have I done? I have done things the right way, as a player and as a coach in both high school and in club. I have told others when what they are doing is bull****... When it's wrong... When it goes against everything that is good about youth sports. I have made recommendations to leagues and associations.

I have been an advocate for the game for the better part of 35 years.

What have you done?

[Unregistered]

I love to coach, I love to play, and I love the game. I have played for 3 decades, coached high school for a decade and a half and now, after several years of dealing with the bull**** that has spread throughout youth competitive soccer, the only thing keeping me around, doing what I love to do, is the idea that if I leave there will be one less person involved who actually cares about the game and teaching it to our youth. One less person who treats it like a business. One less person...

Thank you for your service to the kids and having the right attitude. It is hard to not get caught up in all the hogwash and politics. You are right, ir you leave there is one less qualified and caring coach out there who can give back to the kids who need coaches like you. And we as parents get frustrated too, and know the system is not right. That coaches like you can work hard to have big giant business clubs come in and take your players because they have rights to a club based higher league and can hold tryouts a week earlier than your team is allowed to recruit. It is an up hill battle, but thanks for staying in it for the kids.

[Unregistered]

It is about trying to get as many kids as possible. Pick a club. they do it.

No, not all clubs do it. Most clubs have to wait until after Memorial Day to hold tryouts and give offers, or they will be in violation with FYSA. While other clubs are able to hold tryouts and rake in the players and money early.

[Unregistered]

Your jab at the standing of coaching high school soccer is stale and misses the mark entirely. This is not about comparing the quality of play in high school soccer to club. This is about the entirely different experiences of the two. Aside from a handful of coaches who lack scruples regarding recruiting, high school soccer is by and large a fair environment in which coaches know they will be coaching the kids they inherit and those kids are loyal and proud to represent their school. This cannot be said about club soccer, in Florida for sure. Quite the opposite, in fact. In club, it is the rare coach/club that takes the moral high ground. That club or coach that will be honest with players and parents and not attempt to sell them a bill of goods just to have that one more kid's money in the club.

What have I done? I have done things the right way, as a player and as a coach in both high school and in club. I have told others when what they are doing is bull****... When it's wrong... When it goes against everything that is good about youth sports. I have made recommendations to leagues and associations.

I have been an advocate for the game for the better part of 35 years.

What have you done?

I was not making any jab at high school coaches or high school play in general. I was asking a serious question. It would seem that as a high school coach you would have as much clout as anyone to loudly call out clubs (not to the club itself, but rather to local town parents starting their kids out in the game) and teams that parents should stay away from and recommend teams that parents should steer their young children towards.

[Unregistered]

Competitive youth soccer is an oligopoly. There is very limited competition to drive prices down. The DA makes things worse because it is a closed system. Competitive soccer is a business to have a successful business you have to have revenue meet or exceeds expenses.

The problems are the sources of revenue youth soccer has. The number one source of revenue comes from the players. The laws and rules that govern US Soccer make it impossible for US youth clubs to earn money by developing players. There is not a paid transfer system in the USA. Remember MLS owns the players rights, not the MLS clubs which makes things even worse.

Until a club's main source of revenue changes from the player fees to something else, nothing will change. The other issue is the parents mentality that if I want my son to play a better club I just need to write a bigger Check.

[Unregistered]

No, not all clubs do it. Most clubs have to wait until after Memorial Day to hold tryouts and give offers, or they will be in violation with FYSA. While other clubs are able to hold tryouts and rake in the players and money early.

Most clubs do wait. There are only 14 clubs in the NPL/FPL league and one of those is IMG which makes them exclusive $$$ , so really 13 clubs. The thought is that 13 clubs with the NPL (5th in pecking order) (DA, R3pl, RPL Division 1, FSPL) is going to have that much draw? My son has played FSPL and NPL for a couple years now and at the NPL tryouts 90-95% are from the current club (Maybe the 1 exception). If a kid is capable of playing beyond CDL/USA more power to them and he/she may have to change clubs for that competition that the previous club does not have weather a big or small club? It is certainly financial security for the clubs that have NPL, but I don't believe they are "Raking" players away in large numbers.

[Unregistered]

I love to coach, I love to play, and I love the game. I have played for 3 decades, coached high school for a decade and a half and now, after several years of dealing with the bull**** that has spread throughout youth competitive soccer, the only thing keeping me around, doing what I love to do, is the idea that if I leave there will be one less person involved who actually cares about the game and teaching it to our youth. One less person who treats it like a business. One less person...

Since it is not at all obvious to me, please explain what you, as a coach, mean by "dealing with the bull****that has spread throughout youth competitive soccer." We may all gain some perspective from that explanation.

If by "treats it like a business" you mean that revenues must equal expenses then, unlike public schools which receive tax revenue to cover all of their expenses, every youth soccer club must be run like a business in order to exist. If, on the other hand, by "treats it like a business" you mean coaches and trainers who collect pay for their expertise, are we to assume that, unlike the vast majority of licensed and qualified ones, you are volunteering your time? If so, you are indeed a rare coach and have my thanks and respect.

I, too, love the game, and believe that High School soccer has its social and community role. However, I also believe that High School soccer is an impediment to the development of its best players and had no problem with the USSF decision to eliminate High School play for its Development Academy players.

[Unregistered]

If there were no FYSA rule specifying a tryout date, when would clubs hold tryouts? How early is too early?

[Unregistered]

Agree 100 percent, the coaches now see the short term rather than long term development and all you see is chasing a ball, no ball skills and passing like other countries focus on rather than just results. We need more development on young athletes instead of worrying just on results to the gratification of the club and coaches. Kids are falling behind and I agree being more than 2 teams per club is way to much rather make them an offer on an academy level and once progressed move up or then once you have 8 good players advancing through the academy then form another team.

Lets start with this: a huge number of kids are interested in soccer FOR FUN. A system needs to be in place to inexpensively accommodate FUN play in local leagues. This is appropriate for 85-90% of the kids that demonstrate an interest in soccer. Like any human activity, just cause your kid likes to run around after a round ball does not mean you should make soccer a huge part of your kid's childhood.

The balance 10-15% should be playing in elite leagues with kids that are also elite/ talented players. Since everyone and their grandparents and possibly even their dead relatives think their kid is the best player they've ever seen, you need to have true talent evaluators weeding out the 10-15%. This may be hard in rural Illinois but it is entirely possible in places like SoFla, SoCal, Orlando, etc.

This 10-15% should learn how to play and learn proper technique BEFORE heading into anything resembling serious, intense competition. That means LEARNING until about u11 or u12 with limited competition.

What I have described while it is logical is the OPPOSITE of what actually exists. We have a system that gets the 85-90% that should just be having fun into an expensive and absurd travel club system when in reality they will never be soccer players and its not even on the radar. The 10-15% is largely not identified until DA (u12 or older) and then the process has its politics. Competition is all parents and clubs care about starting at u8. Instead of learning, they compete at 9 and 10. Competition inevitably becomes kick and chase. Why not make a simple run change: MANDATING clubs to play out the back. No punting from the GK or you award an indirect free kick. Simple enough right?

[Unregistered]

If there were no FYSA rule specifying a tryout date, when would clubs hold tryouts? How early is too early?

When regular State Cup is done, not counting the u19, would have been ideal this year!!