-Help choose team for GU12

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This year's state cup can not be used as reference.

Most big clubs are trying to finish their compressed league pack at that time (due to covid) so they choose not attend state cup this year.

President cup and Champoinship cup did not happen this year.

Founders cup has less teams from relatively small clubs (for example, BU, Valor) attend, typically on younger ages.

So this year's state cup is an exception.

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Thank you!!! You are right. I don't even know RCL/PSNL until 1 month ago. :) Then for examples Gunners will be playing State cup, Bellevue will be playing president's cup. I suppose Gunners is a higher league than Bellevue if I may say?

So, I will assume that your dd just played rec soccer until now. Enjoy those memories of
her doing cartwheels and picking flowers during the game. This is a journey that you will
need to figure out and experience with your girl. You are like 99.9% of the parents here.
One minute you are talking about wanting her to be close by, play with friends, etc
and the next which league is higher, wanting to go to EFC or XF, etc. It is cool. It is
natural wanting the best for your dd. However there is a huge, huge cost to going this
route that nobody here is even mentioning. Your definition of A team is really like
the C team in reality.

Your dd is a bit late in her development which needs to be corrected right now over
the summer. This is a good test if she is really serious about going this way and see if
she really wants it. This is a test if you are willing to put in the time, money, and effort
to take her on this journey. If not, then let this be a fun time and bonding with your girl.
Look up golden time of development. It is very, very real.

Put her in Coever and summer soccer camps. Let her play indoor at Arena if it is available.
She needs to be practicing juggling, weak foot development, and watching youtube
videos on footwork. Develop her first touch on the ball. She needs to be on a team
where she plays all of the time. So, maybe Gunners B team is fine.

Posters talking about things will work out on its own are not being honest or have no
idea what they are talking about. Yes, U12-15 are the most chaotic and stupid time
for parents. No, your dd isn't going to be the next Mia Hamm at 14 years old, ok?
U16 is when you really start to see where your dd is at. If puberty and the soccer gods
were kind to your girl. If school, grades, social pressures, etc stop her from soccer.
Lots of girls quit by this age for whatever reason. So yes, foster the love of playing soccer.
Most parents by U16 are pretty calm b/c they know where their dd are at.
Watch out for mean girls groups on the teams. They are mostly on the A teams and
fostered by fruit cake parents. Yeah, fruit cake parents b/c it is full of nuts.
Oh do not believe coaches and clubs. You will figure this out soon enough. :)

Start researching the various leagues such as ECNL, ECNL-R, GAL, RCL, PSPL etc.
Understand what ODP/EPD, CSP-ECNL, YNT camp etc means for higher level soccer.
Understand that the main goal for parents after U16 is college recruitment or a tip to
get into college and what it takes to get there.

U12 is a fun age and should be. Focus on your dd development. 5-6 years go so fast and your little girl is grown up and about to leave the nest, so enjoy it and the journey.
Good luck.

[Unregistered]

That post has a lot of truth in it. Rec soccer until U12 is definitely late and yes much of the peak development age has passed. But if she's good enough for Gunners B out of rec it can suggest that there is some decent raw material/skills there and that she could improve quickly with better/more training. It'll become evident pretty quickly.

The parental commitment level also cannot be understated. You do realize also that at the ECNL levels (next year, U13) teams are flying across the country to play games/tournaments and you will be footing those bills. They'll be missing multiple days of school a year as well so your child needs to be able to deal with that. And enjoy this summer, try and take a vacation because family summer vacations will also be no more.

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…..This is a journey that you will
need to figure out and experience with your girl. You are like 99.9% of the parents here.
One minute you are talking about wanting her to be close by, play with friends, etc
and the next which league is higher, wanting to go to EFC or XF, etc. It is cool. It is
natural wanting the best for your dd. However there is a huge, huge cost to going this
route that nobody here is even mentioning. ……
Good luck.

The post is long, so I only partial quote here. Thank you for telling me so much. I’m actually a bit scared now honestly, but it’s good to know what’s coming, what I need to do and set the right expectation. Many words you mentioned are new to me, I’ll google it and figure them out.

Thank you and others, I’m truly grateful for so many parents willing to spend time teaching me and give advices. I have been feeling I’m in fog and so confused, now at least I know some basics.

[Unregistered]

…
You do realize also that at the ECNL levels (next year, U13) teams are flying across the country to play games/tournaments and you will be footing those bills. They'll be missing multiple days of school a year as well so your child needs to be able to deal with that. And enjoy this summer, try and take a vacation because family summer vacations will also be no more.

I do realize that now. But not before. :) ill take the suggestion to have a vacation this summer.

[Unregistered]

My dd was in a select club for 2 years, though very small club and barely won game. I’ll leave the name out, I felt every girl in tryout probably made it. And thanks for precious post explaining why this year’s Founders-cup is diff and less challenging. I’ll weight it in.

[Unregistered]

In the old days, Eastside Youth Soccer Association includes several selected club, Bellevue United, Issaquah FC, Lake Hills Youth Soccer Club, Mercer Island FC, Newport Youth Soccer Club.

Those clubs supposed to send their players to Eastside FC for premier level teams.

http://www.eysa.org/FindAClub

Well, at least that was the idea.

[Unregistered]

In the old days, Eastside Youth Soccer Association includes several selected club, Bellevue United, Issaquah FC, Lake Hills Youth Soccer Club, Mercer Island FC, Newport Youth Soccer Club.

Those clubs supposed to send their players to Eastside FC for premier level teams.

http://www.eysa.org/FindAClub

Well, at least that was the idea.

Right. The fact that this doesn’t happen has really hurt Eastside from a competitive standpoint. But as long as their teams are full, Eastside doesn’t really care.

[Unregistered]

Right. The fact that this doesn’t happen has really hurt Eastside from a competitive standpoint. But as long as their teams are full, Eastside doesn’t really care.

Honestly, I think most clubs only care about filling their A team with top talent. B teams and below are just money makers for them. If my own kid ever gets pushed to B, we will likely find a select club and save a lot of money and have a more stable schedule. I'm tired of my life being dictated by a team manager trying to juggle his social life and his other kids' game schedules.

[Unregistered]

Honestly, I think most clubs only care about filling their A team with top talent. B teams and below are just money makers for them. If my own kid ever gets pushed to B, we will likely find a select club and save a lot of money and have a more stable schedule. I'm tired of my life being dictated by a team manager trying to juggle his social life and his other kids' game schedules.

If the manager is as bad as it sounds, why doesn't the team select a new manager? Talk with the rest of the team, maybe everyone else agrees with you.

The B team development might be just as important in the younger age groups, as some of them will develop and take over spots on the A team, you don't really know who are the best players until a certain age, I would say 12. By 12 I think it is pretty obvious who has it and who doesn't, although there are always a few surprises down the road. But I would say by 12 years old the A teams are 90% set for the remaining years (excluding people moving of course).

[Unregistered]

If the manager is as bad as it sounds, why doesn't the team select a new manager? Talk with the rest of the team, maybe everyone else agrees with you.

A few of us have tried, but as we've noted on here, soccer parents are not exactly known for their diplomacy or political savvy. One parent was willing to do it but made the mistake of going straight to him to offer, not the coach. *facepalm*

[Unregistered]

A few of us have tried, but as we've noted on here, soccer parents are not exactly known for their diplomacy or political savvy. One parent was willing to do it but made the mistake of going straight to him to offer, not the coach. *facepalm*

Please try again, it sounds like there really needs change. Good luck.

[Unregistered]

A few of us have tried, but as we've noted on here, soccer parents are not exactly known for their diplomacy or political savvy. One parent was willing to do it but made the mistake of going straight to him to offer, not the coach. *facepalm*

Im the team manager that you are referring to. The fact is you are a lazy s.o.b. I wish you put as much effort in assisting the team as you do complaining on an anonymous chat board

[Unregistered]

Im the team manager that you are referring to. The fact is you are a lazy s.o.b. I wish you put as much effort in assisting the team as you do complaining on an anonymous chat board

What team is this

[Unregistered]

Im the team manager that you are referring to. The fact is you are a lazy s.o.b. I wish you put as much effort in assisting the team as you do complaining on an anonymous chat board

This board, man. The Real Soccer Moms of Seattle