High School Soccer season is starting**

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Only conflict I am aware of is with ECNL. They don't change their season for anyone. This has caused a huge rift with HS coaches, especially the private schools. Then the clubs all decided to commit to the Final 4 Showcase because it was at FAU. Our HS coach benched half the team because they all went out of town and missed a game. Only problem is that he was not proving a point. He was benching his best players. Called playing for HS a priviledge. Really? What about playing for ECNL? US National Team? ODP Regional Team? ID2?

You see where I am going here. It does not matter if you are talking a HS team, college team or even a NWSL team. Players are going to have other team commitments and the coach can't take the approach that his team comes first when you have someone who is talented enough to play on your national team. You have to find common ground and do what is best for the player and the team. If a player is going to be missing significant games, perhaps they should not play HS ball. If a player is going to miss 1-2 games a season and have to leave practice a little early, then you have to make a decision on whether that player is worth having around for those minutes. If you take the player, you can't punish them for missing games or practice because they are playing soccer somewhere else. It ain't like she is ditching workouts to go to Chipotle. Just saying...

Sounds like the coach checked the kid's ego and in turn, the parent's ego too. LOL

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Sounds like the coach checked the kid's ego and in turn, the parent's ego too. LOL

No, sounds like the coach got his/her ego hurt and acted like a petulant child

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No, sounds like the coach got his/her ego hurt and acted like a petulant child

He/she doesn't sound petulant. He/she is not the one on here complaining, you are. Guess the coach succeeded in the point that he/she was trying to make. Did the team win the games that your kid missed because she was benched? If they did, maybe your kid isn't the impact player you think she is.

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My player has made the commitment to travel soccer for many years. Having missed most school functions, friend's birthdays, and family gatherings to play with the team. Step back and look at the big picture. They want to play for school in front of their friends. Ask your player. A good travel coach gets it and will work with them.

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My player has made the commitment to travel soccer for many years. Having missed most school functions, friend's birthdays, and family gatherings to play with the team. Step back and look at the big picture. They want to play for school in front of their friends. Ask your player. A good travel coach gets it and will work with them.

In the end is not worth it....... Let the kids enjoy their youth!
Play anytime you can:)

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Like many, our HS coach also coaches at a local club - HS age, same gender team. This coach falls into the category of hypocrite. Everyone knows he allows flexibility with his own club players when they run afoul of rules for HS practice, timeliness to games, etc, he is not so flexible if you happen to play for another club. Not only has this been a topic of conversation for all parents of all players while sitting in the stands FOR YEARS, the players actually taunt each other with this information during school. Yea, great guy. Parents are afraid to approach him as they are rightly concerned there will be retribution for it. The kids know what they can get away with and throw it in the faces of the other kids. They know the Coach looks the other way. It has given us the opportunity to speak with our kid about life lessons, and how people can be treated, but the only solution is to not allow the kid to play HS soccer, or to allow them to try to work through it.

Call him out on it. So he benches you.. then everyone knows what an A-hole the guy is as a person.

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Sounds like the coach checked the kid's ego and in turn, the parent's ego too. LOL

You have no concept of US Youth Soccer.

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He/she doesn't sound petulant. He/she is not the one on here complaining, you are. Guess the coach succeeded in the point that he/she was trying to make. Did the team win the games that your kid missed because she was benched? If they did, maybe your kid isn't the impact player you think she is.

Actually the team lost every game that the coach benched the players who missed games for club tournaments. He basically had to call up JV and they were beaten very badly. This is not about one player. This is about a coach who thinks his team is more important than playing for ODP, ID2, US National teams. The guy is a complete idiot.

[Unregistered]

My player has made the commitment to travel soccer for many years. Having missed most school functions, friend's birthdays, and family gatherings to play with the team. Step back and look at the big picture. They want to play for school in front of their friends. Ask your player. A good travel coach gets it and will work with them.

Why does the club coach have to work with them? Is the HS coach getting them recruited by colleges? Can you name the last time a college coach came to a regular season high school game? So if the goal is to play in college, then who should be trying to work out a compromise?

HS plays a ridiculous number of games. Sometimes several a week. *** is that all about? It proves nothing and the number of injuries in HS as compared to club is a stark reminder that there are kids out there that have no idea of how to play the game. The season should be shorter with 11 games and then play-offs. FHSAA needs to wake up and realize they are not driving the sport. They need to reach out to the clubs and figure out how to coexist.

If it was the other way around and HS was the pipeline to college, then the clubs would need to work around the HS season as they do in football, basketball, baseball and softball. If FHSAA thinks for one minute that HS soccer is a pipeline to college, then I have some soccer fields in the green swamp I would like to sell them.

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Do ECNL clubs continue training as usual?

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Why does the club coach have to work with them? Is the HS coach getting them recruited by colleges? Can you name the last time a college coach came to a regular season high school game? So if the goal is to play in college, then who should be trying to work out a compromise?

HS plays a ridiculous number of games. Sometimes several a week. *** is that all about? It proves nothing and the number of injuries in HS as compared to club is a stark reminder that there are kids out there that have no idea of how to play the game. The season should be shorter with 11 games and then play-offs. FHSAA needs to wake up and realize they are not driving the sport. They need to reach out to the clubs and figure out how to coexist.

If it was the other way around and HS was the pipeline to college, then the clubs would need to work around the HS season as they do in football, basketball, baseball and softball. If FHSAA thinks for one minute that HS soccer is a pipeline to college, then I have some soccer fields in the green swamp I would like to sell them.

I agree 100%. Club drives college recruitment.
Too many games in H.S. Its almost laughable how many games they play in 3 months.
H.S. does not develop players.

The only thing I will say to 'semi-defend' H.S. soccer is that the kids WANT to play. And they enjoy it. And at the end of the day, that's what its about. The PLAYER needs to decide which is bigger priority: H.S. pride or development in Club.

Many of the people arguing here on TS are parents that are deciding for their kid based on what they want for them.

While I think that we SHOULD be guiding our kids to the right decision, we sometimes try to live through them and force them one way or the other.

Besides, its a HIGH percentage of parents that force their kids the club route for the purpose of chasing scholarships (they all think their kid is good enough). Yet its a small percentage of players that will actually get a scholarship to play in college.

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Hard to believe that people are still buying the showcase pitch after all of these years. Unless your kid is playing in the finals AND a coach already has him/her on his radar, nobody is going to see them. And if you are one of the lucky ones, you better perform your best for the 5 minutes that the coach is going to watch you for. You better get playing time that day as well. Coaches don't look at the bench.

If your kid is strong player, identify the colleges they may be interested in attending and attend their ID camps. And if your kid is REALLY good, don't worry,they will find him/her even behind a school house. Can't keep soccer talent hidden for long. Eventually someone makes a call and doors open.

That may be the rule, but my kid was spotted by a power conference school scouting someone else. (Had a career game), that coach at next showcase attended all 3 of our games. Kid went to ID camp next week and an unofficial visit. Has an offer and is a 2018. Never made ODP or had written coach before. Lucky yes. However, it goes to show that previous unknown players to get noticed.

I don't recommend any kid try that, but showcases matter.

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Actually the team lost every game that the coach benched the players who missed games for club tournaments. He basically had to call up JV and they were beaten very badly. This is not about one player. This is about a coach who thinks his team is more important than playing for ODP, ID2, US National teams. The guy is a complete idiot.

Don't play for him. Yes St. Thomas is a great school, but the coach thinks HS is everything. For the elite player, the HS game is a big risk to their health. Yes playing in front of peers is the motivation.

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That may be the rule, but my kid was spotted by a power conference school scouting someone else. (Had a career game), that coach at next showcase attended all 3 of our games. Kid went to ID camp next week and an unofficial visit. Has an offer and is a 2018. Never made ODP or had written coach before. Lucky yes. However, it goes to show that previous unknown players to get noticed.

I don't recommend any kid try that, but showcases matter.

Congratulations to your and your son. This does show that talent will be found period. He would have been discovered sooner or later. Elite soccer players are rare in this country so when they play, they stand out and people notice. I just think we pay too much attention to showcasing our children when all they want to do is play and enjoy the game with friends. Most kids will stop playing by the age of 18 because they lost the love for the game.

[Unregistered]

I agree 100%. Club drives college recruitment.
Too many games in H.S. Its almost laughable how many games they play in 3 months.
H.S. does not develop players.

The only thing I will say to 'semi-defend' H.S. soccer is that the kids WANT to play. And they enjoy it. And at the end of the day, that's what its about. The PLAYER needs to decide which is bigger priority: H.S. pride or development in Club.

Many of the people arguing here on TS are parents that are deciding for their kid based on what they want for them.

While I think that we SHOULD be guiding our kids to the right decision, we sometimes try to live through them and force them one way or the other.

Besides, its a HIGH percentage of parents that force their kids the club route for the purpose of chasing scholarships (they all think their kid is good enough). Yet its a small percentage of players that will actually get a scholarship to play in college.

The best soccer presently being played in Florida is not at a DA, not at a Club. Its being played at a private HS school in Lake County, Fl called Montverde Academy. In the rest of the country, elite players are still playing for their HS teams. We need to start listening to our kids.