Oakwood

[Guest]

95 or more percent of the kids playing club are not elite and never will be. You can’t train someone into being elite. Those kids need to be trained yea but they are born with elite skills. The rest are just paying 3k to play travel soccer and hopefully have fun. That is reality. Same in every sport. Soccer’s issue in the usa is the starting pool is small. It is limited to wealthy suburbs kids and that pool is too small to really compete on the world stage for the boys

hottttttttttttttttt take

[Guest]

95 or more percent of the kids playing club are not elite and never will be. You can’t train someone into being elite. Those kids need to be trained yea but they are born with elite skills. The rest are just paying 3k to play travel soccer and hopefully have fun. That is reality. Same in every sport. Soccer’s issue in the USA is the starting pool is small. It is limited to wealthy suburbs kids and that pool is too small to really compete on the world stage for the boys

That same 95% comment is true in every country in the world. That’s how things work whether it’s soccer, athletics, or intelligence. You aren’t exactly breaking new ground here. There have been articles published on Ronaldo vs. Messi. Many come to the same conclusions that Messi (a natural talent from a young age) was destined for greatness. Ronaldo was more of a project at a young age (being good enough to slip into an academy and getting great training, work ethic, fitness, and physical attributes in his later years). I wouldn’t give up on the top 15% of your 95%. They too can become elite. What a lot of people chalk up to player brilliance is more about doing a lot of little things right at the right time. Knowing what to look for in your position that will guide your next action is something easily taught, but does require the player to decide in a split second. Not everyone is capable of reading the situation and making a decision in one second.

[Guest]

The point of the earlier post wasn’t to give up on the “non elites”. Having fun playing travel is great for most kids. And maybe a late bloomer emerges. But so many parents are roped into “elite” travel all thinking their kid is in the small elite group. Odds are they aren’t. The problem is the starting pool in the USA is way too small. The starting pool can’t start with just rich suburb kids or that top 5 percent isn’t going to get it done. And it isn’t just soccer. Most sports are taking on this expensive elite travel model at an early age shutting out much of the population. All driven by the youth sports industry becoming a huge moneymaker Things would be so much better if town travel stayed competitive in most sports. And only the true elite kids moved up from that at hs ish ages. The participation levels would be higher and more kids would have a chance to emerge

[Guest]

I'm sorry but the notion that rich kids are the only ones that play club soccer at high level is BS. Sure there are kids that want to play club that can't do to money but I think the volume is blown way out of proportion. Most kids that want/desire to play club soccer do. Mostly kids don't play club because they don't want to commit to soccer at that level. They want to play basketball, softball, football, etc that doesn't allow them to commit to that. Soccer isn't the top sport in the US for many kids. Most play it as a supplement to other sports then drop it as they get older for something else.

[Guest]

The point of the earlier post wasn’t to give up on the “non elites”. Having fun playing travel is great for most kids. And maybe a late bloomer emerges. But so many parents are roped into “elite” travel all thinking their kid is in the small elite group. Odds are they aren’t. The problem is the starting pool in the USA is way too small. The starting pool can’t start with just rich suburb kids or that top 5 percent isn’t going to get it done. And it isn’t just soccer. Most sports are taking on this expensive elite travel model at an early age shutting out much of the population. All driven by the youth sports industry becoming a huge moneymaker Things would be so much better if town travel stayed competitive in most sports. And only the true elite kids moved up from that at hs ish ages. The participation levels would be higher and more kids would have a chance to emerge

Agree 100% town level teams should not have been hamstrung by so many pop up premier clubs. I also agree 100% that playing a sport should not require such a commitment in terms of money for travel. There is zero reason why we should be doing national playoffs and showcases in california for ne kids. The top kids who are NT level are gonna be on the radar of ucla, usc, etc. The rest of us do not need to worry and all they need is for there to be optional showcases for players to choose for themselves....ID camps that require club coach/DOC approval to attend.

[Guest]

I'm sorry but the notion that rich kids are the only ones that play club soccer at high level is BS. Sure there are kids that want to play club that can't do to money but I think the volume is blown way out of proportion. Most kids that want/desire to play club soccer do. Mostly kids don't play club because they don't want to commit to soccer at that level. They want to play basketball, softball, football, etc that doesn't allow them to commit to that. Soccer isn't the top sport in the US for many kids. Most play it as a supplement to other sports then drop it as they get older for something else.

not the op and of course not all soccer families are affluent. However, the bulk are at least upper middle class. These families can afford the "extras" for their kids, whether it be sports, music lessons, etc. The fees and travel and gear is costly and many cannot afford it, or certainly can't afford the pricey leagues. Scholarships for good players are rare and a less affluent player needs to get one every year. The only place family income doesn't matter is the free to play MLS clubs, where your skill gets you spot not your ability to pay. Sports participation in general is down somewhat, soccer even more so. If you look at who is dropping out of sports it's the lower income families. Soccer isn't the only sport that has moved away from playing locally and for reasonable amounts. Many other sports have turned into huge industries.

[Guest]

not the op and of course not all soccer families are affluent. However, the bulk are at least upper middle class. These families can afford the "extras" for their kids, whether it be sports, music lessons, etc. The fees and travel and gear is costly and many cannot afford it, or certainly can't afford the pricey leagues. Scholarships for good players are rare and a less affluent player needs to get one every year. The only place family income doesn't matter is the free to play MLS clubs, where your skill gets you spot not your ability to pay. Sports participation in general is down somewhat, soccer even more so. If you look at who is dropping out of sports it's the lower income families. Soccer isn't the only sport that has moved away from playing locally and for reasonable amounts. Many other sports have turned into huge industries.

I’d challenge you to identify a sport that isn’t taken over by a club/regional travel model. Horseshoes? I have an employee who flew halfway across the country for a flag football nationals championship - you think soccer has a problem. That’s not even real football.

That being said each tourney where our club plays a town team I’m reminded how the system does consolidate a lot of talent to pit against each other for a more competitive game than my 90’s town travel experience ever would have. Missing of course is the closer knit connections the local aspect provided.

[Guest]

Boys soccer is more egalitarian than girls. Boys clubs offer way more scholarships (girl parents, guess who subsidizes that!) and also ladders up to the totally free to play MLS Academies. WHile boys soccer is expensive for the regular kids, for the best players they are definitely paying less or nothing. Very few girls are getting a break on tuition.

In the end, travel is what makes it expensive, anyway.

[Guest]

I’d challenge you to identify a sport that isn’t taken over by a club/regional travel model. Horseshoes? I have an employee who flew halfway across the country for a flag football nationals championship - you think soccer has a problem. That’s not even real football.

That being said each tourney where our club plays a town team I’m reminded how the system does consolidate a lot of talent to pit against each other for a more competitive game than my 90’s town travel experience ever would have. Missing of course is the closer knit connections the local aspect provided.

At least some sports clubs do more with parent volunteers and fundraising to help keep fees lower. To OWs credit they do that, or at least used to. In general that isn't a thing with soccer. A few sports also still have opportunities to excel in HS and get noticed by college coaches. Soccer is all club.

[Guest]

Talented kid in our town ferreted away by helicopter Dad to play Academy. No high school for her. Lost connection to friends, can't play with high school friends. not happy. Parents, or Dad PUSHING process. Kid hates it. Dad doesn't see. Painful. In the end endicott gets a kid that missed her entire high school experience. Well done Dad.

[Guest]

Talented kid in our town ferreted away by helicopter Dad to play Academy. No high school for her. Lost connection to friends, can't play with high school friends. not happy. Parents, or Dad PUSHING process. Kid hates it. Dad doesn't see. Painful. In the end endicott gets a kid that missed her entire high school experience. Well done Dad.

Only now she can play HS....if dad lets her. Boys still can't.

[Guest]

Only now she can play HS....if dad lets her. Boys still can't.

HS soccer is really bad. Period. But not all kids are good enough to play at the highest levels -- but you won't know who those kids are definitely until 14-16 years of age. So HS could be fine for the masses -- but not for developing great players. And the funny thing is, when families and clubs release their kids to play in HS - everyone hates when those great players run up the score. Mock them. Call them over rated. It's a no win situation.

[Guest]

enough with the "HS is bad" mantra. It's no excuse to keep players away from it unless they want to skip it. Yes some don't want to play it and that's fine, but way more do than don't. College coaches do not care at all and playing HS has not stopped players from reaching their goal to play in college. No one around here is going pro. That is the only time skipping HS can be justified.

[Guest]

enough with the "HS is bad" mantra. It's no excuse to keep players away from it unless they want to skip it. Yes some don't want to play it and that's fine, but way more do than don't. College coaches do not care at all and playing HS has not stopped players from reaching their goal to play in college. No one around here is going pro. That is the only time skipping HS can be justified.

Most should play in HS --- but it is not about the sport. The level is really low. It's a high school experience and that's all. And for the majority, it's a positive thing.

[Guest]

Talented kid in our town ferreted away by helicopter Dad to play Academy. No high school for her. Lost connection to friends, can't play with high school friends. not happy. Parents, or Dad PUSHING process. Kid hates it. Dad doesn't see. Painful. In the end endicott gets a kid that missed her entire high school experience. Well done Dad.

Meh. This is just FOMO. High school sports was something special a long time ago.

Besides, that dad could write the opposite story for you. Mom refused to let her girl play Academy. It was too far to drive. Mom didn't want to spend her time on it. Travel soccer was "more fun" and convenient. Talented kid only played low level ball. Learned nothing about hard work or sacrifice. Sad once she realizes soccer dream is forever over. Can't even use soccer to get into better college, forget scholarship. Dealing with loans. High school friends no longer in touch. What exactly is really important again?