Crazy talk!

[Unregistered]

Just read some comments about some clubs and the cheap shots adults are taking at other clubs. Can people remember that these clubs are made up of children?

Just curious, are there any normal people on this website that wants to talk positive about the game?

James from Easton

[Unregistered]

Thanks

Just read some comments about some clubs and the cheap shots adults are taking at other clubs. Can people remember that these clubs are made up of children?

Just curious, are there any normal people on this website that wants to talk positive about the game?

James from Easton

Thank you for this post and thread. I would invite any parent out there to chat about the club you love and what your kids are getting out of club soccer.

I remember a post awhile back and it really resonated with me. I doubt I can find it it was so long ago but here is the guts of the post:

My child (daughter) is a good soccer player. Plays on a top team etc. However, what she gets out of the experience is this:

1. Self confidence
2. Friends from a variety of backgrounds.
3. Self worth. I am confident that this will add to the building blocks to make my daughter a strong confident woman and not one of those kids walking around the mall on a Saturday night measuring her self worth based on wether she has a boyfriend or not.

Was a great post! I agree with all of this.

To my club: One of the owners of the club is a strong confident woman. Tough on the kids yet fair. Well educated and a very strong personality. A role model no doubt. Again, as a parent, I see this club soccer experience as one of the many experiences which will make her a motivated and strong woman. Nothing more and certainly nothing less than that. And a bonus, all her teammates are great kids. As parents we have formed, what I hope to be, lasting friendships with the parents. Overall a great experience.

Love to hear about your kiddos club experience!

[Unregistered]

Just read some comments about some clubs and the cheap shots adults are taking at other clubs. Can people remember that these clubs are made up of children?

Just curious, are there any normal people on this website that wants to talk positive about the game?

James from Easton

Amen.

I will be passing this comment down to the Florida forum. We need this reminder desperately. I have to read through so much venom and trash talk to gleen any good information I feel like I need to take a shower afterwards. I tend to hop over to the Massachusetts forum for some more intelligent conversation and levity. It's easier for me to ignore the negative stuff about specific clubs and teams from 2,000 miles away.

Susan from Tampa

[Unregistered]

Thank you for this post and thread. I would invite any parent out there to chat about the club you love and what your kids are getting out of club soccer.

I remember a post awhile back and it really resonated with me. I doubt I can find it it was so long ago but here is the guts of the post:

My child (daughter) is a good soccer player. Plays on a top team etc. However, what she gets out of the experience is this:

1. Self confidence
2. Friends from a variety of backgrounds.
3. Self worth. I am confident that this will add to the building blocks to make my daughter a strong confident woman and not one of those kids walking around the mall on a Saturday night measuring her self worth based on wether she has a boyfriend or not.

Was a great post! I agree with all of this.

To my club: One of the owners of the club is a strong confident woman. Tough on the kids yet fair. Well educated and a very strong personality. A role model no doubt. Again, as a parent, I see this club soccer experience as one of the many experiences which will make her a motivated and strong woman. Nothing more and certainly nothing less than that. And a bonus, all her teammates are great kids. As parents we have formed, what I hope to be, lasting friendships with the parents. Overall a great experience.

Love to hear about your kiddos club experience!

Great Post!!!!!

[Unregistered]

Just read some comments about some clubs and the cheap shots adults are taking at other clubs. Can people remember that these clubs are made up of children?

Just curious, are there any normal people on this website that wants to talk positive about the game?

James from Easton

Just keep in mind that the parents of the current 12's and 14's are the crazy ones. I've seen it for quite some time in town, club and on this board

U13G Parent

[Unregistered]

Growth in the game... I have seen an increasing number of coaching directors for youth programs. It's great to see considering most U8 coaches have no experience and could use some direction.


Does anyone see the future of town teams having relationships with premier clubs? Can it be done? It would be a great idea to see programs working together instead of fighting over kids.

James from Easton

[Unregistered]

Just keep in mind that the parents of the current 12's and 14's are the crazy ones. I've seen it for quite some time in town, club and on this board

U13G Parent

Do you think it's a small percent doing all the talking or it's a big problem across the board?

James from Easton

[Unregistered]

a little too much talking in this thread. Shhh!!

[Unregistered]

Growth in the game... I have seen an increasing number of coaching directors for youth programs. It's great to see considering most U8 coaches have no experience and could use some direction.


Does anyone see the future of town teams having relationships with premier clubs? Can it be done? It would be a great idea to see programs working together instead of fighting over kids.

James from Easton

I don't think it can happen in this state. To many chefs in the kitchen and they are not willing to work together. What your talking about does happen in a few clubs down south.

Justin NEFC parent

[Unregistered]

Just keep in mind that the parents of the current 12's and 14's are the crazy ones. I've seen it for quite some time in town, club and on this board

U13G Parent

Did you not get the gist of this thread. How about this...rmember the Thumper rule...

"If you can't say somthin nice...don't say nothin at all."

[Unregistered]

Did you not get the gist of this thread. How about this...rmember the Thumper rule...

"If you can't say somthin nice...don't say nothin at all."

What do you think? Do you think it's a few making everyone look bad? I'm not sure of this myself....

James from Easton

[Unregistered]

I just wanted to add that my daughter loves ODP...loves it for the chance to play with girls from other clubs who she normally plays against. It makes it fun to play against them and while the parents may get caught up in the rivalry, they are hugging at the beginning of a game if they haven't seen each other for a while. ID camp is a great big reunion for these girls, another experience, that stress aside, is really fun for them. So while many are looking for what different organizations can do for their kids, there is a piece of it that is often less reflected upon - the character building, team bonding, exposure to many different players and coaches, interaction with sport pyschologists, pro players, a little burn out preventative....and I am really glad as a parent that we have the ODP program in place for the added pick-me-up they sometimes need.

[beentheredonethat]

Did you not get the gist of this thread. How about this...rmember the Thumper rule...

"If you can't say somthin nice...don't say nothin at all."

One of the things that personally gets me is the lack of tolerance on this board. Somehow it is OK to come on a thread and talk about the U12 and U14 parents like they are some aberration yet we are supposed to believe that the U13 parents are somehow different and don't have some of the exact same issues that everyone else is dealing with. One thing you should all recognize is the issues are pretty much the same at each level year after year. Just because your age group might not be verbalizing their concerns about them on this forum like some others that doesn't mean that you don't have the exact same craziness going on within your age group. You might want to consider that some of these older age groups are actually doing you a favor by airing out their concerns because their discussions can give you some insight into how things work out as your child gets older and save you a ton of heartache along the way.

Along the same lines, I think it is important for us all to respect that each family has their own reasons for doing all of this and they have as much right to pursue their goals as the next person. The hard part of all of this is finding the right environment to pursue those goals in and understanding how to achieve the various milestones necessary to attain them. Basically when you boil down all the discussions and throw out the inevitable competitive chatter that happens on any forum you see that people are just trying to understand how this environment works.

One problem that I have with a thread like this is it seems to be criticizing parents such as myself who have different expectations than them. Honestly, I have a completely different reality than the person who started this thread. I respect that they may not value things the same way that my wife and I do but I just wish that they would try to understand that striving for more in this environment does not make one into a crazy person. Believe it or not there are some children that do end up being able to parlay their athletic success into other opportunities for themselves. Based upon my experience in the world, if they were to set their expectations as low as the original poster has they probably would not reach their full potential and be able to grab those opportunities. Now I am not going to criticize the original poster for having those expectations because I respect that is how they see the world, I just wish that they wouldn't try to apply their value structure to my world and criticize the steps that are necessary for success in it.

[Unregistered]

One of the things that personally gets me is the lack of tolerance on this board. Somehow it is OK to come on a thread and talk about the U12 and U14 parents like they are some aberration yet we are supposed to believe that the U13 parents are somehow different and don't have some of the exact same issues that everyone else is dealing with. One thing you should all recognize is the issues are pretty much the same at each level year after year. Just because your age group might not be verbalizing their concerns about them on this forum like some others that doesn't mean that you don't have the exact same craziness going on within your age group. You might want to consider that some of these older age groups are actually doing you a favor by airing out their concerns because their discussions can give you some insight into how things work out as your child gets older and save you a ton of heartache along the way.

Along the same lines, I think it is important for us all to respect that each family has their own reasons for doing all of this and they have as much right to pursue their goals as the next person. The hard part of all of this is finding the right environment to pursue those goals in and understanding how to achieve the various milestones necessary to attain them. Basically when you boil down all the discussions and throw out the inevitable competitive chatter that happens on any forum you see that people are just trying to understand how this environment works.

One problem that I have with a thread like this is it seems to be criticizing parents such as myself who have different expectations than them. Honestly, I have a completely different reality than the person who started this thread. I respect that they may not value things the same way that my wife and I do but I just wish that they would try to understand that striving for more in this environment does not make one into a crazy person. Believe it or not there are some children that do end up being able to parlay their athletic success into other opportunities for themselves. Based upon my experience in the world, if they were to set their expectations as low as the original poster has they probably would not reach their full potential and be able to grab those opportunities. Now I am not going to criticize the original poster for having those expectations because I respect that is how they see the world, I just wish that they wouldn't try to apply their value structure to my world and criticize the steps that are necessary for success in it.

I'm guessing you're taking the OP the wrong way. I'm pretty sure he mearly talking about the lack of civility on the forum. People can disagree, just try to be civil about it.

[Unregistered]

I'm guessing you're taking the OP the wrong way. I'm pretty sure he mearly talking about the lack of civility on the forum. People can disagree, just try to be civil about it.

BTDT may have well have misinterpreted, but he was correct to call out the poster who singled out U-12 and U-14 parents. As a parent of a son who plays Div 1 U-14 Boys, I resent the assertion that we're somehow unique. Sure, we have our share of jack----s, but I find it difficult to believe that we (along with the U-12 parents) somehow managed to corner the market on idiocy while the U-13 parents remain paragons of virtue.

But what do I know~

- Odie