We just moved to Sudbury and my son wants to do town travel and club. The top town travel team is the Academy team. I think he can easily make this team as he plays in a top, undefeated MAPLE team and is their top scorer. But the academy team has this strict rule that you can't play Academy and Club soccer- so he's going to have to choose. I don't understand the rationale for this. Soccer is his only sport. They say it's about limiting the amount of one sport activity but I don't buy it. Besides I think it's wrong for towns to dictate what one chooses to do for sports. Any thoughts? Does any other town do this type of nonsense?
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Sounds nuts, but if its any consolation my town is nuts too. They recently came up with a plan to hold kids back from travel soccer until u10. Welcome aboard. -
wow. the only thing that comes to mind is there must be some pretty arrogant SOBs running soccer in this town! Good luck.Comment
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Academy Soccer is 4 days per week. (2 practices, 1 Match, 1 Optional Practice) players are also recommended to attend the skills academies/futsal etc that run in the off season. So if you are playing club soccer it could amount to 6 practices + 2 games per week.
Effectively Academy teams are equivalent to club teams with 1/4 of the price. At Sudbury, the Academy is led by the current Technical Director for the NE REVS.
If your kid wants to play club and town, he can still play for Sudbury travel teams, but cannot play for the Academy teams.Comment
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I knew it had to do with the Revs. Can a non Sudbury resident do the Academy?Originally posted by Unregistered View PostComment
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If a kid is doing club, he would not need to do the optional practices or skills training. So it would be 4 practices + 2 games a week- we know several players in Brookline, Newton, Natick, Southboro, Framingham and Wellesley that play for their top town teams and do club soccer. Their towns do not have this bizarre rule. In Sudbury, if you're a very good soccer player you don't have this option. Instead, you have to settle for playing for the lower level town team if you want to play club soccer.Originally posted by Unregistered View PostComment
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The real rationale for this town "Academy team" policy seems obvious and not unreasonable: they want kids committed to attending the town team's practices and games. Club soccer is a likely source of scheduling conflicts, especially re practices, and would almost certainly be a player's priority.Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
My kids play town travel but typically do not attend town practices--because of conflict with their club practices. Were there a town policy prohibiting this, or a town coach who found this arrangement unacceptable, we would have no complaint. After all, our priority is club soccer, and I don't see how a town program could be blamed for not wanting to deal with players of a kind whose attendance predictably will be irregular.Comment
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It's not really run by the Revs Tech Director but hey, it sure sounds good doesn't it!Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
Their teams are not doing too well- playing in the lower 2nd divisions of BAYs.Comment
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This is not what RD (the real director of the program) told me. It's also posted on their web site:Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
"Q: Can my child play “club” soccer as well as the Academy Squad?
A: We ask that any player that chooses club soccer not participate in the Academy.—US Soccer best practice guide strongly recommends that players play a maximum of 30 soccer games per calendar year and state that players should practice 2 times for every 1 game played. Players should also rest 2 nights a week. These statements help us understand what burns players out. We do encourage any SYSA players to play in an unstructured environment as much as they choose, alone with the ball or with others. However, too many organized sessions are detrimental to development and may exclude participation in other sports and activities. "
http://www.sudburysoccer.org/academy_squad
What a load of crock!Comment
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Well, there is supposedly some evidence out there about overuse injuries but I find it personally hard to accept. People from many other parts of the world live, breathe soccer and practice in a club setting four to five days a week- if it were a big issue we would hear about it by now. Only in America!
Either way (agree or disagree), it's wrong for a town to mandate this.Comment
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Your son should stop playing town and try-out for a club team!Originally posted by Unregistered View PostComment
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I have a hard time believing this is the real reason. My guess is it's one of two things or both:Originally posted by Unregistered View Post
1) they really think they can develop a strong high school team- but judging from the teams performance, and by excluding club players, this seems to be producing mediocrity.
2) job securityComment
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Do travel and club. If the academy gets wind of your kid and wants to convince you to join them later on, then let them have at it. Maybe they will make an exception if he is that stellar.Comment
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Newton parent here. Sudbury used to have a strong boys team. We used to play them in BAYs U10 Division 1A. Good team but then they dropped off the map. makes sense now.Comment
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I don't agree with it either and if their only defense is a white paper, that is sad. Personnally saw this with our town travel program and like the sudbury program they were not very good. More goofing off than anything else and 1/2 speed everything.
At least at the club level the kids start to take it more serious and if the whole team is focused then the quality improves. Sure you can have a 2-1 or 3-1 ratio but it really depends on what is being taught in the practice to determine if there is anything being gained.
What I would do is look at the actual coaches credentials to determine what is the best path for your child.
It's ok if he/she is not licensed if they have played the game at some competitive level for a town program. I think you know the answer is to stick with club and play town for the fun time soccer. THe fun soccer is neccessary to keep the kiddo's happy. ;)Comment
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