Cost of Mass Clubs

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Not true. When my kids were 10, they were playing up an age group and among the best players in their club. It was clear then that the only way they wouldn't be playing in HS would be if they either lost interest (possible) or encountered some kind of major injury (also possible). Now they're off to play in college, just like we figured they would. We weren't living vicariously through our kids - we just have enough experience in the game and youth sports to know what we were looking at.

Not not true. Congrats on your kids, but you didn't "know" anything. Know means something, and it isn't synonymous with "think" or "hope". Aside from the meaning of the word, a sample size of one, two or even three doesn't offer proof of anything. For all the examples like yours, there is no shortage that tell a very different story. And as you concede in your own case, losing interest and injuries are just two on a list of more possible reasons why you don't, in fact, know at the age of 10 what's going to happen years later.

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Soccer should be played on grass and not artificial turf.

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Soccer should be played on grass and not artificial turf.

Agreed but grass freezes, turf extends seasons and indoor turf fills the winter gap.

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Not not true. Congrats on your kids, but you didn't "know" anything. Know means something, and it isn't synonymous with "think" or "hope". Aside from the meaning of the word, a sample size of one, two or even three doesn't offer proof of anything. For all the examples like yours, there is no shortage that tell a very different story. And as you concede in your own case, losing interest and injuries are just two on a list of more possible reasons why you don't, in fact, know at the age of 10 what's going to happen years later.

Had to chuckle at that post as well. All three of mine were very good players at U10. One doesn't play any longer but does great in other sports. One went back down to travel because he hated all the travel, etc. with high level club and also plays other sports. Only one left who still plays but he's a sophomore in HS and has no idea if he wants college ball or not, even though he absolutely could. Add to that the hard work and dedication that needs to come from the kid, not the parent, to make it to that next level. How many 9-10 year olds are still playing 4-5 years out in HS let alone college?

And as a parent I don't pretend to know everything about athletics or what coaches want. It's their job as professionals to figure out if my kids has what it takes. I fully admit to being an amateur.

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Not not true. Congrats on your kids, but you didn't "know" anything. Know means something, and it isn't synonymous with "think" or "hope". Aside from the meaning of the word, a sample size of one, two or even three doesn't offer proof of anything. For all the examples like yours, there is no shortage that tell a very different story. And as you concede in your own case, losing interest and injuries are just two on a list of more possible reasons why you don't, in fact, know at the age of 10 what's going to happen years later.

Agree with this response. I'd even go a step further to say that for every 100 parents that say they "know" at age 10 whether their kid will play HS or college, a small percent actually do for a # of reasons.

My son is 10. He plays town/travel and club. He attends extra keeper training. He goes out in the yard and plays every day after school. He does camps, clinics and occassional private keeper training. When he's not playing (and his school work is completed) he's watching DVRed games or YouTube how to videos. He asks to rent soccer themed movies for family movie night (Bend it Like Beckham and The Big Green), and he gets soccer books at the library. He recently dropped baseball and LAX to play more soccer. To be quite frank, I think it's borderline obsessive. However, all the above is his doing without prompting from us.

All that said and I still can't say that I "know" he will play HS or college. Perhaps he really truly loves the sport and will continue on this path. Or perhaps he'll burn out. Perhaps he'll become obsessed with basketball. He's 10, things change.

I'm just along for the ride. Sure, I love watching him play. What I love even more is seeing how much joy he gets from the sport.

At the end of the day, if your kids really want to make it (whatever make it means); they just need to play. Stop blaming the club system or the parents/kids that you think shouldn't be there. They are not what's holding your kid back.

This forum is full of people who think their kid is going places. To what end, I don't know. However I doubt many of them put in any extra work beyond team practices.

Just enjoy watching your kids play. Yoy can't get these years back.

[Unregistered]

Just enjoy watching your kids play. You can't get these years back.

3 kids, oldest is done. Truer words never spoken.

[Unregistered]

Not not true. Congrats on your kids, but you didn't "know" anything. Know means something, and it isn't synonymous with "think" or "hope". Aside from the meaning of the word, a sample size of one, two or even three doesn't offer proof of anything. For all the examples like yours, there is no shortage that tell a very different story. And as you concede in your own case, losing interest and injuries are just two on a list of more possible reasons why you don't, in fact, know at the age of 10 what's going to happen years later.

Real Talent is very easy to spot, even at the younger ages. Whether it develops or not, or is derailed by injuries, etc. is very hard to predict. Maybe the talent gets used in another sport or activity, but the talent is apparent from the start. If you take the top kids at the top clubs, or on NTs, I would bet that every one of them was a stud at age 8 or 9. The dream of the late developer is largely a myth, put forth to separate desperate parents from their $.

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This is not the norm! You got taken

Unless you qualify for FA, generally one pays the full freight at their reach schools and only start to get scholarship money the closer they move towards their safety schools.

[Unregistered]

Real Talent is very easy to spot, even at the younger ages. Whether it develops or not, or is derailed by injuries, etc. is very hard to predict. Maybe the talent gets used in another sport or activity, but the talent is apparent from the start. If you take the top kids at the top clubs, or on NTs, I would bet that every one of them was a stud at age 8 or 9. The dream of the late developer is largely a myth, put forth to separate desperate parents from their $.

8 or 9 ?
late developer a myth ?
Hardly.
I have seen it time and time again. Children develop at different rates, at different times.

Talent is an opinion , not a fact.

[Unregistered]

8 or 9 ?
late developer a myth ?
Hardly.
I have seen it time and time again. Children develop at different rates, at different times.

Talent is an opinion , not a fact.

you're ust being polite, IMO.

[Unregistered]

I think the post above doesn't consider the long term growth of the sport.

In response to the detailed excellent earlier post on the costs – thank you.

From that, cost to develop an elite player: USYS USCS, U14 and up -$600/game. This is a real number.

I’d be interested to know $ to develop an elite player in South America or Europe?

The parent who is paying that cost/game is at an elite compensation level themselves and they are grooming their child to follow some elite path. For most the path will be peripheral to playing the game itself and they have earned their ‘bye’ in don’t begrudge it.

These parents (and no disrespect so correct me if I’m wrong) did not play it in the landscape that has evolved in the last 10-15 years and this pay to play model will evolve to find those players who are gifted and carry them from obscurity to the top of the pyramid.

The $600 or even $50/game parents are paying for the club and independent sports complexes and often spearheading the construction of HS turf fields that did not exist before. These $600/game parents are developing excellence in coaching & training at the top and their money is building the infrastructure for which tomorrow’s elite will emerge. Praise their kid’s success for love the game and be patient, things will be very different for the next generation and those kids are our grandchildren.

I'm the poster that gave those cost figures. I just totaled up how many club games my child has played from U11 through U16. The total was 246 and that is just for club. It doesn't include guesting for other teams, high school or ODP. By your numbers that translates into $147,600 or an average of $24,600 per year. I can honestly say that we have never paid THAT much.

I guess that I understand your point to a degree but it is still similar to the economics of stimulus spending in that the money is coming from a larger group but really only benefitting a few. There is actually a tremendous amount of waste in this process now and there are definitely profiteers laughing all the way to the bank.

[Unregistered]

8 or 9 ?
late developer a myth ?
Hardly.
I have seen it time and time again. Children develop at different rates, at different times.

Talent is an opinion , not a fact.

Fast & agile. Creative & competitive. Has coordination and dexterity. For the majority of the top players, these signs show up pretty early. They may end up playing lacrosse, hockey, basketball, or something else, but it's usually clear that there's something "there." We can all cite a bunch of late bloomers who made it big, but they are outliers, and even they were not usually run-of-the-mill athletes when they were young.

[Unregistered]

Tomorrows elite soccer players are going to need a job like everybody else. So much about this post bothers me. The same thing is going on in my district. Parents got a fund together to build a 3 million dollar turf field at the high school but a technology center that would have cost a fraction of the cost was shot down. What is of greater value to our kids..a solid tech education or a nice football field? It is no question the tech education but there is an inane focus on athletics in my district. In 10 years the kids will not remember or care if they played on turf or grass but they will out of luck in the job market without solid tech skills.

What you are really talking about is a different issue really and when you get right down to it, the people who donated that money for your new sport fields did it for their own reasons. It is not like it was a tax levied on everyone. In my community they did the same thing to fund a library renovation. The people who spearheaded that drive were really into the library and their giving gave them a certain level of access to decisions. Some people just thrive that sort of spotlight. I wouldn't doubt if the people who spearheaded the drive in your community were seeking a similar level of recognition and influence over the sports programs in your town. It is not really a sport vs education thing at all. It probably was about power and that sort of thing certainly isn't confined to just sports programs.

[Unregistered]

What you are really talking about is a different issue really and when you get right down to it, the people who donated that money for your new sport fields did it for their own reasons. It is not like it was a tax levied on everyone. In my community they did the same thing to fund a library renovation. The people who spearheaded that drive were really into the library and their giving gave them a certain level of access to decisions. Some people just thrive that sort of spotlight. I wouldn't doubt if the people who spearheaded the drive in your community were seeking a similar level of recognition and influence over the sports programs in your town. It is not really a sport vs education thing at all. It probably was about power and that sort of thing certainly isn't confined to just sports programs.

It had the blessing of much of the community. A survey of every district household was conducted as the foundation did not raise the entire amount necessary for the turf (and a new track). Responses were requested about a list of needs at the high school. And trust me as I inhabit this place...heavy duty focus on competitive youth sports. I think it comes with a cost beyond just the expensive facilities. It send a big message that athletic competitions are very important. There is great value in kids playing sports but it has gotten out of hand around here IMO.

[Unregistered]

Not not true. Congrats on your kids, but you didn't "know" anything. Know means something, and it isn't synonymous with "think" or "hope". Aside from the meaning of the word, a sample size of one, two or even three doesn't offer proof of anything. For all the examples like yours, there is no shortage that tell a very different story. And as you concede in your own case, losing interest and injuries are just two on a list of more possible reasons why you don't, in fact, know at the age of 10 what's going to happen years later.

This logic is extremely tired. It is what the whole early bloomer and 9 yo D1 threads are about. After years and years of pounding the table with your beliefs, we all get that you are an optimist and think that everyone should wait around to see if their kid comes out the other side of puberty with the stuff to change the course of their sport endeavors. No matter how you slice it only about 3% of all of the youth soccer players are going to find success with soccer beyond their high school years and you are focusing relatively miniscule segment of that population The real problem with your logic though is you are encouraging families to commit to what is now a pretty hefty price tag on the off chance nature throws a positive surprise their way. In many ways that is pretty irresponsible.