Here is an email the president of Braintree’s travel soccer league sent out today. Basil you saying pat for your local club because your kid has no shot to play in college.
BYS Families,
I wanted to thank all our players and families for the great Spring season! I certainly hope all of you enjoyed yourselves and are either signing up or already signed up for our Fall recreational program. It’s always been a favorite of my kids, where they get to play with and against their friends!
Around this time of year, I am often approached and asked about club soccer. I wanted to pass on some information about club and the opportunities it presents. There are a few things I think you should consider when looking for a club. First is the coach. Second, location. Third is commitment. Lastly, cost.
When looking at a club, ask to speak to the person who will be coaching your son/daughter. Is s/he a good fit for your child? Does your child respond better to a firm hand? If yes, Mr. Easy may not be the right coach. If your child responds better to someone who is more nurturing, they may not respond to a yeller. Interview the coach as if you are hiring him, because you are. What are his/her credentials? What is their philosophy on developing players? What do they think about winning games? The kids like to win, I get that. But playing soccer the right way, takes time. You need to build foot skills and technical ability first, then introduce tactical concepts when they are developed enough mentally to understand them. Winning isn’t everything, which is why US Youth Soccer doesn’t allow us to even keep scores until U12. Don’t worry about the wins, worry about whether or not your child is being challenged appropriately to develop to his/her best ability.
Location. Consider that when looking at clubs. There are several strong options in town (https://commonwealthfc.com/) or in neighboring towns (https://www.masscityfc.com/, https://www.americafcunited.com/). You don’t need to travel far to find good options.
Along with location is commitment. Club soccer is a commitment by the player AND the family. Is the child ready, willing and able to commit to going to the training sessions? Moreover, these kids aren’t driving themselves to the multiple training sessions a week. Parents are juggling getting them to/from practice, often after work, while juggling their many other commitments. Do you really want to drive to Taunton, twice a week, for training after work? Maybe, but that can get old. Also, are you required to travel with the club and if yes, how far? I know some teams who have away games in Pennsylvania.
The final factor I’ll raise is cost. Some clubs will cost over $3,500 while others are a fraction of that. I can tell you that over my years of coaching, I have seen many players pay top dollar to a club that promised them the world, only to come back to a local club where they aren’t paying to travel half the season for away games. Is the coach or competition worth the money? If your child is the best player, by far, then maybe. The best player graduating this year isn’t a D1 candidate. We may have 1 or 2 players in the program that even have the potential, but likely won’t. A few may play D2 or D3. Most kids won’t get to play in college. It’s just the reality of things as kids in warmer weather climates like Florida and California will have a leg up on them due to being able to play year round. Understand that you’re not making an investment as much as you are giving your child the chance to play a game, at a competitive level, while developing their skills and love for the game. If they get a few bucks to play in college, that’s icing on the cake.
Mark R. Smith
BYS Families,
I wanted to thank all our players and families for the great Spring season! I certainly hope all of you enjoyed yourselves and are either signing up or already signed up for our Fall recreational program. It’s always been a favorite of my kids, where they get to play with and against their friends!
Around this time of year, I am often approached and asked about club soccer. I wanted to pass on some information about club and the opportunities it presents. There are a few things I think you should consider when looking for a club. First is the coach. Second, location. Third is commitment. Lastly, cost.
When looking at a club, ask to speak to the person who will be coaching your son/daughter. Is s/he a good fit for your child? Does your child respond better to a firm hand? If yes, Mr. Easy may not be the right coach. If your child responds better to someone who is more nurturing, they may not respond to a yeller. Interview the coach as if you are hiring him, because you are. What are his/her credentials? What is their philosophy on developing players? What do they think about winning games? The kids like to win, I get that. But playing soccer the right way, takes time. You need to build foot skills and technical ability first, then introduce tactical concepts when they are developed enough mentally to understand them. Winning isn’t everything, which is why US Youth Soccer doesn’t allow us to even keep scores until U12. Don’t worry about the wins, worry about whether or not your child is being challenged appropriately to develop to his/her best ability.
Location. Consider that when looking at clubs. There are several strong options in town (https://commonwealthfc.com/) or in neighboring towns (https://www.masscityfc.com/, https://www.americafcunited.com/). You don’t need to travel far to find good options.
Along with location is commitment. Club soccer is a commitment by the player AND the family. Is the child ready, willing and able to commit to going to the training sessions? Moreover, these kids aren’t driving themselves to the multiple training sessions a week. Parents are juggling getting them to/from practice, often after work, while juggling their many other commitments. Do you really want to drive to Taunton, twice a week, for training after work? Maybe, but that can get old. Also, are you required to travel with the club and if yes, how far? I know some teams who have away games in Pennsylvania.
The final factor I’ll raise is cost. Some clubs will cost over $3,500 while others are a fraction of that. I can tell you that over my years of coaching, I have seen many players pay top dollar to a club that promised them the world, only to come back to a local club where they aren’t paying to travel half the season for away games. Is the coach or competition worth the money? If your child is the best player, by far, then maybe. The best player graduating this year isn’t a D1 candidate. We may have 1 or 2 players in the program that even have the potential, but likely won’t. A few may play D2 or D3. Most kids won’t get to play in college. It’s just the reality of things as kids in warmer weather climates like Florida and California will have a leg up on them due to being able to play year round. Understand that you’re not making an investment as much as you are giving your child the chance to play a game, at a competitive level, while developing their skills and love for the game. If they get a few bucks to play in college, that’s icing on the cake.
Mark R. Smith
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