Loser mentality in Braintree

[Unregistered]

You might be on to something here but I suspect it isn't that the soccer dude is suggesting people think realistically about club soccer-

Braintree Median household income $96,522

Westwood $166,656
Hingham $163,966
Norwell $143,605
Hanover $130,341
Whitman $92,595
Weymouth $85,000

Now lets do % white-

Braintree 80%
Westwood 96%
Hingham 98%
Norwell 98%
Hanover 98%
Whitman 97%
Weymouth 84%

So your comparison was overwhelmingly rich white suburbs to a small city which is poorer and more diverse.

The only one that's even close to compare with is Weymouth.

Well what do you know? Why do Braintree parents prance around like they're from Hingham all the time?

[Unregistered]

Oh ok sure. Access and means has nothing to do with it. Club soccer is known for its inclusiveness and openness to all of any means. (it should be! but it definitely is not currently)

So what is your point?

OP said look at all these towns with D1 soccer players.

You say he/she cherry picked white, wealthy towns so it isn't a fair comparison.

Does being whiter make you a better soccer player?

Does being wealthier make you a better soccer player?

What's your beef with the notion that Braintree underproduces college soccer players?

[Unregistered]

So being wealthy and having the means to pay for real club soccer makes for better soccer players? Got it.

No, but high end club soccer costs $, especially in the prime recruiting years. More people in the wealthier towns can afford it.

I think the Braintree guy writing to his youth soccer families has his heart in the right place, but tells an incomplete story that opens him up to criticism. He's not wrong in implying that chasing the high-end club soccer dream is a waste of money for most of the people he's writing to. And, he's probably right to slow the roll of those parents who've heard that "club soccer = scholarship" and are way too jacked up because little Mia scored a couple of goals against kids picking daisies at U8.

While it might have added another 30% in length, I think he could have gone a little deeper into the club soccer environment and provided more information. He could have reminded people that they could start small or even start a bit later, and that there are ways to explore club soccer options without writing the massive $3500 check in year 1 to a premium club. He opened the conversation, but didn't finish it.

[Unregistered]

What's your beef with the notion that Braintree underproduces college soccer players?

Mostly that asshat Club Dad cherry picked "1-2 players are D1 quality" as a definitive number and got all pissy about it. This entire thread is ridiculous and I tried really hard to avoid clicking on it.

[Unregistered]

Well what do you know? Why do Braintree parents prance around like they're from Hingham all the time?

Pics or it didn't happen hahaha

[Unregistered]

Mostly that asshat Club Dad cherry picked "1-2 players are D1 quality" as a definitive number and got all pissy about it. This entire thread is ridiculous and I tried really hard to avoid clicking on it.

Still waiting on that list of CFC players on college rosters.

[Unregistered]

Still waiting on that list of CFC players on college rosters.

hitting refresh harder might help.

[Unregistered]

hitting refresh harder might help.

Ask Mr. Loser in Braintree, he has all the info.

[Unregistered]

There is one kid at a D3 school but I'm not outing him.

[Unregistered]

There is one kid at a D3 school but I'm not outing him.

Bolts parents really sad especially down south shore - their East elite, Boston Elite and South elite constantly getting beat up by smaller teams like Commonwealth but try justify their existence by quoting college recruits from their DA team which 99.5% of bolts kids dont play for. Obviously DA team with their pick of the crop are good and some make D1 but 99.5% of bolts kids are nowhere near that. You pay 3500 to get beat up by teams pay 1200 but your DA team is good. Its obvious to anyone that knows the real story.

[Unregistered]

The guy who wrote the email seemed to have good intentions, but he's wrong. He's 100% wrong.

The bigger issue at hand is to ask yourself this. In a town that has one of the largest youth soccer programs in New England - why can't they seem to generate more talent?

Dedham, Westwood, Hingham, Norwell, Hanover, Whitman, Weymouth....all multiple D1 level girls soccer players in their programs. But Braintree can only produce "maybe 1 or 2 but probably not" from both boys and girls side according to this guy???

This is a great point! The town program is over 3,000 strong and the travel branch has some of the best teams up through 8th grade, then it fall off a cliff. The small club mentality and the perennial underperforming HS Team and coach (who also hates high level clubs). Just by sheer numbers at the youth level you would expect a handful of college players each year, but usually only produce 1 or 2.

[Unregistered]

Bolts parents really sad especially down south shore - their East elite, Boston Elite and South elite constantly getting beat up by smaller teams like Commonwealth but try justify their existence by quoting college recruits from their DA team which 99.5% of bolts kids dont play for. Obviously DA team with their pick of the crop are good and some make D1 but 99.5% of bolts kids are nowhere near that. You pay 3500 to get beat up by teams pay 1200 but your DA team is good. Its obvious to anyone that knows the real story.

You are referring to one age group, correct? Just want to be sure. I would guess this was the last season of that. How can you explain a 6-0 scoreline vs the East team in the fall being turned around to a 3-2 score this season? Could it be one team is developing and one team playing kick and chase is being caught up to?

[Unregistered]

I think CFC Dad and Bolts Dad should take this in private and work out their differences like manly men. Leave the kids in Braintree out of it.

[Unregistered]

For comparison this is what smaller town next door to Braintree sent out...

Hi everyone. Many parents new to soccer may have heard the term “club soccer,” or wonder about additional soccer playing experiences for their child. This email should give you enough information to decide whether club soccer might be a good opportunity for your child. “Club soccer” refers to very competitive boys’ or girls’ soccer teams that play in a competitive league. Club teams require tryouts (typically in June). Most clubs also offer Academy training for a smaller price where the player practices with the club, but is not on the team for games. Players from any town can play on a club team.

What are the advantages of club soccer?
Improved soccer ability. Your child’s skills will significantly improve due to:

o More practices and games. All players naturally improve just by practicing and playing more.

o Professional coaching. Club soccer teams, unlike town programs with unpaid parent coaches, hire their coaches. These coaches might hold varying levels of coaching licensure. Be aware, however, that there are always good coaches and bad coaches at every level.

o Competition against other strong players. The best way to improve your play is to play with and against other good players.

• Exposure to good life values, including teamwork and individual work. Since most teams are together for the entire year (and typically the core of the team continues from year to year), players learn what it means to work for each other to accomplish goals. Players also make friends with players from different towns since the team may consist of players from many towns. With good coaches, they will be encouraged to work hard at improving their skills and to try their best on the field at all times.
Club teams and HAYSA both encourage children to continue to play with their town team. We believe that playing with your friends is important, especially at the younger ages. We encourage HAYSA coaches to be accommodating of club players regarding practice attendance. Club games generally take place on Sundays while town games take place on Saturdays.

Below find a brief description of each of the area clubs, click on their name to go to their website and find tryout dates/times.

Surf: https://newenglandsurf.com/tryouts/ is one of the largest clubs in the country with teams in just about every state across the country. They have multiple locations in MA, with some teams practicing at Union Point in Weymouth. Boys and Girls.

Juventus: https://www.juventusacademyboston.com/tryouts “Juve” has become one of the largest clubs in MA. They practice out of Forekicks Taunton primarily. Boys and Girls.

Scorpions: http://scorpionssoccer.org/about/join Scorpions serves both boys and girls. Scorpions practice in Braintree and Forekicks Taunton, depending on team. Scorpions are one of the only teams in MA that hold a license to play in the girls ECNL, the highest level of play for girls.

South Shore Select: South Shore Select: https://selectma.com/tryout-info/ Practices are held in Braintree and Weymouth. Winter practices are held in the South Shore Sports Center in Hingham, which they own. South Shore Select is primarily a girls club, but do have a few boys teams as well.

Bolts: https://www.bostonbolts.com/join-bolts2 Bolts are the largest boys club in MA. They practice in Weymouth at Lovell field and Union Point. Bolts are one of the only MA teams to have a license to play in MLS Next, the highest level of play for boys
.
Seacoast: http://www.seacoastunitedma.com/tryouts Seacoast is one of the largest clubs in New England, with teams from NH down to the Cape. Practices are held in the Foxboro area down to Union Point in Weymouth depending on team. Boys and Girls.

NEFC: https://www.nefc.us/tryouts2020 NEFC is one of the largest clubs in MA. They have teams all over the state. They practice at Union Point and Taunton Forekicks depending on team. Boys and Girls, but mostly girls in our area.

Stars: https://www.starsofma.org/tryout-info Stars is one of the largest clubs in MA. They have teams all over the state, fairly small in our area but growing. Boys and Girls, but larger for girls.

Steel United: https://steelunitedmass.leagueapps.c...202122-tryouts Steel is a large national club with teams all over the country, but it’s a small club in MA with teams from Needham down to Kingston. Boys and Girls.

MA City: https://www.masscityfc.com/page/show...ty-f-c-tryouts MA City practices at Union Point in Weymouth and in Hanover. Smaller club than some others on this list. Boys and Girls.

There are many options for clubs and it pays to do some research as some will be a better fit than others for your child if you choose to play club soccer. Just about all these clubs will let your child attend a practice for no charge to try it out. It’s a good idea to start asking to come to a practice now to get a feel for the different clubs. Tryouts begin in June for the next year’s teams.

[Unregistered]

For comparison this is what smaller town next door to Braintree sent out...

Hi everyone. Many parents new to soccer may have heard the term “club soccer,” or wonder about additional soccer playing experiences for their child. This email should give you enough information to decide whether club soccer might be a good opportunity for your child. “Club soccer” refers to very competitive boys’ or girls’ soccer teams that play in a competitive league. Club teams require tryouts (typically in June). Most clubs also offer Academy training for a smaller price where the player practices with the club, but is not on the team for games. Players from any town can play on a club team.

What are the advantages of club soccer?
Improved soccer ability. Your child’s skills will significantly improve due to:

o More practices and games. All players naturally improve just by practicing and playing more.

o Professional coaching. Club soccer teams, unlike town programs with unpaid parent coaches, hire their coaches. These coaches might hold varying levels of coaching licensure. Be aware, however, that there are always good coaches and bad coaches at every level.

o Competition against other strong players. The best way to improve your play is to play with and against other good players.

• Exposure to good life values, including teamwork and individual work. Since most teams are together for the entire year (and typically the core of the team continues from year to year), players learn what it means to work for each other to accomplish goals. Players also make friends with players from different towns since the team may consist of players from many towns. With good coaches, they will be encouraged to work hard at improving their skills and to try their best on the field at all times.
Club teams and HAYSA both encourage children to continue to play with their town team. We believe that playing with your friends is important, especially at the younger ages. We encourage HAYSA coaches to be accommodating of club players regarding practice attendance. Club games generally take place on Sundays while town games take place on Saturdays.

Below find a brief description of each of the area clubs, click on their name to go to their website and find tryout dates/times.

Surf: https://newenglandsurf.com/tryouts/ is one of the largest clubs in the country with teams in just about every state across the country. They have multiple locations in MA, with some teams practicing at Union Point in Weymouth. Boys and Girls.

Juventus: https://www.juventusacademyboston.com/tryouts “Juve” has become one of the largest clubs in MA. They practice out of Forekicks Taunton primarily. Boys and Girls.

Scorpions: http://scorpionssoccer.org/about/join Scorpions serves both boys and girls. Scorpions practice in Braintree and Forekicks Taunton, depending on team. Scorpions are one of the only teams in MA that hold a license to play in the girls ECNL, the highest level of play for girls.

South Shore Select: South Shore Select: https://selectma.com/tryout-info/ Practices are held in Braintree and Weymouth. Winter practices are held in the South Shore Sports Center in Hingham, which they own. South Shore Select is primarily a girls club, but do have a few boys teams as well.

Bolts: https://www.bostonbolts.com/join-bolts2 Bolts are the largest boys club in MA. They practice in Weymouth at Lovell field and Union Point. Bolts are one of the only MA teams to have a license to play in MLS Next, the highest level of play for boys
.
Seacoast: http://www.seacoastunitedma.com/tryouts Seacoast is one of the largest clubs in New England, with teams from NH down to the Cape. Practices are held in the Foxboro area down to Union Point in Weymouth depending on team. Boys and Girls.

NEFC: https://www.nefc.us/tryouts2020 NEFC is one of the largest clubs in MA. They have teams all over the state. They practice at Union Point and Taunton Forekicks depending on team. Boys and Girls, but mostly girls in our area.

Stars: https://www.starsofma.org/tryout-info Stars is one of the largest clubs in MA. They have teams all over the state, fairly small in our area but growing. Boys and Girls, but larger for girls.

Steel United: https://steelunitedmass.leagueapps.c...202122-tryouts Steel is a large national club with teams all over the country, but it’s a small club in MA with teams from Needham down to Kingston. Boys and Girls.

MA City: https://www.masscityfc.com/page/show...ty-f-c-tryouts MA City practices at Union Point in Weymouth and in Hanover. Smaller club than some others on this list. Boys and Girls.

There are many options for clubs and it pays to do some research as some will be a better fit than others for your child if you choose to play club soccer. Just about all these clubs will let your child attend a practice for no charge to try it out. It’s a good idea to start asking to come to a practice now to get a feel for the different clubs. Tryouts begin in June for the next year’s teams.

That’s how you dutifully inform rather than preach and promote like Mr. Braintree.