Stop saying ulittle doesn’t matter

[Guest]

Exactly. Don't get sucked into the big club, chase the badge hype until middle school. By then you will have a better idea if your kid has something there and if they're willing to put the work in. Sure you may need to move up from a low level club to a mid level one but you don't necessarily need to go to ones holding prized badges....yet. It all depends on what your options are and which have strong coaching and a good fit for your player. And don't drag your young ones on long commutes and cross state line games. It's draining for all and can kill their enthusiasm.

Yes, would add that really it’s not until HS when it’s time to decide next steps and it’s on the player to make decisions. If the parents have to push then likely the player isn’t interested in the higher level and that’s ok. There isn’t much for female soccer players post college so let them find the path they love. If it’s all soccer great if it’s a little soccer great. It’s their life not yours

[Guest]

Yes, would add that really it’s not until HS when it’s time to decide next steps and it’s on the player to make decisions. If the parents have to push then likely the player isn’t interested in the higher level and that’s ok. There isn’t much for female soccer players post college so let them find the path they love. If it’s all soccer great if it’s a little soccer great. It’s their life not yours

op here and I party agree. Unfortunately unless you're a top stud (and realistically there aren't many of them) you do need to be in the hunt by U14 or so. It just gets really hard to crack a tp roster unless you're going to be a top starter. Many other players are interchangeable and clubs don't like to rock the boat unless it's clear a player belong. Other yes spot on. It's your kids' bus to drive, not yours. Your job is help guide but not push. They'll figure it out on their own terms. Also be realistic/a skeptic. As much as a player may want something it simply may not be attainable.

[Guest]

I think the point is that wins/losses, standings, tournament wins, rankings, etc are a bit meaningless when it comes to ulittle. Agree that player-development at that age is paramount.

My D played at a town club up thru U10 in Northern Counties B-flight. Team was a perennial .500 in the standings, partly because the DOC at the club wanted to make sure that every player played significant time every position regardless of what it did to the win/loss record. At U11, she went to one of the big "elite" clubs, where we found a bunch of players who had joined at U8 and had almost never played a different position over the years. The team won a lot, but it was full of players who had no idea how to play any position but the one they were trained in. IMHO, my D was much better off in her ulittle years.

[Guest]

Even in college there is no money in womens soccer. 14 scholarships for 30 girls. They don’t have to be evenly distributed. So if your kid isn’t really desired or there are others who are more desirable your kid will end up with much less. Girls soccer is a big business where almost 100% of people will see very little ROI. Keep it a game for fun. Don’t get caught up in the hype. Even if you do decide to go to a “big club” it doesn’t mean you need to become crazy.

[Guest]

I think the point is that wins/losses, standings, tournament wins, rankings, etc are a bit meaningless when it comes to ulittle. Agree that player-development at that age is paramount.

My D played at a town club up thru U10 in Northern Counties B-flight. Team was a perennial .500 in the standings, partly because the DOC at the club wanted to make sure that every player played significant time every position regardless of what it did to the win/loss record. At U11, she went to one of the big "elite" clubs, where we found a bunch of players who had joined at U8 and had almost never played a different position over the years. The team won a lot, but it was full of players who had no idea how to play any position but the one they were trained in. IMHO, my D was much better off in her ulittle years.

For her, Im sure you were correct. I love the way you phrase this so personally. Other kids may benefit from a big elite club. My opinion is some parents assume that everyone will and if you win games, get coaches coming to games, make or play with kids who make YNTs, you are getting everything you need to be great.

[Guest]

Even in college there is no money in womens soccer. 14 scholarships for 30 girls. They don’t have to be evenly distributed. So if your kid isn’t really desired or there are others who are more desirable your kid will end up with much less. Girls soccer is a big business where almost 100% of people will see very little ROI. Keep it a game for fun. Don’t get caught up in the hype. Even if you do decide to go to a “big club” it doesn’t mean you need to become crazy.

Based on the expansion and style of the Clubs that seem to be the most commercially successful, many people find fun in the way things are .

[Guest]

U little matters a ton for the development of the players. U little does not matter, at all, for the results some coaches chase. You have these crazy coaches chasing tournament wins, flying the team all over the place. Then when competition heats up in U14-15 as talent aggregates, all of the teams get jumbled up anyway.

[Guest]

It matters to different people based on what they may be looking for and/or how they get satisfaction. When you mix people who are chasing different things for different reasons you will get differing opinions.

[Guest]

U little matters a ton for the development of the players. U little does not matter, at all, for the results some coaches chase. You have these crazy coaches chasing tournament wins, flying the team all over the place. Then when competition heats up in U14-15 as talent aggregates, all of the teams get jumbled up anyway.

Truth be told it isn't so much the coaches but their bosses, the club owners. They know parents are suckers for #1 team monikers. It keeps a new crop of customers coming in the door. Youth sports depends on volume and with so many clubs fighting over the same (and slightly dwindling number of players) they look for anything to reel in a few more suckers.

[Guest]

Based on the expansion and style of the Clubs that seem to be the most commercially successful, many people find fun in the way things are .

I agree. But i guess at “big” clubs it can turn off people who believe that any kid can be developed into a D1 athlete. When they realize that D1 talent actually shows up and pushed their kid further down the rungs it is upsetting to them. I say no matter what just keep in mind this is supposed to be extracurricular not a job for these kids.

[Guest]

I’m sick of seeing people post over and over how “ulittle”
soccer doesn’t matter. But in fact, it does.

It’s what helps players develop to the next level so they can play u13/u14 full sided. And those ages help you develop to HS aged soccer. And HS to college. And college to lower divisions. And lower divisions to higher divisions.

So it does matter. And just because your kid is further up the growth ladder, stop telling people below them that what they are doing and what they doing doesn’t mean anything. Unless your the parent of a Pro/NT player who’s winning the World Cup or
a league championship, there’s someone furth up the ladder that could be saying the same thing about your kid. So instead of belittling accomplishments while still “ulittle”, why don’t you share some constructive advice on what it takes to step up the next rung? Or how to deal with some of the challenges they might hit when they do?

People say little doesn't matter because of all the changes that'll happen over the course of the next few years and the *stars* of ulittle, may end up being duds by HS age. Happens more often than not, I have a HS Senior and we laugh looking back on how crazed some of these parents of the supposed *stars* were and how things panned out over time. Looking back at all the kids who were ODP Regional, did NTC & combines, yada yada and there is literally ONE kid, out of maybe a dozen or so "top players" from 11/12 yo that is committed to a solid college program...the rest just fizzled out, despite their parents boasting, shelling out a ton of $$$ and dragging them all over the place.

[Guest]

ulittle doesn’t matter

[Guest]

People say little doesn't matter because of all the changes that'll happen over the course of the next few years and the *stars* of ulittle, may end up being duds by HS age. Happens more often than not, I have a HS Senior and we laugh looking back on how crazed some of these parents of the supposed *stars* were and how things panned out over time. Looking back at all the kids who were ODP Regional, did NTC & combines, yada yada and there is literally ONE kid, out of maybe a dozen or so "top players" from 11/12 yo that is committed to a solid college program...the rest just fizzled out, despite their parents boasting, shelling out a ton of $$$ and dragging them all over the place.

The model is all about convincing people that what they want is not possible unless you follow them and then charging you for it. Its brilliant because people will often change what they want to be part of the Club.

[Guest]

The reality is that U little does not matter and for that matter, neither does the HS age play for most kids.

Looking at the short, fat and clearly unathletic parents on the sidelines trying to will their 11 year olds to greatness is just sad. In the end, all you are doing is making the inevitable cut/replacement hurt even more. Encourage your kids, but don't make them think that their entire value is dependent on soccer (or any activity) performance. Thats just a recipe for disaster down the road.

[soccerinnj]

The reality is that U little does not matter and for that matter, neither does the HS age play for most kids.

Looking at the short, fat and clearly unathletic parents on the sidelines trying to will their 11 year olds to greatness is just sad. In the end, all you are doing is making the inevitable cut/replacement hurt even more. Encourage your kids, but don't make them think that their entire value is dependent on soccer (or any activity) performance. Thats just a recipe for disaster down the road.

Pretty harsh re: parents. You have no idea what that parent did regarding athletics when they were in their teens and 20's. People don't keep up with sports or put on weight for various reasons, so grading a kid based on how their parents look is a bit silly. Also, being athletic doesn't prevent someone from being a grade a ahole.

Besides that stuff, your post is accurate.