Small Soccer Academies, killed town travel soccer

[Guest]

At first my daughter wasn't interested in Blaze but now that I've seen the same thing posted on every thread she's totally excited to attend.

roflmao!

[Guest]

At first my daughter wasn't interested in Blaze but now that I've seen the same thing posted on every thread she's totally excited to attend.

You must have no life if you just sit and read through every thread.

[Guest]

My kids does one of these small academies. But I live in a rich town with rich people and none of the parents can take off of work to coach during the week. $4K is nothing for some people when it covers 100 practices, 20 games, 5 tournaments and a bunch of friendlies

[Guest]

My experience is that everyone loves traveling. We all have a great time. Kids have fun hanging out and parents have fun as well. I really have a hard time seeing the issue with traveling.

Sure, if you can afford it. I didn't mind it either and had a lot of positives.

I'm also not so out of touch to realize not everyone can afford it. C'mon, pay attention to those around you.

[Guest]

Please explain how the Academy fooled me? Because I was never promised anything by them and I showed up on their field looking for my daughter to join them.

They fool parents because they are playing in the same leagues as town teams, with no pathway to get into the top youth leagues. Either way, if you have a Small Academies are just a waste of time for development. Academies don't make your child better, that's why they offer extra training, and many kids go to outside training to get the edge. Town teams need to adjust and create a pathway for top players, make soccer fun, representing your town, and making life long friends!

[Guest]

We are the shore and our pathway is california dreaming

[Guest]

They fool parents because they are playing in the same leagues as town teams, with no pathway to get into the top youth leagues. Either way, if you have a Small Academies are just a waste of time for development. Academies don't make your child better, that's why they offer extra training, and many kids go to outside training to get the edge. Town teams need to adjust and create a pathway for top players, make soccer fun, representing your town, and making life long friends!

What type of pathway would you propose for top players at a town team? Agree with the other components - but the competition dries up when all the different academies take their ball and play elsewhere. Essentially have to dominate at U9 and U10 to prove you can play with the big boys. Get to play with the big boys at U11 -- then everyone goes their separate ways. Top town teams can't survive the other forces at that point.

[Guest]

We are the shore and our pathway is california dreaming

MFA shore. Pathway to PDA white.

[Guest]

Consider that some kids would have stayed with their town teams if the clubs weren’t so political and played favorites. I’m happy we had an academy to escape to that looked at my kid for his skill not who he is friends with or if his parents are friends with the board members.

[Guest]

Moral of the story, small soccer academies, charging $1500-$2800 killed town travel soccer. They play in mid nj or Mosa and beat up on town teams and then pouch their best players. The parents are suckers, and then the kids don't get quality training that they should. Kids playing time goes down, and in the end decides to quit the sport. The End

99% of town teams are run by a parent who knows little to nothing about soccer. The town club usually sets who does the outside training that is included which is usually poor training. Players want more now and town clubs don't give it to them. When D was in u-littles her coach brought in trainers and encouraged the players to do any training they could. That team broke up after u10 with most going to A teams at several academy teams and are now starters at GA and ECNL clubs. The half of the team that didn't find success like that still play for upper level EDP teams. So what is better, that this team stayed together and was limited by the league and ability to travel as a township team or that the best players were able to move on to bigger and better while the rest still moved up and continued playing? Now this isn't to say that all academies are the same. Some produce nothing more than high priced township level teams, case in point local "academy" has all of 1 team that went to Jeff Cup, 0 at Baltimore Mania and a different aged team that went to Penn Fusion. 3 of the biggest area non-GA/ECNL showcases and 2 teams that went to 1 showcase each.

[Guest]

Big time fake news on the 99% figure noted above. And I could go with the same hyperbole that 99% of paid trainers know next to nothing with respect to dealing with kids. Wouldn't be fair to the blend on both sides.

[Guest]

My kids does one of these small academies. But I live in a rich town with rich people and none of the parents can take off of work to coach during the week. $4K is nothing for some people when it covers 100 practices, 20 games, 5 tournaments and a bunch of friendlies

Waste of money, they take any kid that shows up, bad development for your kid. Just stick to private training and town ball, at least until U11, if it's a small academy like JAE, Titanies or Valencia with no pathway. Plus you sound like a dumbass!

[Guest]

Town soccer is a few hundred bucks run by dads. Yeah a few grand for the academy but it’s year round , tons of games and events. Do the math

[Guest]

by the look of these threads i do not think 9,10,11, or 12 year old kids are typing in here. So maybe it's the Parents that killed Youth soccer and town soccer. Don't use words like town or academies. It's Parents.