Riding the bench at PDA and the annual rotation of players

[Guest]

Parents are morons watching their kids rot on the bench for some letters and perceived prestige. All that money and time and misery when you could be a valued part of a team. Kids don’t get better in games by sitting on the bench. They need experience. Go where you will get playing time. Otherwise you are just enabling these clubs to continue to roster 20-22 kids, rake in the money and continue to sell the scam. Hard pass.

Could not agree more. Wake up, parents!

Only 18 can dress on game day. That means 2-4 players are informed mid-week that they aren't dressing this weekend based on how they practiced that week.

The system is completely broken.

[Guest]

Not always. There is some nonsense happening on some teams (won’t name team because they are children) let’s not romanticize things and act like this is all merit based when it’s clearly not.

Agreed. It should say….playing time SHOULD be based on performance at this level

[Guest]

Agreed. It should say….playing time SHOULD be based on performance at this level

I think it should be based less on performance, and more on the "will to compete", and if the player if following the coach's strategy. Players should be able to work through their struggles, it's part of development.

[Guest]

I think it should be based less on performance, and more on the "will to compete", and if the player if following the coach's strategy. Players should be able to work through their struggles, it's part of development.

That’s dumb, at this top level it’s about performance. Go play town ball with that attitude

[Guest]

Could not agree more. Wake up, parents!

Only 18 can dress on game day. That means 2-4 players are informed mid-week that they aren't dressing this weekend based on how they practiced that week.

The system is completely broken.

When we played PDA Blue they had 21 show up and 3 were told that day they weren't playing.

[Guest]

The reality is PDA is a status symbol for parents. Similar to the nice car in the driveway for some in their circles. Factually for various reason you have kids on the end of benches on Blue and white teams that have no business playing decent soccer. Yet they will ride the pine so the parents can gloat online. It’s clear and worse half the time not even sure the kid wants to play because they know they can’t keep up with their teammates In the end it’s a lose lose but parents are the major drivers of this