You don’t need a club - BACKLASH

[Unregistered]

Find a trainer who specializes in small groups and work with them.
Spend your money on true development. Let the market dictate prices.

Forget the glitz and allure of badges.

Play friendlies locally. No national travel.
College coaches will figure recruitment out. Just make a good tape of your kid
playing and training.

Reduce the stress and anxiety for kids. It’s just soccer.

[Unregistered]

The irony here is when you take away all of the baggage and drama created by parents, the great majority of the kids love playing for their club. Better advice would be to pay for your child, drive them, and support them in a loving but tough way as they work through youth soccer. Most important, stay out of the way. Never watch practice, but make every game. Never comment on the players or coaches in a negative way. Give only positive comments within 24 hours, save constructive comments for later. Also, if you aren't qualified let the coach do that. Finally, never discuss playing time or your players place on the team, give them the confidence to take care of that themselves.

[Unregistered]

So, how does the recruiter see them play? Just by the highlight real you send? Do you have any idea how many they get?

Without going to any national or even regional showcasing or event 99.9% of recruiters will never see your kid doing this. unless you have all the time in the world to work to get your kid noticed or that much extra to hire a sports marketing company you need some kid of exposure.

If you listen to this nut you are setting your kid up for failure. This is great for supplement but by no means will this get them prepped for college soccer.

[Unregistered]

The irony here is when you take away all of the baggage and drama created by parents, the great majority of the kids love playing for their club. Better advice would be to pay for your child, drive them, and support them in a loving but tough way as they work through youth soccer. Most important, stay out of the way. Never watch practice, but make every game. Never comment on the players or coaches in a negative way. Give only positive comments within 24 hours, save constructive comments for later. Also, if you aren't qualified let the coach do that. Finally, never discuss playing time or your players place on the team, give them the confidence to take care of that themselves.

Thanks DOC and coach of large club.

[Unregistered]

So, how does the recruiter see them play? Just by the highlight real you send? Do you have any idea how many they get?

Without going to any national or even regional showcasing or event 99.9% of recruiters will never see your kid doing this. unless you have all the time in the world to work to get your kid noticed or that much extra to hire a sports marketing company you need some kid of exposure.

If you listen to this nut you are setting your kid up for failure. This is great for supplement but by no means will this get them prepped for college soccer.

Thanks DOC and coach of large club.

[Unregistered]

So, how does the recruiter see them play? Just by the highlight real you send? Do you have any idea how many they get?

Without going to any national or even regional showcasing or event 99.9% of recruiters will never see your kid doing this. unless you have all the time in the world to work to get your kid noticed or that much extra to hire a sports marketing company you need some kid of exposure.

If you listen to this nut you are setting your kid up for failure. This is great for supplement but by no means will this get them prepped for college soccer.

Not the thread OP but not everyone wants to play in college. That shouldn't be the goal of playing club soccer until well into middle school and even then only for the players with the skills and mental toughness to make a possibility.

However - working with a trainer is all well and good, but you still need game experience. You're only learning part of the sport without that critical piece. What team will you play on if you're not with something more formalized? Think any old club will just let you show up and play on their teams? Oh, and games can be, you know, fun?

The OPs "let the market dictate prices" is foolish since right now the market is club teams at a price point between x and y. That's the market. Parents are free to go it alone but good luck.

[Unregistered]

Thanks DOC and coach of large club.

Actually he's right. Parents should stay out of it. Be supportive but from a distance. Let your kids figure it out. Over involved parents can often turn their kids off to sports.

[Unregistered]

Thanks DOC and coach of large club.

The poster is correct. If parents didn't live through their children, youth sports would be an even better experience. Delusional parents spending $5K a year to be on B teams while these clubs laugh. If those parents would realize their child's limitations (which is Ok) and just choose their local town A team or a competitive B team at an EDP club, they would change the market and landscape.

We all want change in this world but adults continue to set bad examples by constantly bashing clubs, teammates and coaches.

[Unregistered]

Not the thread OP but not everyone wants to play in college. That shouldn't be the goal of playing club soccer until well into middle school and even then only for the players with the skills and mental toughness to make a possibility.

However - working with a trainer is all well and good, but you still need game experience. You're only learning part of the sport without that critical piece. What team will you play on if you're not with something more formalized? Think any old club will just let you show up and play on their teams? Oh, and games can be, you know, fun?

The OPs "let the market dictate prices" is foolish since right now the market is club teams at a price point between x and y. That's the market. Parents are free to go it alone but good luck.

The goal shouldn't be to play college. The mindset has to change. The goal should be to fall in love with a sport so that when the youth grow up, they pass it to the next generation.

[Unregistered]

Thanks DOC and coach of large club.

Nope. Just a dad who has been around the game for too many years passing on some advice. I did used to coach, but that was a long time ago. I do I guess have that perspective, but was speaking as a dad.

Listen, I disagree with coaches and the club on occasion. I just am very careful how I express that, because I know it does not help my kids. I also know it's not easy to coach or run a club. This goes for HS as well. I never speak with that coach other than cordially.

[Unregistered]

Not the thread OP but not everyone wants to play in college. That shouldn't be the goal of playing club soccer until well into middle school and even then only for the players with the skills and mental toughness to make a possibility.

However - working with a trainer is all well and good, but you still need game experience. You're only learning part of the sport without that critical piece. What team will you play on if you're not with something more formalized? Think any old club will just let you show up and play on their teams? Oh, and games can be, you know, fun?

The OPs "let the market dictate prices" is foolish since right now the market is club teams at a price point between x and y. That's the market. Parents are free to go it alone but good luck.

And this is why there will always be a profitable youth soccer business. OPs point is you could remove a lot of the stuff and recreate similar experiences IF the incentives were pure. Utopian for sure.

The system is what it is because of the incentives and if anything judging by the expansion over the years it is underpriced.

[Unregistered]

Find a trainer who specializes in small groups and work with them.
Spend your money on true development. Let the market dictate prices.

Forget the glitz and allure of badges.

Play friendlies locally. No national travel.
College coaches will figure recruitment out. Just make a good tape of your kid
playing and training.

Reduce the stress and anxiety for kids. It’s just soccer.

The glitz and allure of badges it’s all it’s about these days. Shocking how much the parents actually care about this, more than the kids believe it or not. As for true development most parents don’t have a clue. They have no idea what a good training session looks like nor what it takes to play in college. That aspect alone makes them easy targets for DoCs and trainers to sell them on playing at the next level when the reality is the chance is quite small.

[Unregistered]

The goal shouldn't be to play college. The mindset has to change. The goal should be to fall in love with a sport so that when the youth grow up, they pass it to the next generation.

I don't think it starts out that way - it evolves into that as some kids start to take it more seriously, show some aptitude and get invited to try out at "top" clubs. Most kids starting as little ones are just there for fun and to learn a game. Unfortunately participation in youth soccer has been declining the last several years, in part because of the cost and travel and nonsense. But it isn't enough yet to cause a paradigm shift. Clubs are businesses making money, customers write checks. When a family drops out there always seems to be another to take their spot.

[Unregistered]

The glitz and allure of badges it’s all it’s about these days. Shocking how much the parents actually care about this, more than the kids believe it or not. As for true development most parents don’t have a clue. They have no idea what a good training session looks like nor what it takes to play in college. That aspect alone makes them easy targets for DoCs and trainers to sell them on playing at the next level when the reality is the chance is quite small.

What it takes to play in College. That is a relative measure, not absolute. Girls soccer is a parent funded adventure with the back stop of being able to afford College anyways. Its like a video game where you can buy more levels etc.

Relative to how the sport has exploded here in terms of investment for girls, the quality has lagged behind. Why? So many factors have aligned from Title IX, to the lack of investment in the RoW, WC wins that you can pretend this model is about player ID based on soccer excellence.

Most College soccer for girls is unwatchable unless you have family or close friend ties. Why?

[Unregistered]

What it takes to play in College. That is a relative measure, not absolute. Girls soccer is a parent funded adventure with the back stop of being able to afford College anyways. Its like a video game where you can buy more levels etc.

Relative to how the sport has exploded here in terms of investment for girls, the quality has lagged behind. Why? So many factors have aligned from Title IX, to the lack of investment in the RoW, WC wins that you can pretend this model is about player ID based on soccer excellence.

Most College soccer for girls is unwatchable unless you have family or close friend ties. Why?

Because it’s in essence HS soccer upgraded with better athletes. Don’t be mistaken the college game is about physicality and athleticism first and foremost. If you’re not a freak athlete speed, size etc the chances that you’ll play D1 go down dramatically. Just reality folks.