Ny gda

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Because

1) parents want to give their kids experiences they enjoy and the "best" opportunities to excel
2) some parents think exceling at a sport or other costly activity will give their kid an edge with college admissions
3) some (fewer) think that activity might lead to college scholarship $
4) the $ in youth activities, especially youth sports, drives the bus

From what I have seen, more than a few people think that their kids will get scholarship money and soccer (sports) becomes a means to an end. I am surprised at the number of players that seem play for that reason alone. What ever happened to love of the game??

[Unregistered]

Ny gda

From what I have seen, more than a few people think that their kids will get scholarship money and soccer (sports) becomes a means to an end. I am surprised at the number of players that seem play for that reason alone. What ever happened to love of the game??

Harder to love a game when chance to make/save money!!!!!!

[Unregistered]

From what I have seen, more than a few people think that their kids will get scholarship money and soccer (sports) becomes a means to an end. I am surprised at the number of players that seem play for that reason alone. What ever happened to love of the game??

The kids still love the game and dream of playing in college. It's the parents who become obsessed with a possible $ payout. Then reality sets in during the high school years. Then it changes from hoping for $ to hoping to play college soccer at all and if soccer will at least give them a leg up with admissions. Not many are going to tell their high level playing kid "sorry you have to stop or drop down two levels" because there's no benefit. Once families are in, they stay in. I read somewhere the idea parents should have to take a mandatory class on college recruiting in 7th grade. Of course there will always be some parents that think that won't happen to their kid (everyone's kid is above average right?). But I think more would seriously re-evaluate if they knew the odds.

Also, if there were better options for good competition that didn't cost a fortune/have tons of travel from 8th grade up that would shift the landscape as well. It's become too fragmented so everyone feels they have to participate in these absurd leagues

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Harder to love a game when chance to make/save money!!!!!!

It also doesn't make for great teammates. Too much at stake! It's unfortunate that it has come to this.

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And Pop Warner football; Little League baseball; AAU track & field; and more. There are sports that are more one ethnicity than another. Embrace the differences instead of making excuses for it. It's part of life. Not one type of player for everything.

No way you could compare the cost of youth soccer to the rest of those programs. Hence the ethnic diversity.

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No way you could compare the cost of youth soccer to the rest of those programs. Hence the ethnic diversity.

So, then might the problem for soccer then be that there are no public leagues like Pop Warner or Little League that actually does produce players in the long run?

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So, then might the problem for soccer then be that there are no public leagues like Pop Warner or Little League that actually does produce players in the long run?

Remember when most kids started on rec league teams. Now, you looked upon with distain. It was rec league, ODP and a rec league form of travel. That's why ODP is getting traction in some areas again.

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Remember when most kids started on rec league teams. Now, you looked upon with distain. It was rec league, ODP and a rec league form of travel. That's why ODP is getting traction in some areas again.

I hope that it does, but the state associations that run it need to be more objective and coaches need to stop making the kids on their club teams their priority.

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Remember when most kids started on rec league teams. Now, you looked upon with distain. It was rec league, ODP and a rec league form of travel. That's why ODP is getting traction in some areas again.

Odp is quite costly as well. Soccer has limited options for lower or lower middle income players.

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I have many things about ODP, some good, some bad, but in this area, especially Log Island, its quite corrupt, and slanted toward a particular group of coaches (EMSC)...however, it might work more honorably in another state. With the advent of GDA, ECNL, and USYS NL, the program is a distant 4th.

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I have many things about ODP, some good, some bad, but in this area, especially Log Island, its quite corrupt, and slanted toward a particular group of coaches (EMSC)...however, it might work more honorably in another state. With the advent of GDA, ECNL, and USYS NL, the program is a distant 4th.

Some other states do a much better job with ODP than around here. the state associations put some effort into it, have good coaching and it isn't as expensive. Around here its a mess.

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Some other states do a much better job with ODP than around here. the state associations put some effort into it, have good coaching and it isn't as expensive. Around here its a mess.

It’s a mess because of one small detail.

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It’s a mess because of one small detail.

Which is what? Cost or politics? If you can get the right people in there, it works. Grassroots for ODP.

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Which is what? Cost or politics? If you can get the right people in there, it works. Grassroots for ODP.

The problem is everything is wat too watered down. If this continues US soccer will continue to fade on the world stage.

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State organizations were only part of the problem. With DA and ECNL players getting great college exposure, even NT call ups, through theirleagues,, their leagues, the need to do ODP went away for them. Then with many top players out by u14 or so the quality of participants went way down. That in turn made it less appealing/less of a draw for players, college coaches and even instructional coaches.