Single Piece of Advice You'd Give A New Parent That Shows Up Here

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No jokes please! I remember when I first found this site I knew absolutely nothing about what I was getting into with a son about to start playing club soccer. So many things I wish I knew then.

This could be a great resource for the newbies that stumble on to this site, so I'll start:

No matter which club or team your child plays for, there will always be a "better" team out there, but the best team for your child is one where they get a lot of playing time, like their teammates and their coach.

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- ulittle doesn't matter so don't feel like your kid has to be on the "best" team. find something close to your house that's got good coaching

- what' good coaching? ask around in your area for recommendations; ask families with older players; go watch some games or practices and see how the coach interacts with the players. don't expect to find reliable answers on an anonymous site like this.

- don't push your kid onto a higher team that's over their head. if they're not playing they'll me unhappy, won't be learning, and could even stop playing altogether.

- ^^^ if above applies get out of it as quick as you can

- winning records doesn't mean there is good coaching. it's easy to get the wins at the younger ages with recruiting the right players and above-average athletes. but eventually it catches up to players. find a place that teaches fundamentals

- don't do a team with loads of travel until they're ready, they want it, they prove they're committed and are at least 11-12 years.

- don't wait for tryouts to look at new teams. late winter/early spring ask to attend practices at other clubs. it's a better way for both sides to assess if it's a good fit

- ^^^ don't tell your current club you're looking or any other parent on your team unless you really trust that person. things can get nasty when word gets out players are looking

- never do club soccer in the hope of a pay out. do it because your kid loves the sport, wants to learn and only if it fits your family budget. half won't even be playing by high school and the odds of playing in college is almost nonexistent. there's decent money in women's college soccer but virtually none in men's. love of the game only.

- enjoy it while it lasts. they grow up too damm fast!

[Unregistered]

No jokes please! I remember when I first found this site I knew absolutely nothing about what I was getting into with a son about to start playing club soccer. So many things I wish I knew then.

This could be a great resource for the newbies that stumble on to this site, so I'll start:

No matter which club or team your child plays for, there will always be a "better" team out there, but the best team for your child is one where they get a lot of playing time, like their teammates and their coach.

Be realistic about your childs talent. There are a lot of good players that grow (puberty) at different rates, develop slower or quicker than others. Most parents are delusional about their own and other kids talent...the other poster ☝️ Gave alot if good avise best statement
Enjoy it while it lasts.....it really does go fast

[Unregistered]

use this as a re recreational place for your daily laugh. Do not confuse this with a real educational resource

[Unregistered]

Remember that politics most often prevails. Keep an ear open to hear some of what is happening but don't get carried away with it or caught up in arguing. There's always someone whose kid is there because of $. The teams will always choose (very arbitrarily I will add) their "favorites" and you'll at times be forced to make adjustments. Don't let adults stupidity ruin the kids' experiences!

[Unregistered]

Be realistic about your childs talent. There are a lot of good players that grow (puberty) at different rates, develop slower or quicker than others. Most parents are delusional about their own and other kids talent...the other poster ☝️ Gave alot if good avise best statement
Enjoy it while it lasts.....it really does go fast

Yes be realistic. Also, master the basic skills of the game. At a young age the bigger and faster kids can dominate. Later on that does not work at all. The kid who can master the skills, play with heart and draw on knowledge of the game) is more valuable.

[Unregistered]

Yes be realistic. Also, master the basic skills of the game. At a young age the bigger and faster kids can dominate. Later on that does not work at all. The kid who can master the skills, play with heart and draw on knowledge of the game) is more valuable.

this is a fallacy. please show me all the small slow technical kids dominating in College. people need to stop this tired nonsense. they use it as an excuse to justify why Jane is struggling or to minimize why Sara is doing well. like many sports, size, speed etc ARE factors along with others. stop dismissing the physical gifts some kids have and pretending they dont matter. they do,

[Unregistered]

this is a fallacy. please show me all the small slow technical kids dominating in College. people need to stop this tired nonsense. they use it as an excuse to justify why Jane is struggling or to minimize why Sara is doing well. like many sports, size, speed etc ARE factors along with others. stop dismissing the physical gifts some kids have and pretending they dont matter. they do,

Who said anything about slow technical kids? Slow technical kids ref in high school.

Fast, technical kids need to be amazing to be noticed pre-puberty, but slow, big, non-technical kids can make a lot of teams pre-puberty.

But fast, technical, small kids always win out in the end against big, slow & strong non-technical kids.

Big, fast, technical kids obviously tend to win out.

Tell me what sport, other than maybe wrestling, has so many successful players of smaller stature?

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Who said anything about slow technical kids? Slow technical kids ref in high school.

Fast, technical kids need to be amazing to be noticed pre-puberty, but slow, big, non-technical kids can make a lot of teams pre-puberty.

But fast, technical, small kids always win out in the end against big, slow & strong non-technical kids.

Big, fast, technical kids obviously tend to win out.

Tell me what sport, other than maybe wrestling, has so many successful players of smaller stature?

you are making strange comparisons. You said speed and size does "not work at all" I beg to differ. If we define College as the peak for most women soccer players, there are several examples of big and fast thriving in that world with limited technical ability.

your comparison should be the big fast less technical kid vs the smaller, slower more technical kid. i have yet to see kids improve speed dramatically as they get older. Speed off play sure, but not speed of foot.

[Unregistered]

You can only teach speed to a certain extent, however, IQ off the ball, in my opinion, is more important. Speedy attackers are a dime a dozen and they are typically defended by comparatively slower bigger players on the back line.

Speed is the one difference in all professional sports. Players fortunate enough to make the leap must get used to doing simple things at an incredible pace.

Luckily in soccer, there is one thing that trumps player speed and that is the pass. A pass is the fastest thing on a pitch. It's faster than running without the ball, with the ball, or any type of skill move.

Watch any EPL, La Liga, or other Euro league game and count the one-touch control & pass possessions there are. It's probably 8-9 out of every ten passes. Players don't make end to end runs or dribble past many defenders. The player in the EPL with the most successful dribbles is probably a player you never heard of - Adama Traore of newly promoted Wolverhampton.

Creating space off the ball and making the smart pass can beat bigger, faster players.

Until that changes the average size in professional European soccer is going to be under 5'11".

[Unregistered]

do what works best for your family. do research on the culture of a team by visiting a local game or consult with a trainer to attend a training session. observe how the parents behave, how the coach interacts, how the team plays together. take the advisement of any trainer/coach or managing parent with a grain of salt. this is all a business for a lot of the "elite" clubs you repeatedly hear about and most of the overly involved parents have agendas that don't include your kid no matter how talented he or she may be.

[Unregistered]

you are making strange comparisons. You said speed and size does "not work at all" I beg to differ. If we define College as the peak for most women soccer players, there are several examples of big and fast thriving in that world with limited technical ability.

your comparison should be the big fast less technical kid vs the smaller, slower more technical kid. i have yet to see kids improve speed dramatically as they get older. Speed off play sure, but not speed of foot.

I see the confusion here. I was talking about boys. Big and fast with no technical skills doesn't get you very far as a boy post-puberty, unless you're Gyasi Zardes!

I didn't mention small and slow because I've never seen that combination in a higher level player.

[Unregistered]

run for your lives!!!!!

[Unregistered]

Single Piece of Advice You'd Give A New Parent That Shows Up Here

You can only teach speed to a certain extent, however, IQ off the ball, in my opinion, is more important. Speedy attackers are a dime a dozen and they are typically defended by comparatively slower bigger players on the back line.

Speed is the one difference in all professional sports. Players fortunate enough to make the leap must get used to doing simple things at an incredible pace.

Luckily in soccer, there is one thing that trumps player speed and that is the pass. A pass is the fastest thing on a pitch. It's faster than running without the ball, with the ball, or any type of skill move.

Watch any EPL, La Liga, or other Euro league game and count the one-touch control & pass possessions there are. It's probably 8-9 out of every ten passes. Players don't make end to end runs or dribble past many defenders. The player in the EPL with the most successful dribbles is probably a player you never heard of - Adama Traore of newly promoted Wolverhampton.

Creating space off the ball and making the smart pass can beat bigger, faster players.

Until that changes the average size in professional European soccer is going to be under 5'11".

Does anyone know what is a key indicator for identifying professional athlete? Its not the only indicator but an important one.....Its the ability to hit a standing back-flip unassisted (like without a trampoline)...Most high level athletes (pro boxers, pro soccer, elite level wrestlers) can complete this task. It shows they have the the balance, strength, agility and mental awareness the common weekend warrior athlete does not posses....If your child can't do this....its ok...just enjoy watching them play...perhaps about half D1 athletes are able to hit this.

[Unregistered]

Does anyone know what is a key indicator for identifying professional athlete? Its not the only indicator but an important one.....Its the ability to hit a standing back-flip unassisted (like without a trampoline)...Most high level athletes (pro boxers, pro soccer, elite level wrestlers) can complete this task. It shows they have the the balance, strength, agility and mental awareness the common weekend warrior athlete does not posses....If your child can't do this....its ok...just enjoy watching them play...perhaps about half D1 athletes are able to hit this.

see my advice above... run for your lives!!!!! because this post above!