Playing time/substitution

[Unregistered]

I think your story is very common and tough to live through. That is one of the reasons I have trouble with people being so serious about Middle School games. My daughter gets plenty of playing time in HS and a fair amount on her club team. But is t really worth all the expense. I'm not sure.

IMO, if it keeps the kids busy, involved and they enjoy playing, then it's worth every penny. I tell my wife every time I write out a check to one of the many sports organizations my kids play for, "it's the best money we spend..."

There are so many good things that come from kids playing sports, far too many to list. And, to me, that list doesn't even include getting some type of college scholarship. That would be a bonus that I don't even consider right now.

JB

[Unregistered]

I know it's tough for kids going from being a top contributer to spending time on the sideline, but few kids makes it to D1 programs and even fewer go beyond. I would still opt for the better academics as that is what produces a real return on investment (besides the intangible items such as friendship, learning good lifestyle behaviors, confidence building, etc.).

It happened to me. Coach would fall in love with new blood/talent (great when I was Fr/So, not so great when I became Jr/Sr). Still, I got a first-class education...would not have traded that for more minutes at another school

JB - glad to contribute hopefully meaningful post..glad I stumbled on the site..first thought was a venue to vent, but glad there are some good discussions

-COL

[Unregistered]

I know it's tough for kids going from being a top contributer to spending time on the sideline, but few kids makes it to D1 programs and even fewer go beyond. I would still opt for the better academics as that is what produces a real return on investment (besides the intangible items such as friendship, learning good lifestyle behaviors, confidence building, etc.).

It happened to me. Coach would fall in love with new blood/talent (great when I was Fr/So, not so great when I became Jr/Sr). Still, I got a first-class education...would not have traded that for more minutes at another school

JB - glad to contribute hopefully meaningful post..glad I stumbled on the site..first thought was a venue to vent, but glad there are some good discussions

-COL

Welcome!

For the most part, I've found this forum to be a home to some pretty thoughtful posts. I've learned a lot about different youth sports from forums like this one.

Talking-Soccer is different in that most of the posts are anonymous, so it's easy for some to bash without taking responsibility for doing so. But at the same time, it allows for meaningful posts that might not otherwise make it.

Enjoy.

JB

[Unregistered]

If you check the rosters or go to any Maple game you will see at least 6-7 kids sitting the bench and at u15 and above that is a shame. Players 15 and above do not need to be sub every ten min so joe and jane can get some pt time. Let them play rec or on a less competitive team.

Big rosters can be a problem. But you are asking the lower level premier kids to play Rec? There is no Rec for that age group really. There are a few crappy teams but for the most part the less talented soccer players hang it up right around that age.

All of the U-14 Premier teams we ran into last year had 16 or less players. My daughters team started with 16 and ended with 15. And playing time can be an issue. But the reality is that most every team has 1-3 really good players and the rest are all about the same. Subbing April for Marsha really doesn't change the game. And having a more players than you need definitely increases the competition to keep your position.

If you are playing a 4-4-2 the the two wingers absolutely should be subbed frequently, and probably more frequently than they are on most teams. Depending on the style of play your two forwards might need to be changed out too.

It takes the average athlete 12 minutes to restore their ATP so that isn't a bad target for your #2 players. And it's not about pacing yourself - If a player has to sprint at full speed, then that energy will be depleted. It will not come back until the player rests. That is why you see the initial plays in many games happen at a high rate of speed but by the end of the half, the speed of play will be reduced. The players that would be competitive as a sprinter on the track team will burn out first.