The ban on recruiting players hurts youth soccer

[Unregistered]

So what do you do for a backup? If my kid doesn't get the tap on the shoulder after the first practice, do you go to your 2nd choice the next day? The B team is not an option because of coach. Should I talk to the coach during pre-tryouts to get a gauge? Which I can't imagine being possible with hovering parents and I don't want to be that parent!! It's all a bit awkward your first go around. I just don't want my kid's feelings hurt and want them to keep enjoying the sport they love! I think my kid has what it takes to be on the team but you just never know...your kid always seems better to you!

[Unregistered]

I can only guess we are speaking to really young players. At the end of the day, if your player is really good at soccer then they will always get picked. At the older ages tryouts don't mean squat. Generally speaking it is already known who will be on the team and if someone new and good shows up it is just gravy.

[Unregistered]

So what do you do for a backup? If my kid doesn't get the tap on the shoulder after the first practice, do you go to your 2nd choice the next day? The B team is not an option because of coach. Should I talk to the coach during pre-tryouts to get a gauge? Which I can't imagine being possible with hovering parents and I don't want to be that parent!! It's all a bit awkward your first go around. I just don't want my kid's feelings hurt and want them to keep enjoying the sport they love! I think my kid has what it takes to be on the team but you just never know...your kid always seems better to you!

My kid played his first year on the B team then the next 5 on the A team so far. The first years are about development so the coach and club philosophy, not the letter of the team, should be the priority. IMHO.

[Unregistered]

I can only guess we are speaking to really young players. At the end of the day, if your player is really good at soccer then they will always get picked. At the older ages tryouts don't mean squat. Generally speaking it is already known who will be on the team and if someone new and good shows up it is just gravy.

Agreed and even that happens before tryouts actually begin

[Unregistered]

Yep 1st year! I agree development is key. I like the A team coach for this but not the B. there is another club that is a close 2nd for me but not for my kid. Of course they want to be on the best team to win. I don't concern myself with wins just want development. I keep explaining this to the kid but you know how it is!!

[Unregistered]

So what do you do for a backup? If my kid doesn't get the tap on the shoulder after the first practice, do you go to your 2nd choice the next day? The B team is not an option because of coach. Should I talk to the coach during pre-tryouts to get a gauge? Which I can't imagine being possible with hovering parents and I don't want to be that parent!! It's all a bit awkward your first go around. I just don't want my kid's feelings hurt and want them to keep enjoying the sport they love! I think my kid has what it takes to be on the team but you just never know...your kid always seems better to you!

Pick your 1st choice, go to that tryout the first night. On your 2nd choice, you attend their "Pre" clinic so they coach can have a glimps and let em know youll be coming on the 2nd night.

[Unregistered]

This is a really good life lesson for kids. Sometimes you fail. You have to pick yourself up and try again. My daughter didn't play club the first year her age would allow her. The next year she tried out and was cut. Didn't make the A or B team at our local club and was devastated and embarrassed. She went to a smaller club and played there a year. It was probably the best thing that could have happened to us as we had no idea the commitment we were in for and slowly immersed into club soccer. She also forged strong friendships with some of the girls and is still friends with them at 18.

The next year we went back and she made the b team and played at that level for several years. Without going into more specifics my daughter pushed herself over the next few years to be the best player she could. She was noticed and recruited (yes it happens) for a team that one state cup several times. She now has not only has club state titles but a HS one as well and several scholarship offers over the last year.

My point being kids develop at different levels and nothing is guaranteed in life. Some are big and fast at U11/U12. By U14 other kids catch up with them. Other players have great skills but they are just run of the mill by the time they hit HS because other players developed at the same if not a higher level by then. Kids quit, lose interest, get injured.

Be prepared with a back up plan if you don't land where you think you should but also realize sometimes your kids are exactly where they need to be.

[Unregistered]

I think that parents should be very suspicious of coaches and DOC's that give the hard recruiting sells (yes, it happens all of the time regardless of the rules).

However, BEWARE:

1. Coaches that recruit from other clubs / teams have little faith in their own development abilities. Good coaches shouldn't have to try to poach the best from other teams, they should develop their own players.

2. If coaches are giving you recruitment talks, you may ask them why. What is wrong with their own program that they have open spaces to add new players.

3. If a coach will resort to breaking the rules to recruit a new player, what other costs will he do to win? Will he have his interests set on winning or development? Will players all get game minutes to develop? An overall emphasis on winning (especially at the U10-U14 levels), is wrong.

When you leave earth and go back to the Moon, I would love to know what try outs are like there. What the hell are you talking about. The worst post I have ever seen. Your vision is, no one needs to recruit. The game would be boring if that did not happen. MLS would be terrible, even worse that what it is now. I guess the transfer window would no longer exist. Read your post again and then apologize to the people on this post and then write 100 lines, "I will not post another stupid comment again."

[Unregistered]

When you leave earth and go back to the Moon, I would love to know what try outs are like there. What the hell are you talking about. The worst post I have ever seen. Your vision is, no one needs to recruit. The game would be boring if that did not happen. MLS would be terrible, even worse that what it is now. I guess the transfer window would no longer exist. Read your post again and then apologize to the people on this post and then write 100 lines, "I will not post another stupid comment again."

I think thats a bit harsh. The post is rooted on the naive notion that clubs have loyalty to specific players/families. They dont. Club soccer, unfortunately is dog eat dog. And at the end of they day, the only one that really gets fed is the respective DOC's. They are all the same, which is why posts on this forum about one club being morally superior to another is so amusing. So at end of day, you have to be an advocate for your child. You may feel safe today, but it can change overnight. "Recruiting" is a fact of life, regardless of what "rules" there are. From my experience, OPL is at least trying to abide by some sort of code that never applied at OYSA hence how this "ban on recruiting" thread got started in the first place. Good luck to all on tryouts and i hope you all find a comfortable place for your child, which may not be the best team you can make....

[Unregistered]

I think thats a bit harsh. The post is rooted on the naive notion that clubs have loyalty to specific players/families. They dont. Club soccer, unfortunately is dog eat dog. And at the end of they day, the only one that really gets fed is the respective DOC's. They are all the same, which is why posts on this forum about one club being morally superior to another is so amusing. So at end of day, you have to be an advocate for your child. You may feel safe today, but it can change overnight. "Recruiting" is a fact of life, regardless of what "rules" there are. From my experience, OPL is at least trying to abide by some sort of code that never applied at OYSA hence how this "ban on recruiting" thread got started in the first place. Good luck to all on tryouts and i hope you all find a comfortable place for your child, which may not be the best team you can make....

The only clubs that ever try to recruit my kid are OPL. You must think they changed in the last year!! I don't think recruiting is effective if the current club is doing a great job so I have no problem with it.