Do parents understand club loyalty?

[Guest]

Given that half the teams don't have winning records, a lot of parents must think the coach sucks. LOL

That rings true to me :), which is why parents tend to drag their kids to winning teams thinking the coaching must be better.

[Guest]

As a coach, for over 25+ years, the number of 'experienced' soccer parents has increased (per team), but it's still the vast minority. Most parents never played. So yes, a lot of well-intended parents can't judge the quality of a coach/trainer and revert back to the idea that if a team wins, the coach/trainer must be good.

I do believe there are benefits to private training, but it doesn't overcome the direct desire and time spent with the ball an individual player can accomplish on their own. Technical ability is primarily a function of time spent with the ball and it really can't be overcome by team/individual private training, unless you're paying for that training to occur everyday - but that's just the training, what is the ultimate desire of the player. All that training won't overcome the desire.

I too have seen players move up the ranks. What I'm saying is that with our resources, and better organization, we can help more players move up the ranks. We are not maximizing our opportunity to create more players who love the game and desire to improve. Right now I believe our players move up despite bad organizations (mostly). I also believe we have a lot of good coaches, but that the current structure almost forces them into a recruiter role to improve the team and thus the focus isn't on developing the players they have now.

I don't think most coaches are spending a lot of time recruiting. There are a few coaches who seem to be credited with most of the recruiting. (Isn't that what ODP is for?)
And I would say the recruiting is not being done during time they are coaching (the club team anyway). So I don't see how recruiting activities would significantly impact the actual training.
They might be not doing a good job coaching, but not because they are recruiting during the time when they should be coaching.

[Guest]

That rings true to me :), which is why parents tend to drag their kids to winning teams thinking the coaching must be better.

Sometimes the player/parents are just tired of losing, regardless of what they think of the actual coaching.
Sometimes the coaching is actually not very good.
More often than not, good riddance.
Once in a while, it's a good move.

[Guest]

I don't think most coaches are spending a lot of time recruiting. There are a few coaches who seem to be credited with most of the recruiting. (Isn't that what ODP is for?)
And I would say the recruiting is not being done during time they are coaching (the club team anyway). So I don't see how recruiting activities would significantly impact the actual training.
They might be not doing a good job coaching, but not because they are recruiting during the time when they should be coaching.

Unless you are serial texter, BM.

[Guest]

Find a team where your kid is happy and stay. Until your kid is no longer enjoying the team for important reasons, then leave.

I find the issue of club loyalty as laughable. The only loyalty is to your child’s development and happiness.

Growth usually comes with change. Remember that.

[Guest]

The problem is that there are few/no standards for the inexperienced parent to find a club that is "better at developing player", or has a better "program/coaching quality". I would argue that the current paradigm is that clubs focus on making money, not developing talent, because most buyers are not astute and most programs are not transparent. It's a perfect business model - high cost/dumb buyer.

Yes, I want the Federation to set up the structure and do the recognition of member clubs - with the elimination of State Associations, US Club, AYSO, USYS. The Federation can ensure that the clubs meet specific developmental requirements and the paradigm can shift from making money to creating players. This would make the system more transparent and parents would know their local organization is affiliated/approved by the Federation.

I don't think the Federation sucks, just isn't organized well for development. It allowed the youth/amateur game to grow organically and the system is ripe to be overhauled.

USYS accepts applications to its club vs club division, which accepts clubs meeting specific standards, such as coach quality, club infrastructure.
The ENCL application is similar. The DA academies had similar requirements.
How would what you're envisioning improve on that?
Are you suggesting in the current environment, in the absence of your future federation program, that parents should look for clubs that are in ENCL, Club vs Club, or were once in the DA since those club are meeting some standard?

[Guest]

Sometimes the player/parents are just tired of losing, regardless of what they think of the actual coaching.
Sometimes the coaching is actually not very good.
More often than not, good riddance.
Once in a while, it's a good move.

Sure, but all too often I've seen parents/players leave a team with a good coach/trainer and the players are improving - but getting beat by Big, Fast, Strong (put together by Daddy Coach that knows ****all). So the parents from a good environment leave to the Daddy Coach. But you're right, sometimes the coach/trainer isn't good.

[Guest]

USYS accepts applications to its club vs club division, which accepts clubs meeting specific standards, such as coach quality, club infrastructure.
The ENCL application is similar. The DA academies had similar requirements.
How would what you're envisioning improve on that?
Are you suggesting in the current environment, in the absence of your future federation program, that parents should look for clubs that are in ENCL, Club vs Club, or were once in the DA since those club are meeting some standard?

I would say there is absolutely no need for multiple platforms and that resources are wasted through this inefficiency - too many platforms, too many players/teams travelling for no reason, too many players priced out. I would suggest that there be fewer amateur/youth clubs that have responsibility for Rec-to their own Academy within specific boundaries. Using the economies of scale each of these clubs should be able to create enough revenue to make their top teams free and anything below at lower cost with absolutely no need to travel.

One of the earlier posters talked about the options for recreation soccer. Hate to break it to everyone, but all youth soccer is recreational. We need to do a better job of making the cost of entry cheaper, informing parents that most kids don't make it, but providing a healthy environment that fosters a lot of development and kids that get better are pushed up the organization. Then those that are on the top team would be rewarded with no fees and travel covered - then transitioned to MLS/USL academies for solidarity/training compensation payments. It's simple, but it requires a push from the Federation.

[Guest]

I would say there is absolutely no need for multiple platforms and that resources are wasted through this inefficiency - too many platforms, too many players/teams travelling for no reason, too many players priced out. I would suggest that there be fewer amateur/youth clubs that have responsibility for Rec-to their own Academy within specific boundaries. Using the economies of scale each of these clubs should be able to create enough revenue to make their top teams free and anything below at lower cost with absolutely no need to travel.

One of the earlier posters talked about the options for recreation soccer. Hate to break it to everyone, but all youth soccer is recreational. We need to do a better job of making the cost of entry cheaper, informing parents that most kids don't make it, but providing a healthy environment that fosters a lot of development and kids that get better are pushed up the organization. Then those that are on the top team would be rewarded with no fees and travel covered - then transitioned to MLS/USL academies for solidarity/training compensation payments. It's simple, but it requires a push from the Federation.

So, all the other players are paying so to top players can train, play, and travel for free?
Sound like a bad idea.
No parent should sign up for that.
The top players already get outsized benefits from the club.
How does letting the top players train, play, and travel for free make the cost of entry cheaper for everybody else?
There are no solidarity/compensation payments anywhere in the near future. This is all rec so very few players would even have a sniff at level that might make payments significant enough to think about.
And then depending on economies of scale to create enough revenue is just more wishful thinking.
The math just doesn't work.

[Guest]

I disagree with almost all of this.
Good coaches need to be properly compensated. Good organizations need money to be run properly.
Statistics probably say that the chances of a player reaching that higher level that pays compensation is basically zero.
Can't run a club on the basis of lottery tickets.
I wouldn't want clubs to just focusing on finding the once in a decade/century players.

Why shouldn't coaches try to make a buck. Tired of parents saying that coaches should do it for the "love of the game" or some BS like that, mostly from parents too cheap to pay for quality babysitting.

(*** is "'hometown' type of following"?)

Provide quality training and actual development
And nobody would say sh1t- problem is almost every Club literally has coaches that “just roll the ball out” 3 times a week and act like they have a plan but really just go through the motions. Through 3 kids (1 that played in college- one still in highschool with a chance and the other who played until their junior year and was probably the most talented but had enough of the BS and quit his junior year because of a horrible political coach driven by money and favoritism to kids who participated in his private training) I have not seen a single coach (at multiple clubs) take time to develop specific training/development for individual players let alone specific drills and tactics for different positional groups. The money is not the problem as I am realistic about the outcome and see the value in everything else they get out of youth sports it’s the constant preaching of what they will do when really it’s about putting as many kids in the uniforms as possible to drive revenue

[Guest]

I would say there is absolutely no need for multiple platforms and that resources are wasted through this inefficiency - too many platforms, too many players/teams travelling for no reason, too many players priced out. I would suggest that there be fewer amateur/youth clubs that have responsibility for Rec-to their own Academy within specific boundaries. Using the economies of scale each of these clubs should be able to create enough revenue to make their top teams free and anything below at lower cost with absolutely no need to travel.

One of the earlier posters talked about the options for recreation soccer. Hate to break it to everyone, but all youth soccer is recreational. We need to do a better job of making the cost of entry cheaper, informing parents that most kids don't make it, but providing a healthy environment that fosters a lot of development and kids that get better are pushed up the organization. Then those that are on the top team would be rewarded with no fees and travel covered - then transitioned to MLS/USL academies for solidarity/training compensation payments. It's simple, but it requires a push from the Federation.

The multiple leagues aren't going away any time soon. Too many organizations are making money as things are and don't want to let that go. Multiple leagues help clubs avoid local competition and appear stronger than they are. Then there's the lack of leadership at the top to restructure and get buy in from everyone. We'd all like a true pyramid that makes sense and works for players and clubs but are powerless to change it. In the meantime everyone is just trying to find a good place for their kids to play.

[Guest]

So, all the other players are paying so to top players can train, play, and travel for free?
Sound like a bad idea.
No parent should sign up for that.
The top players already get outsized benefits from the club.
How does letting the top players train, play, and travel for free make the cost of entry cheaper for everybody else?
There are no solidarity/compensation payments anywhere in the near future. This is all rec so very few players would even have a sniff at level that might make payments significant enough to think about.
And then depending on economies of scale to create enough revenue is just more wishful thinking.
The math just doesn't work.

The parents would and do - because the cost of entry goes down
You decrease the cost of entry to the other players/teams and still have top teams be free by doing 3 things: 1. Obtain Sponsorship Money, 2. Get Solidarity/Training Compensation and 3, Economies of Scale - Having Rec to Academy increases the player pool for the club so that, if needed, minimal portions of the player fee offset the Academy.
We disagree on solidarity/compensation payments - I figure 10 yrs probably, all it's going to take is for someone to make US soccer enforce FIFA regulations
Math works fine - if you have fewer clubs that stop using the current resources so inefficiently.

[Guest]

Parents don't understand sh*t about the soccer landscape in the US and it's only getting worse. Parents have one concern and it's to get little Johnny and Suzy the most success for the least effort (on both their and the kids part). If they can move to a successful club and join an already winning team, they will. If they can talk/bribe their way onto an ODP team, they will. If they can start their own club so their kid can be on the "top" team, it will happen. As long as they have the money to spend, they'll spend it to make sure their kid has no obstacles.

It all leads to a mediocre soccer landscape, and top teams/clubs are diluted because of it. And many consider it a win because coaches and clubs can make a ton of money by preying on these types of parents.

[Guest]

If the club is terrible, you need to move on. Parents have no idea about finding the right environment and sticking with it, through the good and the bad. The movement of players is ridiculous. Parents (and sometimes coaches) are ruining youth sports.

Parents are basically clueless. They (I'm not entirely sure who "they" is/are) should make all youth soccer Parents spend at least 40 hours studying the bylaws of "Football" (see what I did there) as written by the experts on Talking Soccer.