1) Volunteer to be team manager starting at no later than U11. Especially if you have a boy. The youth soccer community is small. You’re doing a lot of work for your coach. ODP, Timbers Academy, 1st team placement… your kid’s coach directly/indirectly has influence on all of that. Everybody talks to everybody. Your kid’s coach’s recommendations can explicitly determine placement for the first 2, and he controls the 3rd. Understanding the politics of youth soccer is very important.
2) If you want to give your kid a chance to play D1 soccer, have your them play up at least one year as soon as 7v7 starts, and no later than 9v9. Oregon has really weak youth soccer. Chances are zero to slim that your kid will get a scholarship to a bonafide soccer school if he’s playing at his own age.
3) If you are thinking about joining the advisory board (board of directors) at your kids’ club, do so at your own risk. These are multi-million $$ entities run by employees who have no business running them. Odds are, liberties have been taken with the club’s money by some or many of these people. Advisory boards are often comprised of very unsophisticated volunteers who don’t know how to handle these things. They’re mostly dumb****s. If you’re the type that likes to say things when people are doing the wrong thing, just stay away.
4) If you have the means and opportunity, RTC/ODP, Timbers Academy, ECNL, personal training, etc are all integral. Do not forgo any of these opportunities just because you don’t like the coach or program director.
5) If proximity/$$/kid’s skills allow, get them to the nearest ECNL club asap. Right now, Oregon has only WA Timbers and United PDX for boys, Portland Thorns and NW Elite for girls. This is the only time it would be ok for your kid to play at their own age level because the level of competition is so high. Again, moot point if you don’t care for your kid to play high level college soccer.
2) If you want to give your kid a chance to play D1 soccer, have your them play up at least one year as soon as 7v7 starts, and no later than 9v9. Oregon has really weak youth soccer. Chances are zero to slim that your kid will get a scholarship to a bonafide soccer school if he’s playing at his own age.
3) If you are thinking about joining the advisory board (board of directors) at your kids’ club, do so at your own risk. These are multi-million $$ entities run by employees who have no business running them. Odds are, liberties have been taken with the club’s money by some or many of these people. Advisory boards are often comprised of very unsophisticated volunteers who don’t know how to handle these things. They’re mostly dumb****s. If you’re the type that likes to say things when people are doing the wrong thing, just stay away.
4) If you have the means and opportunity, RTC/ODP, Timbers Academy, ECNL, personal training, etc are all integral. Do not forgo any of these opportunities just because you don’t like the coach or program director.
5) If proximity/$$/kid’s skills allow, get them to the nearest ECNL club asap. Right now, Oregon has only WA Timbers and United PDX for boys, Portland Thorns and NW Elite for girls. This is the only time it would be ok for your kid to play at their own age level because the level of competition is so high. Again, moot point if you don’t care for your kid to play high level college soccer.
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