Shift to Jan. 1 cutoff next year or year after?

[Unregistered]

No issue with senior year. You just play with the same kids you're playing with now. It's an 18 month "year".

Play 20-30 games during the summer instead. Not a big deal.

Is being the "youngest" actually a problem?

Hang with her friends outside of soccer.

Unfortunately with our current schedule there is little time for hanging with friends outside of soccer, and if her friends are on a different schedule because they are on a different team, that makes it even harder, add the extra training times because of no season and you really run out of time

Senior year is a big deal, and I am sure if your kid was one of those you wouldn't be happy about it either

[Unregistered]

The only parents complaining are the parents of the younger birth year players who have benefitted by getting to be the oldest on club teams. Now that they may lose their A team starting spot because the shoe is suddenly going to be on the other foot, they are pissed off. I have an early 2002 who is a bubble player on the current '01 team. She will become a solid starter on the 2002 birth year team. Can't wait! And can't wait for the snooty parents of the Aug-Dec 2001 girls who patted me on the head and were like "well she's just younger and smaller...and nudge nudge...not as good as our 2001 girls"... can't wait to see how they feel when their girls are in the same situation on a birth year team.

If your DD goes from "bubble" to "solid starter" then it's pretty clear that the 02's on your current 01/02 and 02/03s team aren't very good. Shouldn't the 02's on the younger team be the best on that team as they are the oldest?

[Unregistered]

Unfortunately with our current schedule there is little time for hanging with friends outside of soccer, and if her friends are on a different schedule because they are on a different team, that makes it even harder, add the extra training times because of no season and you really run out of time

Senior year is a big deal, and I am sure if your kid was one of those you wouldn't be happy about it either

My DD is a December kid. It's not going to be a problem and may actually be a better situation all around. Look at the change holistically and it's nowhere near the end of the world. Most girls won't even notice.

[Unregistered]

We know this will create problems with kids being broken up from their friends. Too bad. Toughen up and go play soccer. You worried about friends? Go be a cheerleader.

This change will toughen the kids up by forcing many of them to not play with their friends. After tears and a couple years the girls better realize this is bigger than them. If not, don't let the door hit you on the way out.

Playing "up" will play tricks with their confidence. Hopefully it makes the weak ones quit. Then what's left over in the bucket are mentally tough kids. Playing "down" will slow development but that is ok.

No big deal. Friends are dime a dozen. Make new ones. If you can't just make new friends there's probably something wrong with your kid.

[Unregistered]

At the younger ages is where we expect to lose numbers. Young girls stick with soccer in many cases due to relationships Losing the school friend factor is a calculated move. Numbers will go down but that's not a big deal. We have a captive audience so we can raise the fees we charge to make up for it.

Good. I was worried the declining numbers would hurt US Soccer's bottom line but they just get more from less overall members.

[Unregistered]

Unfortunately with our current schedule there is little time for hanging with friends outside of soccer, and if her friends are on a different schedule because they are on a different team, that makes it even harder, add the extra training times because of no season and you really run out of time

Senior year is a big deal, and I am sure if your kid was one of those you wouldn't be happy about it either

Mine is one of them. Not happy about senior year but they say the clubs will have combined teams so those Sept-Dec seniors can play back down with their Jan-July current teammates. If true, at least she'll get one more year with her current teammates!

As far as the current teammate friend thing goes, we will just have to make an extra effort. Mine is lucky because a couple of her teammate bffs are also classmates so they'll still be together at school. I'm also sure she'll make some great new friends on her new team. Not ideal, to be sure, but not so bad either.

[Unregistered]

If your DD goes from "bubble" to "solid starter" then it's pretty clear that the 02's on your current 01/02 and 02/03s team aren't very good. Shouldn't the 02's on the younger team be the best on that team as they are the oldest?

Our u14 team is quite good & has many 2001 birth year players who start. Not as many 2002s on the team and only a few start. The current u13 team isn't very good. Has several strong players but they are almost all 2003s. That's why I'm pretty sure my dd will go from bench/bubble player on the current '01 team to the 2002 birth year team. Our U15 A team is also quite strong and has many strong Jan-Aug 2001s., which is why I think the shoe will be on the other foot for the particular snooty parents. Not all the parents have been snooty but the ones that have will soon see what the shoe feels like on the other foot.

[Unregistered]

Step up & communicate Oregon clubs!

Dear Wolves-Hawks families:

As most of you are probably aware, US Soccer has mandated a series of rules changes that each of our various leagues will be implementing at the start of the 2016-17 season. Among these rule adoptions will be one that calls for players to be organized by birth year, rather than according to the traditional August 1 date. While we have just begun this season, and while these changes are 10 months away from being realized, the club would like to briefly address some of these issues now. We know that change can be unsettling, and we suspect that some may feel a sense of anxiety, so we wanted to take a moment to share the Wolves-Hawks perspective.

First, it is important for everyone to know that this change is being implemented by US Soccer, the highest governing body of our sport in this country, made up by our foremost soccer experts. They have made this move after much deliberation and after extensive research in the world's most successful soccer nations. Every state is obligated to follow the new rule, and the state of Michigan will do so beginning with next June's tryout. There is no avoiding it, and individual clubs will have no say in the matter. Our club will embrace the change, and we will work together to make this a positive transition for our players and our teams.

Second, we hope that we provide you with a sense of comfort by saying that we are one of only two Michigan clubs that already has experience with this transition. As a member of the US Soccer Development Academy, our Wolves Academy has been selecting teams by birth year for eight years. As a result, each year, we consider players from across multiple State Cup age groups in selecting Academy rosters. We have come to realize that each player's developmental pathway is slightly different, and we have had regular practice in guiding players toward their "next steps" each year. As a club, we feel well equipped to lead our players and their families through this adjustment period.

Finally, we will begin working on this transition well in advance of the June tryout. We will continue to communicate with all of you throughout the process, and we will share new details of our club strategy as those are put into place. Further, we will organize training opportunities for the players in our club according to their birth year, and our coaching staff will spend much time discussing the best placement for our individual players.

In summary, we encourage all of you to focus on the current season. We hope that your families will enjoy the experience and that the players will continue working to improve. As a club, we are confident in our ability to navigate through another new time in club soccer, and we will endeavor to make decisions that will benefit our players. We are grateful for your support.

Respectfully,

Michigan Wolves-Hawks Soccer Club

Nice to see some clubs are communicating with their customers! Hope Oregon clubs show some respect to their members and step up soon.

[Unregistered]

Dear Wolves-Hawks families:

As most of you are probably aware, US Soccer has mandated a series of rules changes that each of our various leagues will be implementing at the start of the 2016-17 season. Among these rule adoptions will be one that calls for players to be organized by birth year, rather than according to the traditional August 1 date. While we have just begun this season, and while these changes are 10 months away from being realized, the club would like to briefly address some of these issues now. We know that change can be unsettling, and we suspect that some may feel a sense of anxiety, so we wanted to take a moment to share the Wolves-Hawks perspective.

First, it is important for everyone to know that this change is being implemented by US Soccer, the highest governing body of our sport in this country, made up by our foremost soccer experts. They have made this move after much deliberation and after extensive research in the world's most successful soccer nations. Every state is obligated to follow the new rule, and the state of Michigan will do so beginning with next June's tryout. There is no avoiding it, and individual clubs will have no say in the matter. Our club will embrace the change, and we will work together to make this a positive transition for our players and our teams.

Second, we hope that we provide you with a sense of comfort by saying that we are one of only two Michigan clubs that already has experience with this transition. As a member of the US Soccer Development Academy, our Wolves Academy has been selecting teams by birth year for eight years. As a result, each year, we consider players from across multiple State Cup age groups in selecting Academy rosters. We have come to realize that each player's developmental pathway is slightly different, and we have had regular practice in guiding players toward their "next steps" each year. As a club, we feel well equipped to lead our players and their families through this adjustment period.

Finally, we will begin working on this transition well in advance of the June tryout. We will continue to communicate with all of you throughout the process, and we will share new details of our club strategy as those are put into place. Further, we will organize training opportunities for the players in our club according to their birth year, and our coaching staff will spend much time discussing the best placement for our individual players.

In summary, we encourage all of you to focus on the current season. We hope that your families will enjoy the experience and that the players will continue working to improve. As a club, we are confident in our ability to navigate through another new time in club soccer, and we will endeavor to make decisions that will benefit our players. We are grateful for your support.

Respectfully,

Michigan Wolves-Hawks Soccer Club

Nice to see some clubs are communicating with their customers! Hope Oregon clubs show some respect to their members and step up soon.

Communication doesn't have to be one-way. Talk to your DoC. You might learn something.

[Unregistered]

Dear Wolves-Hawks families:

As most of you are probably aware, US Soccer has mandated a series of rules changes that each of our various leagues will be implementing at the start of the 2016-17 season. Among these rule adoptions will be one that calls for players to be organized by birth year, rather than according to the traditional August 1 date. While we have just begun this season, and while these changes are 10 months away from being realized, the club would like to briefly address some of these issues now. We know that change can be unsettling, and we suspect that some may feel a sense of anxiety, so we wanted to take a moment to share the Wolves-Hawks perspective.

First, it is important for everyone to know that this change is being implemented by US Soccer, the highest governing body of our sport in this country, made up by our foremost soccer experts. They have made this move after much deliberation and after extensive research in the world's most successful soccer nations. Every state is obligated to follow the new rule, and the state of Michigan will do so beginning with next June's tryout. There is no avoiding it, and individual clubs will have no say in the matter. Our club will embrace the change, and we will work together to make this a positive transition for our players and our teams.

Second, we hope that we provide you with a sense of comfort by saying that we are one of only two Michigan clubs that already has experience with this transition. As a member of the US Soccer Development Academy, our Wolves Academy has been selecting teams by birth year for eight years. As a result, each year, we consider players from across multiple State Cup age groups in selecting Academy rosters. We have come to realize that each player's developmental pathway is slightly different, and we have had regular practice in guiding players toward their "next steps" each year. As a club, we feel well equipped to lead our players and their families through this adjustment period.

Finally, we will begin working on this transition well in advance of the June tryout. We will continue to communicate with all of you throughout the process, and we will share new details of our club strategy as those are put into place. Further, we will organize training opportunities for the players in our club according to their birth year, and our coaching staff will spend much time discussing the best placement for our individual players.

In summary, we encourage all of you to focus on the current season. We hope that your families will enjoy the experience and that the players will continue working to improve. As a club, we are confident in our ability to navigate through another new time in club soccer, and we will endeavor to make decisions that will benefit our players. We are grateful for your support.

Respectfully,

Michigan Wolves-Hawks Soccer Club

Nice to see some clubs are communicating with their customers! Hope Oregon clubs show some respect to their members and step up soon.

I've talked to docs from two clubs and they both said pretty much the same thing. That this is not a change they agree with. So I can see why they don't want to run and and tell everyone because there is not a good answer to "why?"

US Soccer doesn't have your kids best interest in mind. They don't think twice about kids. This change is for identification for the US Men's National team. Nothing more, nothing less. The hassle it causes for the clubs and the negative effect on kids are laughable concerns. They simply aren't interested.

[Unregistered]

Communication doesn't have to be one-way. Talk to your DoC. You might learn something.

Tried that. Got the run around. The usual "Don't worry it will all work out fine."
DoC's should be communicating their plans with their customers. We pay their salaries.

[Unregistered]

I've talked to docs from two clubs and they both said pretty much the same thing. That this is not a change they agree with. So I can see why they don't want to run and and tell everyone because there is not a good answer to "why?"

US Soccer doesn't have your kids best interest in mind. They don't think twice about kids. This change is for identification for the US Men's National team. Nothing more, nothing less. The hassle it causes for the clubs and the negative effect on kids are laughable concerns. They simply aren't interested.

If the girls are concerned about playing with friends, volleyball or cheerleading might be more their speed. They are either all in to support men's soccer or we don't need them. This might be a good time to go find something else if you aren't all in for the greater good of men's soccer.

[Unregistered]

I've talked to docs from two clubs and they both said pretty much the same thing. That this is not a change they agree with. So I can see why they don't want to run and and tell everyone because there is not a good answer to "why?"

US Soccer doesn't have your kids best interest in mind. They don't think twice about kids. This change is for identification for the US Men's National team. Nothing more, nothing less. The hassle it causes for the clubs and the negative effect on kids are laughable concerns. They simply aren't interested.

Fine the DoCs don't agree with the change. I don't either. It's still happening. As long as they are the DoCs, they need to decide the details of the change, how they plan to implement the changes and what the plan is for the 8th-9Th grade problem and senior year of HS problem for the Sept-Dec kids. Also, is the plan just keep existing teams together in order to circumvent the mandate entirely and not be concerned about having competitive teams or will the intent of the mandate be followed (albeit grudgingly) and make the switch to birth year & get on with it. The Michigan letter mentioned they are going with the mandate and will be offering birth year specific trainings before tryouts in order to help players and coaches determine the best birth year teams. Great for that club to be proactive! They might not agree with the change either. They made it clear that they had no choice in the matter. Our club leaders need to lead too! We may not want the flood but it's coming - tryouts in May for us. Time to start preparing!

[Unregistered]

I've talked to docs from two clubs and they both said pretty much the same thing. That this is not a change they agree with. So I can see why they don't want to run and and tell everyone because there is not a good answer to "why?"

US Soccer doesn't have your kids best interest in mind. They don't think twice about kids. This change is for identification for the US Men's National team. Nothing more, nothing less. The hassle it causes for the clubs and the negative effect on kids are laughable concerns. They simply aren't interested.

Easy. Why? U.S. Soccer is mandating it. USYS, US Club, even AYSO are all following the mandate. Everyone can read USSF's announcement about why they are mandating. It doesn't matter weather any of us agree with it or understand the "why" part. It's mandated. It's coming. How do the DoCs plan to implement the mandate at their club? That is the question. I'm not asking the DoC's to explain why. They simply need to communicate how they plan to do what they are mandated to do. That is their job.

[Unregistered]

If the girls are concerned about playing with friends, volleyball or cheerleading might be more their speed. They are either all in to support men's soccer or we don't need them. This might be a good time to go find something else if you aren't all in for the greater good of men's soccer.

Forcing your kids to leave their friends is a good thing. Toughen them up. Sick of catering to what kids want. They should either support this change for the USMNT for they aren't team players and that's your fault as a parent. Friendship are dime a dozen. This is for the men's national team so much more important.