Whch Club?

[Guest]

They do have a good coach but they've lost to the SU 2014(!) boys in the Presidents Cup.

* Starting opportunity available

[Guest]

My SU observations (I have a kid who has been part of the club for many years) is that it really depends on the coach. And the higher the level team, the more likely a possession and passing are emphasized and trained. That is probably due to the fact that the better teams are able employ that style successfully. The club, for better or worse, does not dictate that a tiki-taka style be played at ever moment of every game like PacNW seems to do. That discipline that Pac has probably develops better players in a lot of ways, but I also have patents tell me their kids get tired of always struggling to get the ball to midfield every game, at least at the younger ages.

Lol did you just say PacNW plays tiki-taka? That made my day on so many levels for so many reasons.

[Guest]

Hold up a minute. You said 2013 right. 9 years old? Chess player? Not trying to put your kid down but are you possibly projecting what you think in your head onto your son's abilities. He's 9. 9 year olds are not playing "chess soccer". There is no "9 year old soccer chess board" in Washington state for him to play on.

That is 100% correct. Best 2013 teams in the state (XF RCL 1 and SU Copa) are not even close to playing something coherent from the thinking and strategy perspective. Not because they are bad, but because they are still kids.

Watch the Cup final if you are interested in confirming yourself: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jafNBCqHC1E

[Guest]

If he is really good there is only one logical choice in the PNW: Crossfire. It’s where the best and most competitive players go.

Original poster on this thread - please know the reply above is not true. Crossfire is a wildly successful club on the field and has many great players. But they do not have a monopoly on the "best and most competitive" players. You are interested in your kid's development and there is a good chance there is a club nearby you with the right coach for your kid. It really comes down who coaches and if the environment they create motivates and challenges your kid in a way that builds his or her love of the game. If I were you, I would share what clubs are nearby you and see what people's experiences with them has been. IMO, time is too short for my kid and I to be hauling ourselves further than we need to multiple times a week to get to practice.

Also other have pointed out before, there are a few people around here who feel compelled to "shill" for Crossfire at every moment, whether it's germane to the topic or not. There is a lot of petty and inane input on this site but there is also the opportunity to get good advice that helps you out. Hopefully it's not too hard to distinguish between the two. The best club for your kid may be Crossfire, especially if you live in Redmond or Bellevue. But its likely the best fit is probably another club, even if they didn't have a team that won at Surf Cup last summer.

[Guest]

Lol did you just say PacNW plays tiki-taka? That made my day on so many levels for so many reasons.

I am not the person who wrote that and not qualified to say what is tiki taka. I will say that the Pac teams I have seen play out of the back with an incredible amount of discipline. This means they get passes picked off by athletic, high pressing teams frequently and concede many goals because of it. And it does look like that can get to be demoralizing for the kids at times because it just isn't fun when you are getting destroyed because of it.

[Guest]

I have a small technical player that plays soccer like a chess game. _a 2013 _, They always think 10 moves ahead. Which clubs like small smart/technical players the most? I know they will grow as we are normal sized but late blooming people. I am just worried a big dumb fast kid is going to make them look bad .I wwant them to be developed while waiting for growth and not put on a crappy team so some big booter can reign.

The real problem is……soccer parents who are like chess players, moving their kid from club to club like it’s a chessboard, trying to get onto a specific team in a specific league so they can “be seen”. Find a coach or club that really teaches what you want your kid to learn and then stick with it. Don’t make strategic Chess moves with your kid as a pawn. Patience is key.

[Guest]

They do have a good coach but they've lost to the SU 2014(!) boys in the Presidents Cup.

* Starting opportunity available

That is correct.

[Guest]

Hold up a minute. You said 2013 right. 9 years old? Chess player? Not trying to put your kid down but are you possibly projecting what you think in your head onto your son's abilities. He's 9. 9 year olds are not playing "chess soccer". There is no "9 year old soccer chess board" in Washington state for him to play on. Stop thinking and just go enjoy watching him play. I guarantee any club you pick now will have the exact same result when your kid is 18. What you should really be focusing on, if you really want to think you are making a difference as a parent, is to make sure he doesn't end up with a toxic coach that will ruin the game for him. A toxic coach is the one thing you can control. By control I mean switch teams. Also make sure you understand what you are saying to your kid in the car after each practice and game. Those two things may or may not make your "chess player" better.

The OP should probably have used a little less hyperbole (eg, "my 9 year old's strength is finding an open teammate rather than his speed or power"). There are some 9 year olds that have some modicum of decision-making skills; not 10 steps ahead, but one step ahead, which is more than some kids of that age.

[Guest]

Find a coach or club that really teaches what you want

This isn't chess. Coach will teach you 25% of soccer you need to know at best. Remaining 25% is your personal training and 50% are games against strong opponents. Many top players were mostly playing on the street when they were kids. They are now top because the kids they were playing against were also extremely good.


And now everyone is 'club, coach, club, coach' and no one even wants to bring their kids to the park on the weekend to play random pickups.

[Guest]

I am not the person who wrote that and not qualified to say what is tiki taka. I will say that the Pac teams I have seen play out of the back with an incredible amount of discipline. This means they get passes picked off by athletic, high pressing teams frequently and concede many goals because of it. And it does look like that can get to be demoralizing for the kids at times because it just isn't fun when you are getting destroyed because of it.

Building out of the back != tiki taka. A team that passes more != Tiki Taka. It is an overused phrase when people see a couple more passes here and there with kids.

Tiki-taka - Wikipedia

Building out of the back is a good thing vs huge goal kicks and keeper boots. Pac forces kids at the youngest ages to do this without deviation. To the point where I think it becomes engrained and structured and actually works against them. No creativity to it. No intelligence to it. Just play out of the back damnit. Personally I applaud them for the attempt, but think they get the implementation wrong. We all see it when Pac teams get stuck, frustrated and crushed on the weekends because all that forced play out of the back created automatons implementing structure and not players that actually understand playing out of the back.

[Guest]

I have a small technical player that plays soccer like a chess game. _a 2013 _, They always think 10 moves ahead. Which clubs like small smart/technical players the most? I know they will grow as we are normal sized but late blooming people. I am just worried a big dumb fast kid is going to make them look bad .I wwant them to be developed while waiting for growth and not put on a crappy team so some big booter can reign.

Big and fast doesn’t necessarily mean dumb, and small and slow doesn’t necessarily mean smart. Kids can also be big and slow or small and fast. Just find a nearby club with a decent coach that is a good fit for your kid and your family and most importantly - relax. You’ve got a long road ahead of you and you need to pace yourself.

[Guest]

Big and fast doesn’t necessarily mean dumb, and small and slow doesn’t necessarily mean smart. Kids can also be big and slow or small and fast. Just find a nearby club with a decent coach that is a good fit for your kid and your family and most importantly - relax. You’ve got a long road ahead of you and you need to pace yourself.

Buuuuuut I want my kid to get signed by Bayern Munich at 10. I only have a year to prepare..............

PS I am not the Poster and this was sarcastic.

[Guest]

The real problem is……soccer parents who are like chess players, moving their kid from club to club like it’s a chessboard, trying to get onto a specific team in a specific league so they can “be seen”. Find a coach or club that really teaches what you want your kid to learn and then stick with it. Don’t make strategic Chess moves with your kid as a pawn. Patience is key.

THIS!! Especially those parents who have been to 4+ clubs looking for that one club to build a team around their little all star....lol

[Guest]

THIS!! Especially those parents who have been to 4+ clubs looking for that one club to build a team around their little all star....lol

Not sure I agree with you. We have been at a club long term and have seen people switch clubs every year. Some get a better experience and some don't. I do see a bit of settling for what the club offers in my kid and am not sure my kid is any better off than the kids that switched around.

[Guest]

I have a small technical player that plays soccer like a chess game. _a 2013 _, They always think 10 moves ahead. Which clubs like small smart/technical players the most? I know they will grow as we are normal sized but late blooming people. I am just worried a big dumb fast kid is going to make them look bad .I wwant them to be developed while waiting for growth and not put on a crappy team so some big booter can reign.

Don't waste your time in the PNW. This place does a great job of working with undersized technical players. https://www.fcbarcelona.com/en/footb...rca-youth/news