WWYD - continue travel soccer in high school?

[UnidentifiedFlyingOboe]

DS has been playing soccer since kindergarten. Right now he plays for a team that ranks in top 10 in Virginia (according to GotSoccer, for reference only, please do not argue with me). The team practice and play games year round, and win tournaments from time to time. He is a mediocre player on the team, but he seems to have a lot of playing time.

Coming Fall he is going to be in 9th grade. He wants to try other sports (crew, wrestling, XC), and I would like him to expand his interest a bit and try some after school clubs (music, art, etc.), but he feels he has to give up those opportunities to play with his soccer team. He is committed to his team, or maybe it just has become a habit.

Also he is not a top student, so I'd like him to prioritize academics over activities. After all, he needs good grades to get into a good college.

What would you do in my place? Continue or stop travel soccer? TIA

[anonimouswon]

UnidentifiedFlyingOboe wrote:DS has been playing soccer since kindergarten. Right now he plays for a team that ranks in top 10 in Virginia (according to GotSoccer, for reference only, please do not argue with me). The team practice and play games year round, and win tournaments from time to time. He is a mediocre player on the team, but he seems to have a lot of playing time.

Coming Fall he is going to be in 9th grade. He wants to try other sports (crew, wrestling, XC), and I would like him to expand his interest a bit and try some after school clubs (music, art, etc.), but he feels he has to give up those opportunities to play with his soccer team. He is committed to his team, or maybe it just has become a habit.

Also he is not a top student, so I'd like him to prioritize academics over activities. After all, he needs good grades to get into a good college.

What would you do in my place? Continue or stop travel soccer? TIA

I would see what his goals are with soccer? Does he want to play in college (or beyond)?

If yes, then continue playing with his travel team and focus on getting good grades. Commitment to the travel team becomes greater as they get older so this will be a big part of his high school years.

If no, then I would have him play for his high school soccer team and try those different sports and clubs he has interest in and of course focus on grades.

Plus, he's gonna make new friends/friendships and time will be needed for that as well regardless of the path he takes.

[Top-Bins]

UnidentifiedFlyingOboe wrote:DS has been playing soccer since kindergarten. Right now he plays for a team that ranks in top 10 in Virginia (according to GotSoccer, for reference only, please do not argue with me). The team practice and play games year round, and win tournaments from time to time. He is a mediocre player on the team, but he seems to have a lot of playing time.

Coming Fall he is going to be in 9th grade. He wants to try other sports (crew, wrestling, XC), and I would like him to expand his interest a bit and try some after school clubs (music, art, etc.), but he feels he has to give up those opportunities to play with his soccer team. He is committed to his team, or maybe it just has become a habit.

Also he is not a top student, so I'd like him to prioritize academics over activities. After all, he needs good grades to get into a good college.

What would you do in my place? Continue or stop travel soccer? TIA

I would say stop travel and let him do HS sports next year and see how he likes it, he can always go back to travel soccer if he misses it.

[mdsoccerdad]

Take a year off from travel. See how it goes.

[Cruzado]

UnidentifiedFlyingOboe wrote:What would you do in my place? Continue or stop travel soccer? TIA

I was in your position not so long ago, although my son was doing better academically than your son seems to be (not boasting, just providing a reference, he gets mostly straight As).

He ended up stopping travel soccer and played soccer for his high school instead, which he enjoyed. He also played a second sport in the spring (track) which he enjoyed less, but it was something new and a learning experience for him. (He didn't tryout for the basketball team during the winter, but in retrospect he says he wish he had and he might next year).

My son has decided to play house soccer with his former travel club during the spring, to keep his soccer skills up (with an eye toward next fall's high school soccer season) but has pretty much hung up his travel soccer cleats for good.

While it was his choice, I did gently nudge him in this direction and I think it worked out for the best. He made a bunch of new friends in high school through sports, and I think he enjoys representing his school on the field. I have fond memories of playing high school sports as well, so I'm glad that he's getting to experience it.

I think it's admirable that your son wants to keep up the commitment to his travel team, however, there are definitely other ways to look at it, such as, his school could benefit from him putting his soccer skills to work to represent his school on the field, etc. At some point, kids are going to split off down their own paths, and it doesn't mean he's a quitter or abandoning his teammates; things change year to year and it will be fine.

In the end, while that's how I would guide him, you want the decision to be his (so long as you're still wiling to pay for travel soccer) because otherwise, he'll complain about it (welcome to being a parent of a teenager lol).

Good luck!