New to travel

[Anonymous]

DC was on a Rec team for a few years (ES ages). First season on travel and I can’t see that the play is that much better (on average).

[Anonymous]

What league? Travel teams span quite the range.

[Anonymous]

If you are on Arlington's 6th level team that is true.

[Anonymous]

Wait until you get humiliated at a tournament… good times, makes you realize there are some super great teams out there and you’re not anywhere close to being on one! You’ll see the differences soon enough!

[Anonymous]

If your child is not on the 1st or 2nd team, you might as well stay in Rec (esp clubs with 5 or 6 teams at each age). They are just taking your money, and taking you for a ride

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If your child is not on the 1st or 2nd team, you might as well stay in Rec (esp clubs with 5 or 6 teams at each age). They are just taking your money, and taking you for a ride

+1

[Anonymous]

The term "travel" has a certain expectation of being a better level of play. It might be worth checking with the team manager - what league, where will they travel to, are there tournaments involved? Once you know those details you will have a better sense of the level of play. Travel could be that you "travel" no more than an hour away to play another team that's like a rec team. Or travel could be on a plan to a tournament.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If your child is not on the 1st or 2nd team, you might as well stay in Rec (esp clubs with 5 or 6 teams at each age). They are just taking your money, and taking you for a ride

Disagree. My kid started off on a 5th team, and now plays ECNL. She wound up far better than most of the first and second teamers years ago.

I think lower travel teams are great, and absolutely better than rec.

[Anonymous]

Also disagree. My daughter is on the third team and they practice 3x per week and I can see her getting better. Much more than rec.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your child is not on the 1st or 2nd team, you might as well stay in Rec (esp clubs with 5 or 6 teams at each age). They are just taking your money, and taking you for a ride

Disagree. My kid started off on a 5th team, and now plays ECNL. She wound up far better than most of the first and second teamers years ago.

I think lower travel teams are great, and absolutely better than rec.

How do you end up on ecnl? What she on the pre-academy team?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your child is not on the 1st or 2nd team, you might as well stay in Rec (esp clubs with 5 or 6 teams at each age). They are just taking your money, and taking you for a ride

Disagree. My kid started off on a 5th team, and now plays ECNL. She wound up far better than most of the first and second teamers years ago.

I think lower travel teams are great, and absolutely better than rec.

How do you end up on ecnl? What she on the pre-academy team?

What do you mean? She’s 14 now, but her club still has a variety of teams. Top team plays in ECNL, but lower teams are NCSL.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your child is not on the 1st or 2nd team, you might as well stay in Rec (esp clubs with 5 or 6 teams at each age). They are just taking your money, and taking you for a ride

Disagree. My kid started off on a 5th team, and now plays ECNL. She wound up far better than most of the first and second teamers years ago.

I think lower travel teams are great, and absolutely better than rec.

How do you end up on ecnl? What she on the pre-academy team?

What do you mean? She’s 14 now, but her club still has a variety of teams. Top team plays in ECNL, but lower teams are NCSL.

Sorry, to clarify, she got moved up over the years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If your child is not on the 1st or 2nd team, you might as well stay in Rec (esp clubs with 5 or 6 teams at each age). They are just taking your money, and taking you for a ride

Disagree. My kid started off on a 5th team, and now plays ECNL. She wound up far better than most of the first and second teamers years ago.

I think lower travel teams are great, and absolutely better than rec.

Agree with PP.

The advantage of travel -- even lower-level travel -- is professional coaching. You may not see much of a difference on the field 4 weeks into the season, but the kids are learning skills and game IQ that will bear fruit later (assuming you have a competent coach.) In rec, one or two skilled kids scores a bunch and makes the team look good. But learning real soccer - passing, formations, channels, positioning - takes time.