PPA developmental team

[Anonymous]

We did it for several years a few years ago. But 2 falls ago the experience was terrible. The coach would show up late at games. So the team would start playing the game without a coach. The players would just do whatever.. hog the ball or pass only to friends.. So we left. But haven’t found any other rec options either. PPa website now says they form teams based on skill level rather than age. Is this true? Have they improved?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We did it for several years a few years ago. But 2 falls ago the experience was terrible. The coach would show up late at games. So the team would start playing the game without a coach. The players would just do whatever.. hog the ball or pass only to friends.. So we left. But haven’t found any other rec options either. PPa website now says they form teams based on skill level rather than age. Is this true? Have they improved?

PPA is a big club. I think it is sort of like MSI in that they have enough teams to have their own leagues and tournaments run through their program, that allow for year-round play without being travel then they have travel teams which turn up at tournaments. It is almost assuredly like every other parent run organization where the quality of the coaching varies dramatically with play and will inevitably feature being cliquish.

Layer on top of it that AAU leagues and tournaments play fast and loose (dirty games) with the rules.

That being said I would think the local leagues would be a huge draw, because no one wants to drive an hour or more to watch the coaches' kids friends hog the ball, and they likely have more control over the formats, than the paid leagues that are run for money so tend to not be very generous with court time, except for a few tournaments.

MSI soccer ended up with sort of a hierarchy. The travel club was coached professionally but consisted of kids whose parents mostly coached rec or the year round teams and were brutal from being able to get away with beating up on the scrubs. I think PPA is the same.

[Anonymous]

Mix

[Anonymous]

PPA is a terrible organization.

[Anonymous]

We never did so no skin in the game but have heard both sides. Some parents and kids didn't like, and we know some kids and parents who love it and play today with them. From what I was told its at least a 1/2 year commitment or a year commitment where you pay monthly for training and games.