(Girls) Club Switching and, Separately, Ideal Coaches

[Anonymous]

Two questions:

1. Club Switching:
I recognize that teams become particularly in flux when girls get to MS years, to lock into a team come HS and the recruiting years. Before then, beyond moving clubs due to getting cut or placed newly on a B team, how is club switching thought of? And how frequent/common is it for those in the ES years? I presume it doesn’t automatically burn a bridge with the club but does it? Do people leave and come back?

Maybe this is only a question relevant to hotbeds, like us, since we have the good fortune to have so many clubs in spitting distance.

2. At the ES level, what are you looking for in a head coach? In terms of top priority.

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Two questions:

1. Club Switching:
I recognize that teams become particularly in flux when girls get to MS years, to lock into a team come HS and the recruiting years. Before then, beyond moving clubs due to getting cut or placed newly on a B team, how is club switching thought of? And how frequent/common is it for those in the ES years? I presume it doesn’t automatically burn a bridge with the club but does it? Do people leave and come back?

Maybe this is only a question relevant to hotbeds, like us, since we have the good fortune to have so many clubs in spitting distance.

2. At the ES level, what are you looking for in a head coach? In terms of top priority.

Thanks!

I had a kid make a switch in ES, and another in MS. Some programs/coaches/families of the program you’re leaving get extremely butt hurt. If that happens, you know that your move, at least away from them, was a smart move. Sometimes kids are welcomed back, others are not; it really depends on how you leave and how pyscho the club director is on a given day. The questions about when to make a move, to where, and what to look for are really subjective and potentially position and skill level dependent. But generally you want a coaches that have the following attributes:

1) understands development of young players through HS and into college.
2) demands hard work and accountability, but isn’t a jerk.
3) pays attention to the modern game, both boys and girls. This allows them to stay on top of latest in the game.

For a program:

1) culture, does your kid fit in culturally. My kids play(ed) for high level teams, they love being around other hard chargers, but not all kids are like that.
2) level of support for the teams from the program. Practice fields are always sorted out, jerseys and swag are ordered on time, and a good structure is in place to develop the girls (or boys)
3) have they had any recruiting success if your kid wants to play in college? The actual recruiting “help” by most programs, even elite ones, is minimal except in rare cases. But success in recruiting will at least let you know that if the team is successful enough, they will get into good brackets in tournaments, and if they do, college coaches will indeed watch them when the time comes.

My recommendation is to find the best fit possible as early as possible. It is way easier getting on a good team earlier than 9th grade, bc spots fill up quick and then it’s invite only time. Don’t worry about how you’re perceived by the old club. As long as your kid is good and you didn’t set the place on fire while leaving, you might be able to go back. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Thanks for all the super wisdom!

When you switched clubs, what level of transparency did you give the old coach and club?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for all the super wisdom!

When you switched clubs, what level of transparency did you give the old coach and club?

LOL, zero. It sucks, but it’s like when you’re switching employers; you tell them once the other job is set up. Legit clubs may get miffed, but they ultimately understand that this happens. But you don’t want to still be at the club after it’s known that you’re leaving. Bad idea for several reasons.

[Anonymous]

Did you give the reasons for leaving the team/switching club at the time you shared you were leaving? Once you accepted the other offer and when you were turning down your existing team?

Does anyone switch mid season or that’s a never?

[Anonymous]

To sum up, do what's best for your kid. You do this club/travel thing long enough and you will see all that was mentioned. Players leaving then coming back. Players switching mid-season. Players quiting, etc

[Anonymous]

Unless you bounce from club to club repeatedly and your kid ends up being on 4-5 different clubs, most people get it and don't really care. You have to do what's best for your kid. Being a club hopper is not a good look and really doesn't help your kid develop.

It's rare to switch midseason because you won't get your money back from the first club and you have to pay for the second. But it does happen.

As a coach it sucks when you lose a strong player but I respect people that just tell me and don't try to hide it.

[Anonymous]

I rarely see people switch clubs and go back. Happens I guess, but I rarely see it. Clubs do get pissy about it when a good player leaves.

But do not feel like you owe them anything, especially if its not a good fit. I promise you they will cut your kid and not think twice about it as soon as someone better comes along.

At the ES level I only really care about my kid playing on a team with other kids they like, that are good kids with good parents. At the MS and HS level winning becomes a little more important, so long as they are up to the standard.

I also did not want my kids playing on teams that lose all the time. Not at any age. A lot of clubs play in stronger leagues and divisons so they can say "we play in xyz." But going 1-11 isnt fun for anyone and teaches a whole host of bad lessons.

[Anonymous]

Burning bridges is a genuine concern. Before leaving, ensure you’re comfortable with the possibility of never returning to that club or any affiliated organizations.

[Anonymous]

In addition to the clubs feeling a little miffed, some of the parents remaining on that team also feel a certain way about departures, as you also can't give them any heads up your child is about to leave. So prepare for a little side eye when you run into them at tournaments. That said, parents from your former team/club often share the same concerns/reasons for why you would leave that team but just don't have the same momentum to move... yet...

[Anonymous]

We got a lot of side-eye, plus a "you think you're better than us" vibe for years. Her former coach has never spoken to us again, and we see him in the small world of lacrosse and tourneys.

But...it was clearly the right move for my DD and her opportunities.

[Anonymous]

My daughter switched in 6th, 7th and 9th. One for commute, one because new ownership basically killed the team and once for better position coaching. Still see folks from the first and third club on occasion with no ill will.