How good are travel teams in the low tier?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are the kids having fun? Are they playing with kids of similar skill? If so, then why do you care?

Families choose travel over rec for many reasons, including a paid/non-parent coach, other kids who want to play soccer, enough players to field teams within the age group, access to better fields.

For many of the lower level travel leagues, nobody is traveling very far. So the games are 10 minutes further than you'd otherwise play at in Rec. It's not like they are traveling 5 hours away.

I have a player on a "B" team at a big club and she is really enjoying her season. Why is that not enough? If she were playing Rec, she'd be in a U10-12 combined division where half the kids don't even want to be there. I'll pay extra for her to have an enjoyable experience.

End of thread. Right here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are the kids having fun? Are they playing with kids of similar skill? If so, then why do you care?

Families choose travel over rec for many reasons, including a paid/non-parent coach, other kids who want to play soccer, enough players to field teams within the age group, access to better fields.

For many of the lower level travel leagues, nobody is traveling very far. So the games are 10 minutes further than you'd otherwise play at in Rec. It's not like they are traveling 5 hours away.

I have a player on a "B" team at a big club and she is really enjoying her season. Why is that not enough? If she were playing Rec, she'd be in a U10-12 combined division where half the kids don't even want to be there. I'll pay extra for her to have an enjoyable experience.

THank you - this is us. My son plays on the "B" team as a keeper. He is okay but doesn't really practice much or have significant motivation. Honestly, he doesn't deserve to be on the A team. However, his natural talent is such that he would be frustrated on a rec team. We haven't traveled more than 90 minutes.
I think you will find the whole cross section of families on low tier travel teams from those that share our belief to those that think that their kid is the next Messi and deserves to be on the A team.

You are an awesome parent, really. I just could not drive my kids 90 mins to games when I recognize that they’re not practicing much or have the motivation. Maybe because I have other kids and that time can be used better. But unless my kid is motivated and practicing and striving to play the best competition he can for himself, he can suck it up in rec league if he just plans on coasting on his natural talent. Or we need to work on finding something else he can be excited about even if that means jumping around and trying to find a sport or activity he can really get into.

Do you not have any hobbies that you do just for the love it and not to maximize achievement?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are the kids having fun? Are they playing with kids of similar skill? If so, then why do you care?

Families choose travel over rec for many reasons, including a paid/non-parent coach, other kids who want to play soccer, enough players to field teams within the age group, access to better fields.

For many of the lower level travel leagues, nobody is traveling very far. So the games are 10 minutes further than you'd otherwise play at in Rec. It's not like they are traveling 5 hours away.

I have a player on a "B" team at a big club and she is really enjoying her season. Why is that not enough? If she were playing Rec, she'd be in a U10-12 combined division where half the kids don't even want to be there. I'll pay extra for her to have an enjoyable experience.

This is a great take.

I'd only add, though, that maybe a part of the problem comes from the marketing that clubs engage in. For example, calling their entire program "Elite." When we first moved to the area a few years ago, we arrived late in the summer. Most rosters of top teams were set. My oldest son was offered a spot on PAC's 4th team, the "PAC Elite YG Silver." We liked PAC and he spent a very nice year there, but there was nothing elite about that team. A few good players (many of them also late arrivals), but it was a rude awakening when we matched up with mid-level teams (usually at tournaments) that had decent players up and down the roster.

I do see more clubs going without the "academy" and "elite" monikers these days. Good.

PAC is an excellent program! Our son went from playing Rec to playing for PAC. They practice a lot more than Rec with coaches who understand how the game is played. They do futsal training in the winter. Yes it can be frustrating to be on a team of mixed caliber players and to lose games 12-0 but it is about learning to play the game. My son went on to play high level travel soccer for another club and now plays for his strong high school team.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are the kids having fun? Are they playing with kids of similar skill? If so, then why do you care?

Families choose travel over rec for many reasons, including a paid/non-parent coach, other kids who want to play soccer, enough players to field teams within the age group, access to better fields.

For many of the lower level travel leagues, nobody is traveling very far. So the games are 10 minutes further than you'd otherwise play at in Rec. It's not like they are traveling 5 hours away.

I have a player on a "B" team at a big club and she is really enjoying her season. Why is that not enough? If she were playing Rec, she'd be in a U10-12 combined division where half the kids don't even want to be there. I'll pay extra for her to have an enjoyable experience.

THank you - this is us. My son plays on the "B" team as a keeper. He is okay but doesn't really practice much or have significant motivation. Honestly, he doesn't deserve to be on the A team. However, his natural talent is such that he would be frustrated on a rec team. We haven't traveled more than 90 minutes.
I think you will find the whole cross section of families on low tier travel teams from those that share our belief to those that think that their kid is the next Messi and deserves to be on the A team.

You are an awesome parent, really. I just could not drive my kids 90 mins to games when I recognize that they’re not practicing much or have the motivation. Maybe because I have other kids and that time can be used better. But unless my kid is motivated and practicing and striving to play the best competition he can for himself, he can suck it up in rec league if he just plans on coasting on his natural talent. Or we need to work on finding something else he can be excited about even if that means jumping around and trying to find a sport or activity he can really get into.

Do you not have any hobbies that you do just for the love it and not to maximize achievement?

Sure, but no one is spending 90 minutes (or more) of their time or significant money to make that happen for me. My kids can do whatever hobbies they’d like to do so long as it can fit into our family life. As a previous poster mention, it’s a balancing act with lots of consideration and I guess people just value and prioritize things differently.

[Anonymous]

Sure, but no one is spending 90 minutes (or more) of their time or significant money to make that happen for me. My kids can do whatever hobbies they’d like to do so long as it can fit into our family life. As a previous poster mention, it’s a balancing act with lots of consideration and I guess people just value and prioritize things differently.

People also just have different numbers of kids. I have an only, so going to the game is a form of family time for us. We all drive together, listen to an audiobook or podcasts on the drive, and get something to eat afterwards, depending on the game time. However, I feel like my son is putting in a reasonable effort at soccer (he practices on his own) - he's just not super athletic, and that likely won't change. But I wouldn't force him to choose another activity. He's 13 years old, which is old enough to know what he would like to do as his hobby/activity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are the kids having fun? Are they playing with kids of similar skill? If so, then why do you care?

Families choose travel over rec for many reasons, including a paid/non-parent coach, other kids who want to play soccer, enough players to field teams within the age group, access to better fields.

For many of the lower level travel leagues, nobody is traveling very far. So the games are 10 minutes further than you'd otherwise play at in Rec. It's not like they are traveling 5 hours away.

I have a player on a "B" team at a big club and she is really enjoying her season. Why is that not enough? If she were playing Rec, she'd be in a U10-12 combined division where half the kids don't even want to be there. I'll pay extra for her to have an enjoyable experience.

THank you - this is us. My son plays on the "B" team as a keeper. He is okay but doesn't really practice much or have significant motivation. Honestly, he doesn't deserve to be on the A team. However, his natural talent is such that he would be frustrated on a rec team. We haven't traveled more than 90 minutes.
I think you will find the whole cross section of families on low tier travel teams from those that share our belief to those that think that their kid is the next Messi and deserves to be on the A team.

You are an awesome parent, really. I just could not drive my kids 90 mins to games when I recognize that they’re not practicing much or have the motivation. Maybe because I have other kids and that time can be used better. But unless my kid is motivated and practicing and striving to play the best competition he can for himself, he can suck it up in rec league if he just plans on coasting on his natural talent. Or we need to work on finding something else he can be excited about even if that means jumping around and trying to find a sport or activity he can really get into.

Do you not have any hobbies that you do just for the love it and not to maximize achievement?

Sure, but no one is spending 90 minutes (or more) of their time or significant money to make that happen for me. My kids can do whatever hobbies they’d like to do so long as it can fit into our family life. As a previous poster mention, it’s a balancing act with lots of consideration and I guess people just value and prioritize things differently.

The hours I spend in the car with my 13 yo every week between practices and games are some of the best conversations we have. I wouldn’t know half of what I do about his inner thoughts, what’s happening with his friends, etc., if we didn’t have all of that driving time just the two of us. We have a tournament an hour away this weekend that will tie up my whole weekend (and the team is almost certain to lose), and I’m looking forward to it because of the time it will give me with my son without other distractions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This begs the question: Why do so many people on the DCUM soccer forum randomly watch other teams/clubs play, then feel compelled to post about it?

You apparently don’t have a kid in a club sport.

Kids are required to be there warming up 30 mins before kickoff, which means I’m often watching 45 minutes of another teams game.

Why post about it? Simple curiosity. Why oust anything related to how or why people spend money the way they do - almost the entire finances and real estate forums relate to this.

Op, we joined club for the great workouts, commitment to a team and team work ethics and to build their confidence. Our goal isn’t to develop the highest level soccer player, but to have healthy, confident kids who understand how to work with others, and have fun doing it. Turns out we’ve got one on the highest level team and another on the second level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This begs the question: Why do so many people on the DCUM soccer forum randomly watch other teams/clubs play, then feel compelled to post about it?

You apparently don’t have a kid in a club sport.

Kids are required to be there warming up 30 mins before kickoff, which means I’m often watching 45 minutes of another teams game.

Why post about it? Simple curiosity. Why oust anything related to how or why people spend money the way they do - almost the entire finances and real estate forums relate to this.

Op, we joined club for the great workouts, commitment to a team and team work ethics and to build their confidence. Our goal isn’t to develop the highest level soccer player, but to have healthy, confident kids who understand how to work with others, and have fun doing it. Turns out we’ve got one on the highest level team and another on the second level.

I have multiple kids in club sports, yet have never felt compelled to troll these forums with posts about how bad other teams are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This begs the question: Why do so many people on the DCUM soccer forum randomly watch other teams/clubs play, then feel compelled to post about it?

You apparently don’t have a kid in a club sport.

Kids are required to be there warming up 30 mins before kickoff, which means I’m often watching 45 minutes of another teams game.

Why post about it? Simple curiosity. Why oust anything related to how or why people spend money the way they do - almost the entire finances and real estate forums relate to this.

Op, we joined club for the great workouts, commitment to a team and team work ethics and to build their confidence. Our goal isn’t to develop the highest level soccer player, but to have healthy, confident kids who understand how to work with others, and have fun doing it. Turns out we’ve got one on the highest level team and another on the second level.

I have multiple kids in club sports, yet have never felt compelled to troll these forums with posts about how bad other teams are.

Yet here you are posting on a thread that does exactly that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This begs the question: Why do so many people on the DCUM soccer forum randomly watch other teams/clubs play, then feel compelled to post about it?

You apparently don’t have a kid in a club sport.

Kids are required to be there warming up 30 mins before kickoff, which means I’m often watching 45 minutes of another teams game.

Why post about it? Simple curiosity. Why oust anything related to how or why people spend money the way they do - almost the entire finances and real estate forums relate to this.

Op, we joined club for the great workouts, commitment to a team and team work ethics and to build their confidence. Our goal isn’t to develop the highest level soccer player, but to have healthy, confident kids who understand how to work with others, and have fun doing it. Turns out we’ve got one on the highest level team and another on the second level.

I have multiple kids in club sports, yet have never felt compelled to troll these forums with posts about how bad other teams are.

Yet here you are posting on a thread that does exactly that.

To call out an adult trying to trash kids playing a game? Yes, absolutely.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Sure, but no one is spending 90 minutes (or more) of their time or significant money to make that happen for me. My kids can do whatever hobbies they’d like to do so long as it can fit into our family life. As a previous poster mention, it’s a balancing act with lots of consideration and I guess people just value and prioritize things differently.

People also just have different numbers of kids. I have an only, so going to the game is a form of family time for us. We all drive together, listen to an audiobook or podcasts on the drive, and get something to eat afterwards, depending on the game time. However, I feel like my son is putting in a reasonable effort at soccer (he practices on his own) - he's just not super athletic, and that likely won't change. But I wouldn't force him to choose another activity. He's 13 years old, which is old enough to know what he would like to do as his hobby/activity.

I love your perspective!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This begs the question: Why do so many people on the DCUM soccer forum randomly watch other teams/clubs play, then feel compelled to post about it?

You apparently don’t have a kid in a club sport.

Kids are required to be there warming up 30 mins before kickoff, which means I’m often watching 45 minutes of another teams game.

Why post about it? Simple curiosity. Why oust anything related to how or why people spend money the way they do - almost the entire finances and real estate forums relate to this.

Op, we joined club for the great workouts, commitment to a team and team work ethics and to build their confidence. Our goal isn’t to develop the highest level soccer player, but to have healthy, confident kids who understand how to work with others, and have fun doing it. Turns out we’ve got one on the highest level team and another on the second level.

I have multiple kids in club sports, yet have never felt compelled to troll these forums with posts about how bad other teams are.

Yet here you are posting on a thread that does exactly that.

To call out an adult trying to trash kids playing a game? Yes, absolutely.

If that’s what you’re hoping to contribute to the thread, sure why not. What I got from this thread is that my decision to not put my kids in a big club unless they’re on the A team has been validated by some of the responses here. That the B Team are for kids who don’t have the motivation or maybe they do, but just aren’t that good, or they’re just having fun at the level they are. Which to me makes the B team at big club absolutely not worth it. None of these posters are telling the kids on these teams that they’re terrible so if you’re so concerned, the kids will be alright.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What I got from this thread is that my decision to not put my kids in a big club unless they’re on the A team has been validated by some of the responses here. That the B Team are for kids who don’t have the motivation or maybe they do, but just aren’t that good, or they’re just having fun at the level they are. Which to me makes the B team at big club absolutely not worth it. None of these posters are telling the kids on these teams that they’re terrible so if you’re so concerned, the kids will be alright.

Seen plenty of very good B teams, you need to get out more! Plenty of decent teams lowered tiered than than "B" as well, way above the rec. level, especially at bigger clubs. But I have also seen plenty of very good travel-like rec teams out there too and it is not the exception (check out upper divisions of SFL especially at older ages). Saying that as parent with two children playing on "A" travel teams.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What I got from this thread is that my decision to not put my kids in a big club unless they’re on the A team has been validated by some of the responses here. That the B Team are for kids who don’t have the motivation or maybe they do, but just aren’t that good, or they’re just having fun at the level they are. Which to me makes the B team at big club absolutely not worth it. None of these posters are telling the kids on these teams that they’re terrible so if you’re so concerned, the kids will be alright.

Seen plenty of very good B teams, you need to get out more! Plenty of decent teams lowered tiered than than "B" as well, way above the rec. level, especially at bigger clubs. But I have also seen plenty of very good travel-like rec teams out there too and it is not the exception (check out upper divisions of SFL especially at older ages). Saying that as parent with two children playing on "A" travel teams.

I’m sure there are good B teams. But that’s not the point of my observations. I have a kid on an A team and one on the B Team. The B Team is good. My B son is a good player but he’s still not A level good, lacks the natural skills and motivation that his A sibling has. If it weren’t for A sibling, he would be at a rec club and he’s be happy there as well. Right now, it’s just logistically easier for practices and games to keep them in the same club. If I didn’t have an A kid, we’d definitely be playing in rec. Someone on the A team has the natural skills and athleticism and a certain mindset that would not be cultivated or fostered on a B Team. He’s not the best player on the A team but is a starter and plays most of the entire games. He doesn’t only need to be challenged physically and technically, but he also needs to be around players that think like him or are motivated like him to become a better player.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This begs the question: Why do so many people on the DCUM soccer forum randomly watch other teams/clubs play, then feel compelled to post about it?

I was there to watch someone who was on my rec team previously.