What are your unpopular opinions about youth soccer?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That youth soccer coaches realize that encouraging multi-sport athletes - particularly at all ages before high school - results in better athletes and kids overall. And - here's a news flash - it makes them better soccer players in the end.

The pressure/guilt trips that coaches in this area put on young kids to "do" soccer all year round - ridiculous "training sessions" 3 days a week, indoor training etc. - with the obvious threat of losing playing time or getting in coach's doghouse. Makes it extremely difficult for kids to play other sports during the offseason. They end up burned out on soccer by middle school without much background in anything else.

I think some of the pressure is also that soccer as the first sport played is also the first sport dropped. That should be ok and just how it goes, but clubs don't like losing players

[Anonymous]

The whole system is messed up. I say this as a wife of someone who is a lifelong soccer player, national collegiate champion, and youth coach ever since. As well as a mom to 3 players.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The whole system is messed up. I say this as a wife of someone who is a lifelong soccer player, national collegiate champion, and youth coach ever since. As well as a mom to 3 players.

End of thread for the rest of us. Hold your opinions and let's just listen to Ms. National Collegiate Champion!

[Anonymous]

Nearly all kids are better off on lower level travel teams with younger and more enthusiastic coaches who are ambitious. The top team isn't a great place for development until maybe the U16 level, and maybe not even then.

Rec is a waste of time.

Tournaments are fun family experiences, but should only happen maybe twice a year max.

[Anonymous]

Unpopular opinion: Strength training before puberty is absolutely fine and beneficial.

[Anonymous]

Leagues should cap the number of practices, length or practices, and offseason practices prior to middle/high school so that kids can both try other sports and have downtime

[Anonymous]

Unpopular Opinion: that the state of youth soccer in this area is generally.......good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My unpopular opinion is that the opinion of a parent who played D1 soccer a lifetime ago does not make their opinion on the current state of youth soccer any more valuable than anyone else's.

That's an unpopular opinion?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't go to 11v11 until U15.

But at u11 the kids are already too big for the little fields

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My unpopular opinion is that refs should give yellow (and red) cards much more liberally starting at U-littles for hard fouls and "tactical" fouls. I've seen way too many slide tackles from behind and wild elbows while fighting for the ball that very seldom get a yellow card. I think more cards would (1) protect and encourage skillful play and (2) teach the offenders to play clean at an early age. What are some of your unpopular opinions?

A tactical fouls is a good soccer play and doesn't always warrant a card.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't go to 11v11 until U15.

But at u11 the kids are already too big for the little fields

DD is U12 and the good goalies can drop punts in or near the box. Offenses this year don't even resemble a soccer game

[Anonymous]

Unpopular opinion of mine is every club should be required to have a full time GK coach.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Unpopular Opinion: that the state of youth soccer in this area is generally.......good.

Might be overstating it slighly, but there are plenty of sane parents, and good coaches who are in it for the right reasons, keeping it fun for kids.

[Anonymous]

Each league should only be allowed to have one travel team per age group. It would raise the caliber of play of the rec league, and the overwhelming majority of kids currently playing travel would actually be better served by rec soccer.

[Anonymous]

Winning records for u-littles don't matter in the long run and scores should not be reported before u13.