would love for NCSL to merge "travel" and "rec" divisions

[Anonymous]

rec teams reconstitute every season (fall and spring)
rec teams have mandatory equal play time
costs of refs etc. are not the same

maybe we should just merge the boys and girls leageus as well so we can see how teams will do

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Make Rec the Bottom Division and the winners can get promoted into the travel divisions if they want. Travel division teams can then get further demoted into the 6th tier of NCSL, the rec divisions!

I really don’t mean this in a condescending or negative way, so don’t take it as that at all since it has nothing to do with anyone other than my mom.

But just to add insight on a possible blind spot, I was a top 2 player on my rec team, top 5-10ish in the league. We won the league 4 seasons in a row, So this would be my team.

My mom bounced checks for the $55 participation fee ($110 for me and my brother), and my coach just started paying it. My grandparents bought our jerseys. I look back on it all as fun, a good time, but I specifically remember things getting weird for those instances.

Anyways, with that said, some people play rec for reasons other than their talent. This idea would potentially cause way more problems than it would solve.

You’d be either taking my rec team minus me and my brother. Which it’s still a good team but basically a different team at that point, I’m not sure the team would have even preferred that over staying together in rec.

And to top off a less fun travel than rec experience for the team, Now my brother and I wouldn’t have any team to play on. So this is kind of just disrupting the one good thing the peasant kids had figured out. (Being half sarcastic for effect but you get it)

And I know some of you will think of offering paying our way? I appreciate it but I don’t want your money, not because I’m better than that but because you had to exchange your time, you had to exchange your life to get the money. That’s your money. Also I don’t know you and you don’t know me, that would be weird. I got unideal gifts as a kid, I’d probably have been mad if I found out someone paid $2000 for us to play tbh. Back then I’d have much rather had something else.

Again, definitely dont feel sorry or guilt or any type of blame. This isn’t a hate post. It was simply a situation I thought I could offer perspective on that wasn’t being considered. Hope that helps.

Getting promoted would not change the rec team status. It wouldn't even change the fee structure. You could still play on the same team, but now you could get promoted and play other teams for the same price. Except for longer drives to some of the games. #respect for the humble roots player.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Make Rec the Bottom Division and the winners can get promoted into the travel divisions if they want. Travel division teams can then get further demoted into the 6th tier of NCSL, the rec divisions!

I really don’t mean this in a condescending or negative way, so don’t take it as that at all since it has nothing to do with anyone other than my mom.

But just to add insight on a possible blind spot, I was a top 2 player on my rec team, top 5-10ish in the league. We won the league 4 seasons in a row, So this would be my team.

My mom bounced checks for the $55 participation fee ($110 for me and my brother), and my coach just started paying it. My grandparents bought our jerseys. I look back on it all as fun, a good time, but I specifically remember things getting weird for those instances.

Anyways, with that said, some people play rec for reasons other than their talent. This idea would potentially cause way more problems than it would solve.

You’d be either taking my rec team minus me and my brother. Which it’s still a good team but basically a different team at that point, I’m not sure the team would have even preferred that over staying together in rec.

And to top off a less fun travel than rec experience for the team, Now my brother and I wouldn’t have any team to play on. So this is kind of just disrupting the one good thing the peasant kids had figured out. (Being half sarcastic for effect but you get it)

And I know some of you will think of offering paying our way? I appreciate it but I don’t want your money, not because I’m better than that but because you had to exchange your time, you had to exchange your life to get the money. That’s your money. Also I don’t know you and you don’t know me, that would be weird. I got unideal gifts as a kid, I’d probably have been mad if I found out someone paid $2000 for us to play tbh. Back then I’d have much rather had something else.

Again, definitely dont feel sorry or guilt or any type of blame. This isn’t a hate post. It was simply a situation I thought I could offer perspective on that wasn’t being considered. Hope that helps.

Getting promoted would not change the rec team status. It wouldn't even change the fee structure. You could still play on the same team, but now you could get promoted and play other teams for the same price. Except for longer drives to some of the games. #respect for the humble roots player.

Are we (the rec team) playing all home games, or are they close by? I always assumed it’s called travel for a reason.

If nothing changes then yea it would be cool even just for the experience assuming the rec coach prepped our team and managed expectations. Basically making it clear that we’re “playing with house money” meaning it’s expected we’ll get spanked and there’s no dishonor in going back to rec next season. Moreso like the experience is the trophy, not an even competition we’re expected to compete for results in. That would be fun without taking away from the experience or not having anything to fall back on, yea.

Also sportsmanship wise it would be cool if y’all’s kids weren’t * about it. Some of yall are *. Us too sometimes sure, but we let it go when the game ends and everyone’s going home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Make Rec the Bottom Division and the winners can get promoted into the travel divisions if they want. Travel division teams can then get further demoted into the 6th tier of NCSL, the rec divisions!

Good luck finding parents willing to pay $3k for the chance to be bumped to a rec league! Here’s a crazy idea, pay for travel if you want travel. Pay for rec if you want rec.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sounds like you are in rec

+1, but if you want your team to play a travel team, just ask for a friendly and if rec team has good record, maybe travel coach will do it (likely to recruit players to join travel at full fees). If not a good record, not worth it for travel coach or their players.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Make Rec the Bottom Division and the winners can get promoted into the travel divisions if they want. Travel division teams can then get further demoted into the 6th tier of NCSL, the rec divisions!

Good luck finding parents willing to pay $3k for the chance to be bumped to a rec league! Here’s a crazy idea, pay for travel if you want travel. Pay for rec if you want rec.

Promotion and Relegation is a normal part of soccer globally. Kinda makes those bottom level travel coaches perform to justify the expense right!? How brilliant would that be? I mean this is the same argument we don't have actual promotion and relegation between leagues here in the US. 'We paid to be an MLS team, so no, we will never play a lower level team." This stunts the growth of US soccer completely.

If NCSL is managing rec and travel, this could be done easily! Also, rec kids could get scouted and join travel clubs as most travel teams have funding for low income players. Most rec families don't even know this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Make Rec the Bottom Division and the winners can get promoted into the travel divisions if they want. Travel division teams can then get further demoted into the 6th tier of NCSL, the rec divisions!

Good luck finding parents willing to pay $3k for the chance to be bumped to a rec league! Here’s a crazy idea, pay for travel if you want travel. Pay for rec if you want rec.

Promotion and Relegation is a normal part of soccer globally. Kinda makes those bottom level travel coaches perform to justify the expense right!? How brilliant would that be? I mean this is the same argument we don't have actual promotion and relegation between leagues here in the US. 'We paid to be an MLS team, so no, we will never play a lower level team." This stunts the growth of US soccer completely.

If NCSL is managing rec and travel, this could be done easily! Also, rec kids could get scouted and join travel clubs as most travel teams have funding for low income players. Most rec families don't even know this.

LOL! And travel coaches should refund pro-rata travel fees for every game their team loses and players should pay extra for every pass missed, goal missed, extra for each yellow card….

[Anonymous]

If you think low level NCSL parents are bad imagine the hysteria coming from the sidelines when those rec parents think there is a chance their DC has a chance to beat a real travel team! Those types that cheer like crazy when someone boots it or their team finally dribbles onto the offensive half.

[Anonymous]

Nah rec parents don't give AF.
Most drop off or carpool for our dc's U14 games.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you think low level NCSL parents are bad imagine the hysteria coming from the sidelines when those rec parents think there is a chance their DC has a chance to beat a real travel team! Those types that cheer like crazy when someone boots it or their team finally dribbles onto the offensive half.

Can confirm that rec parents are somehow more insane than travel parents on the sidelines.

[Anonymous]

Believe me, the top rec team in any division that finishes first in the league will absolutely thrash the bottom teams in the bottom division of travel

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Believe me, the top rec team in any division that finishes first in the league will absolutely thrash the bottom teams in the bottom division of travel

Neat

[Anonymous]

Love this idea, come on NCSL make it happen!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Love this idea, come on NCSL make it happen!

+1 on just go ask travel team coach for a friendly if your team has record to support game being worth it for both the rec and travel players otherwise most rec parents would want to drive any distance for the “opportunity” to get beat 27-0.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Love this idea, come on NCSL make it happen!

+1 on just go ask travel team coach for a friendly if your team has record to support game being worth it for both the rec and travel players otherwise most rec parents would want to drive any distance for the “opportunity” to get beat 27-0?

Was supposed to be question mark at end and added now to correct. My guess is most rec teams don’t want. Another option and money maker for leagues, is rec teams can pay to play the travel team- so say $X to play game with travel team + cost of refs + cost for field. $ can go to the travel team for their hotels, etc during tournaments or to the scholarship fund.