Roster size question and guidance

[Anonymous]

Most kids on our U15 team are in 8th grade. Summer birthday boys all redshirt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:23 kids on an NCSL team.

ASA is so greedy! What are they charging for that?

ASA isn’t alone in this—other clubs do the same (now SYC too). Many clubs roster 22+ players, but leagues like the MLS Next Homegrown division only allow 18 to dress and roster on game day. That means some players are left at home and can’t play down either. This creates tension and frustration for both families and players, especially if coaches don’t provide clear communication about how decisions are made. At times, roster selections can appear inconsistent—sometimes looks like favoritism, particularly when the team struggles to perform consistently on game day.

You are correct. Bethesda is also notorious for having giant rosters, even at young ages. Terrible for development.

[Anonymous]

So what happened?

You should start a new thread specifically naming ASA and enormous rosters. It will get their attention.

[Anonymous]

how does teams handle the situation each week with players left off the roster? We're now 4 games into the season and the same players haven't been rostered for a single game and this is on a non-academy team. Don't get me started on subbing and playing time even if players get rostered. My team is starting to fall a part with each passing week. Tension is brewing and it is matter of time things will blow up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:how does teams handle the situation each week with players left off the roster? We're now 4 games into the season and the same players haven't been rostered for a single game and this is on a non-academy team. Don't get me started on subbing and playing time even if players get rostered. My team is starting to fall a part with each passing week. Tension is brewing and it is matter of time things
will blow up.

Omg
What level team?
Name and shame the club.

[Anonymous]

Agree w PP. That is ridiculous. Name them so others don’t make that mistake!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Agree w PP. That is ridiculous. Name them so others don’t make that mistake!

And clubs and coaches will keep getting away with it until it’s well known who is doing this and there is a price to pay. Please name the club.

[Anonymous]

Our MLSN AD team u16 is brutal for this - 22 on roster, 18 dress and of the 18, the bench get maybe 15 minutes field time.

Before the season my son and I made a deal where if he wasn't a starter by Dec we'd drop to a lower league so he could get play time. So far he's starting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our MLSN AD team u16 is brutal for this - 22 on roster, 18 dress and of the 18, the bench get maybe 15 minutes field time.

Before the season my son and I made a deal where if he wasn't a starter by Dec we'd drop to a lower league so he could get play time. So far he's starting.

WHiCH team?
Help is avoid these sh!tty coaches and clubs.

[Anonymous]

baltimore armour u17 started off with 26 players at beginning of the 2025 season. 5 left the team before the first official game of the season. Coach lookingland added 4 more players. roster now is at 25. coach only plays 11 players every game and maybe 3 players get 10-15 minutes at the end of the second half. stay away from baltimore armour if you actually want to play a game.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:baltimore armour u17 started off with 26 players at beginning of the 2025 season. 5 left the team before the first official game of the season. Coach lookingland added 4 more players. roster now is at 25. coach only plays 11 players every game and maybe 3 players get 10-15 minutes at the end of the second half. stay away from baltimore armour if you actually want to play a game.

As a former bench-riding high school basketball player I wonder, isn't this just how sports works? The coach decides who plays and when? I guess the difference is we're paying for it and we can switch teams, but at some point it's a reality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:baltimore armour u17 started off with 26 players at beginning of the 2025 season. 5 left the team before the first official game of the season. Coach lookingland added 4 more players. roster now is at 25. coach only plays 11 players every game and maybe 3 players get 10-15 minutes at the end of the second half. stay away from baltimore armour if you actually want to play a game.

As a former bench-riding high school basketball player I wonder, isn't this just how sports works? The coach decides who plays and when? I guess the difference is we're paying for it and we can switch teams, but at some point it's a reality.

yes, but not pay for play - HS or wherever, fine but don't take the kid on your pay to play team if you won't play them.

[Anonymous]

Go talk to any parent on any of the SYC teams. They carry a big roaster, tell parents their kids will play every weekend it could be with their team or up or down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Go talk to any parent on any of the SYC teams. They carry a big roaster, tell parents their kids will play every weekend it could be with their team or up or down.

So did SYC live up to their words and all players play every weekend if the roster is 22+?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:baltimore armour u17 started off with 26 players at beginning of the 2025 season. 5 left the team before the first official game of the season. Coach lookingland added 4 more players. roster now is at 25. coach only plays 11 players every game and maybe 3 players get 10-15 minutes at the end of the second half. stay away from baltimore armour if you actually want to play a game.

As a former bench-riding high school basketball player I wonder, isn't this just how sports works? The coach decides who plays and when? I guess the difference is we're paying for it and we can switch teams, but at some point it's a reality.

yes, but not pay for play - HS or wherever, fine but don't take the kid on your pay to play team if you won't play them.

agree we parents are shelling out close to $4k to be a practice player???? coach lookinglad does this purposely to increase his pay. if he is only. going to play 11 players always and 2-3 for 15 minutes, then limit the roster to 17-18 players. it is ridiculous. at least syc lets other players play with excl if not playing mls next game that weekend