For 2016 travel girl

[Anonymous]

I know OP said athletic, but a lot of parents say their kids are athletic, and the kids are not. It may be a limiting factor and all the training and coaches in the world won’t help.

[Anonymous]

I think this speaks for both girls and boys. My child is U9 and the start of families joining travel teams. Better kids who love to play soccer, like to watch it, international backgrounds, or enrolled early in camps obviously make the A or B team at a club. While kids with lesser experience or coming from rec on lower teams. Better kids get the better coaching, train and learn outside of club and continue to rise together. While kids at lower teams aren't coached as well, are around other kids who dont know the sport or play as well. They pretty much will stay the same for years. Clubs dont really develop kids individually talent, so if you aren't doing outside training, you'll never move up. I think in a way it is disappointing at practices and games at 5x , that most kids will not grow in the sport aside from physically growing.

I advise taking it into your own hands. If you have the will and take some learning, you can coach. Big issue is whether your child is willing to train at home.

[Anonymous]

Coaches only matter if they are playing your kid in the right place and for enough time. Otherwise they are more of an annoyance (because of parent politics) than helpful in my experience. Find someone who knows how to talk to children/adolescence, has a passion for teaching the game, and knows how to tune out "those" parents. All the real work is done invidividually though. Trainers are wise investments if you are a novice to the game. If you know the game, watch and talk about with your kid. You can help them by just finding some good free resounrces on youtube or IG and doing it with them even. The rest is on them, window is small, enjoy the ride!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think this speaks for both girls and boys. My child is U9 and the start of families joining travel teams. Better kids who love to play soccer, like to watch it, international backgrounds, or enrolled early in camps obviously make the A or B team at a club. While kids with lesser experience or coming from rec on lower teams. Better kids get the better coaching, train and learn outside of club and continue to rise together. While kids at lower teams aren't coached as well, are around other kids who dont know the sport or play as well. They pretty much will stay the same for years. Clubs dont really develop kids individually talent, so if you aren't doing outside training, you'll never move up. I think in a way it is disappointing at practices and games at 5x , that most kids will not grow in the sport aside from physically growing.

I advise taking it into your own hands. If you have the will and take some learning, you can coach. Big issue is whether your child is willing to train at home.

This right here... learned it the hard way with my older kid. After two years of 3rd team figured out that there was no way to improve without outside coaching. After signing the kid up to external group lessons and private 1 on 1 - saw significant improvement all around. This also helped with my younger kid who benefited from the mistakes made with 1st. Younger kid had better skills out the door and was put on 1st team with significantly better coaching and other players who are challenging during practice. The extra challenge and love of game definitely rubbed of on my younger kid. Bottom line, if you want your child to be competitive, (unfortunately) it requires a bunch of outside of club training - unless you kid is just a natural phenom, but we are speaking about regular kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think this speaks for both girls and boys. My child is U9 and the start of families joining travel teams. Better kids who love to play soccer, like to watch it, international backgrounds, or enrolled early in camps obviously make the A or B team at a club. While kids with lesser experience or coming from rec on lower teams. Better kids get the better coaching, train and learn outside of club and continue to rise together. While kids at lower teams aren't coached as well, are around other kids who dont know the sport or play as well. They pretty much will stay the same for years. Clubs dont really develop kids individually talent, so if you aren't doing outside training, you'll never move up. I think in a way it is disappointing at practices and games at 5x , that most kids will not grow in the sport aside from physically growing.

I advise taking it into your own hands. If you have the will and take some learning, you can coach. Big issue is whether your child is willing to train at home.

This right here... learned it the hard way with my older kid. After two years of 3rd team figured out that there was no way to improve without outside coaching. After signing the kid up to external group lessons and private 1 on 1 - saw significant improvement all around. This also helped with my younger kid who benefited from the mistakes made with 1st. Younger kid had better skills out the door and was put on 1st team with significantly better coaching and other players who are challenging during practice. The extra challenge and love of game definitely rubbed of on my younger kid. Bottom line, if you want your child to be competitive, (unfortunately) it requires a bunch of outside of club training - unless you kid is just a natural phenom, but we are speaking about regular kids.

If “you” want your kid to be competitive?

“I don’t care if you hate this DD, I need something to discuss with the boys at happy hour. There hours of HP Elite a week.”

Everything that is wrong with kids sports in 2026, right here. The USWNT pipeline is full of kids whose parents spent hours on extra training /s

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think this speaks for both girls and boys. My child is U9 and the start of families joining travel teams. Better kids who love to play soccer, like to watch it, international backgrounds, or enrolled early in camps obviously make the A or B team at a club. While kids with lesser experience or coming from rec on lower teams. Better kids get the better coaching, train and learn outside of club and continue to rise together. While kids at lower teams aren't coached as well, are around other kids who dont know the sport or play as well. They pretty much will stay the same for years. Clubs dont really develop kids individually talent, so if you aren't doing outside training, you'll never move up. I think in a way it is disappointing at practices and games at 5x , that most kids will not grow in the sport aside from physically growing.

I advise taking it into your own hands. If you have the will and take some learning, you can coach. Big issue is whether your child is willing to train at home.

This right here... learned it the hard way with my older kid. After two years of 3rd team figured out that there was no way to improve without outside coaching. After signing the kid up to external group lessons and private 1 on 1 - saw significant improvement all around. This also helped with my younger kid who benefited from the mistakes made with 1st. Younger kid had better skills out the door and was put on 1st team with significantly better coaching and other players who are challenging during practice. The extra challenge and love of game definitely rubbed of on my younger kid. Bottom line, if you want your child to be competitive, (unfortunately) it requires a bunch of outside of club training - unless you kid is just a natural phenom, but we are speaking about regular kids.

If “you” want your kid to be competitive?

“I don’t care if you hate this DD, I need something to discuss with the boys at happy hour. There hours of HP Elite a week.”

Everything that is wrong with kids sports in 2026, right here. The USWNT pipeline is full of kids whose parents spent hours on extra training /s

Travel soccer is competitive. We join and pay for it to be competitive. I think everyone wants their kids to do well and grow. Bottom level teams dont get the coaching and attention of upper teams. In a fair system, all teams should be coached to help kids grow and learn well.
Bottom teams are now becoming glorified recreational play and you pay for the badge. In school, all kids in every glass and grade get even attention and grow each year. Don't think its happening in most of travel soccer. So to really grow you need to do soemthing outside of club. I dont think most parents want to pay and do the time for extra work. I think most join thinking that's what joining club soccer was for in the first place. Nothing wrong with parents trying to get their kids better and better environment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think this speaks for both girls and boys. My child is U9 and the start of families joining travel teams. Better kids who love to play soccer, like to watch it, international backgrounds, or enrolled early in camps obviously make the A or B team at a club. While kids with lesser experience or coming from rec on lower teams. Better kids get the better coaching, train and learn outside of club and continue to rise together. While kids at lower teams aren't coached as well, are around other kids who dont know the sport or play as well. They pretty much will stay the same for years. Clubs dont really develop kids individually talent, so if you aren't doing outside training, you'll never move up. I think in a way it is disappointing at practices and games at 5x , that most kids will not grow in the sport aside from physically growing.

I advise taking it into your own hands. If you have the will and take some learning, you can coach. Big issue is whether your child is willing to train at home.

This right here... learned it the hard way with my older kid. After two years of 3rd team figured out that there was no way to improve without outside coaching. After signing the kid up to external group lessons and private 1 on 1 - saw significant improvement all around. This also helped with my younger kid who benefited from the mistakes made with 1st. Younger kid had better skills out the door and was put on 1st team with significantly better coaching and other players who are challenging during practice. The extra challenge and love of game definitely rubbed of on my younger kid. Bottom line, if you want your child to be competitive, (unfortunately) it requires a bunch of outside of club training - unless you kid is just a natural phenom, but we are speaking about regular kids.

If “you” want your kid to be competitive?

“I don’t care if you hate this DD, I need something to discuss with the boys at happy hour. There hours of HP Elite a week.”

Everything that is wrong with kids sports in 2026, right here. The USWNT pipeline is full of kids whose parents spent hours on extra training /s

This has nothing to do with discussing anything with anyone... Wanting ones kid to be competitive in travel club environment is bad? What's your suggestion, having your kid on the 3rd or 4th team with crappy coaching - glorified rec? I'm sure the child will be very happy when they can't do anything that the kids on the 2nd or 1st team can do. I'm sure the kid will be happy to lose the ball, not be able to score, etc during games while simultaneously being on a team that consistently loses games. None of these things make a kid happy (if you don't care about putting in more effort, that's ok, just play rec).
Little kids don't know what they want, that's why parents guide them - hopefully in a kind way. Making sure that your kid gets the skills necessary to compete in travel soccer means extra practices, better teams with better coaching, etc... again, no one is making you put your id in travel, there are perfectly fine rec leagues that don't require any of this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think this speaks for both girls and boys. My child is U9 and the start of families joining travel teams. Better kids who love to play soccer, like to watch it, international backgrounds, or enrolled early in camps obviously make the A or B team at a club. While kids with lesser experience or coming from rec on lower teams. Better kids get the better coaching, train and learn outside of club and continue to rise together. While kids at lower teams aren't coached as well, are around other kids who dont know the sport or play as well. They pretty much will stay the same for years. Clubs dont really develop kids individually talent, so if you aren't doing outside training, you'll never move up. I think in a way it is disappointing at practices and games at 5x , that most kids will not grow in the sport aside from physically growing.

I advise taking it into your own hands. If you have the will and take some learning, you can coach. Big issue is whether your child is willing to train at home.

This right here... learned it the hard way with my older kid. After two years of 3rd team figured out that there was no way to improve without outside coaching. After signing the kid up to external group lessons and private 1 on 1 - saw significant improvement all around. This also helped with my younger kid who benefited from the mistakes made with 1st. Younger kid had better skills out the door and was put on 1st team with significantly better coaching and other players who are challenging during practice. The extra challenge and love of game definitely rubbed of on my younger kid. Bottom line, if you want your child to be competitive, (unfortunately) it requires a bunch of outside of club training - unless you kid is just a natural phenom, but we are speaking about regular kids.

If “you” want your kid to be competitive?

“I don’t care if you hate this DD, I need something to discuss with the boys at happy hour. There hours of HP Elite a week.”

Everything that is wrong with kids sports in 2026, right here. The USWNT pipeline is full of kids whose parents spent hours on extra training /s

Travel soccer is competitive. We join and pay for it to be competitive. I think everyone wants their kids to do well and grow. Bottom level teams dont get the coaching and attention of upper teams. In a fair system, all teams should be coached to help kids grow and learn well.
Bottom teams are now becoming glorified recreational play and you pay for the badge. In school, all kids in every glass and grade get even attention and grow each year. Don't think its happening in most of travel soccer. So to really grow you need to do soemthing outside of club. I dont think most parents want to pay and do the time for extra work. I think most join thinking that's what joining club soccer was for in the first place. Nothing wrong with parents trying to get their kids better and better environment.

exactly