MLS next ruining high school soccer

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My oldest son played 4 years of varsity soccer while playing MLS next and now he is playing college D1 soccer. Now my younger son is trying to do the same but the coaches are threatening him if he does it again, he did it as a 9th grader. He never missed more than 1 practice a week and never missed a game. He has a 4.2 gpa and really enjoys the atmosphere of high school soccer. I do as well. As a 9th grader the pace of play at the varsity level is much faster than MLS next and being forced to play faster really helped improve his play last season. He is a 2nd best player on his MLS next team and other parents asked me how he got so much better this season and I told them high school really helped him and his confidence. We are not sure what to do but I’m thinking we are just going to play both again and see what happens there is very little college recruiting being done as 10th grade year. He could always switch clubs, we have about 6 of them in the area. Thoughts?

The only things HS soccer taught my 9th grade DS this past fall is that 1) he needed to work on strengthening his neck muscles so he could watch the ball fly back and forth over his head in midfield and 2) how to avoid getting his knees and ankles ruined by players who apparently think that HS soccer is in fact rugby.

Now, there can be HS programs out there that play quality soccer but that's maybe 1.5 out of every 10.

HS soccer may look rough and tumble to a 9th grader, but ask a 12th grade MLS Next/ECNL player if it’s rough, and they will probably laugh at you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My oldest son played 4 years of varsity soccer while playing MLS next and now he is playing college D1 soccer. Now my younger son is trying to do the same but the coaches are threatening him if he does it again, he did it as a 9th grader. He never missed more than 1 practice a week and never missed a game. He has a 4.2 gpa and really enjoys the atmosphere of high school soccer. I do as well. As a 9th grader the pace of play at the varsity level is much faster than MLS next and being forced to play faster really helped improve his play last season. He is a 2nd best player on his MLS next team and other parents asked me how he got so much better this season and I told them high school really helped him and his confidence. We are not sure what to do but I’m thinking we are just going to play both again and see what happens there is very little college recruiting being done as 10th grade year. He could always switch clubs, we have about 6 of them in the area. Thoughts?

The only things HS soccer taught my 9th grade DS this past fall is that 1) he needed to work on strengthening his neck muscles so he could watch the ball fly back and forth over his head in midfield and 2) how to avoid getting his knees and ankles ruined by players who apparently think that HS soccer is in fact rugby.

Now, there can be HS programs out there that play quality soccer but that's maybe 1.5 out of every 10.

HS soccer may look rough and tumble to a 9th grader, but ask a 12th grade MLS Next/ECNL player if it’s rough, and they will probably laugh at you.

I've seen more serious injuries in HS games than I've ever seen in an MLS or ECNL game.

How about a tibia broken by a leg sweep so vicious you could hear the crack in the stands? Or player with getting kicked in the solar plexus, breaking ribs and having an entire sole plate of cleats marked on his chest (not even a foul there)? Or the player who had to get taken off the field in a ambulance and on a backboard after he got launched headfirst into the opposing bench with a two handed shove from behind? Or nose broken in three places after getting sucker punched on a corner?

And that's just in one season.

But the biggest difference between HS games and MLS/ECNL games is that HS refs tend to let far more physical play happen without consequences than you see in MLS/ECNL games. They're afraid to card players (yellow or red) in HS because they don't want to be responsible for a player getting suspended (a direct quote I've heard from multiple officials at the scoring table at halftimes). Heck, I've even seen a HS official holding his personal cell phone during the coin toss because he was on a zoom call at work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You only get one time in your life to play high school soccer. Do both this season and switch to an ECNL team for next year, they don't play at all in the spring due to HS soccer.

That's interesting regarding ECNL, because our local ECNL boys team runs year round both Fall and Spring. So, the really don't want their players participating in Spring HS soccer. My son played HS and lower level club soccer, NPL type stuff. He had a couple of friends that were on the ECNL team and decided to play HS their senior year. One lasted a few games before he said enough because the quality of play was just so bad. The other made it almost the full season until he decided enough was enough as well. One of these players is currently at a Sun Belt team and the other is starting at a decent D3 team.

It's tough because HS sports are a valuable experience, but for many players, the quality of play is just so vastly different than their club teams it's not worth it.
Much of this is where you are located - I get it. There's some pretty darn good public HS teams and private HS teams as well. But, for many, that's not the case.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My oldest son played 4 years of varsity soccer while playing MLS next and now he is playing college D1 soccer. Now my younger son is trying to do the same but the coaches are threatening him if he does it again, he did it as a 9th grader. He never missed more than 1 practice a week and never missed a game. He has a 4.2 gpa and really enjoys the atmosphere of high school soccer. I do as well. As a 9th grader the pace of play at the varsity level is much faster than MLS next and being forced to play faster really helped improve his play last season. He is a 2nd best player on his MLS next team and other parents asked me how he got so much better this season and I told them high school really helped him and his confidence. We are not sure what to do but I’m thinking we are just going to play both again and see what happens there is very little college recruiting being done as 10th grade year. He could always switch clubs, we have about 6 of them in the area. Thoughts?

The only things HS soccer taught my 9th grade DS this past fall is that 1) he needed to work on strengthening his neck muscles so he could watch the ball fly back and forth over his head in midfield and 2) how to avoid getting his knees and ankles ruined by players who apparently think that HS soccer is in fact rugby.

Now, there can be HS programs out there that play quality soccer but that's maybe 1.5 out of every 10.

HS soccer may look rough and tumble to a 9th grader, but ask a 12th grade MLS Next/ECNL player if it’s rough, and they will probably laugh at you.

I've seen more serious injuries in HS games than I've ever seen in an MLS or ECNL game.

How about a tibia broken by a leg sweep so vicious you could hear the crack in the stands? Or player with getting kicked in the solar plexus, breaking ribs and having an entire sole plate of cleats marked on his chest (not even a foul there)? Or the player who had to get taken off the field in a ambulance and on a backboard after he got launched headfirst into the opposing bench with a two handed shove from behind? Or nose broken in three places after getting sucker punched on a corner?

And that's just in one season.

But the biggest difference between HS games and MLS/ECNL games is that HS refs tend to let far more physical play happen without consequences than you see in MLS/ECNL games. They're afraid to card players (yellow or red) in HS because they don't want to be responsible for a player getting suspended (a direct quote I've heard from multiple officials at the scoring table at halftimes). Heck, I've even seen a HS official holding his personal cell phone during the coin toss because he was on a zoom call at work.

Agree with this - the level of play leads to players just making poor decisions because they don't / can't play any other way other than with increased physicality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You only get one time in your life to play high school soccer. Do both this season and switch to an ECNL team for next year, they don't play at all in the spring due to HS soccer.

With only the parents in the stands

What does this mean? Our HS soccer games are decently well-attended with player's friends. (Nothing like football or basketball of course). Club games are parents only, of course.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You only get one time in your life to play high school soccer. Do both this season and switch to an ECNL team for next year, they don't play at all in the spring due to HS soccer.

That's interesting regarding ECNL, because our local ECNL boys team runs year round both Fall and Spring. So, the really don't want their players participating in Spring HS soccer. My son played HS and lower level club soccer, NPL type stuff. He had a couple of friends that were on the ECNL team and decided to play HS their senior year. One lasted a few games before he said enough because the quality of play was just so bad. The other made it almost the full season until he decided enough was enough as well. One of these players is currently at a Sun Belt team and the other is starting at a decent D3 team.

It's tough because HS sports are a valuable experience, but for many players, the quality of play is just so vastly different than their club teams it's not worth it.
Much of this is where you are located - I get it. There's some pretty darn good public HS teams and private HS teams as well. But, for many, that's not the case.

OP Here and this is why I said MLS Next and club coaches are ruining high school soccer. If all the top kids stop playing the quality will drop so low why even have high school soccer. We have 50-60 MLS next kids across Fairfax for each grade. If none of them play and the level will drop so low. BTW MLS is always expanding and in 5 years everyone will be MLS next. However, what I have seen from my sons, they high school atmosphere is a much more competitive atmosphere on a daily basis than club weekend games. (MLS NEXT Fest is probably the only exception.

[Anonymous]

Play MLS Next AD and HS soccer and stop whining. You knew when you signed up for MLS HD you were foregoing playing for your HS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Play MLS Next AD and HS soccer and stop whining. You knew when you signed up for MLS HD you were foregoing playing for your HS.

We will continue to do both and allow our children to play as much as possible so they improve at a faster rate than others. If there is any punishment, which I strongly doubt, we will deal with it.

[Anonymous]

so OP - you came on here to complain about the rules you agreed to when you signed to your club and to brag that you are violating the rules because you don't think you'll be punished. got it.

[Anonymous]

Dumb question but how does the club know if you are doing HS ball?

[Anonymous]

Ok. Go play ECNL.

MLS Next HG is designed to produce the next MLS players. They choose to prevent kids from playing high school. That is their choice in their business model.

ECNL is for the great American heroes. Get better while playing high school and then get picked up by a MLS academy or go D1 if you are so confident in your approach.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:so OP - you came on here to complain about the rules you agreed to when you signed to your club and to brag that you are violating the rules because you don't think you'll be punished. got it.

I just wanted to see everyone's thoughts. Standing up to stupid rules is what makes people change the rules. Not allowing players to play more soccer is why our country will never win a world cup.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:so OP - you came on here to complain about the rules you agreed to when you signed to your club and to brag that you are violating the rules because you don't think you'll be punished. got it.

I just wanted to see everyone's thoughts. Standing up to stupid rules is what makes people change the rules. Not allowing players to play more soccer is why our country will never win a world cup.

Just to be clear, your child's experience has nothing to do with the U.S. performance in the world cup. Also, it's a bad take. There's no need for MLS Next players to "play more soccer" in a less technical environment. There are many reasons the U.S. men's national team is behind soccer culture countries. I am 100% sure it's not a lack of high school soccer opportunities. In fact, I'd say high school and college soccer are probably two of the biggest hindrances.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You only get one time in your life to play high school soccer. Do both this season and switch to an ECNL team for next year, they don't play at all in the spring due to HS soccer.

That's interesting regarding ECNL, because our local ECNL boys team runs year round both Fall and Spring. So, the really don't want their players participating in Spring HS soccer. My son played HS and lower level club soccer, NPL type stuff. He had a couple of friends that were on the ECNL team and decided to play HS their senior year. One lasted a few games before he said enough because the quality of play was just so bad. The other made it almost the full season until he decided enough was enough as well. One of these players is currently at a Sun Belt team and the other is starting at a decent D3 team.

It's tough because HS sports are a valuable experience, but for many players, the quality of play is just so vastly different than their club teams it's not worth it.
Much of this is where you are located - I get it. There's some pretty darn good public HS teams and private HS teams as well. But, for many, that's not the case.

OP Here and this is why I said MLS Next and club coaches are ruining high school soccer. If all the top kids stop playing the quality will drop so low why even have high school soccer. We have 50-60 MLS next kids across Fairfax for each grade. If none of them play and the level will drop so low. BTW MLS is always expanding and in 5 years everyone will be MLS next. However, what I have seen from my sons, they high school atmosphere is a much more competitive atmosphere on a daily basis than club weekend games. (MLS NEXT Fest is probably the only exception.

The market will correct itself if the market is not okay with the direction.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ok. Go play ECNL.

MLS Next HG is designed to produce the next MLS players. They choose to prevent kids from playing high school. That is their choice in their business model.

ECNL is for the great American heroes. Get better while playing high school and then get picked up by a MLS academy or go D1 if you are so confident in your approach.

Not true. They have a loophole that lets private school kids play, but not public school kids.