U10 and under travel - how much practice?

[Anonymous]

When my son was U9, he was on the A team for our club. He practiced 3 times a week for 90 minutes, then had a ball mastery on the weekends for 90 minutes and two games a weekend. So that would be something soccer related 5 days a week, sometimes two events in a day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid is DA is and we practice 4 X per week normally.

8 and 9 yos can’t be DA, so your point is irrelevant. But it made you feel good to post that your kid is DA, right?

Stop criticizing. I think their point is that an 8-9 yo shouldn't be doing more than an older, DA player.

NP here. If that was their point, it didn't come through.

But anyhow, 5X week is nuts for an 8/9 year old.

8 and 9 year old's go to school 5 times a week for much longer periods of time. Since when is doing something they love doing to much?

It isn't for every kid but if a kid is enjoying it then there is no such thing as to much. These discussions are always dumb because people try and impose their beliefs as fact.

If your kid is enjoying it then don't worry about it. If your kid shows signs of not wanting to go then cut back or just stay home that night. Focus on what is best for your kid and ignore what people think is best. Listen to your kid more than other adults. If you think two nights a week is good cool! If your kid likes 6 nights a week, cool!

[Anonymous]

I don't know. I'm not so sure about the 'my kid loves it' when talking about structured practices almost daily. I have been around a lot of those dads and I have come to the conclusion it is really just "FOMO". The parents feel like they can get 1 up by doing more and more and more. They get anxious whenever they hear what other players are doing so they have to try 1 up them. It is truly 'fear of missing out'. I know kids that played for 2 different Club teams (different leagues), did ODP training, did Club training, etc. They would go from a travel game to an ODP training and between the 2 clubs they had practice every night of the week....for a 10-yaer old.

I have seen the result of that down the road with the 14-year old crowd. Those kids are burned the h*ll out and many don't want to tell daddy that they just don't want to play anymore. The fun was gone early. It was never about fun. It was about dad's dream of them being the next FIFA star, or at minimum a college scholarship.

If a kid truly loves soccer they don't need to go to a structured practice every night of the week for 90 minutes at 8/9/10 years old. They would spend off-nights on their own working on individual skill sin the backyard where they would get more touches anyways. I think parents confuse playing soccer every day for kids that love it with the need to play formally every day. They are gong to get more creativity out of pick up soccer then structured, formalized team practices.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't know. I'm not so sure about the 'my kid loves it' when talking about structured practices almost daily. I have been around a lot of those dads and I have come to the conclusion it is really just "FOMO". The parents feel like they can get 1 up by doing more and more and more. They get anxious whenever they hear what other players are doing so they have to try 1 up them. It is truly 'fear of missing out'. I know kids that played for 2 different Club teams (different leagues), did ODP training, did Club training, etc. They would go from a travel game to an ODP training and between the 2 clubs they had practice every night of the week....for a 10-yaer old.

I have seen the result of that down the road with the 14-year old crowd. Those kids are burned the h*ll out and many don't want to tell daddy that they just don't want to play anymore. The fun was gone early. It was never about fun. It was about dad's dream of them being the next FIFA star, or at minimum a college scholarship.

If a kid truly loves soccer they don't need to go to a structured practice every night of the week for 90 minutes at 8/9/10 years old. They would spend off-nights on their own working on individual skill sin the backyard where they would get more touches anyways. I think parents confuse playing soccer every day for kids that love it with the need to play formally every day. They are gong to get more creativity out of pick up soccer then structured, formalized team practices.

Again, this comes down to you knowing your own child. This doesn't discount any of my points. Yes, much is FOMO which is why I will repeat, don't worry about what others are doing. If your kid likes two nights, cool. If your kid likes 6 nights, cool. You don't need to buy into what other people are doing one way or the other.

By the same token, people don't need to be judgmental about what other kids are or are not doing.

[Anonymous]

Ask a kid if they “love” practice vs “love” playing with their friends. Pretty much near universal answers on that one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ask a kid if they “love” practice vs “love” playing with their friends. Pretty much near universal answers on that one.

All you have to do is have the conversation with your kid and worry about what works for your kid. Why is that so hard to understand?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: My son plays for a “B team” and practices twice a week for an hour and a half each time. Occasionally we need to borrow a player from another team him in the club. Frequently it is the same two players and they come to practice with us. The moms of these two boys – who are 8 or 9 years old - brag that they practice five nights a week and are playing for three different teams in two leagues. This was our first year of travel. Is this normal children that are 8-10 years old to practice five nights a week?
I honestly think that is too much. The come back from many would be that their child loves soccer so practice is fun. I watch practice and it is mostly drills. Not fun. I’m not going to say anything to these moms - just wondering if I’m abnormal for not having my child at a practice more nights a week and on multiple teams.

It's not totally crazy, but it's not the norm. I know dozens and dozens of kids who play travel at that age and maybe 4 or 5 who do multiple teams. About half are really into soccer and want to play all the time. The others do it because they play on one more serious team, and one less serious team with friends (usually the rec team they started on.)

[Anonymous]

3 times a week and we are on a B team. Plus we have a game on a weekend, and DS asked me to sign him up for a skills clinic on the other weekend day.

[Anonymous]

If a kid truly loves soccer they don't need to go to a structured practice every night of the week for 90 minutes at 8/9/10 years old. They would spend off-nights on their own working on individual skill sin the backyard where they would get more touches anyways. I think parents confuse playing soccer every day for kids that love it with the need to play formally every day. They are gong to get more creativity out of pick up soccer then structured, formalized team practices.

Tell me this magical place where I can routinely find these pick up games and I will drop my 10 year old off there rather than paying $1900 a year.

[Anonymous]

any other country where soccer is big

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't know. I'm not so sure about the 'my kid loves it' when talking about structured practices almost daily. I have been around a lot of those dads and I have come to the conclusion it is really just "FOMO". The parents feel like they can get 1 up by doing more and more and more. They get anxious whenever they hear what other players are doing so they have to try 1 up them. It is truly 'fear of missing out'. I know kids that played for 2 different Club teams (different leagues), did ODP training, did Club training, etc. They would go from a travel game to an ODP training and between the 2 clubs they had practice every night of the week....for a 10-yaer old.

I have seen the result of that down the road with the 14-year old crowd. Those kids are burned the h*ll out and many don't want to tell daddy that they just don't want to play anymore. The fun was gone early. It was never about fun. It was about dad's dream of them being the next FIFA star, or at minimum a college scholarship.

If a kid truly loves soccer they don't need to go to a structured practice every night of the week for 90 minutes at 8/9/10 years old. They would spend off-nights on their own working on individual skill sin the backyard where they would get more touches anyways. I think parents confuse playing soccer every day for kids that love it with the need to play formally every day. They are gong to get more creativity out of pick up soccer then structured, formalized team practices.

What off nights are there during the school year?