For travel soccer, why do parents have to help?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have three kids in travel soccer and I have never noticed the favoritism you and others mention. Never. I have been on teams where the manager's kid doesn't start. I have a manager friend who's U14 kid has never advanced past the B team. I really haven't seen it ever over the years. What I see consistently across all the coaches and teams is that defenders come out a lot less than others players, sometimes not at all. I manage my youngest's team and he pretty much never came out of games when he was younger and played centerback. Now he's a midfielder and rotates with others.

Same with our team. Our CDM and CBs rarely come out. Usually only if their hurt or late game if we have the game in the bag or get stomped.

Why is this? I noticed this with my ds (young) who plays alot of defense.

[Anonymous]

There is less running/those kids aren’t as tired. But from a development standpoint when they are U11 and below kids should get rotated.

[Anonymous]

Great question OP. I agree—things like field set up (when there are 2+ coaches for the team) and admin stuff etc should come with the academy price IMO. Does DCU make parents volunteer?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have three kids in travel soccer and I have never noticed the favoritism you and others mention. Never. I have been on teams where the manager's kid doesn't start. I have a manager friend who's U14 kid has never advanced past the B team. I really haven't seen it ever over the years. What I see consistently across all the coaches and teams is that defenders come out a lot less than others players, sometimes not at all. I manage my youngest's team and he pretty much never came out of games when he was younger and played centerback. Now he's a midfielder and rotates with others.

Same with our team. Our CDM and CBs rarely come out. Usually only if their hurt or late game if we have the game in the bag or get stomped.

My kids team keeps the 4 starting defenders on the field almost all the time, they are u15. Same 4 kids the last 4 years so they build up chemistry and know how to communicate with each other. The team gives up more goals if one of them is subbed out so it's not hard to figure out why this happens.

[Anonymous]

My club does not require any input...with the exception of female chaperones at hotels

[Anonymous]

Why is there a classroom parent role in schools? Aren't we paying for the teachers with our high taxes? Why can't the teacher or the principal organize the field trips and class parties?

The reality is there is a bunch of grunt work to do to make the team operational--outside of just the games. Do you want your coach doing that grunt work or coaching your players?

I am on a team that has 5+ parent volunteer roles and am so thankful for that. Just doing the tournament administration is a job in itself. Hoisting it on one team parent is insane unless that person has a ton of time to devote. Many hands make light work...

If you wanted clubs to hire an admin for every team your fees would be much higher. If you wanted your coaach to do this, your player would have less coaching.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is less running/those kids aren’t as tired. But from a development standpoint when they are U11 and below kids should get rotated.

That is part of it, but good defending takes certain kinds of players. It's not just the 1v1 defending part of it. They are the most positionally important players as in they must keep their position individually and with respect to the other CB, the CDM and backs. When you see all the defenders working in tandem with good communication it's a beauty to watch. Offensively you don't have that same dynamic. It's more one/two, pointing out the spot you want it, individual ability. Very quick, decisive. That takes another kind of player with a different skill set. Then you have some players with a bit of each like a #6 or #8, sometimes a fullback.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why is there a classroom parent role in schools? Aren't we paying for the teachers with our high taxes? Why can't the teacher or the principal organize the field trips and class parties?

The reality is there is a bunch of grunt work to do to make the team operational--outside of just the games. Do you want your coach doing that grunt work or coaching your players?

I am on a team that has 5+ parent volunteer roles and am so thankful for that. Just doing the tournament administration is a job in itself. Hoisting it on one team parent is insane unless that person has a ton of time to devote. Many hands make light work...

If you wanted clubs to hire an admin for every team your fees would be much higher. If you wanted your coaach to do this, your player would have less coaching.

The classroom parent role is there to keep parents busy so they bother the teachers less. You weren't under the impression that it benefits the children or the teacher were you?

Are the parent volunteer roles in soccer the same?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why is there a classroom parent role in schools? Aren't we paying for the teachers with our high taxes? Why can't the teacher or the principal organize the field trips and class parties?

The reality is there is a bunch of grunt work to do to make the team operational--outside of just the games. Do you want your coach doing that grunt work or coaching your players?

I am on a team that has 5+ parent volunteer roles and am so thankful for that. Just doing the tournament administration is a job in itself. Hoisting it on one team parent is insane unless that person has a ton of time to devote. Many hands make light work...

If you wanted clubs to hire an admin for every team your fees would be much higher. If you wanted your coaach to do this, your player would have less coaching.

OP here. I'm good with paying $1K more to have a team admin and no parent involvement. Parent involvement in the administrative / team management roles is what makes travel soccer cliqish which needs to be eliminated. Not only is the club taking your money but taking your time as well. Club's need to figure out how to operate without player parent involvement. Only thing parents should doing is schlepping the kids around and standing on the sidelines cheering them on.

[Anonymous]

Why pay more employees when you can have the parents do work for free? That’s the reason. It’s as simple as that.

[Anonymous]

Soccer clubs run light on full time employees. You have all the coaches which consist of mainly part time employees who show up to the field after their real job. Then you have a few full time employees. One admin. A director of soccer and then an operations guy. Bigger clubs might have a few more full timers, but not many. To get it all done, you have to enlist some volunteers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

OP here. I'm good with paying $1K more to have a team admin and no parent involvement. Parent involvement in the administrative / team management roles is what makes travel soccer cliqish which needs to be eliminated. Not only is the club taking your money but taking your time as well. Club's need to figure out how to operate without player parent involvement. Only thing parents should doing is schlepping the kids around and standing on the sidelines cheering them on.

Our club does exactly that and pitches no parent involvement as a feature. Parents must stay off the field during training and games and will get talked to if they are joysticking their kid during games. No direct communication between coaches and parents, to talk with staff you schedule a meeting through the admin and age group TD. It works pretty well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

OP here. I'm good with paying $1K more to have a team admin and no parent involvement. Parent involvement in the administrative / team management roles is what makes travel soccer cliqish which needs to be eliminated. Not only is the club taking your money but taking your time as well. Club's need to figure out how to operate without player parent involvement. Only thing parents should doing is schlepping the kids around and standing on the sidelines cheering them on.

Our club does exactly that and pitches no parent involvement as a feature. Parents must stay off the field during training and games and will get talked to if they are joysticking their kid during games. No direct communication between coaches and parents, to talk with staff you schedule a meeting through the admin and age group TD. It works pretty well.

Can you share the club name? That is a great feature!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

OP here. I'm good with paying $1K more to have a team admin and no parent involvement. Parent involvement in the administrative / team management roles is what makes travel soccer cliqish which needs to be eliminated. Not only is the club taking your money but taking your time as well. Club's need to figure out how to operate without player parent involvement. Only thing parents should doing is schlepping the kids around and standing on the sidelines cheering them on.

Our club does exactly that and pitches no parent involvement as a feature. Parents must stay off the field during training and games and will get talked to if they are joysticking their kid during games. No direct communication between coaches and parents, to talk with staff you schedule a meeting through the admin and age group TD. It works pretty well.

This is great! Takes the politics out of travel soccer leaving the coach to focus on getting the team going and not have to deal with overbearing parents.

[Anonymous]

I am at a less expensive club where the parents do a lot. I don't mind because all the jobs directly contribute to functioning of the team. I HATED the compulsory volunteering when my kids did Little League. I would have gladly paid more or gone without a snack bar rather than have to give up my hours for those jobs.