Important Update: US Soccer Birth Year Change

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who started the term 'trapped' and why? Once again trapped by WHAT? Lack of talent? Size? Maturity? I don't get how a birthday traps anyone

Trapped because they don't get a full club season in 8th grade while their BY peers are playing HS soccer. And trapped because junior year all the BY peers have already been recruited and stopped going to events. The major recruitment happens sophomore year when the trapped kids can't be recruited as they are freshman. College coaches are on record saying they don't bother with junior and senior teams in a showcase when the 10th graders are the next wave and need to be picked. That's why they are "trapped" not because of their size, maturity or skills.

Im trying to understand how this would play out for aug and sept players who would play down a grade. I dont know much about college recruiting at all. What would happen to a 10th grader playing on a team with 9th graders? Or 11th with 10th, etc? Would they also lose out? Or is it not the same if playing with the grade younger somehow?

They wouldn't be playing down. They'd be playing the correct school age. If your kid is September, they've currently been playing kids up to 8 months older and a grade up. With the change your kid probably repeats what ever age group they've been playing and goes from being one of the younger players to one of the older players and playing with their school age group. It's just a change of perspective. If they're good enough to then be asked to play up then they're being asked to play with kids a full year older and a full grade older.

I think OP is talking about the kids in that Aug/Sept birth months that are the youngest in their grades, but because of the proposed soccer cutoff, they will be playing with kids a grade below them. So they would be playing down from a school standpoint, but not playing down from the age cutoff standpoint.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who started the term 'trapped' and why? Once again trapped by WHAT? Lack of talent? Size? Maturity? I don't get how a birthday traps anyone

Trapped because they don't get a full club season in 8th grade while their BY peers are playing HS soccer. And trapped because junior year all the BY peers have already been recruited and stopped going to events. The major recruitment happens sophomore year when the trapped kids can't be recruited as they are freshman. College coaches are on record saying they don't bother with junior and senior teams in a showcase when the 10th graders are the next wave and need to be picked. That's why they are "trapped" not because of their size, maturity or skills.

Im trying to understand how this would play out for aug and sept players who would play down a grade. I dont know much about college recruiting at all. What would happen to a 10th grader playing on a team with 9th graders? Or 11th with 10th, etc? Would they also lose out? Or is it not the same if playing with the grade younger somehow?

They wouldn't be playing down. They'd be playing the correct school age. If your kid is September, they've currently been playing kids up to 8 months older and a grade up. With the change your kid probably repeats what ever age group they've been playing and goes from being one of the younger players to one of the older players and playing with their school age group. It's just a change of perspective. If they're good enough to then be asked to play up then they're being asked to play with kids a full year older and a full grade older.

I think OP is talking about the kids in that Aug/Sept birth months that are the youngest in their grades, but because of the proposed soccer cutoff, they will be playing with kids a grade below them. So they would be playing down from a school standpoint, but not playing down from the age cutoff standpoint.

Yes but the point is that they can play up a year, where under the calendar year system, trapped players have limited chances to play down.

[Anonymous]

100

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who started the term 'trapped' and why? Once again trapped by WHAT? Lack of talent? Size? Maturity? I don't get how a birthday traps anyone

Trapped because they don't get a full club season in 8th grade while their BY peers are playing HS soccer. And trapped because junior year all the BY peers have already been recruited and stopped going to events. The major recruitment happens sophomore year when the trapped kids can't be recruited as they are freshman. College coaches are on record saying they don't bother with junior and senior teams in a showcase when the 10th graders are the next wave and need to be picked. That's why they are "trapped" not because of their size, maturity or skills.

Im trying to understand how this would play out for aug and sept players who would play down a grade. I dont know much about college recruiting at all. What would happen to a 10th grader playing on a team with 9th graders? Or 11th with 10th, etc? Would they also lose out? Or is it not the same if playing with the grade younger somehow?

They wouldn't be playing down. They'd be playing the correct school age. If your kid is September, they've currently been playing kids up to 8 months older and a grade up. With the change your kid probably repeats what ever age group they've been playing and goes from being one of the younger players to one of the older players and playing with their school age group. It's just a change of perspective. If they're good enough to then be asked to play up then they're being asked to play with kids a full year older and a full grade older.

I think OP is talking about the kids in that Aug/Sept birth months that are the youngest in their grades, but because of the proposed soccer cutoff, they will be playing with kids a grade below them. So they would be playing down from a school standpoint, but not playing down from the age cutoff standpoint.

100% If the dates are followed strictly there are a group of kids in Aug/Sept who may have just made the cutoff in school for a grade, but don't make the soccer cutoff. So a young 8th grader now playing soccer with 7th graders as the oldest. Good that the kid is oldest, but bad because of recruiting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who started the term 'trapped' and why? Once again trapped by WHAT? Lack of talent? Size? Maturity? I don't get how a birthday traps anyone

Trapped because they don't get a full club season in 8th grade while their BY peers are playing HS soccer. And trapped because junior year all the BY peers have already been recruited and stopped going to events. The major recruitment happens sophomore year when the trapped kids can't be recruited as they are freshman. College coaches are on record saying they don't bother with junior and senior teams in a showcase when the 10th graders are the next wave and need to be picked. That's why they are "trapped" not because of their size, maturity or skills.

Im trying to understand how this would play out for aug and sept players who would play down a grade. I dont know much about college recruiting at all. What would happen to a 10th grader playing on a team with 9th graders? Or 11th with 10th, etc? Would they also lose out? Or is it not the same if playing with the grade younger somehow?

They wouldn't be playing down. They'd be playing the correct school age. If your kid is September, they've currently been playing kids up to 8 months older and a grade up. With the change your kid probably repeats what ever age group they've been playing and goes from being one of the younger players to one of the older players and playing with their school age group. It's just a change of perspective. If they're good enough to then be asked to play up then they're being asked to play with kids a full year older and a full grade older.

I think OP is talking about the kids in that Aug/Sept birth months that are the youngest in their grades, but because of the proposed soccer cutoff, they will be playing with kids a grade below them. So they would be playing down from a school standpoint, but not playing down from the age cutoff standpoint.

Yes but the point is that they can play up a year, where under the calendar year system, trapped players have limited chances to play down.

Agree. But playing up is not a guarantee either and would also be limited depending on the club(s) and numbers from the the team "above" who would be sending players "down" under the new system. But I get your point because the numbers of trapped players in the current system is more than the small number of kids who fall in that Aug/Sept birth months.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

100

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who started the term 'trapped' and why? Once again trapped by WHAT? Lack of talent? Size? Maturity? I don't get how a birthday traps anyone

Trapped because they don't get a full club season in 8th grade while their BY peers are playing HS soccer. And trapped because junior year all the BY peers have already been recruited and stopped going to events. The major recruitment happens sophomore year when the trapped kids can't be recruited as they are freshman. College coaches are on record saying they don't bother with junior and senior teams in a showcase when the 10th graders are the next wave and need to be picked. That's why they are "trapped" not because of their size, maturity or skills.

Im trying to understand how this would play out for aug and sept players who would play down a grade. I dont know much about college recruiting at all. What would happen to a 10th grader playing on a team with 9th graders? Or 11th with 10th, etc? Would they also lose out? Or is it not the same if playing with the grade younger somehow?

They wouldn't be playing down. They'd be playing the correct school age. If your kid is September, they've currently been playing kids up to 8 months older and a grade up. With the change your kid probably repeats what ever age group they've been playing and goes from being one of the younger players to one of the older players and playing with their school age group. It's just a change of perspective. If they're good enough to then be asked to play up then they're being asked to play with kids a full year older and a full grade older.

I think OP is talking about the kids in that Aug/Sept birth months that are the youngest in their grades, but because of the proposed soccer cutoff, they will be playing with kids a grade below them. So they would be playing down from a school standpoint, but not playing down from the age cutoff standpoint.

100% If the dates are followed strictly there are a group of kids in Aug/Sept who may have just made the cutoff in school for a grade, but don't make the soccer cutoff. So a young 8th grader now playing soccer with 7th graders as the oldest. Good that the kid is oldest, but bad because of recruiting.

It's almost as though this in fact does not fix the problem and yet fall birthday day parents seem to be fine with it because it's not their kid's problem anymore.

But hey, if your kid is really good you could always just hold them back a year to redo a grade! Problem fixed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

100

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who started the term 'trapped' and why? Once again trapped by WHAT? Lack of talent? Size? Maturity? I don't get how a birthday traps anyone

Trapped because they don't get a full club season in 8th grade while their BY peers are playing HS soccer. And trapped because junior year all the BY peers have already been recruited and stopped going to events. The major recruitment happens sophomore year when the trapped kids can't be recruited as they are freshman. College coaches are on record saying they don't bother with junior and senior teams in a showcase when the 10th graders are the next wave and need to be picked. That's why they are "trapped" not because of their size, maturity or skills.

Im trying to understand how this would play out for aug and sept players who would play down a grade. I dont know much about college recruiting at all. What would happen to a 10th grader playing on a team with 9th graders? Or 11th with 10th, etc? Would they also lose out? Or is it not the same if playing with the grade younger somehow?

They wouldn't be playing down. They'd be playing the correct school age. If your kid is September, they've currently been playing kids up to 8 months older and a grade up. With the change your kid probably repeats what ever age group they've been playing and goes from being one of the younger players to one of the older players and playing with their school age group. It's just a change of perspective. If they're good enough to then be asked to play up then they're being asked to play with kids a full year older and a full grade older.

I think OP is talking about the kids in that Aug/Sept birth months that are the youngest in their grades, but because of the proposed soccer cutoff, they will be playing with kids a grade below them. So they would be playing down from a school standpoint, but not playing down from the age cutoff standpoint.

100% If the dates are followed strictly there are a group of kids in Aug/Sept who may have just made the cutoff in school for a grade, but don't make the soccer cutoff. So a young 8th grader now playing soccer with 7th graders as the oldest. Good that the kid is oldest, but bad because of recruiting.

It's almost as though this in fact does not fix the problem and yet fall birthday day parents seem to be fine with it because it's not their kid's problem anymore.

But hey, if your kid is really good you could always just hold them back a year to redo a grade! Problem fixed.

It's almost as if you conveniently ignore that the young 8th grader is ALLOWED to play up to play with their grade level. So yes it fixes the problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who started the term 'trapped' and why? Once again trapped by WHAT? Lack of talent? Size? Maturity? I don't get how a birthday traps anyone

Trapped because they don't get a full club season in 8th grade while their BY peers are playing HS soccer. And trapped because junior year all the BY peers have already been recruited and stopped going to events. The major recruitment happens sophomore year when the trapped kids can't be recruited as they are freshman. College coaches are on record saying they don't bother with junior and senior teams in a showcase when the 10th graders are the next wave and need to be picked. That's why they are "trapped" not because of their size, maturity or skills.

Im trying to understand how this would play out for aug and sept players who would play down a grade. I dont know much about college recruiting at all. What would happen to a 10th grader playing on a team with 9th graders? Or 11th with 10th, etc? Would they also lose out? Or is it not the same if playing with the grade younger somehow?

They wouldn't be playing down. They'd be playing the correct school age. If your kid is September, they've currently been playing kids up to 8 months older and a grade up. With the change your kid probably repeats what ever age group they've been playing and goes from being one of the younger players to one of the older players and playing with their school age group. It's just a change of perspective. If they're good enough to then be asked to play up then they're being asked to play with kids a full year older and a full grade older.

I think OP is talking about the kids in that Aug/Sept birth months that are the youngest in their grades, but because of the proposed soccer cutoff, they will be playing with kids a grade below them. So they would be playing down from a school standpoint, but not playing down from the age cutoff standpoint.

Yes but the point is that they can play up a year, where under the calendar year system, trapped players have limited chances to play down.

Agree. But playing up is not a guarantee either and would also be limited depending on the club(s) and numbers from the the team "above" who would be sending players "down" under the new system. But I get your point because the numbers of trapped players in the current system is more than the small number of kids who fall in that Aug/Sept birth months.

Playing up is virtually guaranteed, just might have to find the right club and accept not necessarily being on the higher team(s). Clubs want your cash.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who started the term 'trapped' and why? Once again trapped by WHAT? Lack of talent? Size? Maturity? I don't get how a birthday traps anyone

Trapped because they don't get a full club season in 8th grade while their BY peers are playing HS soccer. And trapped because junior year all the BY peers have already been recruited and stopped going to events. The major recruitment happens sophomore year when the trapped kids can't be recruited as they are freshman. College coaches are on record saying they don't bother with junior and senior teams in a showcase when the 10th graders are the next wave and need to be picked. That's why they are "trapped" not because of their size, maturity or skills.

Im trying to understand how this would play out for aug and sept players who would play down a grade. I dont know much about college recruiting at all. What would happen to a 10th grader playing on a team with 9th graders? Or 11th with 10th, etc? Would they also lose out? Or is it not the same if playing with the grade younger somehow?

They wouldn't be playing down. They'd be playing the correct school age. If your kid is September, they've currently been playing kids up to 8 months older and a grade up. With the change your kid probably repeats what ever age group they've been playing and goes from being one of the younger players to one of the older players and playing with their school age group. It's just a change of perspective. If they're good enough to then be asked to play up then they're being asked to play with kids a full year older and a full grade older.

I think OP is talking about the kids in that Aug/Sept birth months that are the youngest in their grades, but because of the proposed soccer cutoff, they will be playing with kids a grade below them. So they would be playing down from a school standpoint, but not playing down from the age cutoff standpoint.

I guess that would be the way to look at it for a current teenager. For the future with youths at u8,9,10, it would shake out to playing appropriate age/school year going forward. I dont understand the parents just saying screw the kids that are trapped indefinitely. If you can stop it from happening why wouldn't you

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who started the term 'trapped' and why? Once again trapped by WHAT? Lack of talent? Size? Maturity? I don't get how a birthday traps anyone

Trapped because they don't get a full club season in 8th grade while their BY peers are playing HS soccer. And trapped because junior year all the BY peers have already been recruited and stopped going to events. The major recruitment happens sophomore year when the trapped kids can't be recruited as they are freshman. College coaches are on record saying they don't bother with junior and senior teams in a showcase when the 10th graders are the next wave and need to be picked. That's why they are "trapped" not because of their size, maturity or skills.

Im trying to understand how this would play out for aug and sept players who would play down a grade. I dont know much about college recruiting at all. What would happen to a 10th grader playing on a team with 9th graders? Or 11th with 10th, etc? Would they also lose out? Or is it not the same if playing with the grade younger somehow?

They wouldn't be playing down. They'd be playing the correct school age. If your kid is September, they've currently been playing kids up to 8 months older and a grade up. With the change your kid probably repeats what ever age group they've been playing and goes from being one of the younger players to one of the older players and playing with their school age group. It's just a change of perspective. If they're good enough to then be asked to play up then they're being asked to play with kids a full year older and a full grade older.

I think OP is talking about the kids in that Aug/Sept birth months that are the youngest in their grades, but because of the proposed soccer cutoff, they will be playing with kids a grade below them. So they would be playing down from a school standpoint, but not playing down from the age cutoff standpoint.

I guess that would be the way to look at it for a current teenager. For the future with youths at u8,9,10, it would shake out to playing appropriate age/school year going forward. I dont understand the parents just saying screw the kids that are trapped indefinitely. If you can stop it from happening why wouldn't you

No, it wouldn't shake out to playing appropriately in the future. And it has nothing to do with age groups or being a teenager. The problem described above for Aug/Sep kids will be a problem right after the change and in the future. Which is why parents of kids in that situation are asking questions. Its not saying "screw the kids trapped" by any means. We are wondering if our kid will be trapped in a different way. According to the new dates, my kid in U10 (born in Aug with a 1 Sept school grade cutoff date) will have to play up to play with their appropriate graduation class. He is currently playing up and good enough to keep that up, but not always the case for everyone. I think this deserves consideration and questions...not dismissive comments like "it will all work out". It won't just work out for these kids...the cutoff dates for clubs and schools won't change.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Who started the term 'trapped' and why? Once again trapped by WHAT? Lack of talent? Size? Maturity? I don't get how a birthday traps anyone

Trapped because they don't get a full club season in 8th grade while their BY peers are playing HS soccer. And trapped because junior year all the BY peers have already been recruited and stopped going to events. The major recruitment happens sophomore year when the trapped kids can't be recruited as they are freshman. College coaches are on record saying they don't bother with junior and senior teams in a showcase when the 10th graders are the next wave and need to be picked. That's why they are "trapped" not because of their size, maturity or skills.

Im trying to understand how this would play out for aug and sept players who would play down a grade. I dont know much about college recruiting at all. What would happen to a 10th grader playing on a team with 9th graders? Or 11th with 10th, etc? Would they also lose out? Or is it not the same if playing with the grade younger somehow?

They wouldn't be playing down. They'd be playing the correct school age. If your kid is September, they've currently been playing kids up to 8 months older and a grade up. With the change your kid probably repeats what ever age group they've been playing and goes from being one of the younger players to one of the older players and playing with their school age group. It's just a change of perspective. If they're good enough to then be asked to play up then they're being asked to play with kids a full year older and a full grade older.

I think OP is talking about the kids in that Aug/Sept birth months that are the youngest in their grades, but because of the proposed soccer cutoff, they will be playing with kids a grade below them. So they would be playing down from a school standpoint, but not playing down from the age cutoff standpoint.

I guess that would be the way to look at it for a current teenager. For the future with youths at u8,9,10, it would shake out to playing appropriate age/school year going forward. I dont understand the parents just saying screw the kids that are trapped indefinitely. If you can stop it from happening why wouldn't you

I don't think they're saying that. As a parent of a kid who falls in that Aug/Sept. purgatory, I understand how the proposed change is better suited to address the current trapped players. It will just be a short term pain in the butt and an adjustment for my kid and some choices will have to be made for next year depending on what the club decides to do (assuming the change goes through).