Travel Soccer?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is all part of the micromanaging childhood ethos that reigns in this area among too many parents. Everything has to be orchestrated and "professionalized" for children and things are valued only for what they may get you later on, rather than for their own sake. And parents take everything so #$%^ seriously, as if the whole world will come crashing down if they let their kids just be kids and play for the enjoyment of the game.

It starts early with parents signing up their kids for everything under the sun. Even among our group of friends, whom I'd consider largely "normal", LOL, I see their kids' weekends often scheduled with activity after activity and class after class. As if, God forbid, it's somehow bad for kids to just be playing quietly by themselves or with their parent/s.

It's not that we don't sign our son up for classes but, because we both work, and he only just turned 5, we limit classes to one per season/semester. Some of the kids we know have been doing sports since they were 3. It just seems crazy to me as a dad.

It does seem crazy. I'm one from the generation of spending days on end just going outside and playing with friends. All that said, having descended into the "craziness" of very busy kids, I do think my kids are getting a much broader extra-curricular education than I ever did, and have started to develop a certain expertise in things like music and certain sports that I wish I had.

[Anonymous]

New Stoddert Travel Soccer family here.

The tryouts might have seemed like madness, but as far as I can tell, they did a pretty good job of separating out the wheat from the chaff.

All of those kids who made the travel teams are amazing athletes as far as I can tell (I used to play Div. I soccer).

[Anonymous]

It's nice to see the friendships grow between the kids at different schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's nice to see the friendships grow between the kids at different schools.

Excellent point.

Our son has had the same close-knit group of friends, almost all from his school, for the last 5 years. It is a very insular group. While the kids on his travel soccer team still tilt heavily towards the fancy privates, I do feel like we've broadened DC's horizons by going with this travel soccer madness.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's nice to see the friendships grow between the kids at different schools.

That may be true. But the worst part about travel soccer is that the kid gloves come off with the parents. Their knives become unsheathed, their elbows untethered - whether its competitiveness or helicpoter parenting at its worst, I have never seen as much inappropriate coaching, shouting, and jeering from the sidelines as I have in the few weeks that we've gotten into the travel soccer season. There is no pretense here of it being for the love of the game. The only love here is that of winning.

If you are reading this, you know who you are. Shame on you.

[Anonymous]

On another matter altogether, hasn't the whole travel soccer season (tryouts and all) ended?

[Anonymous]

Tryouts have ended - now they are actually playing games.

My son did not make it. It was obvious in tryouts that he was less aggressive on the field than the kids that did.

Yes, the kids who made it are quite good. I'm sure some of them have nice parents, but there's a whole lot of truth in 11:30's comments.

I wish that travel and the associated reserve/academy teams (whatever they call them in your area) found ways to be more representative of their local populations. Clearly, the "scholarship" program isn't doing its job.

[Anonymous]

My DS made the reserve team on the Stoddert league. Looking at the boys who made the travel team, I am amazed that in what seemed like a totally chaotic atmosphere, the coaches seemed to be able, for the most part, to separate the wheat from the chaffe. Yes, DS was not happy to make the "real" travel team, but at least as far as I can tell, he's on the right team. That being said, DS does seem to be making great strides in his ability.

Is it realistic to think that he may move up to the "real" travel team next year. Would that mean someone would have to be drop out? Or is what they say true -- that you really do have to try out every year?

[Anonymous]

What's with all the wheat and chaff analogies?

My son must have been chaff. One kid on his team did graduate to the red or blue team. For my son, he ended up going to a different travel league altogether.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:New Stoddert Travel Soccer family here.

The tryouts might have seemed like madness, but as far as I can tell, they did a pretty good job of separating out the wheat from the chaff.

All of those kids who made the travel teams are amazing athletes as far as I can tell (I used to play Div. I soccer).

Somebody. Hold my hair back. I'm going to barf. You really sound obnoxious here. To separate the wheat from the chaff means to separate out something valuable (wheat) from the worthless waste (chaff). What a nice analogy for you to use. For the record, I don't fall into the 'sour grapes' category. I have kids in soccer in PG County.

[Anonymous]

New travel soccer parent here. The fall season is almost over. DC loved it. Really has taken his game to the next level. The kids also seem like a nice bunch. But with very few exceptions, the parents we've met are the worst stage parents we've ever seen. I have to control myself from laughing out loud when they criticize parents on the other team for inappropriate behavoir. So oblivous. So hypocritical. I fear that so many of these travel soccer kids will one day end up in therapy as a result of their helicopter parents.

[Anonymous]

Soccer DCUM here. DS made the B team for Travel. I volunteered to be the team manager. I thought it might give DS a leg up on making onto the A team next year. But now I'm thinking that since I'm doing a job no one else wants, and am working very hard at it, the coaches might not elevate my son just to keep me as the team manager. What do you think?

[Anonymous]

I doubt it really makes a difference. Our team split into an A and B team and the child of the manager of that team went to the B team. She continued on as mgr of B team. The advantage perhaps is that you can help your child progress and fit in better (thru focusing on particular skills/positions like goalie) to the team thru your insight. Also if your child is borderline for the A - remember they may get less playing time and feel worse than being a stronger player on the B team so think that thru before pushing the A too much.

[Anonymous]

You know, 10:17 really illustrates what is wrong with kids' sports now. You volunteer to help out to give your kid a "leg up" in advancing??? How about letting him earn it on talent! Stay out of the kid's sports! And now you're overanalyzing it and wondering whether it will backfire. Geeez! It's parents like you who give meaning to the term "helicopter parent." Why not let the kid just play and stay the hell out of the way.

[Anonymous]

How many boys are on a U-10 travel team for Stoddert and how many reserve teams are there?

DS is playing for another area travel team, but we have moved to DC and are looking into trying out for Stoddert travel next year.