Skipping a travel year and focus on training

[Anonymous]

A year of training with peers to train with and compete with would be awesome.

A year of individual training without teammates/peers where you aren't testing your skills against others or having the comradery of a team may turn a sport the kid loves into drudgery.

[Anonymous]

We did this, and it wasn't the end of the world but does come with some costs. We left an MLSNext side and our kid (U16) now trains with a very intense coach and plays in an adult league on the weekends. His new teammates are ex-college and academy-level players, so he has to make an effort to keep up. He also plays varsity at his school.

Positives:
Kid loves the game now more than ever. Far more focused on tactics and the art of the game than he was before.

The kid developed better individual techniques on his own than with a travel team. The trainer walked him through his weaknesses and developed a plan to strengthen those issues.

Kid plays a variety of positions now and is learning more about the game than when he was stuck in his travel team's slot.

Kid is happier about life.

Cons:
Team we left not eager to let us back. He went to a few practices and was playing a higher level than when he left (and a higher level than many of his former teammates) but didn't really get a welcome from the coaches or administration. Think that door is shut.

If he wants to join another team, it's basically dead man's shoes to get a slot.

(Most) College coaches fixated on club experience.

Things we learned:
His club friends really weren't friends. Very few stayed in touch. The same goes for the parents.

The grind of travel soccer wasn't worth it. Travel to other states, nights in hotels: these were all weekend hours that he wasn't able to use for development - just one game and done. He plays, practices and learns more in a day than he did in a travel team weekend of sitting in a car, hotel or airport.

He will likely play soccer with a smile the rest of his life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We did this, and it wasn't the end of the world but does come with some costs. We left an MLSNext side and our kid (U16) now trains with a very intense coach and plays in an adult league on the weekends. His new teammates are ex-college and academy-level players, so he has to make an effort to keep up. He also plays varsity at his school.

Positives:
Kid loves the game now more than ever. Far more focused on tactics and the art of the game than he was before.

The kid developed better individual techniques on his own than with a travel team. The trainer walked him through his weaknesses and developed a plan to strengthen those issues.

Kid plays a variety of positions now and is learning more about the game than when he was stuck in his travel team's slot.

Kid is happier about life.

Cons:
Team we left not eager to let us back. He went to a few practices and was playing a higher level than when he left (and a higher level than many of his former teammates) but didn't really get a welcome from the coaches or administration. Think that door is shut.

If he wants to join another team, it's basically dead man's shoes to get a slot.

(Most) College coaches fixated on club experience.

Things we learned:
His club friends really weren't friends. Very few stayed in touch. The same goes for the parents.

The grind of travel soccer wasn't worth it. Travel to other states, nights in hotels: these were all weekend hours that he wasn't able to use for development - just one game and done. He plays, practices and learns more in a day than he did in a travel team weekend of sitting in a car, hotel or airport.

He will likely play soccer with a smile the rest of his life.

Where are you going from here? High school soccer? Can he join a team for the next few years if playing in college is something he wants? My kid develops so much more during the off-season doing individual lessons and small group clinics. From a skill perspective, it is obvious that the travel team isn't doing much for his development. We figured that out at a young age, and a big part of it is that he doesn't learn well in big groups. I also hate travel for sports. However, we haven't had the nerve to drop out because he wants to keep the dream alive to play in college.

[Anonymous]

So no college soccer I'm assuming? If so, how did you determine the men's league he is in now ? Is that the team he is on until he can get a trial with a professional academy?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We did this, and it wasn't the end of the world but does come with some costs. We left an MLSNext side and our kid (U16) now trains with a very intense coach and plays in an adult league on the weekends. His new teammates are ex-college and academy-level players, so he has to make an effort to keep up. He also plays varsity at his school.

Positives:
Kid loves the game now more than ever. Far more focused on tactics and the art of the game than he was before.

The kid developed better individual techniques on his own than with a travel team. The trainer walked him through his weaknesses and developed a plan to strengthen those issues.

Kid plays a variety of positions now and is learning more about the game than when he was stuck in his travel team's slot.

Kid is happier about life.

Cons:
Team we left not eager to let us back. He went to a few practices and was playing a higher level than when he left (and a higher level than many of his former teammates) but didn't really get a welcome from the coaches or administration. Think that door is shut.

If he wants to join another team, it's basically dead man's shoes to get a slot.

(Most) College coaches fixated on club experience.

Things we learned:
His club friends really weren't friends. Very few stayed in touch. The same goes for the parents.

The grind of travel soccer wasn't worth it. Travel to other states, nights in hotels: these were all weekend hours that he wasn't able to use for development - just one game and done. He plays, practices and learns more in a day than he did in a travel team weekend of sitting in a car, hotel or airport.

He will likely play soccer with a smile the rest of his life.

A world of difference between U12 and U16

Playing in a Men's league is a great call for his development at that age.

There's no friends in this thing at the truly competitive levels of youth soccer.

No travel team caters to your specific individual development needs. They focus on the club/team needs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We did this, and it wasn't the end of the world but does come with some costs. We left an MLSNext side and our kid (U16) now trains with a very intense coach and plays in an adult league on the weekends. His new teammates are ex-college and academy-level players, so he has to make an effort to keep up. He also plays varsity at his school.

Positives:
Kid loves the game now more than ever. Far more focused on tactics and the art of the game than he was before.

The kid developed better individual techniques on his own than with a travel team. The trainer walked him through his weaknesses and developed a plan to strengthen those issues.

Kid plays a variety of positions now and is learning more about the game than when he was stuck in his travel team's slot.

Kid is happier about life.

Cons:
Team we left not eager to let us back. He went to a few practices and was playing a higher level than when he left (and a higher level than many of his former teammates) but didn't really get a welcome from the coaches or administration. Think that door is shut.

If he wants to join another team, it's basically dead man's shoes to get a slot.

(Most) College coaches fixated on club experience.

Things we learned:
His club friends really weren't friends. Very few stayed in touch. The same goes for the parents.

The grind of travel soccer wasn't worth it. Travel to other states, nights in hotels: these were all weekend hours that he wasn't able to use for development - just one game and done. He plays, practices and learns more in a day than he did in a travel team weekend of sitting in a car, hotel or airport.

He will likely play soccer with a smile the rest of his life.

A world of difference between U12 and U16

Playing in a Men's league is a great call for his development at that age.

There's no friends in this thing at the truly competitive levels of youth soccer.

No travel team caters to your specific individual development needs. They focus on the club/team needs.

That's what the clubs are doing wrong. They all care about winning and not about the individual player. If you are doing well as an individual, the team should be winning. Teams don't get recruited, players do. I think that parents seem to forget that. Maybe if there wasn't so much club hopping the clubs may focus more on player development.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We did this, and it wasn't the end of the world but does come with some costs. We left an MLSNext side and our kid (U16) now trains with a very intense coach and plays in an adult league on the weekends. His new teammates are ex-college and academy-level players, so he has to make an effort to keep up. He also plays varsity at his school.

Positives:
Kid loves the game now more than ever. Far more focused on tactics and the art of the game than he was before.

The kid developed better individual techniques on his own than with a travel team. The trainer walked him through his weaknesses and developed a plan to strengthen those issues.

Kid plays a variety of positions now and is learning more about the game than when he was stuck in his travel team's slot.

Kid is happier about life.

Cons:
Team we left not eager to let us back. He went to a few practices and was playing a higher level than when he left (and a higher level than many of his former teammates) but didn't really get a welcome from the coaches or administration. Think that door is shut.

If he wants to join another team, it's basically dead man's shoes to get a slot.

(Most) College coaches fixated on club experience.

Things we learned:
His club friends really weren't friends. Very few stayed in touch. The same goes for the parents.

The grind of travel soccer wasn't worth it. Travel to other states, nights in hotels: these were all weekend hours that he wasn't able to use for development - just one game and done. He plays, practices and learns more in a day than he did in a travel team weekend of sitting in a car, hotel or airport.

He will likely play soccer with a smile the rest of his life.

A world of difference between U12 and U16

Playing in a Men's league is a great call for his development at that age.

There's no friends in this thing at the truly competitive levels of youth soccer.

No travel team caters to your specific individual development needs. They focus on the club/team needs.

That's what the clubs are doing wrong. They all care about winning and not about the individual player. If you are doing well as an individual, the team should be winning. Teams don't get recruited, players do. I think that parents seem to forget that. Maybe if there wasn't so much club hopping the clubs may focus more on player development.

Realistically, even with an assistant coach, giving each playing the tlc they need is tough.
Especially if neither coaches has what it takes to identify and fix individual issues.

Even some academy kids in London go to 1:1 private coaches