Would you want/hope your son/daughter become a professional player?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, this is a stupid goal for your children. If someone told me this was their hope for their kid, I would assume they were a deluded, terrible parent, and there is a 99.999% chance I'd be right.

If they happened to be in the .001% that proved me wrong, more power to them.

But they wouldn't be! Your kids will not be pro soccer players, and even if they were, they would probably be middling and make terrible money while risking some kind of injury and squandering opportunities to do literally anything else with their lives.

This is a weird take. The kids I know who are pros now parlayed their athletic talent into admission at top colleges. After a few fun playing years, they will move on to something else. The former pro players I know have all landed great jobs after grad school. Many employers are very impressed with the professional athlete credential. None of the parents of these kids are deluded or terrible. They were happy to support their kids’ goals and are happy their kids were able to achieve their dream.

The kids who have the dream but don’t make it to the pro level—most of them—they still likely enjoyed all the games and friendships along the way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, this is a stupid goal for your children. If someone told me this was their hope for their kid, I would assume they were a deluded, terrible parent, and there is a 99.999% chance I'd be right.

If they happened to be in the .001% that proved me wrong, more power to them.

But they wouldn't be! Your kids will not be pro soccer players, and even if they were, they would probably be middling and make terrible money while risking some kind of injury and squandering opportunities to do literally anything else with their lives.

So kids shouldn’t do anything when the odds of a big outcome are low? What a boring life you must have.

Don’t bother singing because you’ll never make it as a pop star? Don’t bother studying because you’ll never make it to Harvard? The things you learn working hard at something you love are applicable to so much you’ll do the rest of your life. Life is the journey.

[Anonymous]

To play in Europe, you need a visa and your playing card to transfer. My son went over before he was 18, enrolled in a language school and was given an educational visa. However, because so many kids are doing this (there is a whole industry set up to bring kids over) - the Germans at least were very hesitant to transfer his playing card before he was 18. It's different if your parents are there with you - and I know of at least 2 families who moved to Germany for their kids to play soccer (one was the wife of the president - or something - of Stanford University.) My son, once he turned 18, and the kids I knew of played on an U-19 team that was a known feeder for pro-teams. They had a few international kids on the team - although much easier if you speak German - including the 2 other US kids mentioned above.

For my son, it was a huge learning curve - not just a different style of soccer but also because he was living on his own in Germany for the first time. He had to learn to get around, do his laundry, cook meals - etc. He had to grow up really quickly and it has been mostly good.

A couple of older kids he knew tried out for a played on 4th or 5th division adult teams and one kid tried out for - but didn't make - a Bundesliga (1st division) team. German soccer is quite complex with various regions having stronger 4th divisions than others - it made my head hurt and I couldn't tell you what is what even though I was told a hundred times

My son wanted to stay in Europe but I told him he had to go to a more organized program if he was going to stay and so he went to Malaga. He said the soccer in southern Spain was not nearly the level of Germany. He was contacted by recruiters last month but I insisted he at least try college here in the US and I didn't want to risk his NCAA eligibility.

[Anonymous]

As long as they're also able to get an education, sure. Why not spend a few years doing something unique and enjoyable if you're also getting paid MLS money (better than what most recent college grads make) or have an opportunity to experience another culture overseas?

Different question -- would I want my kid to be a *college* athlete? For the most part, I'd say no, unless being an athlete greases the pathway into a good college. (Such an irony that the college team that's leading the way on unionization is the basketball team at Dartmouth. How many of those players would've been admitted to Dartmouth if they were 5-11 and couldn't hit from 3-point range?)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a purely hypothetical situation for my kid, but professional soccer players don't seem to attend college at the same rate as athletes who play other sports. I'm sure it has something to do with the differences in higher level education in the UK and Europe vs US and how soccer programs in those areas develop talent compared to here. So if my kid's ability to play professional soccer meant he had to forego college, then no, I would not want him to play professionally.

Soccer is sport where kids develop much earlier and play professionally at younger ages than in other sports. It's not uncommon to hear of 15, 16 or 17 yr old phenoms. There's no college soccer to pro pathway. If you're playing college soccer, it's becuase you are likely never going to be a pro.

This isn’t categorically true. There’s a kid from Georgetown who was recruited to play in one of the big English leagues.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, this is a stupid goal for your children. If someone told me this was their hope for their kid, I would assume they were a deluded, terrible parent, and there is a 99.999% chance I'd be right.

If they happened to be in the .001% that proved me wrong, more power to them.

But they wouldn't be! Your kids will not be pro soccer players, and even if they were, they would probably be middling and make terrible money while risking some kind of injury and squandering opportunities to do literally anything else with their lives.

So kids shouldn’t do anything when the odds of a big outcome are low? What a boring life you must have.

Don’t bother singing because you’ll never make it as a pop star? Don’t bother studying because you’ll never make it to Harvard? The things you learn working hard at something you love are applicable to so much you’ll do the rest of your life. Life is the journey.

OP asked if people wanted/hoped their kid would become a pro player. The answer is no because the odds of becoming a pro player are incredibly slim and I have no interest in crafting our life around that goal. I also would not craft our life around my kid becoming a pop star (lol) or going to Harvard specifically. It is stupid to make this kind of specific and highly unlikely goal your hope for your child. That doesn't mean don't pursue soccer, don't pursue singing, don't study. But don't do them with the goal of becoming a pro soccer player, Taylor Swift, or a Harvard grad. Do them because they are worthwhile things to do, and also do other things. Don't foreclose other options in pursuit of a single, highly unlikely goal. Live a full life. Do thinks for their own sake. Be open minded about where life might take you. Yes, life is a journey. Don't make a hard turn toward a singular destination that may not even exist.

If my kid became a pro, it would be because their combination of skill, talent, and hard work took them there. Not because *I* decided it was a worthwhile goal. It is stupid to want something like this on behalf of your child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, this is a stupid goal for your children. If someone told me this was their hope for their kid, I would assume they were a deluded, terrible parent, and there is a 99.999% chance I'd be right.

If they happened to be in the .001% that proved me wrong, more power to them.

But they wouldn't be! Your kids will not be pro soccer players, and even if they were, they would probably be middling and make terrible money while risking some kind of injury and squandering opportunities to do literally anything else with their lives.

This is a weird take. The kids I know who are pros now parlayed their athletic talent into admission at top colleges. After a few fun playing years, they will move on to something else. The former pro players I know have all landed great jobs after grad school. Many employers are very impressed with the professional athlete credential. None of the parents of these kids are deluded or terrible. They were happy to support their kids’ goals and are happy their kids were able to achieve their dream.

The kids who have the dream but don’t make it to the pro level—most of them—they still likely enjoyed all the games and friendships along the way.

Let the kids have the dream -- it's not for parents to have. Parents should be practical and encourage kids to hedge against failure. That doesn't mean squash their dreams, but insist on practicalities so they don't ONLY have their dreams.

A kid who gets a scholarship to a good school via athletics will get an education even if their pro plans don't pan out. I guarantee you those parents encouraged those kids to finish college before playing professionally even though some of them might have wanted to go sooner. THAT is the job of parents.

Let your kids dream. But keep them tethered to reality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, this is a stupid goal for your children. If someone told me this was their hope for their kid, I would assume they were a deluded, terrible parent, and there is a 99.999% chance I'd be right.

If they happened to be in the .001% that proved me wrong, more power to them.

But they wouldn't be! Your kids will not be pro soccer players, and even if they were, they would probably be middling and make terrible money while risking some kind of injury and squandering opportunities to do literally anything else with their lives.

So the parents of every NBA, MLB, NFL, NHL, Olympian, Indy Driver, Jockey etc etc etc are Delusional Idiots?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a purely hypothetical situation for my kid, but professional soccer players don't seem to attend college at the same rate as athletes who play other sports. I'm sure it has something to do with the differences in higher level education in the UK and Europe vs US and how soccer programs in those areas develop talent compared to here. So if my kid's ability to play professional soccer meant he had to forego college, then no, I would not want him to play professionally.

Soccer is sport where kids develop much earlier and play professionally at younger ages than in other sports. It's not uncommon to hear of 15, 16 or 17 yr old phenoms. There's no college soccer to pro pathway. If you're playing college soccer, it's becuase you are likely never going to be a pro.

This isn’t categorically true. There’s a kid from Georgetown who was recruited to play in one of the big English leagues.

Outliers isn't a solid argument against the facts.
Few soccer players leave American colleges then become top level soccer Pros.
That's pretty accepted common knowledge.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, this is a stupid goal for your children. If someone told me this was their hope for their kid, I would assume they were a deluded, terrible parent, and there is a 99.999% chance I'd be right.

If they happened to be in the .001% that proved me wrong, more power to them.

But they wouldn't be! Your kids will not be pro soccer players, and even if they were, they would probably be middling and make terrible money while risking some kind of injury and squandering opportunities to do literally anything else with their lives.

So the parents of every NBA, MLB, NFL, NHL, Olympian, Indy Driver, Jockey etc etc etc are Delusional Idiots?

They lucked out; but are still idiots if their some motivation was for their kids to play professionally.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, this is a stupid goal for your children. If someone told me this was their hope for their kid, I would assume they were a deluded, terrible parent, and there is a 99.999% chance I'd be right.

If they happened to be in the .001% that proved me wrong, more power to them.

But they wouldn't be! Your kids will not be pro soccer players, and even if they were, they would probably be middling and make terrible money while risking some kind of injury and squandering opportunities to do literally anything else with their lives.

So the parents of every NBA, MLB, NFL, NHL, Olympian, Indy Driver, Jockey etc etc etc are Delusional Idiots?

Unless they were successful pro athletes themselves, yes. For every family who pours their money and time into producing an NFL starter or an Olympic gymnast, there are thousands of families with the exact same goal who piss all that money and energy into a goal that never happens. And I'm not just talking about the kids who never really stood a shot. I'm talking about the really talented, hard working ones who come really close, but don't make it. They finish just out if contention for the Olympic team, they suffer a catastrophic injury playing college ball, they become depressed or develop an anxiety disorder, they are amazing but impossible to work with, they make the practice squad but never advance, the timing works out so their years on contention have too many similar athletes who are a little better, and on and on.

Yes, you are a delusional idiot if you hope your kid is going to make it as a professional athlete. Just because a teeny tiny number of these idiots one day get an NBC Sports feature where they tearfully explain that they always knew their kid would go all the way does not make this any less true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, this is a stupid goal for your children. If someone told me this was their hope for their kid, I would assume they were a deluded, terrible parent, and there is a 99.999% chance I'd be right.

If they happened to be in the .001% that proved me wrong, more power to them.

But they wouldn't be! Your kids will not be pro soccer players, and even if they were, they would probably be middling and make terrible money while risking some kind of injury and squandering opportunities to do literally anything else with their lives.

This is a weird take. The kids I know who are pros now parlayed their athletic talent into admission at top colleges. After a few fun playing years, they will move on to something else. The former pro players I know have all landed great jobs after grad school. Many employers are very impressed with the professional athlete credential. None of the parents of these kids are deluded or terrible. They were happy to support their kids’ goals and are happy their kids were able to achieve their dream.

The kids who have the dream but don’t make it to the pro level—most of them—they still likely enjoyed all the games and friendships along the way.

Let the kids have the dream -- it's not for parents to have. Parents should be practical and encourage kids to hedge against failure. That doesn't mean squash their dreams, but insist on practicalities so they don't ONLY have their dreams.

A kid who gets a scholarship to a good school via athletics will get an education even if their pro plans don't pan out. I guarantee you those parents encouraged those kids to finish college before playing professionally even though some of them might have wanted to go sooner. THAT is the job of parents.

Let your kids dream. But keep them tethered to reality.

This post is entirely too reasonable for DCUM. Reported.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, this is a stupid goal for your children. If someone told me this was their hope for their kid, I would assume they were a deluded, terrible parent, and there is a 99.999% chance I'd be right.

If they happened to be in the .001% that proved me wrong, more power to them.

But they wouldn't be! Your kids will not be pro soccer players, and even if they were, they would probably be middling and make terrible money while risking some kind of injury and squandering opportunities to do literally anything else with their lives.

So the parents of every NBA, MLB, NFL, NHL, Olympian, Indy Driver, Jockey etc etc etc are Delusional Idiots?

Unless they were successful pro athletes themselves, yes. For every family who pours their money and time into producing an NFL starter or an Olympic gymnast, there are thousands of families with the exact same goal who piss all that money and energy into a goal that never happens. And I'm not just talking about the kids who never really stood a shot. I'm talking about the really talented, hard working ones who come really close, but don't make it. They finish just out if contention for the Olympic team, they suffer a catastrophic injury playing college ball, they become depressed or develop an anxiety disorder, they are amazing but impossible to work with, they make the practice squad but never advance, the timing works out so their years on contention have too many similar athletes who are a little better, and on and on.

Yes, you are a delusional idiot if you hope your kid is going to make it as a professional athlete. Just because a teeny tiny number of these idiots one day get an NBC Sports feature where they tearfully explain that they always knew their kid would go all the way does not make this any less true.

Are the parents of aspiring doctors, lawyers also idiots?
Many don't make it even though a lot do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, this is a stupid goal for your children. If someone told me this was their hope for their kid, I would assume they were a deluded, terrible parent, and there is a 99.999% chance I'd be right.

If they happened to be in the .001% that proved me wrong, more power to them.

But they wouldn't be! Your kids will not be pro soccer players, and even if they were, they would probably be middling and make terrible money while risking some kind of injury and squandering opportunities to do literally anything else with their lives.

So the parents of every NBA, MLB, NFL, NHL, Olympian, Indy Driver, Jockey etc etc etc are Delusional Idiots?

Unless they were successful pro athletes themselves, yes. For every family who pours their money and time into producing an NFL starter or an Olympic gymnast, there are thousands of families with the exact same goal who piss all that money and energy into a goal that never happens. And I'm not just talking about the kids who never really stood a shot. I'm talking about the really talented, hard working ones who come really close, but don't make it. They finish just out if contention for the Olympic team, they suffer a catastrophic injury playing college ball, they become depressed or develop an anxiety disorder, they are amazing but impossible to work with, they make the practice squad but never advance, the timing works out so their years on contention have too many similar athletes who are a little better, and on and on.

Yes, you are a delusional idiot if you hope your kid is going to make it as a professional athlete. Just because a teeny tiny number of these idiots one day get an NBC Sports feature where they tearfully explain that they always knew their kid would go all the way does not make this any less true.

Are the parents of aspiring doctors, lawyers also idiots?
Many don't make it even though a lot do.

Sounds personal

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No, this is a stupid goal for your children. If someone told me this was their hope for their kid, I would assume they were a deluded, terrible parent, and there is a 99.999% chance I'd be right.

If they happened to be in the .001% that proved me wrong, more power to them.

But they wouldn't be! Your kids will not be pro soccer players, and even if they were, they would probably be middling and make terrible money while risking some kind of injury and squandering opportunities to do literally anything else with their lives.

So the parents of every NBA, MLB, NFL, NHL, Olympian, Indy Driver, Jockey etc etc etc are Delusional Idiots?

Unless they were successful pro athletes themselves, yes. For every family who pours their money and time into producing an NFL starter or an Olympic gymnast, there are thousands of families with the exact same goal who piss all that money and energy into a goal that never happens. And I'm not just talking about the kids who never really stood a shot. I'm talking about the really talented, hard working ones who come really close, but don't make it. They finish just out if contention for the Olympic team, they suffer a catastrophic injury playing college ball, they become depressed or develop an anxiety disorder, they are amazing but impossible to work with, they make the practice squad but never advance, the timing works out so their years on contention have too many similar athletes who are a little better, and on and on.

Yes, you are a delusional idiot if you hope your kid is going to make it as a professional athlete. Just because a teeny tiny number of these idiots one day get an NBC Sports feature where they tearfully explain that they always knew their kid would go all the way does not make this any less true.

Only professional athletes should encourage their kids to be professional athletes and Olympians?

You apparently think all the options are multimillion dollar contracts, gold medals or homelessness