Club Soccer

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:you pay not for soccer you pay for life lessons . Already at u8 your kids will be introduced to the dirties politics that can be.
At the age 18 they are ready to work in US Senate if survived.

Pay-to-play teaches more about entitlement and sense of privilege in an exclusive club more than it teaches true life lessons

You learn life lessons in other countries where at 9 your daddy's money can't get you on a team. Only your talent and work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For the life of me I do not understand the select/club sports mindset.

Why are we paying thousands of dollars to join clubs so kids can play on the bronze team, to travel to Topeka, to play another bronze team, to go 1-3, stay in a hotel, eat crappy food, while mom and dad bring the younger siblings along, just so they can end up fighting over who forgot to pack snacks for the kids.

How about, you save the money, spend time with the family doing something fun, productive or educational, and play school or Rec ball.

Your kid isn’t going to college on a scholarship or going to the Olympics. Most won’t even be playing the sport they are in after their sophomore year of high school.

Books have been written on this topic. No one reads them because they can't afford to, given all the money they're spending on club sports.

The smart people in soccer know we shouldn't be putting 9-year-old kids in red, bronze, silver, fuchsia or gold silos. Clubs should have professional training available for anyone who wants it. Kids should be playing, not traveling. You don't become a better soccer player in an airplane or a car, traveling to play a team that's no better or worse than the one five miles away or the one with your next-door neighbor.

Our typical peer nation doesn't have "travel" as we have it. They have professional academies, and then they have what most would consider "rec" soccer. (It helps that soccer is so big in most other countries that you may have your choice of a dozen clubs within a 10-mile drive, or a couple within walking distance in a big city.) They have networks of scouts and "representative" clubs so that talented pro academy-level players can be identified.

And they're doing better than we are.

So what? Who cares what other nations are doing? We have our way and it has nothign to do with going pro. It is about fun. And I agree, all but the top couple of levels should not be on cross country trips. But so what?

With the yelling and hostilities towards refs and other parents, and people berating their own kids, where is all this "fun" that we're having over Holland or Belgium?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's called capitalism and individual choice. Everything in the US works this way. The market ultimately decides how these things work, not some top down authority saying how everything should be. Customers willing to pay for something drives it. Is it the ideal way to develop soccer players? Probably not but not necessarily because the same types of systems exist in other sports and it works (sometimes).

I don't know -- we're not as dominant in basketball as we used to be.

You're right -- the market is deciding such things. US Soccer *could* step in and try to sort it all out, but they're already facing enough lawsuits.

So the key is trying to educate parents to make better choices. Along those lines: No, volunteer parents aren't necessarily worse than "pro" coaches. A volunteer parent may have the same level of coaching education as the "pro," and they're going to be better at dealing with kids than some 25-year-old who hasn't around 9-year-olds since he was 9 himself.

I see so many travel coaches out there who I can't believe get paid for what they do. Meanwhile, in Iceland, everyone and his dog has a B license.

THIS.

Caveat emptor on all club soccer businesses - that’s what it is in the end . If music man character were alive today he would be a travel soccer coach. They are all selling dreams - and not many know more about the game than that.

Bethesda rightfully earns a lot of derision on this board for various reasons - but they earn steady marks in my opinion the club’s policy of no Dad coaches. So many Dad charlatans that drop a few references to Pep - take discounted fees and work for more minutes for junior on the down low. I would like to see Michael Lewis’ reforms of travel/club ‘industry’ be implemented. Needs some congressional oversight via USYS (by forcing them to monitor their clubs’ standards as exchange for federal money they receive from US Olympic Committee. When pigs fly, I know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just say you can't afford it because you live outside your means. No need to be spiteful about you only being able to afford rec. There is nothing wrong with rec.

Wow. Project much?

Every significant discussion on player development in the United States includes a lot of fretting about the cost of club soccer and the misapplication of resources. That includes people who pay for travel soccer or are paid to run travel soccer. It ain't just people who make less than you do.

Y'all are way off in the weeds, actually. The initial post is rage bait and you're trying to turn it into something it's not. The person doesn't want to pay but shits on others for paying. That's literally it. It's not that deep stop acting like this is some real conversation about youth sports lol.

[Anonymous]

This thread is wild. Families can do whatever they want. If there's a kid playing well and they want to see how they do by stepping up in competition and going club theres no problem with it. If a family doesn't want to go that route and do county there's no problem with that either. You people crying about club soccer teaches entitlement have no idea what you're tallying about. It's just a deferent route.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This thread is wild. Families can do whatever they want. If there's a kid playing well and they want to see how they do by stepping up in competition and going club theres no problem with it. If a family doesn't want to go that route and do county there's no problem with that either. You people crying about club soccer teaches entitlement have no idea what you're tallying about. It's just a deferent route.

Back from commercial break.to recap: if you care about larger issues in sport…in America. We are currently not getting many of our top physical talents. Some, yes. But how to get more?

We get that your lawyer wages pay for your kid - and you seem fine (from a random post) with current system and go all laissez-faire. But ask yourself this classic ESPN question… how does a Lebron James pick soccer if it costs 20,000 a year? (Talking with travel to top showcases/tournaments. Maybe you don’t- but Larla’s place on EDP squad is not in jeopardy I assure you with this broader discussion (hence why other countries’ methods discussed).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread is wild. Families can do whatever they want. If there's a kid playing well and they want to see how they do by stepping up in competition and going club theres no problem with it. If a family doesn't want to go that route and do county there's no problem with that either. You people crying about club soccer teaches entitlement have no idea what you're tallying about. It's just a deferent route.

Back from commercial break.to recap: if you care about larger issues in sport…in America. We are currently not getting many of our top physical talents. Some, yes. But how to get more?

We get that your lawyer wages pay for your kid - and you seem fine (from a random post) with current system and go all laissez-faire. But ask yourself this classic ESPN question… how does a Lebron James pick soccer if it costs 20,000 a year? (Talking with travel to top showcases/tournaments. Maybe you don’t- but Larla’s place on EDP squad is not in jeopardy I assure you with this broader discussion (hence why other countries’ methods discussed).

Is gymnastics cheap?
Is skiing cheap?
Is whitewater rafting cheap?
Is fencing cheap?
Is equestrian cheap?

We can name several sports that eliminates many because of costs, yet the USA wins medals in International events.

So, do those sports get The Best Athletes?
How so?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread is wild. Families can do whatever they want. If there's a kid playing well and they want to see how they do by stepping up in competition and going club theres no problem with it. If a family doesn't want to go that route and do county there's no problem with that either. You people crying about club soccer teaches entitlement have no idea what you're tallying about. It's just a deferent route.

Back from commercial break.to recap: if you care about larger issues in sport…in America. We are currently not getting many of our top physical talents. Some, yes. But how to get more?

We get that your lawyer wages pay for your kid - and you seem fine (from a random post) with current system and go all laissez-faire. But ask yourself this classic ESPN question… how does a Lebron James pick soccer if it costs 20,000 a year? (Talking with travel to top showcases/tournaments. Maybe you don’t- but Larla’s place on EDP squad is not in jeopardy I assure you with this broader discussion (hence why other countries’ methods discussed).

Lebron James didn’t choose basketball because soccer cost too much. Basketball is more popular here. He grew up idolizing pro basketball players. If not basketball he would have played football. Or baseball. The top athletes in the US don’t aspire to be soccer players. They just don’t. The truly special athletes could excel at lots of different sports. Even if soccer were free they would still choose the popular ones.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread is wild. Families can do whatever they want. If there's a kid playing well and they want to see how they do by stepping up in competition and going club theres no problem with it. If a family doesn't want to go that route and do county there's no problem with that either. You people crying about club soccer teaches entitlement have no idea what you're tallying about. It's just a deferent route.

Back from commercial break.to recap: if you care about larger issues in sport…in America. We are currently not getting many of our top physical talents. Some, yes. But how to get more?

We get that your lawyer wages pay for your kid - and you seem fine (from a random post) with current system and go all laissez-faire. But ask yourself this classic ESPN question… how does a Lebron James pick soccer if it costs 20,000 a year? (Talking with travel to top showcases/tournaments. Maybe you don’t- but Larla’s place on EDP squad is not in jeopardy I assure you with this broader discussion (hence why other countries’ methods discussed).

Lebron James didn’t choose basketball because soccer cost too much. Basketball is more popular here. He grew up idolizing pro basketball players. If not basketball he would have played football. Or baseball. The top athletes in the US don’t aspire to be soccer players. They just don’t. The truly special athletes could excel at lots of different sports. Even if soccer were free they would still choose the popular ones.

$1 Million Dollars 💵 to your favorite charity or cause if you can prove top athletes in the USA don't aspire to be soccer players

What system identifies the top athletes in America at 5, 6, 7 years old and how can we see this database of evidence?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread is wild. Families can do whatever they want. If there's a kid playing well and they want to see how they do by stepping up in competition and going club theres no problem with it. If a family doesn't want to go that route and do county there's no problem with that either. You people crying about club soccer teaches entitlement have no idea what you're tallying about. It's just a deferent route.

Back from commercial break.to recap: if you care about larger issues in sport…in America. We are currently not getting many of our top physical talents. Some, yes. But how to get more?

We get that your lawyer wages pay for your kid - and you seem fine (from a random post) with current system and go all laissez-faire. But ask yourself this classic ESPN question… how does a Lebron James pick soccer if it costs 20,000 a year? (Talking with travel to top showcases/tournaments. Maybe you don’t- but Larla’s place on EDP squad is not in jeopardy I assure you with this broader discussion (hence why other countries’ methods discussed).

Lebron James didn’t choose basketball because soccer cost too much. Basketball is more popular here. He grew up idolizing pro basketball players. If not basketball he would have played football. Or baseball. The top athletes in the US don’t aspire to be soccer players. They just don’t. The truly special athletes could excel at lots of different sports. Even if soccer were free they would still choose the popular ones.

$1 Million Dollars 💵 to your favorite charity or cause if you can prove top athletes in the USA don't aspire to be soccer players

What system identifies the top athletes in America at 5, 6, 7 years old and how can we see this database of evidence?

The evidence is to look at where they end up. Basketball and football are loaded with athletes with the best 40yd times, best vertical leap, etc at the pro, college, even high school levels. Go to any high school and see which sports the best athletes are playing. Hint: it’s not soccer. Mbappe, Salah, Haaland, Dembele are on par with the top US athletes in the NFL and NBA. If they grew up in the US they wouldn’t be playing soccer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread is wild. Families can do whatever they want. If there's a kid playing well and they want to see how they do by stepping up in competition and going club theres no problem with it. If a family doesn't want to go that route and do county there's no problem with that either. You people crying about club soccer teaches entitlement have no idea what you're tallying about. It's just a deferent route.

Back from commercial break.to recap: if you care about larger issues in sport…in America. We are currently not getting many of our top physical talents. Some, yes. But how to get more?

We get that your lawyer wages pay for your kid - and you seem fine (from a random post) with current system and go all laissez-faire. But ask yourself this classic ESPN question… how does a Lebron James pick soccer if it costs 20,000 a year? (Talking with travel to top showcases/tournaments. Maybe you don’t- but Larla’s place on EDP squad is not in jeopardy I assure you with this broader discussion (hence why other countries’ methods discussed).

Lebron James didn’t choose basketball because soccer cost too much. Basketball is more popular here. He grew up idolizing pro basketball players. If not basketball he would have played football. Or baseball. The top athletes in the US don’t aspire to be soccer players. They just don’t. The truly special athletes could excel at lots of different sports. Even if soccer were free they would still choose the popular ones.

$1 Million Dollars 💵 to your favorite charity or cause if you can prove top athletes in the USA don't aspire to be soccer players

What system identifies the top athletes in America at 5, 6, 7 years old and how can we see this database of evidence?

The evidence is to look at where they end up. Basketball and football are loaded with athletes with the best 40yd times, best vertical leap, etc at the pro, college, even high school levels. Go to any high school and see which sports the best athletes are playing. Hint: it’s not soccer. Mbappe, Salah, Haaland, Dembele are on par with the top US athletes in the NFL and NBA. If they grew up in the US they wouldn’t be playing soccer.

Not the PP, but nothing you said points to evidence in the least.

I can give my opinion not based on facts just like you.
Lineup the 5 fastest soccer players at Walter Johnson against the 5 fastest basketball players

Lineup the 5 slowest soccer players at Wooton vs the 5 slowest Football players

Your gibberish is garbage.
Basketball players end up playing basketball because that's their aim and desire.
Same for Football players.

All 25 soccer players on any professional team would beat many Basketball and Football professional players in an athletic contest requiring multiple skillsets.

But you'd have to actually understand the true meaning of athleticism and sport performance to know why.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread is wild. Families can do whatever they want. If there's a kid playing well and they want to see how they do by stepping up in competition and going club theres no problem with it. If a family doesn't want to go that route and do county there's no problem with that either. You people crying about club soccer teaches entitlement have no idea what you're tallying about. It's just a deferent route.

Back from commercial break.to recap: if you care about larger issues in sport…in America. We are currently not getting many of our top physical talents. Some, yes. But how to get more?

We get that your lawyer wages pay for your kid - and you seem fine (from a random post) with current system and go all laissez-faire. But ask yourself this classic ESPN question… how does a Lebron James pick soccer if it costs 20,000 a year? (Talking with travel to top showcases/tournaments. Maybe you don’t- but Larla’s place on EDP squad is not in jeopardy I assure you with this broader discussion (hence why other countries’ methods discussed).

Lebron James didn’t choose basketball because soccer cost too much. Basketball is more popular here. He grew up idolizing pro basketball players. If not basketball he would have played football. Or baseball. The top athletes in the US don’t aspire to be soccer players. They just don’t. The truly special athletes could excel at lots of different sports. Even if soccer were free they would still choose the popular ones.

$1 Million Dollars 💵 to your favorite charity or cause if you can prove top athletes in the USA don't aspire to be soccer players

What system identifies the top athletes in America at 5, 6, 7 years old and how can we see this database of evidence?

The evidence is to look at where they end up. Basketball and football are loaded with athletes with the best 40yd times, best vertical leap, etc at the pro, college, even high school levels. Go to any high school and see which sports the best athletes are playing. Hint: it’s not soccer. Mbappe, Salah, Haaland, Dembele are on par with the top US athletes in the NFL and NBA. If they grew up in the US they wouldn’t be playing soccer.

Name the Non Athletic players on the US Men's National Team

[Anonymous]

Who cares? You still are nuts. There are athletes have made National teams with little to no training. TR e majority did not. Go ahead and move to Europe if your prince or princess is that amazing that American soccer sucks so much.

[Anonymous]

This thread is ridiculous. If kids want to play soccer, let them play soccer without disecting the entire system. Is it fun? Can the parent afford it? Great! Other kids want to take violin lessons or learn coding. To each his own. Most kids won’t go pro or even play college. So what? Should we only participate in activities as kids that we will continue as adults? I guess my ice skating and piano lessons were a waste of time. So were my kids’ days playing rec basketball and baseball, learning piano, taking Spanish, art classes, gymnastics, ballet, Girl Scouts, etc. Most kids playing club soccer aren’t spending 20k a year. For most of my son’s playing time, a year of club soccer cost less than a 2 week session of sleep away camp. And we never hopped a plane once in all the years. There are lots of local travel teams for parents who desire that and want to keep costs low.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread is wild. Families can do whatever they want. If there's a kid playing well and they want to see how they do by stepping up in competition and going club theres no problem with it. If a family doesn't want to go that route and do county there's no problem with that either. You people crying about club soccer teaches entitlement have no idea what you're tallying about. It's just a deferent route.

Back from commercial break.to recap: if you care about larger issues in sport…in America. We are currently not getting many of our top physical talents. Some, yes. But how to get more?

We get that your lawyer wages pay for your kid - and you seem fine (from a random post) with current system and go all laissez-faire. But ask yourself this classic ESPN question… how does a Lebron James pick soccer if it costs 20,000 a year? (Talking with travel to top showcases/tournaments. Maybe you don’t- but Larla’s place on EDP squad is not in jeopardy I assure you with this broader discussion (hence why other countries’ methods discussed).

Lebron James didn’t choose basketball because soccer cost too much. Basketball is more popular here. He grew up idolizing pro basketball players. If not basketball he would have played football. Or baseball. The top athletes in the US don’t aspire to be soccer players. They just don’t. The truly special athletes could excel at lots of different sports. Even if soccer were free they would still choose the popular ones.

$1 Million Dollars 💵 to your favorite charity or cause if you can prove top athletes in the USA don't aspire to be soccer players

What system identifies the top athletes in America at 5, 6, 7 years old and how can we see this database of evidence?

The evidence is to look at where they end up. Basketball and football are loaded with athletes with the best 40yd times, best vertical leap, etc at the pro, college, even high school levels. Go to any high school and see which sports the best athletes are playing. Hint: it’s not soccer. Mbappe, Salah, Haaland, Dembele are on par with the top US athletes in the NFL and NBA. If they grew up in the US they wouldn’t be playing soccer.

Not the PP, but nothing you said points to evidence in the least.

I can give my opinion not based on facts just like you.
Lineup the 5 fastest soccer players at Walter Johnson against the 5 fastest basketball players

Lineup the 5 slowest soccer players at Wooton vs the 5 slowest Football players

Your gibberish is garbage.
Basketball players end up playing basketball because that's their aim and desire.
Same for Football players.

All 25 soccer players on any professional team would beat many Basketball and Football professional players in an athletic contest requiring multiple skillsets.

But you'd have to actually understand the true meaning of athleticism and sport performance to know why.

+1 and lol at PPs cherry-picking to support the point. Messi, Modric, Pulisic, Foden and loads of other players in top leagues now and in the past are fantastic athletes who would not be playing in the NFL or NBA if they grew up here. What sport would the U.S. version of young Diego Maradona have chosen?