Travel soccer and missing practice

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Missing middle or high school over club?

Hahaa

I am sure you meant the other way around and I agree!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS almost always misses one of three weekly practices to go to Hebrew School. It's been OK so far, but he is only U12. I wouldn't have him skip just for homework/studying.

Why sign up for a sport knowing in advance that your son would miss ONE THIRD of all practices? That's a huge amount and is unfair to your son's teammates.

We did not know in advance that practices would conflict. Last year they didn't. We didn't know fall practice days/times til late August. We still don't know practice days and times for winter.

Seriously if we could predict practice schedule it would make it much easier

How far in advance did you get your homework schedule?.......Exactly.

Seriously, practice will be 3x/week consuming a block of time sometime between 5:00-9:00pm. If ANY of that conflicts with your other obligations then do not play travel soccer regardless of level. Rec or Challenge soccer can provide the same fun and exercise with a more manageable time commitment.

These whiners do not know what it takes with not enough fields for the sheer number of teams in the local area to schedule practices..and then many of the fields aren't lighted which causes an even tighter problem.

Like this pp states---they will tell you how many hours per week/days---you will have to wait to beginning of year to know exactly what day and time. However, Fall and Spring practices are usually kept the same schedule.

What a sense of entitlement some of you express about bending everyone else to conform with Hebrew school or your kid's test. In all honesty, my kids don't know project or test dates that far in advance either.

Get your kid to step-up and learn how to manage his/her time. Boss may one day give him something and expect him to get it out right away. It's called LIFE. The sooner they learn to deal without mom helicoptering over them--the better off they will be.

Signed, another mom

I'm sorry -- is Hebrew school impinging on your team's G-d-given right to have every player at every practice, no matter when it was scheduled?

Shall we move the Sabbath, too?

Likely no team is going to bend or change for your religious needs, but they should allow you to meet your religious obligations without punishment either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are kids in travel soccer (middles school level) expected to go to all the practices? So, DS wants to be in travel soccer. But this year he has been missing some of his rec soccer practices because of school work. (In the past he would never miss.). He really wants to be in travel soccer, and I'm thinking it would be a bad idea.

YES! They HAVE to go, or they are letting down the whole team with the lack of commitment, as well as themselves for chances of improving and development. furthermore, middle school is when they need to start learning how to manage their time. It only gets harder from here on out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS almost always misses one of three weekly practices to go to Hebrew School. It's been OK so far, but he is only U12. I wouldn't have him skip just for homework/studying.

Why sign up for a sport knowing in advance that your son would miss ONE THIRD of all practices? That's a huge amount and is unfair to your son's teammates.

We did not know in advance that practices would conflict. Last year they didn't. We didn't know fall practice days/times til late August. We still don't know practice days and times for winter.

Seriously if we could predict practice schedule it would make it much easier

Sounds like the Stoddert I know!

Back to OP (which may be you) - only illness and special school events would be IMO excuses to miss.

Surprised no one has told you the secret truth: if you are on the very bottom travel team (think 4th or 6th team depending on club), your kid can miss a lot of practices (not weekly, but think 6 a season). Coach may ask a question or two, but generally won't care too much as the club is happy to have your money and won't bother you too much for skipping a practice to do something else. Coming from rec, I assume this is where your son would feed into travel. The Top 1-2 teams usually tolerate NO absences, unless sick. So all depends on the club and team. Even some small NCSL clubs are more family friendly and will cut you some slack now and then. We skipped every weekly skills session for a year at a local NCSL club and the coach never said a word. Of course, not advising this as you are wasting money and will not get better as a player, but your situation can easily be accommodated and there are years where we just had too many conflicts. Just ask around a little and find a bottom team. I think most of the posters are talking about the top team at a big club, or a great team at a small NCSL club. There are bad top teams at small NCSL clubs that would be happy to have your money. I would encourage your son to dig a little deeper.

(Parent of multiple kids who have played at multiple local clubs, on top and bottom teams. We try to go to as much as we can of everything. Our A team kid goes to 100% of everything, while others do 90% without any problems. They all love soccer, but each has different issues.)

DS recently went from rec to travel (ODSL team) and has had no problems missing practices for school issues. No complaints from coach or teammates all year, and he is fine knowing he plays a little less in games. DS plays for fun and is not worried about being recruited for D1 schools.

[Anonymous]

Seconding what PP said, DD plays for a shall we say "less competitive" team in a very large travel academy, and the attitude toward practice attendance is very relaxed. Players from throughout the academy circulate as guests at practices and at games, so there's less pressure about letting the team down. We appreciate the flexibility, to be honest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Seconding what PP said, DD plays for a shall we say "less competitive" team in a very large travel academy, and the attitude toward practice attendance is very relaxed. Players from throughout the academy circulate as guests at practices and at games, so there's less pressure about letting the team down. We appreciate the flexibility, to be honest.

This is a good example. Many clubs acknowledge that kids have other interests and they do their best to be accommodating to that as a club. Other clubs may have lower level teams where the coaches are more lax as well.

Evergreen FC is a tournament only club that does not play in any leagues. It is decidedly more forgiving of multi-sport kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Seconding what PP said, DD plays for a shall we say "less competitive" team in a very large travel academy, and the attitude toward practice attendance is very relaxed. Players from throughout the academy circulate as guests at practices and at games, so there's less pressure about letting the team down. We appreciate the flexibility, to be honest.

Op here. Which travel academy? I would love a travel academy that is more forgiving of occasional missed practices. I looked up fc evergreen that a pp mentioned, it's too far for us.(btw I didn't post the Hebrew school posts like a pp thought)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seconding what PP said, DD plays for a shall we say "less competitive" team in a very large travel academy, and the attitude toward practice attendance is very relaxed. Players from throughout the academy circulate as guests at practices and at games, so there's less pressure about letting the team down. We appreciate the flexibility, to be honest.

Op here. Which travel academy? I would love a travel academy that is more forgiving of occasional missed practices. I looked up fc evergreen that a pp mentioned, it's too far for us.(btw I didn't post the Hebrew school posts like a pp thought)

Try Premier AC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seconding what PP said, DD plays for a shall we say "less competitive" team in a very large travel academy, and the attitude toward practice attendance is very relaxed. Players from throughout the academy circulate as guests at practices and at games, so there's less pressure about letting the team down. We appreciate the flexibility, to be honest.

This is a good example. Many clubs acknowledge that kids have other interests and they do their best to be accommodating to that as a club. Other clubs may have lower level teams where the coaches are more lax as well.

Evergreen FC is a tournament only club that does not play in any leagues. It is decidedly more forgiving of multi-sport kids.

What is a tournament only club ? that might work in iowa but hard to believe anyone in VA soccer needs a tournament only club. sounds like a money grab.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seconding what PP said, DD plays for a shall we say "less competitive" team in a very large travel academy, and the attitude toward practice attendance is very relaxed. Players from throughout the academy circulate as guests at practices and at games, so there's less pressure about letting the team down. We appreciate the flexibility, to be honest.

This is a good example. Many clubs acknowledge that kids have other interests and they do their best to be accommodating to that as a club. Other clubs may have lower level teams where the coaches are more lax as well.

Evergreen FC is a tournament only club that does not play in any leagues. It is decidedly more forgiving of multi-sport kids.

What is a tournament only club ? that might work in iowa but hard to believe anyone in VA soccer needs a tournament only club. sounds like a money grab.

They only play tournaments, no league play. This is pretty common in Europe, the philosophy being games are not as important as training. It is a bold way to go, but if you have other obligations yet still want travel level soccer training, it is an option.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seconding what PP said, DD plays for a shall we say "less competitive" team in a very large travel academy, and the attitude toward practice attendance is very relaxed. Players from throughout the academy circulate as guests at practices and at games, so there's less pressure about letting the team down. We appreciate the flexibility, to be honest.

This is a good example. Many clubs acknowledge that kids have other interests and they do their best to be accommodating to that as a club. Other clubs may have lower level teams where the coaches are more lax as well.

Evergreen FC is a tournament only club that does not play in any leagues. It is decidedly more forgiving of multi-sport kids.

What is a tournament only club ? that might work in iowa but hard to believe anyone in VA soccer needs a tournament only club. sounds like a money grab.

They only play tournaments, no league play. This is pretty common in Europe, the philosophy being games are not as important as training. It is a bold way to go, but if you have other obligations yet still want travel level soccer training, it is an option.

what a way to misconstrue the European philosophy. Yes the emphasis is on more and quality training and where games have less importance but they still play league games. they just don't care about wins and losses at the development ages. One thing definitely not part of the true European model is tournaments. Yes you are seeing them pop up here and there but that's a money grab just like it is here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seconding what PP said, DD plays for a shall we say "less competitive" team in a very large travel academy, and the attitude toward practice attendance is very relaxed. Players from throughout the academy circulate as guests at practices and at games, so there's less pressure about letting the team down. We appreciate the flexibility, to be honest.

This is a good example. Many clubs acknowledge that kids have other interests and they do their best to be accommodating to that as a club. Other clubs may have lower level teams where the coaches are more lax as well.

Evergreen FC is a tournament only club that does not play in any leagues. It is decidedly more forgiving of multi-sport kids.

What is a tournament only club ? that might work in iowa but hard to believe anyone in VA soccer needs a tournament only club. sounds like a money grab.

They only play tournaments, no league play. This is pretty common in Europe, the philosophy being games are not as important as training. It is a bold way to go, but if you have other obligations yet still want travel level soccer training, it is an option.

what a way to misconstrue the European philosophy. Yes the emphasis is on more and quality training and where games have less importance but they still play league games. they just don't care about wins and losses at the development ages. One thing definitely not part of the true European model is tournaments. Yes you are seeing them pop up here and there but that's a money grab just like it is here.

Look, I'm not bringing the club up for any other purpose than to point out the option for those families that want travel soccer but want some flexibility. You are arguing against yourself. I don't have a kid at Evergreen FC, but under the right circumstances the concept does have a certain appeal.

And, yes, EVERYTHING is a money grab by the way. But not everything needs to be a time suck either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seconding what PP said, DD plays for a shall we say "less competitive" team in a very large travel academy, and the attitude toward practice attendance is very relaxed. Players from throughout the academy circulate as guests at practices and at games, so there's less pressure about letting the team down. We appreciate the flexibility, to be honest.

This is a good example. Many clubs acknowledge that kids have other interests and they do their best to be accommodating to that as a club. Other clubs may have lower level teams where the coaches are more lax as well.

Evergreen FC is a tournament only club that does not play in any leagues. It is decidedly more forgiving of multi-sport kids.

What is a tournament only club ? that might work in iowa but hard to believe anyone in VA soccer needs a tournament only club. sounds like a money grab.

They only play tournaments, no league play. This is pretty common in Europe, the philosophy being games are not as important as training. It is a bold way to go, but if you have other obligations yet still want travel level soccer training, it is an option.

what a way to misconstrue the European philosophy. Yes the emphasis is on more and quality training and where games have less importance but they still play league games. they just don't care about wins and losses at the development ages. One thing definitely not part of the true European model is tournaments. Yes you are seeing them pop up here and there but that's a money grab just like it is here.

Look, I'm not bringing the club up for any other purpose than to point out the option for those families that want travel soccer but want some flexibility. You are arguing against yourself. I don't have a kid at Evergreen FC, but under the right circumstances the concept does have a certain appeal.

And, yes, EVERYTHING is a money grab by the way. But not everything needs to be a time suck either.

I have no problem with their approach especially if there is a need for it. What I was commenting was the comparison to the "European Philosophy" which is certainly not tournament focused. Maybe they aren't marketing it as such but it's certainly not the Euro model.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seconding what PP said, DD plays for a shall we say "less competitive" team in a very large travel academy, and the attitude toward practice attendance is very relaxed. Players from throughout the academy circulate as guests at practices and at games, so there's less pressure about letting the team down. We appreciate the flexibility, to be honest.

This is a good example. Many clubs acknowledge that kids have other interests and they do their best to be accommodating to that as a club. Other clubs may have lower level teams where the coaches are more lax as well.

Evergreen FC is a tournament only club that does not play in any leagues. It is decidedly more forgiving of multi-sport kids.

What is a tournament only club ? that might work in iowa but hard to believe anyone in VA soccer needs a tournament only club. sounds like a money grab.

They only play tournaments, no league play. This is pretty common in Europe, the philosophy being games are not as important as training. It is a bold way to go, but if you have other obligations yet still want travel level soccer training, it is an option.

what a way to misconstrue the European philosophy. Yes the emphasis is on more and quality training and where games have less importance but they still play league games. they just don't care about wins and losses at the development ages. One thing definitely not part of the true European model is tournaments. Yes you are seeing them pop up here and there but that's a money grab just like it is here.

Look, I'm not bringing the club up for any other purpose than to point out the option for those families that want travel soccer but want some flexibility. You are arguing against yourself. I don't have a kid at Evergreen FC, but under the right circumstances the concept does have a certain appeal.

And, yes, EVERYTHING is a money grab by the way. But not everything needs to be a time suck either.

I have no problem with their approach especially if there is a need for it. What I was commenting was the comparison to the "European Philosophy" which is certainly not tournament focused. Maybe they aren't marketing it as such but it's certainly not the Euro model.

Ignoratio Elenchi.