Moving to Area with U11

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:This is all great input! Thank you everyone for your understanding and thoughtful comments. I knew about that Bethesda team and they seem to have a really good thing going developing the boy's side. I've looked into the U11 top team and yes, they are very good from what I can tell without watching them play. I'm glad someone confirmed they actually play the game well to win instead of punt and kick.

I hadn't really considered the idea of a second team, but that's a good point as well on the Bethesda side. I think my son could play with the U11 top team, but is he good enough to remove a kid on a very good team who has been there on the current roster based on a couple of sessions? Probably not, but working up from the second team is an interesting idea. Especially if it is a strong second team.

Given that you haven't seen them play, what is the basis for your belief that your son is good enough to play on the Bethesda team? You may well be correct, but if your reasoning is based on "consistently top 5 on the field in games he has played so far", that would depend very much on where he has been playing so far.

So ridiculous to post this crap. What is your basis for objecting? Why do you care? BTW, this team looks good, but it loses to some teams only a year older and things change a ton for all these kids over the next 3-4 years. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves with the new galacticos. You think this is the first time Bethesda has had a U11 team like this? It’s practically every year. Yet they bring new people on. Which is why they tend to continue to succeed.

I'm not really objecting - just though the poster's comment was somewhat odd. In the same breath he said his son was good enough to play for a team and also that he had never seen that team play. I didn't even say he was wrong - in fact I explicitly allowed that he might be correct.

I was actually wondering the same thing when I read. OP sounded confident without seeing the team play.

I'm the OP. I understand the comments and wasn't trying to overly imply anything. I honestly don't know, but my son has played very well against teams that have done well against that Bethesda team and the others so while that is a bit of a stretch it's a close enough barometer for me. I was trying to avoid being a jackass and say how good my kid is, but thought saying something like top 5 on an EDP I team was good enough at U11. The real fact is he is undoubtedly top 2 in any game I have ever seen except for an off game here or there and would be surprised if a coach didn't pick him up. Can he definitely make any of these teams? I really don't know and only time will tell. I was simply asking what people thought of those organizations and figured I had to address his skill set in the initial post or I would get the comments of "your kid isn't good enough for any of those teams".

Thanks to everyone for their thoughtful comments. Definitely a ton of really good information to consider so I appreciate your time to respond.

He's 10. It will all change in the next 5-6 years. The stars at U11 often aren't anything by U15.

Is he big for his age? That will get him a lot of attention in and of itself.

I mean--he isn't even playing 11 v 11 yet.

[Anonymous]

Generally closer and cheaper is the right answer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is all great input! Thank you everyone for your understanding and thoughtful comments. I knew about that Bethesda team and they seem to have a really good thing going developing the boy's side. I've looked into the U11 top team and yes, they are very good from what I can tell without watching them play. I'm glad someone confirmed they actually play the game well to win instead of punt and kick.

I hadn't really considered the idea of a second team, but that's a good point as well on the Bethesda side. I think my son could play with the U11 top team, but is he good enough to remove a kid on a very good team who has been there on the current roster based on a couple of sessions? Probably not, but working up from the second team is an interesting idea. Especially if it is a strong second team.

Given that you haven't seen them play, what is the basis for your belief that your son is good enough to play on the Bethesda team? You may well be correct, but if your reasoning is based on "consistently top 5 on the field in games he has played so far", that would depend very much on where he has been playing so far.

So ridiculous to post this crap. What is your basis for objecting? Why do you care? BTW, this team looks good, but it loses to some teams only a year older and things change a ton for all these kids over the next 3-4 years. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves with the new galacticos. You think this is the first time Bethesda has had a U11 team like this? It’s practically every year. Yet they bring new people on. Which is why they tend to continue to succeed.

I'm not really objecting - just though the poster's comment was somewhat odd. In the same breath he said his son was good enough to play for a team and also that he had never seen that team play. I didn't even say he was wrong - in fact I explicitly allowed that he might be correct.

I was actually wondering the same thing when I read. OP sounded confident without seeing the team play.

I'm the OP. I understand the comments and wasn't trying to overly imply anything. I honestly don't know, but my son has played very well against teams that have done well against that Bethesda team and the others so while that is a bit of a stretch it's a close enough barometer for me. I was trying to avoid being a jackass and say how good my kid is, but thought saying something like top 5 on an EDP I team was good enough at U11. The real fact is he is undoubtedly top 2 in any game I have ever seen except for an off game here or there and would be surprised if a coach didn't pick him up. Can he definitely make any of these teams? I really don't know and only time will tell. I was simply asking what people thought of those organizations and figured I had to address his skill set in the initial post or I would get the comments of "your kid isn't good enough for any of those teams".

Thanks to everyone for their thoughtful comments. Definitely a ton of really good information to consider so I appreciate your time to respond.

He's 10. It will all change in the next 5-6 years. The stars at U11 often aren't anything by U15.

I disagree with this. In my experience the stars at U10 usually are the stars at U15. Not 100% - sure. But mostly.

[Anonymous]

NP. I had always heard that the stars at U10 (or whatever young age) will not be the stars at an older age. Like PP, that has not been true in my experience. I think that if you are at a good club that can spot talented players young and then give them great training, the young stars will just get better over time. But there aren’t very many good clubs, so the statement has become a truism because if you just pick the biggest, most aggressive kid at a young age and don’t offer great training, he will ultimately not be able to keep up. Nothing against big aggressive kids—they are awesome if they have other good soccer attributes as well.

[Anonymous]

Do not waste your time driving all over the place. My suggest would be either one of the 3 clubs...Bethesda, Lions Soccer, SAC/BA. All 3 have the ability to help the continued development of your child.


I agree. Those are good clubs with good teams. Frankly, I find it ridiculous that some people are willing to drive 45 minutes each way three times a week to take a kid to soccer practice farther from home. I have a job and another kid, and no way am I doing that.


I get this and is very true, however, if you have a very talented and driven child it is a decision of what you are willing to sacrifice. We made the sacrifice and have a son playing in college (frankly at a school he probably couldn't have gotten into without soccer) because he loved to play and wanted to keep getting better. Did it suck for a couple years? Absolutely. Was it worth it? Absolutely. If he wasn't as driven, or as good, I would have never made that sacrifice. We have another child who didn't want to go down that path and plays on the local travel team in addition to other sports. He's perfectly content and I love the 10 minute drive to get him to practice. It all just depends.

Sure. I don't have a partner, and although I'm an SES, that's not all that much $ for a single parent household. I am not willing to sacrifice my employment or my other child's happiness, so that's where we come out.