And just to add to what I said above. My DD needed to play in games because she was an 8 year old girl who loved playing in soccer games! Sitting on the bench watching other girls play more than her made her sad. And it was hurting her confidence. She was feeling like she was not a good soccer player and I knew if we stayed she would end up quitting a sport she loves. Here is my last piece of advice for anyone not happy with play time for their kids. If you are considering changing teams LOOK AT THE SIZE OF THE ROSTER. Ask the coach how many girls/boys he will be rostering. Ask what their theory is on taking additional players mid-year. When teams have too many players - kids don't get to play. For 7 vs 7 teams I think 11 kids is reasonable. For 9 vs 9 teams I would look for 13 kids at most. Once they go to 11 vs 11 it varies according to the age. At U13/U14 I think 15 kids is a reasonable number but once they hit the HS age you need a few more. We are now just entering the HS age and I see girls getting hurt and having to miss games occasionally. When my DD was younger no one EVER missed games. Kids would come sick rather than miss a soccer game. It's been interesting watching some of the responses to my posting. Makes me think DD's former coach is on here |
And if an evaluation isn’t provided then go and get one. You talk to the coach because it is the adult thing and the bigger thing to do. Your feelings are what are getting in the way. They remove your objectivity. Your hurt feelings are what are keeping you from acting like an adult and talking to the coach you have just signed 2-3k for the coming year. Be all hurt and run to another club in a huff, I don’t care. I just think you can leave in a more adult and productive way for your kid and yourself. |
| No, there's no feelings here. As long as we have the evaluation, we know. There's nothing more to say. You are the one who passionately insists it's ok - good even - to not play 9 year olds. |
Thank you again. Your posts have been among the most valuable on the thread. It's good insight and we'll said. |
Rec is for equal playtime. If that is so important then why are you not playing rec instead? |
This is a great point if your ds/dd really loves soccer. The time spent at practices out weigh the games by a lot. |
The nuance of that fact is lost in this room where the only tool is a hammer. |
This is so important. Also ask about the stability of the roster - how many come and go during the season? Are player evaluations given and if so, when? What is the club philosophy on adding players during the season? Are all players on the game day roster? How often do you have players from other teams (either higher of lower or younger) playing during games? How is playing time addressed during games if you have players from other teams? All of these answers are important. Even if everything some of the PPs say is true in terms of bench players needed to work harder to earn time, there might not be much chance to move up over the course of a season if the club is constantly bringing new players on board or having younger players play up on an already bloated roster. Ask these questions and if you can, ask some parents on the team. I was a PP who acknowledge being part of the problem with my son's soccer experience, largely because I was trying not to be "one of those parents." I did not move my son, because I bought the line that my kid needed to toughen up and work harder to earn more playing time. That might be good advice for kids who aren't working hard or who have bad attitudes, but in our case, it backfired, because much of what was keeping him off the field was beyond his control. Loss of control tends to mean loss of motivation. He eventually stopped caring because no matter what he did, he wasn't getting anywhere. HE would have an amazing practice, per the coach, and then a younger kid would take his playing time in the next game. If effort does not produce some benefit, you might see that your kid loses confidence and motivation, and that loss carries over into more important things like school. There has to be some balance, and every kid is different. Don't run from club to club without trying to make things work, including speaking with the coach, but also, don't assume that playing time decisions are fair or based on talent or work ethic. In many cases, there are politics at play and if you kid isn't currently at the top of the heap, factors beyond your kids' control can impact playing time. And you won't always get the truth either. When we did approach the coaches about playing time, they kept telling us how great our kid is, how hard he works, and that the minutes would be coming, especially when he hits his grown spurt. At another point, we asked if he was too far below the level of the team and whether we should look for another club. They scoffed and said that he would likely be a starter soon. Unfortunately, the minutes (and growth) didn't come fast enough. After years of working hard and riding the bench for long stretches, and watching new kids come onboard who were not better than he is, he reached his breaking point. He still hasn't hit puberty, and he now hates playing soccer and every other sport too. In the big picture, soccer doesn't matter as much as your child's well-being. Don't be a chronic complainer and don't excuse behavior or attitude on the part of your child. On the other hand, if the environment is psychologically unhealthy for your child, it can have long term consequences. Don't let the old school "toughen up" idiots tell you otherwise. The answer isn't always "your kid sucks - work harder." If there is no communication with your player about where he or she stands and a plan for helping him or her develop and achieve goals, even if the work needs to be done elsewhere or if the game time is very limited, there is no lesson to be learned from the bench. The best of the best are outliers with mental toughness that cannot be undermined. If that isn't your kid, find an environment where the needs of every player are considered and where your kid will want to continue playing. |
The advice about roster size is key. Sometimes that is unknown until after the fact though. But it should be asked of the coach before you click accept. |
Talking to the coach whether they were honest or not will not only give the moral high ground but piece of mind with your ultimate decision. Again, there is no reason to not talk to the coach. |
To the person that seems like a travel coach advocating for the weakest player to watch games. Put it this way, Games are fun. Fun means returning to the team. Playing less than 50% is no fun to someone who thinks fun is top priority. You can't argue what is fun to someone. And yes, people do talk to coaches and nothing changes until the starters no longer produces results. Why are you so persistent in arguing with a rec parent? It's showing immaturity and lack of decision making on your part. The rec parent wants a lot of playing time. ok. So what, let him have it. Be the bigger person. |
Coaches do not give direction during a game? One of the most discussed as successful team on this board has multiple coaches giving directions to players during a game. all game. |
| Are you parents listening to yourselves? Every club would love a maximum sized/full roster (it's called capitalism, full roster = more money for the club and the coach). |
Myth Clubs are mostly non-profit. FCV and Barca are the only profit clubs in the region. |
Joysticking is not coaching. It is direction and players do not develop or learn to make decisions when their decisions are being shouted at them either from the coach or mom and dad. "Send it" is also directing players too. |