People sure love to discuss travel soccer teams

[Anonymous]

I played a different travel sport in high school, but only for a year. I remember even at age 17 thinking it was a little absurd, the amount of time and money that it absorbed. For what? It wasn't like I went on to be a professional athlete and recoup the cost. It was fun to play, but my less competitive teams before and after that season were fun, too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I played a different travel sport in high school, but only for a year. I remember even at age 17 thinking it was a little absurd, the amount of time and money that it absorbed. For what? It wasn't like I went on to be a professional athlete and recoup the cost. It was fun to play, but my less competitive teams before and after that season were fun, too.

This reads to me like someone who talks about their bi-curious phase in college.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I love soccer.

Unfortunately travel soccer has come to mean "anyone can play if you can afford it".

Man, this is SO true.

Non soccer parent here - just how much are these travel soccer teams?

I just paid $2500 for the year and uniforms for one kid (I have 2 and about to pay the same for the other). There will likely be other expenses pop-up.

This doesn't include winter futsal, camps and any other training you do. Easily, $7-8k/ year for two kids.

So the season itself is just fall? Then you are on your own to train in winter/spring?

No—Travel soccer is year-round. In my club (different poster here), we pay $1,600 for a full year, includes winter futsal, summer camp and training, two seasons, uniforms, pro coaches, etc etc. Anyone paying $2500+ per year is with the more expensive large clubs (Bethesda, Arlington, etc).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:My friend goes on and on about how she has to take her three kids to travel soccer.
We have travel soccer tonight. There are six travel soccer games this weekend. How are we going to get all our kids to their travel soccer fields? Had to wash the travel soccer uniforms. Travel soccer. travelsoccertravelsoccertravelsoccertravel

You sound like the kind of person who might refer to their dogs or cats as your "kids". "Oh lol what my dog did today". Or perhaps you're the person who talks about your new diet that nobody cares about. Either way I'm sure you are passionate about something that nobody else gives a shit about either but they listen to you anyway.

You missed the point. Travel! Travel! Not soccer. Travel soccer.

This drives me batty. I played 'select' soccer back in the day. It used to not be anyone with a checkbook sport. It was that way in most youth 'select/travel' sports. Talent was required, not just money. I am the last one to go on and on about 'travel' because in this day and age, it's really just Rec soccer for more $$$. The people going on about it's good because 'there is a travel team for everyone now' miss the g-damn point. If everyone just played rec, except for the top 1% they wouldn't have to waste thousands of dollars every year and countless hours driving all over creation because the Rec programs would still have talent.

No, but you will go on and on how your experience was somehow better and that you were a better player because "when you played travel meant something". Congratulations, you were a moderate sized fish in a very shallow pool. We are supposed to believe that because you played travel "back in the day" that you were truly a 1% player.

Here is your walk out song:
https://youtu.be/6vQpW9XRiyM

I'm sure PP doesn't go on and on - that's reserved for the travel parents, I'm sure.

But I agree with her sentiment. My husband played travel soccer in the early 80's. Was in the Olympic Development Program (I think that's what it was called), and played on a D1 team in college. He was good - really really good. He could have pursued soccer as a career but chose to go into research instead.

I would love to know what % of travel players now go on to play competitively in college or go even farther than that, vs. what % moved forward in the 70's/80's. Would make for an interesting comparison.

The same % of kids will play in D1 now as then. Why would it be any different? The difference today is that there are MORE kids playing and MORE kids are getting better training now than when your awesome husband played. The talent pool is much larger now than it was then. Frankly it is more likely that your husband would not stand out as much today as he did then.

Oh, and another thing, he would also be fighting for a college spot against better European players who also come to school and play college in the states. I doubt he had to compete against many international players when he played. Again, he was a moderately sized fish in a small pond then. That pond is now a lake.

The same European players were coming to play for college back in the 80s. Johann Cruyff's older brother left to play at University of Maryland when he was not good enough for Ajax's first team. My siblings and I were trained by European coaches that came to the US with college scholarships. A lot of these players played in the adult embassy league that used to play a lot games at VA Highlands when it was a grass field.

We also had the retired FIFA stars like Cruyff, Pele, etc. coming to make some money in our pro leagues back in the 70s. That also hasn't changed. I hear Ibrahimovic is the next big name looking to come over.

I do agree more kids have better technical skill at younger ages and that's a good thing. US soccer still misses the value in player intelligence though which is the #1 attribute everywhere else in the World. We don't select or know how to select for it here. Coaches here are so hot on fancy moves in this Country that even if a kid can't do anything else, has no vision, can't find the pass, no intelligent movement, that kid will be put on the top teams. Complete players aren't valued. Smart players aren't selected at the average US tryout because selection factors are so misguided.

So, we are a very long time away from fielding a competitive National home-grown team. Our top players still are being developed in Europe.

People new to the sport often like to say soccer is such a new thing here and their kids are superior to the past, having never played themselves and knowing nothing about the history of the sport in this country or the caliber of players before them. Superstars are still 1 in a billion in the US and I don't see a new crop of Pulisics bursting out any minute.

[Anonymous]

^^ And they certainly weren't during your era either, so tell me again how your days were superior.

[Anonymous]

I love soccer.

Unfortunately travel soccer has come to mean "anyone can play if you can afford it".


Man, this is SO true.

It's not just affording it. My son is a decent, but not great, player. DH and I both work and could afford to pay for him to play travel. But we are both litigating attorneys and have no way to drag DS to daily practices, never mind weekend games in Haymarket. If he was a soccer superstar, we'd find some way, but for a kid who is just a fairly good player, no way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I love soccer.

Unfortunately travel soccer has come to mean "anyone can play if you can afford it".


Man, this is SO true.

It's not just affording it. My son is a decent, but not great, player. DH and I both work and could afford to pay for him to play travel. But we are both litigating attorneys and have no way to drag DS to daily practices, never mind weekend games in Haymarket. If he was a soccer superstar, we'd find some way, but for a kid who is just a fairly good player, no way.

And that is why Rec exists. There are lots of reasons why kids can't do travel.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^ And they certainly weren't during your era either, so tell me again how your days were superior.

I agree 100%. I am not saying they were superior. I am just saying the level of play in men's soccer has not increased over 40 years (1970s-2017) like you would expect it to in any sport.

From late 70s-2017, you would think we would have more to show than one single male player trained the majority of his youth overseas.

This is why the amount of $ we spend on the sport comes into question routinely. We certainly aren't churning out future big $ contracts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^ sure, it is the same.

I am thinking about the talented kids that come to North America from other countries like Nigeria, Syria, or Argentina and never have a chance.

I am friends with a professional footballer from Africa and he would love to organize a team of the players not in the system against the US national team.

That reminds me of the team from Baltimore that had regular day jobs (engineers, etc.), zero time to train, no $ or organization and were competitive against MLS teams whose players job was to play soccer all day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^ And they certainly weren't during your era either, so tell me again how your days were superior.

I agree 100%. I am not saying they were superior. I am just saying the level of play in men's soccer has not increased over 40 years (1970s-2017) like you would expect it to in any sport.

From late 70s-2017, you would think we would have more to show than one single male player trained the majority of his youth overseas.

This is why the amount of $ we spend on the sport comes into question routinely. We certainly aren't churning out future big $ contracts.

You are assessing it wrong. It isn't a static finish line. We are improving at a rapid pace but so are other nations. Training programs and techniques have improved around the world. We are hampered by a few things in the U.S.

1. Lack of a true soccer culture. I believe this is the area where right now, with the number of kids playing today and Soccer on TV everywhere the one thing that will rapidly improve. Soccer literacy will grow by leaps and bounds.

2. Our physical size as a nation. This we will never overcome. The only way we can overcome it is actually with the culture improving and having even more kids playing reducing the "need" for long travel just for a game. Imagine the DMV having a pool of players where DA quality soccer can be played at 10 area clubs.

3. Our best coaches get kids to late. We need a better coaching at the youngest ages not when they are 14. When our culture and soccer literacy improve then parent coaches are a quality alternative.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My friend goes on and on about how she has to take her three kids to travel soccer.
We have travel soccer tonight. There are six travel soccer games this weekend. How are we going to get all our kids to their travel soccer fields? Had to wash the travel soccer uniforms. Travel soccer. travelsoccertravelsoccertravelsoccertravel

You sound like the kind of person who might refer to their dogs or cats as your "kids". "Oh lol what my dog did today". Or perhaps you're the person who talks about your new diet that nobody cares about. Either way I'm sure you are passionate about something that nobody else gives a shit about either but they listen to you anyway.

You missed the point. Travel! Travel! Not soccer. Travel soccer.

"Oh, sorry, we'd love to stay longer but we have to let the dog out"

"Oh, I have to get home early to make sure my dog gets their medicine"

"Oh, I cant come in today because my dog ate some mulch and is sick, people are so disrespectful of dogs"

"Sorry, we have a 'playdate' for our 'kids' at the dog park that Saturday"

"I cant believe the restaurant told us to leave Poochie outside!"

You still don't get it. She is shamelessly bragging. Other parents say soccer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My friend goes on and on about how she has to take her three kids to travel soccer.
We have travel soccer tonight. There are six travel soccer games this weekend. How are we going to get all our kids to their travel soccer fields? Had to wash the travel soccer uniforms. Travel soccer. travelsoccertravelsoccertravelsoccertravel

You sound like the kind of person who might refer to their dogs or cats as your "kids". "Oh lol what my dog did today". Or perhaps you're the person who talks about your new diet that nobody cares about. Either way I'm sure you are passionate about something that nobody else gives a shit about either but they listen to you anyway.

You missed the point. Travel! Travel! Not soccer. Travel soccer.

This drives me batty. I played 'select' soccer back in the day. It used to not be anyone with a checkbook sport. It was that way in most youth 'select/travel' sports. Talent was required, not just money. I am the last one to go on and on about 'travel' because in this day and age, it's really just Rec soccer for more $$$. The people going on about it's good because 'there is a travel team for everyone now' miss the g-damn point. If everyone just played rec, except for the top 1% they wouldn't have to waste thousands of dollars every year and countless hours driving all over creation because the Rec programs would still have talent.

This simply isn't true. Rec soccer is NOT the same as a travel program today. I think the rise of travel soccer for everyone who has money has led to the demise of rec soccer, but in no way are they the same. There should be a place for a kid who is motivated to get better and wants to play more often than once a week who isn't the next Lio Messi, but in many cases, rec soccer ain't it. What's wrong with paying for an environment that has professional coaches, training 2-3x per week, nice fields, organized league play and tournaments, etc. even if your kid isn't in the top 1%? If you don't want to pay, then stay in rec. Our travel club has B teams through high school full of good kids who are good athletes who like the challenge of a travel program but know they're not going to play D1 - what's wrong with that? They wouldn't get what they want/need from a rec program.

Amen. Basically what all these "back in the day" complainers are upset about is that the amount of travel soccer today, that is inclusive for a price, somehow devalues their experience. They claim that they are not living through their kids but what they are doing is comparing themselves and their achievements against their kids or their kids teammates or friends. Its not "look at me because my kid is great" instead it is "look at me because when I played it was more 'meaningful' than your kids experience"

On the douche o'meter I'll place "ex college star" high above the overweight proud parent any day of the week.

FWIW I am a "Back in the day" poster but definitely not a complainer. We don't even have a kid who plays soccer! Was just throwing out my observations. I only clicked on this link because my husband loves soccer. That's it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My friend goes on and on about how she has to take her three kids to travel soccer.
We have travel soccer tonight. There are six travel soccer games this weekend. How are we going to get all our kids to their travel soccer fields? Had to wash the travel soccer uniforms. Travel soccer. travelsoccertravelsoccertravelsoccertravel

You sound like the kind of person who might refer to their dogs or cats as your "kids". "Oh lol what my dog did today". Or perhaps you're the person who talks about your new diet that nobody cares about. Either way I'm sure you are passionate about something that nobody else gives a shit about either but they listen to you anyway.

You missed the point. Travel! Travel! Not soccer. Travel soccer.

This drives me batty. I played 'select' soccer back in the day. It used to not be anyone with a checkbook sport. It was that way in most youth 'select/travel' sports. Talent was required, not just money. I am the last one to go on and on about 'travel' because in this day and age, it's really just Rec soccer for more $$$. The people going on about it's good because 'there is a travel team for everyone now' miss the g-damn point. If everyone just played rec, except for the top 1% they wouldn't have to waste thousands of dollars every year and countless hours driving all over creation because the Rec programs would still have talent.

This simply isn't true. Rec soccer is NOT the same as a travel program today. I think the rise of travel soccer for everyone who has money has led to the demise of rec soccer, but in no way are they the same. There should be a place for a kid who is motivated to get better and wants to play more often than once a week who isn't the next Lio Messi, but in many cases, rec soccer ain't it. What's wrong with paying for an environment that has professional coaches, training 2-3x per week, nice fields, organized league play and tournaments, etc. even if your kid isn't in the top 1%? If you don't want to pay, then stay in rec. Our travel club has B teams through high school full of good kids who are good athletes who like the challenge of a travel program but know they're not going to play D1 - what's wrong with that? They wouldn't get what they want/need from a rec program.

That's my kid, and he is learning a lot, having a great time, and I'm happy to make it work. Beats sitting at home on his iPhone. He is a talented player but not a superstar. He plays probably 15-20 hours/week between travel and his school team. Maybe he'll play in college, maybe he won't. Up to him. In the meantime, he's had hardworking professional coaches, made tons of friends from many different walks of life (dunno who told you all that only rich kids play travel soccer although I agree that there's tons of improvement needed on that front), learned to manage his time extremely well, become quite good at a sport that's played all over the world, AND he's in fantastic shape.

For the record, to address funny PP concerns, I'm not fat. I'm 45 and in great shape.

Also for the record, I don't talk about my son's soccer life (except to mention it in context as a logistical hurdle) unless asked. The person who said travelsoccertravelsoccertravelsoccer is definitely right that some parents get REALLY carried away. I've heard the same from lacrosse, swimming, violin parents, etc. It's all boring when it's not your kid. The sooner you realize that, the less boring you will be.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My friend goes on and on about how she has to take her three kids to travel soccer.
We have travel soccer tonight. There are six travel soccer games this weekend. How are we going to get all our kids to their travel soccer fields? Had to wash the travel soccer uniforms. Travel soccer. travelsoccertravelsoccertravelsoccertravel

You sound like the kind of person who might refer to their dogs or cats as your "kids". "Oh lol what my dog did today". Or perhaps you're the person who talks about your new diet that nobody cares about. Either way I'm sure you are passionate about something that nobody else gives a shit about either but they listen to you anyway.

You missed the point. Travel! Travel! Not soccer. Travel soccer.

This drives me batty. I played 'select' soccer back in the day. It used to not be anyone with a checkbook sport. It was that way in most youth 'select/travel' sports. Talent was required, not just money. I am the last one to go on and on about 'travel' because in this day and age, it's really just Rec soccer for more $$$. The people going on about it's good because 'there is a travel team for everyone now' miss the g-damn point. If everyone just played rec, except for the top 1% they wouldn't have to waste thousands of dollars every year and countless hours driving all over creation because the Rec programs would still have talent.

This simply isn't true. Rec soccer is NOT the same as a travel program today. I think the rise of travel soccer for everyone who has money has led to the demise of rec soccer, but in no way are they the same. There should be a place for a kid who is motivated to get better and wants to play more often than once a week who isn't the next Lio Messi, but in many cases, rec soccer ain't it. What's wrong with paying for an environment that has professional coaches, training 2-3x per week, nice fields, organized league play and tournaments, etc. even if your kid isn't in the top 1%? If you don't want to pay, then stay in rec. Our travel club has B teams through high school full of good kids who are good athletes who like the challenge of a travel program but know they're not going to play D1 - what's wrong with that? They wouldn't get what they want/need from a rec program.

Amen. Basically what all these "back in the day" complainers are upset about is that the amount of travel soccer today, that is inclusive for a price, somehow devalues their experience. They claim that they are not living through their kids but what they are doing is comparing themselves and their achievements against their kids or their kids teammates or friends. Its not "look at me because my kid is great" instead it is "look at me because when I played it was more 'meaningful' than your kids experience"

On the douche o'meter I'll place "ex college star" high above the overweight proud parent any day of the week.

FWIW I am a "Back in the day" poster but definitely not a complainer. We don't even have a kid who plays soccer! Was just throwing out my observations. I only clicked on this link because my husband loves soccer. That's it.

Ahh, got it, so you know nothing of current youth soccer. Have never seen a youth team play, never attended a practice, seen a youth tournament but you have observations about the game to compare to your husbands day?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My friend goes on and on about how she has to take her three kids to travel soccer.
We have travel soccer tonight. There are six travel soccer games this weekend. How are we going to get all our kids to their travel soccer fields? Had to wash the travel soccer uniforms. Travel soccer. travelsoccertravelsoccertravelsoccertravel

You sound like the kind of person who might refer to their dogs or cats as your "kids". "Oh lol what my dog did today". Or perhaps you're the person who talks about your new diet that nobody cares about. Either way I'm sure you are passionate about something that nobody else gives a shit about either but they listen to you anyway.

You missed the point. Travel! Travel! Not soccer. Travel soccer.

"Oh, sorry, we'd love to stay longer but we have to let the dog out"

"Oh, I have to get home early to make sure my dog gets their medicine"

"Oh, I cant come in today because my dog ate some mulch and is sick, people are so disrespectful of dogs"

"Sorry, we have a 'playdate' for our 'kids' at the dog park that Saturday"

"I cant believe the restaurant told us to leave Poochie outside!"

You still don't get it. She is shamelessly bragging. Other parents say soccer.

And you don't get it, annoying is annoying. Their bragging is likely just as annoying as whatever you might drone on about yourself. You might sound just as stupid yourself and yet people are simply being polite to you too.