Travel Soccer for Dummies

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12/21/2019 15:27

Subject: Travel Soccer for Dummies

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Anonymous

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank you! I have a 10 year old and we’ve completed tryouts. We’re trying to decide between two offers - one with friends and a known program but what seems to be a weaker team and a weaker league and one completely unknown but in a club that seems to play in a better league (according to DCUM). We are completely clueless about travel soccer in general other than having heard about a few local clubs that are supposedly “the best” but nowhere near us. And my kid isn’t really in need of “the best” club, just the best fit and a good experience. This kid is a decent athlete and enjoys soccer, but this is going to be for fun, not for college/career/etc. it’s just a thing my kid likes doing.

I’m nervous about going somewhere that i know nothing about and parents/kid won’t know a single person going into the team. But, it seems pretty likely that the unknown club and team are stronger programs and would face better opponents at a bare minimum. Odds are the team members would be better players too unless it’s a really off year for the club.

Based on this info you have provided, it's an absolute no-brainer: Go with the team where he has friends.

How do you know at age 10 that your kid doesn't have great potential? I guess the approach we've taken is to expose our kids to what we think is the best training environment (with little regard paid to game results or Got Soccer points which don't matter at this age), so we can prepare them with a good foundation should they decide to take it more seriously down the road. Foot skills have to be learned at this age if your kid wants to be a good player...this doesn't mean going all psycho and making your kid practice 6 days a week, hire a personal trainer, and send him to Europe for playing opportunities...it just means putting him in a good training environment where he'll have fun and learn the skills of the game. One of the best things my kids have learned from travel soccer is how to mix in with a new group of friends - we've not followed their school friends b/c we didn't think our neighborhood club was the best training option. We drive 15 mins and now our kids have a whole circle of friends they've built from their club that is different than their school and neighborhood friends. Not a bad thing, in my opinion.

There's no right or wrong answer here, but I'd suggest keeping an open mind as to your kid's future in the game. If you and he are going to show up at field 3 times a week for travel soccer, he may as well get the best available training, even if he decides to keep it casual long term. Kids like to get better at something and feel like they're part of something meaningful. Just another perspective to consider - good luck, whatever you decide!

Wrong he’s ten. If he’s good he will walk on in HS seen it many many times.

OP have your kid have fun, he won’t be behind and if he has real talent you will know. I know from personal experience Division 1 girls and Divsion one college for a boy.