What are your unpopular opinions about youth soccer?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ban parents from all games and practices. Drop off and pick up at designated times only. Let kids play without psycho parents ranting on sidelines. Yes, ban includes EVERYONE

Limit travel to MD/DC/VA within 45 min for all local area teams. Zero reason to go any farther than that.

Most popular opinion yet...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The whole system is messed up. I say this as a wife of someone who is a lifelong soccer player, national collegiate champion, and youth coach ever since. As well as a mom to 3 players.

End of thread for the rest of us. Hold your opinions and let's just listen to Ms. National Collegiate Champion!

She said her husband is, not herself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Futsal sucks

What sucks is your FOMO sickness. Don’t sign up for everything that other people do. Or else don’t complain.

Not pp, Our club signs up the whole team, so no actual signing up. This year we’re just not participating and it is great

Oh. That’s because your kids don’t play actual Futsal. They just kick it inside with outdoor teammates and never learned Futsal skill or tactics.

Futsal is more akin to basketball and you have to have incredible ball skill and agility. And move the ball fast, constant movement.

Most very good soccer players like it better than outdoors, even many I know that played professionally outdoors!

Putting kids in a dedicated Futsal program, with licensed Futsal coaches and practices and it’s a different sport.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Parents should be prohibited from yelling actual words during the game, and if they do so they should be required to leave the viewing area or the game will be forfeit. Cheering and clapping are good. Otherwise zip it and just let the kids play, the coaches coach and the referees ref.

How do you cheer without using words ? Sign language ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Futsal sucks

What sucks is your FOMO sickness. Don’t sign up for everything that other people do. Or else don’t complain.

Not pp, Our club signs up the whole team, so no actual signing up. This year we’re just not participating and it is great

Oh. That’s because your kids don’t play actual Futsal. They just kick it inside with outdoor teammates and never learned Futsal skill or tactics.

Futsal is more akin to basketball and you have to have incredible ball skill and agility. And move the ball fast, constant movement.

Most very good soccer players like it better than outdoors, even many I know that played professionally outdoors!

Putting kids in a dedicated Futsal program, with licensed Futsal coaches and practices and it’s a different sport.

I prefer to have them play basketball over winter. Two seasons a year is enough for an elementary school kid to play one sport

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Futsal sucks

What sucks is your FOMO sickness. Don’t sign up for everything that other people do. Or else don’t complain.

Not pp, Our club signs up the whole team, so no actual signing up. This year we’re just not participating and it is great

Oh. That’s because your kids don’t play actual Futsal. They just kick it inside with outdoor teammates and never learned Futsal skill or tactics.

Futsal is more akin to basketball and you have to have incredible ball skill and agility. And move the ball fast, constant movement.

Most very good soccer players like it better than outdoors, even many I know that played professionally outdoors!

Putting kids in a dedicated Futsal program, with licensed Futsal coaches and practices and it’s a different sport.

Licensed coaches, charlatans sounds better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People who correct people who say offsides instead of offside should shut up. It's the least of our worries. Find something else to care about.

Nothing is a cash grab. Everything costs money and, if something is willing to pay extra for it, so be it. People should shut up with their cash grab comments unless they live in a cave, walk barefoot everywhere, eat dirt and rocks, and drink out

Youth sports are way too expensive. It shouldn't cost thousands to let your kid play a sport.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Unpopular opinion of mine is every club should be required to have a full time GK coach.

I agree with you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ban parents from all games and practices. Drop off and pick up at designated times only. Let kids play without psycho parents ranting on sidelines. Yes, ban includes EVERYONE

Limit travel to MD/DC/VA within 45 min for all local area teams. Zero reason to go any farther than that.

Most popular opinion yet...

Dumb comment - you can already do that. It's called local leagues. Stop ranting

[Anonymous]

ECNL should require teams to have a pot of money for scholarships and be very clear about how it money raised beyond annual cost is spent. Fundraisers at large clubs end up with money going somewhere.... Top leagues have become pay to play and parents to often buy their way on to top teams. (unpopular because most parents on this forum are benefiting from the system as is)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:ECNL should require teams to have a pot of money for scholarships and be very clear about how it money raised beyond annual cost is spent. Fundraisers at large clubs end up with money going somewhere.... Top leagues have become pay to play and parents to often buy their way on to top teams. (unpopular because most parents on this forum are benefiting from the system as is)

That's a lie - you should be embarrassed

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My unpopular opinions:
1. On a free kick, players who purposefully stand within 10 yards to stall the game until the ref moves them back should be cautioned. It is poor sportsmanship and players who do it know better.
2. Throw ins should be kick ins and treated like an indirect kick, but with no offside.
3. PKs should never determine a tourney winner. Play until one team wins with a golden goal.
4. Offside should not wait to be called. I've seen too many near collisions between an offside forward and a keeper coming together. Even hockey did away with a race to reach an iced puck, knowing too much potential for injury was there.
5. Long distance running/conditioning should not be part of a practice. Just play or scrimmage longer or with more intensity and the fitness will come. Or, have kids run at home on their own time. Lazy coaches use conditioning because they are lazy and don't want to teach technical fundamentals. Sprinting, quickness, and ball skills trump a timed 2-mile run. In a game, you get tired, you get subbed out. All club staff should be able to meet the fitness requirements of the ages coached through U16.
6. Yellow cards should come with 5 minutes in the penalty box. A red card should come with an ejection and a PK, no matter where the foul occurred.
7. If in a wall, a player, especially a young one, should be able to protect his/her face and head without risking a handball offense.
8. Heading results in too many injuries in youth ages. Coaches should discourage high balls into the 6 because balls on the ground to the 12 or 18 are better scoring opportunities anyways.
9. If men's D1 football can put 100% of players on scholarship, then 100% of women's soccer players should be full-ride eligible. 14 scholarships per team with a roster of 30-35 isn't enough money. Even if it isn't a "revenue" sport, it doesn't seem fair.
10. The USWNT is good, and I like watching them play.
11. The politics surrounding the USWNT is not good.
12. National team players should stand respectfully for the anthem or be removed from the team. One nation, one team, not One nation, 18 political statements.
13. Taking a knee in solidarity with BLM is woke virtue signaling and should not be a thing on a soccer field.
14. The parent that yells the most probably knows the least.
15. All players over 15 should ref at least 3-5 games per year for the younger players.
16. School-year made more sense than birth year for recruiting.
17. I like ECNL for girls.

Your ideas are intriguing to me and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ECNL should require teams to have a pot of money for scholarships and be very clear about how it money raised beyond annual cost is spent. Fundraisers at large clubs end up with money going somewhere.... Top leagues have become pay to play and parents to often buy their way on to top teams. (unpopular because most parents on this forum are benefiting from the system as is)

That's a lie - you should be embarrassed

What's a lie? You are obviously a parent of an average ecnl player

[Anonymous]

p.s. obviously, at least to you, my unpopular opinion wins

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:ECNL should require teams to have a pot of money for scholarships and be very clear about how it money raised beyond annual cost is spent. Fundraisers at large clubs end up with money going somewhere.... Top leagues have become pay to play and parents to often buy their way on to top teams. (unpopular because most parents on this forum are benefiting from the system as is)

That's a lie - you should be embarrassed

What's a lie? You are obviously a parent of an average ecnl player

If you can't afford it, better your life