You weren't "offering an opinion". You were stating something as fact which wasn't true. This was a simple discussion on whether or not the top kids play a lot. You claimed they do not. I pointed out that they do. I know they do, because I see them doing it every week. Now you are claiming the following: 1. I "have my kid" play 24-7. 2. Most of my kids will stop playing by 16. Yet again you are spouting nonsense. You really are a blithering idiot. |
I think there's more than one of us taking this position or something close to it. So I can only speak for myself - where my position is slightly more nuanced. I don't know whether the kids have to play all the time to be the best, or whether they could achieve the same level of skill while playing less. I just know that all the best kids in the area do play all the time. |
| All I can say is that top athletes play or train all of the time. C. Ronaldo is infamous for his constant rigorous training/practice even though he is the best or one of the best in his profession. |
No, you have attacked it as a waste of time and judged kids and parents for believing their kids are among the best. |
Playing a summer league, a fall league, a winter league, a spring league, and back to a summer league...repeat year after year.....won't make your kid good. It will burn them out and lead to injury. This is the mentality of U9-14 parents. You have it all figured out. I'll excuse my idiot self from this conversation. |
No, I attacked the notion that playing 12 months a year is beneficial. |
Ronaldo is a mega superstar with the best trainers, drugs, therapy and equipment. Your kid doesn't have any of that. Ronaldo has a MAJOR knee issue from chronic over use that will continue to worsen over time. |
Frankly, most kids past U14 cut back naturally. You are just screaming at the sky for no reason. By then kids are either playing to get recruited or they know they won't and they have a different decision to make. Many of those kids simply choose to focus on the environment that is most fun for them. Kids who are looking to get recruited simply cut back in favor of more focused training. They go to ID camps, go to strength and conditioning, have personal trainers work on specific aspects etc. None of this means that their time in Super Y, Bolivian or whatever side playing they did was a waste of time, especially if they enjoyed playing. I find it odd that we worry so much about overuse and "burnout" with kids activities that past 17 years old most of them will never get to enjoy in the same way again. Let them play until they have had their fill, they are only kids once. |
And he wouldn't trade his life with you and your healthy knees in a million years. |
Beneficial to what end? It doesn't need to have any more benefit than to simply be fun. If there are other sports they enjoy playing then do those too. But I think you are looking at the "benefit" in the wrong context. |
Again, as I said many times already, playing for fun is great. Thats why they should play. I'm countering the notion that "the best kids are always playing". Its simply not true. |
And you didn't counter my point. |
Nobody has made that claim as it pertains to Super Y. Just stop. The best kids do play and train more than other kids. You are arguing that correlation is causation. But, no, not all the best kids play in Super Y and that claim was never made. Super Y is a pretty mixed bag talent wise. There some very good teams and there are more that are just meh. But who cares?! |
Yes..the point was.made that all the best players play all the time. |
I didn't have to. Kids who play regularly until they are 17 will not suffer any greater knee problems than most people. Comparing playing youth soccer until 17 years old to a professional who's career was 20 years is laughable. |