How are you raising your kids?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seriously, people. This is kid soccer. Get a life. In all likelihood, your kid will graduate from high school and never play competitively again. You will have wasted years of your life on this forum rehashing petty grievances that will mean nothing in the end. And no matter what you tell yourselves, this isn't good for your kids. You are doing this for YOU.

Even so, Loudoun is a horrible, unethical club with poor coaching and high prices.

OMG - this. Then leave! Focus on something that is actually important.

It's important to let other people know how horrible Loudoun is so they don't get tangled in its web of corruption.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:The only allegiance I want my coach to have is to winning.

I prefer a coach who despise talking to parents. All parents. No favorites. No politics.

Winning. That’s it

That’s not it. Don’t worry about winning if players are developing, learning, growing. My favorite seasons are the 4-6-2 type of seasons, with a couple of butt kickings mixed in. Enough wins to not be demoralized, but plenty of opportunities to see where improvement is needed.

Losing mentality is becoming common place.

Losing is not developing. That’s a BS lie told to non-competitive parents.

Soccer parents seem to buy this line more than anyone else.

You have no idea what you’re talking about. BTW, which clubs do your kids play for, club hopper?

You seem defensive. That’s my opinion. You don’t like it? Oh well....

And for the record, I know exactly what I’m talking about.

Losing is not developing.

Nor does winning when only half of the team players participated or when you bring guest players. Dirty dirty dirty practices.

I’m not talking about winning at all cost. I’m talking about losing as it’s part of a development plan.

You will some you lose some. Your post makes it sound like folks prefer losing as part of development, like purposely coaching to lose. You sound ignorant. Rotating players at younger ages, letting kids play through mistakes to see how they respond etc is more important even if it results in a loss than just winning to win. You didn’t say winning at all costs but you didn’t have to—it’s implied even if you say it’s not. Of course coaches and players want to win.

This "losing for development" stuff is largely BS. Yes - a really good coach will indeed encourage kids to play through mistakes and lose some games as the kids develop. But it shouldn't go on for a whole season or more. The devlopment should mean that the team is performing at a higher level by mid-season than it otherwise would have done. If you're still "losing in order to develop" at the end of the season either the coach isn't all that good or the players are just overmatched.

I’m not the OP, but PP. I want to see scenarios where my kids are overmatched. Not every game, but a few. Maybe that’s playing up or just playing a team/tournament that is clearly higher level. But I want their best asset (eg speed) to be neutralized so they have to use other tools in their toolbox and/or recognize that they better get to work developing those tools, or they are going to run into problems down the road. It’s good to have a few easy games on the schedule, but outside of the ‘too hard’ and easy, I want to see the rest of the slate against teams that are very capable of getting the W so that they get the practice of having to execute in top form - focused, composed, and grinding.

I agree and I'm not suggesting that a club should win every game. Just that they shouldn't still be losing every game, or even most of them, and getting outplayed by allcomers by the end of the season. If that's happening and the usual "Don't worry about the results, they're developing" BS is being trotted out - that probably means they're not being developed at all. Devlopment should be obvious after a coup,e of months - if it's happening. If you - the parent - can't see it, then it's probably not happening.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can imagine the OP with their head in their palms like “forget it” this whole platform is so funny to me. I come on to get my daily laughs. When people don’t have problems they make them.

Me too. Sometimes I post useful stuff - if I think someone has a genuine question. Other times - if I think someone is a troll, then I troll right back. Half these posts - maybe three quarters - are not serious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The only allegiance I want my coach to have is to winning.

I prefer a coach who despise talking to parents. All parents. No favorites. No politics.

Winning. That’s it

That would be great. I recall one of the club's in the area doesn't allow parents to talk to the coach directly. They need to talk to a staffer who will coordinate the meeting and be in the meeting as well. More clubs should do this. More clubs should also drop having players family members help with team mgmt. Too much favoritism by the coach goes to those players. Again, politics in travel soccer is unnecessary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can imagine the OP with their head in their palms like “forget it” this whole platform is so funny to me. I come on to get my daily laughs. When people don’t have problems they make them.

Me too. Sometimes I post useful stuff - if I think someone has a genuine question. Other times - if I think someone is a troll, then I troll right back. Half these posts - maybe three quarters - are not serious.

Sadly, I don't think they are trolls. A lot of psycho soccer parents out there who think their kid is the next Christian Pulisic or Alex Morgan. Someday they'll look back on this and realize how delusional they were. Until then, it's fun to watch!

[Anonymous]

This has to be the GFR coach who got roasted on here a few days ago.

[Anonymous]

I see it is Loudo's turn this week. GuMss BSC fell off the first page and McLean because of tryouts has something to actually talk about. Thank god for FCV always being a train wreck otherwise the rotation might be shorter.

[Anonymous]

I have been around this now for many years.

Not sure who is worse, the coaches or the parents. But I will say this, the parents have emotion as an excuse. They are not the supposed professionals in this relationship. The coaches have two jobs: 1) To teach the kids; 2) to communicate in a professional and thoughtful and open manner to their paying customers (the parents). At the older ages at the higher levels they should also connect top kids with college coaches. Winning is tertiary, but nice to also achieve. If they are doing the first two things it is likely that will be true too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have been around this now for many years.

Not sure who is worse, the coaches or the parents. But I will say this, the parents have emotion as an excuse. They are not the supposed professionals in this relationship. The coaches have two jobs: 1) To teach the kids; 2) to communicate in a professional and thoughtful and open manner to their paying customers (the parents). At the older ages at the higher levels they should also connect top kids with college coaches. Winning is tertiary, but nice to also achieve. If they are doing the first two things it is likely that will be true too.

The coaches in this area are by and large excellent and far better than when I played. The parents are far worse. I am one of them and part of the problem. I think we need to temper our expectations for how our kids will turn out and substantially raise our expectations for how much our kids should be accountable for their own development. The same is true in education. The same chronic expectation of perfection for others to produce great results for our kids with minimal stress and accountability for our kids in classrooms is played out in athletics. There has never been a better infrastructure for success in athletics and education matched with an equally impoverished environment at home for breeding autonomy, independent decision making, and excellence.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The only allegiance I want my coach to have is to winning.

I prefer a coach who despise talking to parents. All parents. No favorites. No politics.

Winning. That’s it

That’s not it. Don’t worry about winning if players are developing, learning, growing. My favorite seasons are the 4-6-2 type of seasons, with a couple of butt kickings mixed in. Enough wins to not be demoralized, but plenty of opportunities to see where improvement is needed.

Losing mentality is becoming common place.

Losing is not developing. That’s a BS lie told to non-competitive parents.

Soccer parents seem to buy this line more than anyone else.

You have no idea what you’re talking about. BTW, which clubs do your kids play for, club hopper?

You seem defensive. That’s my opinion. You don’t like it? Oh well....

And for the record, I know exactly what I’m talking about.

Losing is not developing.

Nor does winning when only half of the team players participated or when you bring guest players. Dirty dirty dirty practices.

I’m not talking about winning at all cost. I’m talking about losing as it’s part of a development plan.

You will some you lose some. Your post makes it sound like folks prefer losing as part of development, like purposely coaching to lose. You sound ignorant. Rotating players at younger ages, letting kids play through mistakes to see how they respond etc is more important even if it results in a loss than just winning to win. You didn’t say winning at all costs but you didn’t have to—it’s implied even if you say it’s not. Of course coaches and players want to win.

This "losing for development" stuff is largely BS. Yes - a really good coach will indeed encourage kids to play through mistakes and lose some games as the kids develop. But it shouldn't go on for a whole season or more. The devlopment should mean that the team is performing at a higher level by mid-season than it otherwise would have done. If you're still "losing in order to develop" at the end of the season either the coach isn't all that good or the players are just overmatched.

I’m not the OP, but PP. I want to see scenarios where my kids are overmatched. Not every game, but a few. Maybe that’s playing up or just playing a team/tournament that is clearly higher level. But I want their best asset (eg speed) to be neutralized so they have to use other tools in their toolbox and/or recognize that they better get to work developing those tools, or they are going to run into problems down the road. It’s good to have a few easy games on the schedule, but outside of the ‘too hard’ and easy, I want to see the rest of the slate against teams that are very capable of getting the W so that they get the practice of having to execute in top form - focused, composed, and grinding.

I agree and I'm not suggesting that a club should win every game. Just that they shouldn't still be losing every game, or even most of them, and getting outplayed by allcomers by the end of the season. If that's happening and the usual "Don't worry about the results, they're developing" BS is being trotted out - that probably means they're not being developed at all. Devlopment should be obvious after a coup,e of months - if it's happening. If you - the parent - can't see it, then it's probably not happening.

Fair enough - and it’s a good point. I hear one coach give the development spiel and the “we dominated the game but they had one good play” speech after every loss. His team loses 3-0 and crosses midfield twice and the kids get that speech...and I wonder how he keeps such a straight face.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seriously, people. This is kid soccer. Get a life. In all likelihood, your kid will graduate from high school and never play competitively again. You will have wasted years of your life on this forum rehashing petty grievances that will mean nothing in the end. And no matter what you tell yourselves, this isn't good for your kids. You are doing this for YOU.

.

Most of the people on this forum will have kids play in college. Look at the GA and enclosed stats for this area....on average of the kids play in college.

Don't buy that for a second. Do you actually know who is on this forum? Anyway, a few at D1's? Mostly D3's. And then what? Into the work world like everyone else. Then as parents you are irrelevant. Sorry, but true. Find a new hobby.

Big facts. Enjoy it while it lasts

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I will to you outright that I am a coach.
I have actually been brought up in this forum a few times- some good, some bad. It is what it is.
Some of you folks, not all, really need to take an inventory of your lives.
I will bet that some of you, if asked, would say "Soccer isn't life. It needs to be kept in perspective" then you come rushing on here to bash your kids coach or, even worse, utilize the anonymity of the forum to cast aspersions on other teams. Sick.
Grow up will you?
I actually know of at least three parents who posted so obviously that they got caught by their kid's coach. How incredibly shameful and embarassing that must be.
Thanks to all of you who come here intelligently and contribute to the advancement of soccer

I know who the OP is based on the writing style. You’ve always had a way with words. If only you could use those same communication skills with your teams.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can imagine the OP with their head in their palms like “forget it” this whole platform is so funny to me. I come on to get my daily laughs. When people don’t have problems they make them.

Me too. Sometimes I post useful stuff - if I think someone has a genuine question. Other times - if I think someone is a troll, then I troll right back. Half these posts - maybe three quarters - are not serious.

Sadly, I don't think they are trolls. A lot of psycho soccer parents out there who think their kid is the next Christian Pulisic or Alex Morgan. Someday they'll look back on this and realize how delusional they were. Until then, it's fun to watch!

Of course someone's kid might actually be the next Christian Pulisic. the odds are probably reasonable that there's one kid in this area right now who will end up playing in Europe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This has to be the GFR coach who got roasted on here a few days ago.

Right. Your kid is gone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I will to you outright that I am a coach.
I have actually been brought up in this forum a few times- some good, some bad. It is what it is.
Some of you folks, not all, really need to take an inventory of your lives.
I will bet that some of you, if asked, would say "Soccer isn't life. It needs to be kept in perspective" then you come rushing on here to bash your kids coach or, even worse, utilize the anonymity of the forum to cast aspersions on other teams. Sick.
Grow up will you?
I actually know of at least three parents who posted so obviously that they got caught by their kid's coach. How incredibly shameful and embarassing that must be.
Thanks to all of you who come here intelligently and contribute to the advancement of soccer

I know who the OP is based on the writing style. You’ve always had a way with words. If only you could use those same communication skills with your teams.

And yours.