Travel Soccer for Dummies

[Anonymous]

Is there a thread/post that starts at the very basic level and explains to clueless new parents how this all works?

I don't know the difference between a CCL, NCSL, ODSL. LOL and STFU

Does the league matter? team size? am I just looking for a coach who seems cool? And how would I figure that out?

Is there something REALLY dumbed down in the 7000 pages of soccer threads for someone like me? I swear I've tried searching the threads before asking, so please don't hate me DCUM.

[Anonymous]

Try-outs are usually in May. Did you try out and make a team? Or are you looking for a team now? How old/gender is your child? Have they ever played soccer before?

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

You can name the clubs. The important things at that age are:

1) positive and fun environment.
2) commute - 15-20 minutes max
3) program that develops individual skill/technical skill to u13

Things that really do not matter
1) what league your kids plays in
2) what team your kid in on(as long as you are okay with the cost)
3) u9-u12 travel soccer wins. A lot of leagues do not post scores at those ages.

[Anonymous]

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.

[Anonymous]

Its hard to guide without knowing the teams. The better league might have more/further travel to games and tournaments. That could be a factor for you. However it also matters if he is on a higher team in a weaker club vs. a lower team within a stronger club. Which try-outs did your child like better? That might be an easy way to pick. If he wants to play with his friend, that's ok too.

[Anonymous]

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.

Friends, no brainer.

For us, we turned down what everyone around us thought was a 'better offer' for what we knew was better training/better environment. You would have thought we turned down an offer to play for Real Madrid. We ruined our 9-year old's life! Ha!

A few years down the road and all of those people are absolutely miserable at their big club. Go figure.

[Anonymous]

At that age, you want to do what will keep the love of the sport alive.

Have him go where he wants to go. Make sure he is having fun.

You can always supplement training. It's early days at 10.

It doesn't matter. A lot of these schmucks are myopic. They get in that big Club mindset for 'top team' top team---starting out at 8. Their biggest hope and desire is to have their kid get on that top team in the Big Club. All the while their kid is not progressing individually and by the time he's 14, he's done. Those kids that love the sport and had a supportive fun environment---keep the passion, training and eclipse the kids burned out in the other environment.

[Anonymous]

OP here - the club i know nothing about it is LMVSC if anyone has thoughts on that...

A little more on our known option-
I know enough about the other club to know that it’s going to be a ‘building year’. Like possibly/probably losing every game and lots of players new to travel. Is that a concern? We’ve been through some seriously rough seasons and i feel like it starts to wear on everyone after the 10th or 15th loss in a row. But, we’d be sitting with people we like watching the loss unfold.

[Anonymous]

Too bad his friends are not on a classic or select team, leaving you with more money in your pocket and less time spent driving to meaningless games. Travel before u12 is just a money grab. Maybe two kids out of team of 12 will last through u16. Kids get burned out or lose the spot to other kids who come from classic/select.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Too bad his friends are not on a classic or select team, leaving you with more money in your pocket and less time spent driving to meaningless games. Travel before u12 is just a money grab. Maybe two kids out of team of 12 will last through u16. Kids get burned out or lose the spot to other kids who come from classic/select.

They are in NoVA. Classic and select is irrelevant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Too bad his friends are not on a classic or select team, leaving you with more money in your pocket and less time spent driving to meaningless games. Travel before u12 is just a money grab. Maybe two kids out of team of 12 will last through u16. Kids get burned out or lose the spot to other kids who come from classic/select.

Do you think the club would charge less for training if there was less travel?

[Anonymous]

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!

[Anonymous]

OP: is the 'known' club SYC by chance?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP: is the 'known' club SYC by chance?

OP said above it's Lee Mount Vernon