Travel Soccer teams around NOVA let's discuss

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have never heard the term "ULittle" and I have played, coached or a parent of a player for a long time. Curious: is this just one poster using this term in multiple posts or is this a common term? Just say U9.

It drives me f@cking nuts. I've been involved in soccer in this area since 2975.

Every time I see "ulittle" - I think "this person is a f@cking clueless idiot".

Please explain exactly what is clueless about a simple phrase? It is just a generic descriptor of kids ranging from 6/7-11/12 years old. In other words, kids involved in the Technical Phase of development. This is the age group where kids should be focused on learning the basics of the game, technical control of the ball etc. Wins and losses at this age are over hyped and their significance is often tempered with the phrase "U-Little". Because, well they are still little, still learning and the simple fact that they play in "Big important league or far away tournament" does not change that fact.

Most of the "f@cking clueless idiot[s]" don't understand what "technical phase" means but they understand "U-Little".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have never heard the term "ULittle" and I have played, coached or a parent of a player for a long time. Curious: is this just one poster using this term in multiple posts or is this a common term? Just say U9.

It drives me f@cking nuts. I've been involved in soccer in this area since 2975.

Every time I see "ulittle" - I think "this person is a f@cking clueless idiot".

Please explain exactly what is clueless about a simple phrase? It is just a generic descriptor of kids ranging from 6/7-11/12 years old. In other words, kids involved in the Technical Phase of development. This is the age group where kids should be focused on learning the basics of the game, technical control of the ball etc. Wins and losses at this age are over hyped and their significance is often tempered with the phrase "U-Little". Because, well they are still little, still learning and the simple fact that they play in "Big important league or far away tournament" does not change that fact.

Most of the "f@cking clueless idiot[s]" don't understand what "technical phase" means but they understand "U-Little".

Call them runts, kids, toddlers, whatever. Cream will always rise to the top and 1 of 100 of these kids will even stick it out to have a shot at higher level play. This is why other countries ship their soccer players off to the academies away from the parents. We tend to over complicate the process by useless bantering. My son played D1 and some USL ball, I'd consider him to be a great player based on US standards. We went on vacation to Italy and he played pick up ball a the park near our hotel with some high school aged boys, when he got back he said 1/2 of them could compete in D1 today without any issue. No formal training, just for the love of the game. Get touches on the ball!

[Anonymous]

The irony of all the spirit DA bashing on this thread is that playing in college and then the NWSL and then the national team is the highest-level soccer path for any of our daughters. If you have the chance, the $$, and the ability to commute, why wouldn't you choose to place your daughter on a team where she has the chance to train with players and coachs who have already traveled that entire path? that is what ECNL teams and the other DA teams and Arlington don't have.

[Anonymous]

We made it to page 500! Sometimes it seems like this thread has been going on for longer than 3 plus years given how many repeat conversations we've had.

I wonder whether the discussions on this thread have changed anyone's views or helped them make decisions about their kid's soccer future. Anyone want to share?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have never heard the term "ULittle" and I have played, coached or a parent of a player for a long time. Curious: is this just one poster using this term in multiple posts or is this a common term? Just say U9.

It drives me f@cking nuts. I've been involved in soccer in this area since 2975.

Every time I see "ulittle" - I think "this person is a f@cking clueless idiot".

Please explain exactly what is clueless about a simple phrase? It is just a generic descriptor of kids ranging from 6/7-11/12 years old. In other words, kids involved in the Technical Phase of development. This is the age group where kids should be focused on learning the basics of the game, technical control of the ball etc. Wins and losses at this age are over hyped and their significance is often tempered with the phrase "U-Little". Because, well they are still little, still learning and the simple fact that they play in "Big important league or far away tournament" does not change that fact.

Most of the "f@cking clueless idiot[s]" don't understand what "technical phase" means but they understand "U-Little".

Call them runts, kids, toddlers, whatever. Cream will always rise to the top and 1 of 100 of these kids will even stick it out to have a shot at higher level play. This is why other countries ship their soccer players off to the academies away from the parents. We tend to over complicate the process by useless bantering. My son played D1 and some USL ball, I'd consider him to be a great player based on US standards. We went on vacation to Italy and he played pick up ball a the park near our hotel with some high school aged boys, when he got back he said 1/2 of them could compete in D1 today without any issue. No formal training, just for the love of the game. Get touches on the ball!

Humble brag post of the day. But lol at the "no formal training" part. Outside of the academies, which affect just about 1% of the playing public in Europe, their soccer structure is not so foreign from our own. Regular kids play for clubs, have coaches, play in league games and even tournaments. Nothing happens without work and hours spent. Those neighborhood kids have spent more hours than playing soccer than your son did. They also likely had better cultural exposure and training than you provided your own son. Those kids likely had better formal as well as informal training AND their peers also had better training as well as all of them playing tons more hours together informally. Think Dad's playing catch and teaching baseball to their kids because they themselves have played the game.

Cultural access as well as infrastructural access play a role a huge role in the difference between American soccer and Europe and/or South America. For the U.S. the most similar experience of cultural access and infrastructure would be basketball. Every neighborhood has a court often filled with kids of all ages for hours on end. To a European who came here and played organized basketball in Spain they would probably have a similar opinion of our kids in a relative sense.

Our sport culture also values athletic diversity over specialization. The technical demands of soccer fly in the face of this approach and many of our kids tend to split duties between soccer and other sports. We hail this as a positive yet we have not produced a world class player to this date.

But start putting up futsal nets on our basketball courts and you might see a shift in overall skill.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have never heard the term "ULittle" and I have played, coached or a parent of a player for a long time. Curious: is this just one poster using this term in multiple posts or is this a common term? Just say U9.

It drives me f@cking nuts. I've been involved in soccer in this area since 2975.

Every time I see "ulittle" - I think "this person is a f@cking clueless idiot".

Please explain exactly what is clueless about a simple phrase? It is just a generic descriptor of kids ranging from 6/7-11/12 years old. In other words, kids involved in the Technical Phase of development. This is the age group where kids should be focused on learning the basics of the game, technical control of the ball etc. Wins and losses at this age are over hyped and their significance is often tempered with the phrase "U-Little". Because, well they are still little, still learning and the simple fact that they play in "Big important league or far away tournament" does not change that fact.

Most of the "f@cking clueless idiot[s]" don't understand what "technical phase" means but they understand "U-Little".

Call them runts, kids, toddlers, whatever. Cream will always rise to the top and 1 of 100 of these kids will even stick it out to have a shot at higher level play. This is why other countries ship their soccer players off to the academies away from the parents. We tend to over complicate the process by useless bantering. My son played D1 and some USL ball, I'd consider him to be a great player based on US standards. We went on vacation to Italy and he played pick up ball a the park near our hotel with some high school aged boys, when he got back he said 1/2 of them could compete in D1 today without any issue. No formal training, just for the love of the game. Get touches on the ball!

1. Italians mens soccer is garbage..much like the US mens soccer teams...so Im sure they could play D1 in the States
2. Did you interview those I-talians in the park to know their level of training. How do you know it was just "love for the game"
3. Ulittles
4. Ulittles
5. Ulittles
6. Spirit

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The irony of all the spirit DA bashing on this thread is that playing in college and then the NWSL and then the national team is the highest-level soccer path for any of our daughters. If you have the chance, the $$, and the ability to commute, why wouldn't you choose to place your daughter on a team where she has the chance to train with players and coachs who have already traveled that entire path? that is what ECNL teams and the other DA teams and Arlington don't have.

True story bro.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have never heard the term "ULittle" and I have played, coached or a parent of a player for a long time. Curious: is this just one poster using this term in multiple posts or is this a common term? Just say U9.

It drives me f@cking nuts. I've been involved in soccer in this area since 2975.

Every time I see "ulittle" - I think "this person is a f@cking clueless idiot".

Please explain exactly what is clueless about a simple phrase? It is just a generic descriptor of kids ranging from 6/7-11/12 years old. In other words, kids involved in the Technical Phase of development. This is the age group where kids should be focused on learning the basics of the game, technical control of the ball etc. Wins and losses at this age are over hyped and their significance is often tempered with the phrase "U-Little". Because, well they are still little, still learning and the simple fact that they play in "Big important league or far away tournament" does not change that fact.

Most of the "f@cking clueless idiot[s]" don't understand what "technical phase" means but they understand "U-Little".

Call them runts, kids, toddlers, whatever. Cream will always rise to the top and 1 of 100 of these kids will even stick it out to have a shot at higher level play. This is why other countries ship their soccer players off to the academies away from the parents. We tend to over complicate the process by useless bantering. My son played D1 and some USL ball, I'd consider him to be a great player based on US standards. We went on vacation to Italy and he played pick up ball a the park near our hotel with some high school aged boys, when he got back he said 1/2 of them could compete in D1 today without any issue. No formal training, just for the love of the game. Get touches on the ball!

1. Italians mens soccer is garbage..much like the US mens soccer teams...so Im sure they could play D1 in the States
2. Did you interview those I-talians in the park to know their level of training. How do you know it was just "love for the game"
3. Ulittles
4. Ulittles
5. Ulittles
6. Spirit

Hhahah, dude on a computer is Mr. Tough guy generalizing on an entire country's soccer skill. Trump, is this you?

[Anonymous]

^^^

Tell us again how you didn't generalize an entire nations youth system and level of play based on your sons chance meeting of kids in a public park.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^^

Tell us again how you didn't generalize an entire nations youth system and level of play based on your sons chance meeting of kids in a public park.

I once went to a poor neighborhood in El Salvador and saw a kid attempting a rabona, so I concluded the whole country was doing things the USA didn't know how to do. Then I set up a soccer academy based entirely on that notion. Then I retired to Monte Carlo.

[Anonymous]

^^^Bingo

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have never heard the term "ULittle" and I have played, coached or a parent of a player for a long time. Curious: is this just one poster using this term in multiple posts or is this a common term? Just say U9.

It drives me f@cking nuts. I've been involved in soccer in this area since 2975.

Every time I see "ulittle" - I think "this person is a f@cking clueless idiot".

Please explain exactly what is clueless about a simple phrase? It is just a generic descriptor of kids ranging from 6/7-11/12 years old. In other words, kids involved in the Technical Phase of development. This is the age group where kids should be focused on learning the basics of the game, technical control of the ball etc. Wins and losses at this age are over hyped and their significance is often tempered with the phrase "U-Little". Because, well they are still little, still learning and the simple fact that they play in "Big important league or far away tournament" does not change that fact.

Most of the "f@cking clueless idiot[s]" don't understand what "technical phase" means but they understand "U-Little".

Call them runts, kids, toddlers, whatever. Cream will always rise to the top and 1 of 100 of these kids will even stick it out to have a shot at higher level play. This is why other countries ship their soccer players off to the academies away from the parents. We tend to over complicate the process by useless bantering. My son played D1 and some USL ball, I'd consider him to be a great player based on US standards. We went on vacation to Italy and he played pick up ball a the park near our hotel with some high school aged boys, when he got back he said 1/2 of them could compete in D1 today without any issue. No formal training, just for the love of the game. Get touches on the ball!

1. Italians mens soccer is garbage..much like the US mens soccer teams...so Im sure they could play D1 in the States
2. Did you interview those I-talians in the park to know their level of training. How do you know it was just "love for the game"
3. Ulittles
4. Ulittles
5. Ulittles
6. Spirit

Hhahah, dude on a computer is Mr. Tough guy generalizing on an entire country's soccer skill. Trump, is this you?

Juventis and Roma are garbage?. Most of the FIFA coaches for the top teams around the World are Italian.

Only Brazil has more World Cup wins then Italy. Italy and Germany are tied with 4 each.

[Anonymous]

I was obviously joking dude...relax.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Younger kids" makes the kids sound more mature than they really are. "U Littles" emphasizes the point that these are ELEMENTARY children and that when talking about their relative skill or competitiveness of teams and programs should be viewed with the proper perspective.

To talk about children as if they are anything but is what sounds douche.

Uh.. There are "lower" teams in the older age groups that fit this term too. But keep justifying your use of this term when others simply state it annoys them.

The term simply refers to a general age group of kids using the "U" designation that youth soccer employs. It is a common phrase in soccer forums. It is NOT a derogatory term or a term that refers to skill set. It simply refers to grade school age kids playing youth soccer or any sport. If this offends you then you are very very sensitive and you are truly over thinking this.

This term doesn't annoy me, but clearly does annoy others. No offense taken at all, I just was curious as to what it meant. Now I know it refers to different things (competiveness, technical ability, etc) to different people, with all agreeing it is a term for U9-U11.

[Anonymous]

You all are funny....I dig the soccer net on BBall courts idea.