My kid is on the second team...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid was on the C team until 9th grade and ended up First team All Met in high school and had offers to play in college. Better to get to play regularly than be a bench warmer. And you never know which kids are going to end up being really good. Love of game and good connection with coach are more important than A team, especially at younger ages.

Boys develop even later than girls, many boys aren’t even near full height/size at 15–some are just starting their growth spurt.

Similar story in my house. Turned out to be a Gatorade State player too with lots of offers. Years of getting overlooked, but focused on his technical game young. It paid off.

What paid off? Growing?

Think about where he’d be if he hadn’t grown.

Focusing on technical game young paid off. That’s PP’s point.

And yet if his kid didn’t actually grow the technical work wouldn’t have mattered.

This sums it up .. if you physically dont have the size and more importantly athletic ability the technical players can never catch up. I hate the my sons small but technically better BS. The best are athletes first with acquired technical skills.

I’m not pp. My kid was one of the best athletes prior to growth spurt and early puberty of others in the age group. In males, there is a huge difference in a 13/14-year old fully through puberty and growth spurt and a kid that still looks 9 at 13/14.

So yes he was very technical and athletic but dwarfed by giants...just like his older HS brother could crush him in sports and races. Once he made the physical transformation through puberty/growth spurt —he was again one of the best athletes on the field again. The playing field levels.

Does that make sense? We are a family of college and a few pro athletes (on mom
And dad’s side) so genetics was never an issue.

Yes. This.

Pps are poo-pooing the small thing. But it’s equivalent to matching a 16-year old against an 11-year old in some cases of kids born the same year. There can be that big a discrepancy. Testosterone levels build mass and speed.

A kid that is genetically a gifted athlete like scenario above but a late grower/late puberty can be a beast down the road.

We don’t care about these kids though because most stop playing before 16/17/18. In other countries, that’s when they just are really beginning.

My son went through a phase when he was just starting his major growth spurt where he looked slower and he had a lot of injuries—after being a top player until dwarfed (he’s a late bday). 2 years later he was a foot taller and easily one of the fastest kids on the field. He’s taller now than many of the players that dwarfed him U13-U15. His ball skill way higher now.

This is documented in the history of many top players—like Paul Schoales (at one time called an angry dwarf), Gareth Bale, Griezmann who was overlooked by everyone.

Nobody is disputing that there needs to be underlying genetic potential, btw.

Ah. You’re a Eugenics person, huh? Good for you, but that cult belief died back in 1945.

No it didn't die. It just went underground for a while. It's back with a vengeance now though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And I can't help but root against the first team.

That's sad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And I can't help but root against the first team.

That's sad.

No it isn't. Screw the A team that didn't want the B team player. Do you think Jordan rooted for the varsity HS team when he didn't make it? No, he hoped they failed to drive home the mistake he felt they made by playing him on JV.

And no bench player is rooting for the success of the starter either. They are always hoping that they fail so that they get their opportunity. Eff the starters, eff the A team has to be how a player looks at it. Sorry if it hurts your feelings but there are many kids rooting for your kids failure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And I can't help but root against the first team.

That's sad.

No it isn't. Screw the A team that didn't want the B team player. Do you think Jordan rooted for the varsity HS team when he didn't make it? No, he hoped they failed to drive home the mistake he felt they made by playing him on JV.

And no bench player is rooting for the success of the starter either. They are always hoping that they fail so that they get their opportunity. Eff the starters, eff the A team has to be how a player looks at it. Sorry if it hurts your feelings but there are many kids rooting for your kids failure.

I played many different sports when I was a kid. On some teams, I was a starter; on others I rarely played, but enjoyed being part of the team nonetheless. I never rooted against the success of my teammates.

It wasn't a mistake to put your kid on the B team. You're clearly a B-team parent as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And I can't help but root against the first team.

That's sad.

No it isn't. Screw the A team that didn't want the B team player. Do you think Jordan rooted for the varsity HS team when he didn't make it? No, he hoped they failed to drive home the mistake he felt they made by playing him on JV.

And no bench player is rooting for the success of the starter either. They are always hoping that they fail so that they get their opportunity. Eff the starters, eff the A team has to be how a player looks at it. Sorry if it hurts your feelings but there are many kids rooting for your kids failure.

I played many different sports when I was a kid. On some teams, I was a starter; on others I rarely played, but enjoyed being part of the team nonetheless. I never rooted against the success of my teammates.

It wasn't a mistake to put your kid on the B team. You're clearly a B-team parent as well.

If you aren't rooting for failure in order to get an opportunity then you are not driven. Opportunity comes both through ones own hard work and the opportunity presented by the failure of another. If you accept that you are a sub or a B team player then you are one.

Players who want to be on the A team or be a starter view their teammates as the competition anything less then you are accepting being a role player.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And I can't help but root against the first team.

That's sad.

No it isn't. Screw the A team that didn't want the B team player. Do you think Jordan rooted for the varsity HS team when he didn't make it? No, he hoped they failed to drive home the mistake he felt they made by playing him on JV.

And no bench player is rooting for the success of the starter either. They are always hoping that they fail so that they get their opportunity. Eff the starters, eff the A team has to be how a player looks at it. Sorry if it hurts your feelings but there are many kids rooting for your kids failure.

I played many different sports when I was a kid. On some teams, I was a starter; on others I rarely played, but enjoyed being part of the team nonetheless. I never rooted against the success of my teammates.

It wasn't a mistake to put your kid on the B team. You're clearly a B-team parent as well.

If you aren't rooting for failure in order to get an opportunity then you are not driven. Opportunity comes both through ones own hard work and the opportunity presented by the failure of another. If you accept that you are a sub or a B team player then you are one.

Players who want to be on the A team or be a starter view their teammates as the competition anything less then you are accepting being a role player.

One can view his teammates as friendly competition to see who can perform the best and earn a role in the starting lineup without rooting against them. Opportunity comes by improving and consistently performing to the best of your God-given abilities. It need not be based on the "failure" of a teammate.

Sad that you do not seem to understand the concept of sportsmanship and working as a team -- the concepts that team sports are supposed to develop in young boys.

If your child has this mentality, I suspect he will remain part of the B "team" ... or eventually just quit because the world hasn't handed him a trophy simply for existing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid was on the C team until 9th grade and ended up First team All Met in high school and had offers to play in college. Better to get to play regularly than be a bench warmer. And you never know which kids are going to end up being really good. Love of game and good connection with coach are more important than A team, especially at younger ages.

Boys develop even later than girls, many boys aren’t even near full height/size at 15–some are just starting their growth spurt.

Similar story in my house. Turned out to be a Gatorade State player too with lots of offers. Years of getting overlooked, but focused on his technical game young. It paid off.

What paid off? Growing?

Think about where he’d be if he hadn’t grown.

Focusing on technical game young paid off. That’s PP’s point.

And yet if his kid didn’t actually grow the technical work wouldn’t have mattered.

This sums it up .. if you physically dont have the size and more importantly athletic ability the technical players can never catch up. I hate the my sons small but technically better BS. The best are athletes first with acquired technical skills.

I’m not pp. My kid was one of the best athletes prior to growth spurt and early puberty of others in the age group. In males, there is a huge difference in a 13/14-year old fully through puberty and growth spurt and a kid that still looks 9 at 13/14.

So yes he was very technical and athletic but dwarfed by giants...just like his older HS brother could crush him in sports and races. Once he made the physical transformation through puberty/growth spurt —he was again one of the best athletes on the field again. The playing field levels.

Does that make sense? We are a family of college and a few pro athletes (on mom
And dad’s side) so genetics was never an issue.

Yes. This.

Pps are poo-pooing the small thing. But it’s equivalent to matching a 16-year old against an 11-year old in some cases of kids born the same year. There can be that big a discrepancy. Testosterone levels build mass and speed.

A kid that is genetically a gifted athlete like scenario above but a late grower/late puberty can be a beast down the road.

We don’t care about these kids though because most stop playing before 16/17/18. In other countries, that’s when they just are really beginning.

My son went through a phase when he was just starting his major growth spurt where he looked slower and he had a lot of injuries—after being a top player until dwarfed (he’s a late bday). 2 years later he was a foot taller and easily one of the fastest kids on the field. He’s taller now than many of the players that dwarfed him U13-U15. His ball skill way higher now.

This is documented in the history of many top players—like Paul Schoales (at one time called an angry dwarf), Gareth Bale, Griezmann who was overlooked by everyone.

Nobody is disputing that there needs to be underlying genetic potential, btw.

There's research that speaks to this phenomenon. It's the "relative age effect." Analyses of boys' elite youth soccer teams have found that the birthdates of teams members are skewed, not evenly distributed throughout the year. Some studies have found that almost 3 times as many boys will have birthdates in the first quarter of the year of eligibility than in the 4th quarter. (That is, if the boys eligible for the team have birth dates between Jan 1, 2003 and Dec 31, 2003, 3 times as many boys on the team will have birth dates in January, February, or March than in October, November, or December.)

Why does this matter? In each age cohort, some less mature boys who might have developed into great players are weeded out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And I can't help but root against the first team.

That's sad.

No it isn't. Screw the A team that didn't want the B team player. Do you think Jordan rooted for the varsity HS team when he didn't make it? No, he hoped they failed to drive home the mistake he felt they made by playing him on JV.

And no bench player is rooting for the success of the starter either. They are always hoping that they fail so that they get their opportunity. Eff the starters, eff the A team has to be how a player looks at it. Sorry if it hurts your feelings but there are many kids rooting for your kids failure.

I played many different sports when I was a kid. On some teams, I was a starter; on others I rarely played, but enjoyed being part of the team nonetheless. I never rooted against the success of my teammates.

It wasn't a mistake to put your kid on the B team. You're clearly a B-team parent as well.

If you aren't rooting for failure in order to get an opportunity then you are not driven. Opportunity comes both through ones own hard work and the opportunity presented by the failure of another. If you accept that you are a sub or a B team player then you are one.

Players who want to be on the A team or be a starter view their teammates as the competition anything less then you are accepting being a role player.

This is B team mentality right here. If you were A-team material, you'd be angling how to make yourself better and indispensable to A-team. You'd be working on skills, training and putting in the work. IF the only way you succeed is through someone else's failure, you were never good enough to begin with.

[Anonymous]

the kids on the second team will soon be the players on the first team. My kid was a 3rd team player and all those parents who looked down on the other teams and didn't socialize on road trips and always being loud and obnoxious....now get to watch her play on tv when her college team is on tv and their kid is well .....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And I can't help but root against the first team.

That's sad.

No it isn't. Screw the A team that didn't want the B team player. Do you think Jordan rooted for the varsity HS team when he didn't make it? No, he hoped they failed to drive home the mistake he felt they made by playing him on JV.

And no bench player is rooting for the success of the starter either. They are always hoping that they fail so that they get their opportunity. Eff the starters, eff the A team has to be how a player looks at it. Sorry if it hurts your feelings but there are many kids rooting for your kids failure.

I played many different sports when I was a kid. On some teams, I was a starter; on others I rarely played, but enjoyed being part of the team nonetheless. I never rooted against the success of my teammates.

It wasn't a mistake to put your kid on the B team. You're clearly a B-team parent as well.

If you aren't rooting for failure in order to get an opportunity then you are not driven. Opportunity comes both through ones own hard work and the opportunity presented by the failure of another. If you accept that you are a sub or a B team player then you are one.

Players who want to be on the A team or be a starter view their teammates as the competition anything less then you are accepting being a role player.

This is B team mentality right here. If you were A-team material, you'd be angling how to make yourself better and indispensable to A-team. You'd be working on skills, training and putting in the work. IF the only way you succeed is through someone else's failure, you were never good enough to begin with.

I did say the B team player needs to work on their game so that when opportunity comes they cash it in. But in either event the B team player should view the A team or the A team sub should view the starter as the competition. You don't cheer for them. Screw them

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And I can't help but root against the first team.

That's sad.

No it isn't. Screw the A team that didn't want the B team player. Do you think Jordan rooted for the varsity HS team when he didn't make it? No, he hoped they failed to drive home the mistake he felt they made by playing him on JV.

And no bench player is rooting for the success of the starter either. They are always hoping that they fail so that they get their opportunity. Eff the starters, eff the A team has to be how a player looks at it. Sorry if it hurts your feelings but there are many kids rooting for your kids failure.

I played many different sports when I was a kid. On some teams, I was a starter; on others I rarely played, but enjoyed being part of the team nonetheless. I never rooted against the success of my teammates.

It wasn't a mistake to put your kid on the B team. You're clearly a B-team parent as well.

If you aren't rooting for failure in order to get an opportunity then you are not driven. Opportunity comes both through ones own hard work and the opportunity presented by the failure of another. If you accept that you are a sub or a B team player then you are one.

Players who want to be on the A team or be a starter view their teammates as the competition anything less then you are accepting being a role player.

One can view his teammates as friendly competition to see who can perform the best and earn a role in the starting lineup without rooting against them. Opportunity comes by improving and consistently performing to the best of your God-given abilities. It need not be based on the "failure" of a teammate.

Sad that you do not seem to understand the concept of sportsmanship and working as a team -- the concepts that team sports are supposed to develop in young boys.

If your child has this mentality, I suspect he will remain part of the B "team" ... or eventually just quit because the world hasn't handed him a trophy simply for existing.

+1.

I will say that my DC was on B team for first few years. He stayed for A team games and cheered on his practice mates. He never said a bad word about them and we were careful never to be negative about his team in front of him. We told him that if he wanted to be on the better team, he'd have to work harder than the other kids. He did that and was moved up. You don't root for others to fail. If you're working hard enough, you don't have time for that.

Last point - we have a handful of B team parents who have that same mentality. They are very vocal and constantly hurl insults during the games (thinking that no one can hear them). They have poisoned many games and much of the team camaraderie. It's amazing how vitriolic parents can be about their kids' placement - and how little it helps their kids in the end.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And I can't help but root against the first team.

That's sad.

No it isn't. Screw the A team that didn't want the B team player. Do you think Jordan rooted for the varsity HS team when he didn't make it? No, he hoped they failed to drive home the mistake he felt they made by playing him on JV.

And no bench player is rooting for the success of the starter either. They are always hoping that they fail so that they get their opportunity. Eff the starters, eff the A team has to be how a player looks at it. Sorry if it hurts your feelings but there are many kids rooting for your kids failure.

I played many different sports when I was a kid. On some teams, I was a starter; on others I rarely played, but enjoyed being part of the team nonetheless. I never rooted against the success of my teammates.

It wasn't a mistake to put your kid on the B team. You're clearly a B-team parent as well.

If you aren't rooting for failure in order to get an opportunity then you are not driven. Opportunity comes both through ones own hard work and the opportunity presented by the failure of another. If you accept that you are a sub or a B team player then you are one.

Players who want to be on the A team or be a starter view their teammates as the competition anything less then you are accepting being a role player.

This is B team mentality right here. If you were A-team material, you'd be angling how to make yourself better and indispensable to A-team. You'd be working on skills, training and putting in the work. IF the only way you succeed is through someone else's failure, you were never good enough to begin with.

This is A team protective mentality right here. A team parents want submissive subs and B team players. Eff you and eff your kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And I can't help but root against the first team.

That's sad.

No it isn't. Screw the A team that didn't want the B team player. Do you think Jordan rooted for the varsity HS team when he didn't make it? No, he hoped they failed to drive home the mistake he felt they made by playing him on JV.

And no bench player is rooting for the success of the starter either. They are always hoping that they fail so that they get their opportunity. Eff the starters, eff the A team has to be how a player looks at it. Sorry if it hurts your feelings but there are many kids rooting for your kids failure.

I played many different sports when I was a kid. On some teams, I was a starter; on others I rarely played, but enjoyed being part of the team nonetheless. I never rooted against the success of my teammates.

It wasn't a mistake to put your kid on the B team. You're clearly a B-team parent as well.

If you aren't rooting for failure in order to get an opportunity then you are not driven. Opportunity comes both through ones own hard work and the opportunity presented by the failure of another. If you accept that you are a sub or a B team player then you are one.

Players who want to be on the A team or be a starter view their teammates as the competition anything less then you are accepting being a role player.

One can view his teammates as friendly competition to see who can perform the best and earn a role in the starting lineup without rooting against them. Opportunity comes by improving and consistently performing to the best of your God-given abilities. It need not be based on the "failure" of a teammate.

Sad that you do not seem to understand the concept of sportsmanship and working as a team -- the concepts that team sports are supposed to develop in young boys.

If your child has this mentality, I suspect he will remain part of the B "team" ... or eventually just quit because the world hasn't handed him a trophy simply for existing.

+1.

I will say that my DC was on B team for first few years. He stayed for A team games and cheered on his practice mates. He never said a bad word about them and we were careful never to be negative about his team in front of him. We told him that if he wanted to be on the better team, he'd have to work harder than the other kids. He did that and was moved up. You don't root for others to fail. If you're working hard enough, you don't have time for that.

Last point - we have a handful of B team parents who have that same mentality. They are very vocal and constantly hurl insults during the games (thinking that no one can hear them). They have poisoned many games and much of the team camaraderie. It's amazing how vitriolic parents can be about their kids' placement - and how little it helps their kids in the end.

Good for them. They don't need to respect or even like you or your kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And I can't help but root against the first team.

That's sad.

No it isn't. Screw the A team that didn't want the B team player. Do you think Jordan rooted for the varsity HS team when he didn't make it? No, he hoped they failed to drive home the mistake he felt they made by playing him on JV.

And no bench player is rooting for the success of the starter either. They are always hoping that they fail so that they get their opportunity. Eff the starters, eff the A team has to be how a player looks at it. Sorry if it hurts your feelings but there are many kids rooting for your kids failure.

I played many different sports when I was a kid. On some teams, I was a starter; on others I rarely played, but enjoyed being part of the team nonetheless. I never rooted against the success of my teammates.

It wasn't a mistake to put your kid on the B team. You're clearly a B-team parent as well.

If you aren't rooting for failure in order to get an opportunity then you are not driven. Opportunity comes both through ones own hard work and the opportunity presented by the failure of another. If you accept that you are a sub or a B team player then you are one.

Players who want to be on the A team or be a starter view their teammates as the competition anything less then you are accepting being a role player.

This is B team mentality right here. If you were A-team material, you'd be angling how to make yourself better and indispensable to A-team. You'd be working on skills, training and putting in the work. IF the only way you succeed is through someone else's failure, you were never good enough to begin with.

I did say the B team player needs to work on their game so that when opportunity comes they cash it in. But in either event the B team player should view the A team or the A team sub should view the starter as the competition. You don't cheer for them. Screw them

You know what else coaches don't want? The self-absorbed kids who can't coalesce with a team. They're hard to coach and terrible for morale. I think maybe singles tennis or golf should be your thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And I can't help but root against the first team.

That's sad.

No it isn't. Screw the A team that didn't want the B team player. Do you think Jordan rooted for the varsity HS team when he didn't make it? No, he hoped they failed to drive home the mistake he felt they made by playing him on JV.

And no bench player is rooting for the success of the starter either. They are always hoping that they fail so that they get their opportunity. Eff the starters, eff the A team has to be how a player looks at it. Sorry if it hurts your feelings but there are many kids rooting for your kids failure.

I played many different sports when I was a kid. On some teams, I was a starter; on others I rarely played, but enjoyed being part of the team nonetheless. I never rooted against the success of my teammates.

It wasn't a mistake to put your kid on the B team. You're clearly a B-team parent as well.

If you aren't rooting for failure in order to get an opportunity then you are not driven. Opportunity comes both through ones own hard work and the opportunity presented by the failure of another. If you accept that you are a sub or a B team player then you are one.

Players who want to be on the A team or be a starter view their teammates as the competition anything less then you are accepting being a role player.

This is B team mentality right here. If you were A-team material, you'd be angling how to make yourself better and indispensable to A-team. You'd be working on skills, training and putting in the work. IF the only way you succeed is through someone else's failure, you were never good enough to begin with.

I did say the B team player needs to work on their game so that when opportunity comes they cash it in. But in either event the B team player should view the A team or the A team sub should view the starter as the competition. You don't cheer for them. Screw them

You know what else coaches don't want? The self-absorbed kids who can't coalesce with a team. They're hard to coach and terrible for morale. I think maybe singles tennis or golf should be your thing.

Coaches want kids who are driven. If a kid views a current starter as nothing more than a speed bump to simply run over then that is the kid a coach wants.