Travel Soccer teams around NOVA let's discuss

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are odds of getting back on a DA after being cut? Do they give you a fair "new"look at tryouts ?

My guess would be if you didn't address any of the issues of why the player was cut then the odds are nill getting back on that team. Especially at older ages where age groups are combined and the number of clubs are reduced.

But the first thing to do is talk to the coach about why your kid was cut and work towards improving those deficiencies.

There is a glaring misconception of what DA should be by having a parent actually asking this question. If all DA, in this area anyway, is a club's first team that bestows bragging rights to to both parent/child, then yes treat DA like trying to get promoted within a club rising through the ladder of teams.

My assumption, at this point is that if DA technical coaches saw what they liked at tryouts, but after a FULL season of training and matches decided they were going to give other players opportunities and no longer wanted that player on their DA roster, I can't imagine what a player would do over the course of one year, that wasn't
already addressed during their time at DA, that would convince the technical staff to again take a chance and offer the player a spot.

If I were in the same spot, I would go for another club's DA.

Not all coaches value the same attributes. Over many years, I've seen it's best to move on. It's near impossible to change their perception even if really great improvement/skill is made. Coaches have their favorites and non-favs and sometimes a player and coach just don't line up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are odds of getting back on a DA after being cut? Do they give you a fair "new"look at tryouts ?

My guess would be if you didn't address any of the issues of why the player was cut then the odds are nill getting back on that team. Especially at older ages where age groups are combined and the number of clubs are reduced.

But the first thing to do is talk to the coach about why your kid was cut and work towards improving those deficiencies.

There is a glaring misconception of what DA should be by having a parent actually asking this question. If all DA, in this area anyway, is a club's first team that bestows bragging rights to to both parent/child, then yes treat DA like trying to get promoted within a club rising through the ladder of teams.

My assumption, at this point is that if DA technical coaches saw what they liked at tryouts, but after a FULL season of training and matches decided they were going to give other players opportunities and no longer wanted that player on their DA roster, I can't imagine what a player would do over the course of one year, that wasn't
already addressed during their time at DA, that would convince the technical staff to again take a chance and offer the player a spot.

If I were in the same spot, I would go for another club's DA.

Not all coaches value the same attributes. Over many years, I've seen it's best to move on. It's near impossible to change their perception even if really great improvement/skill is made. Coaches have their favorites and non-favs and sometimes a player and coach just don't line up.

The parent should never be asking that question. The kid should. However, I think when you get to the point you have to ask--it's time to move somewhere else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are odds of getting back on a DA after being cut? Do they give you a fair "new"look at tryouts ?

My guess would be if you didn't address any of the issues of why the player was cut then the odds are nill getting back on that team. Especially at older ages where age groups are combined and the number of clubs are reduced.

But the first thing to do is talk to the coach about why your kid was cut and work towards improving those deficiencies.

There is a glaring misconception of what DA should be by having a parent actually asking this question. If all DA, in this area anyway, is a club's first team that bestows bragging rights to to both parent/child, then yes treat DA like trying to get promoted within a club rising through the ladder of teams.

My assumption, at this point is that if DA technical coaches saw what they liked at tryouts, but after a FULL season of training and matches decided they were going to give other players opportunities and no longer wanted that player on their DA roster, I can't imagine what a player would do over the course of one year, that wasn't
already addressed during their time at DA, that would convince the technical staff to again take a chance and offer the player a spot.

If I were in the same spot, I would go for another club's DA.

Was there any feedback or evaluation given during the year? I find the programs in this area completely worthless. There is zero evaluation of value given to players in the developmental years. We received a 6-page detailed evaluation from a foreign coach down to how the kid held his foot when receiving a pass, etc. Each part of the player was broken down from mechanical, decision-making, etc.

The douche-Mcdouchey programs around here are the worst.

A really good youth program lets the kid know where they stand, especially as tryouts near.

We've been at Clubs with great transparency where things weren't a 'secret' and the kid was part of the process and knew if he./she was out of their league, struggling, etc.

If this is older than U-16 I get it, but for the DA u12-u14 they really should be providing detailed evaluations for all players.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are odds of getting back on a DA after being cut? Do they give you a fair "new"look at tryouts ?

My guess would be if you didn't address any of the issues of why the player was cut then the odds are nill getting back on that team. Especially at older ages where age groups are combined and the number of clubs are reduced.

But the first thing to do is talk to the coach about why your kid was cut and work towards improving those deficiencies.

There is a glaring misconception of what DA should be by having a parent actually asking this question. If all DA, in this area anyway, is a club's first team that bestows bragging rights to to both parent/child, then yes treat DA like trying to get promoted within a club rising through the ladder of teams.

My assumption, at this point is that if DA technical coaches saw what they liked at tryouts, but after a FULL season of training and matches decided they were going to give other players opportunities and no longer wanted that player on their DA roster, I can't imagine what a player would do over the course of one year, that wasn't
already addressed during their time at DA, that would convince the technical staff to again take a chance and offer the player a spot.

If I were in the same spot, I would go for another club's DA.

Was there any feedback or evaluation given during the year? I find the programs in this area completely worthless. There is zero evaluation of value given to players in the developmental years. We received a 6-page detailed evaluation from a foreign coach down to how the kid held his foot when receiving a pass, etc. Each part of the player was broken down from mechanical, decision-making, etc.

The douche-Mcdouchey programs around here are the worst.

A really good youth program lets the kid know where they stand, especially as tryouts near.

We've been at Clubs with great transparency where things weren't a 'secret' and the kid was part of the process and knew if he./she was out of their league, struggling, etc.

If this is older than U-16 I get it, but for the DA u12-u14 they really should be providing detailed evaluations for all players.

You know those games where your kid is getting ten minutes? Take the hint and have your kid talk to the coach or do so yourself. No kid is just cut out of the blue without warning.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are odds of getting back on a DA after being cut? Do they give you a fair "new"look at tryouts ?

My guess would be if you didn't address any of the issues of why the player was cut then the odds are nill getting back on that team. Especially at older ages where age groups are combined and the number of clubs are reduced.

But the first thing to do is talk to the coach about why your kid was cut and work towards improving those deficiencies.

There is a glaring misconception of what DA should be by having a parent actually asking this question. If all DA, in this area anyway, is a club's first team that bestows bragging rights to to both parent/child, then yes treat DA like trying to get promoted within a club rising through the ladder of teams.

My assumption, at this point is that if DA technical coaches saw what they liked at tryouts, but after a FULL season of training and matches decided they were going to give other players opportunities and no longer wanted that player on their DA roster, I can't imagine what a player would do over the course of one year, that wasn't
already addressed during their time at DA, that would convince the technical staff to again take a chance and offer the player a spot.

If I were in the same spot, I would go for another club's DA.

Was there any feedback or evaluation given during the year? I find the programs in this area completely worthless. There is zero evaluation of value given to players in the developmental years. We received a 6-page detailed evaluation from a foreign coach down to how the kid held his foot when receiving a pass, etc. Each part of the player was broken down from mechanical, decision-making, etc.

The douche-Mcdouchey programs around here are the worst.

A really good youth program lets the kid know where they stand, especially as tryouts near.

We've been at Clubs with great transparency where things weren't a 'secret' and the kid was part of the process and knew if he./she was out of their league, struggling, etc.

If this is older than U-16 I get it, but for the DA u12-u14 they really should be providing detailed evaluations for all players.

You know those games where your kid is getting ten minutes? Take the hint and have your kid talk to the coach or do so yourself. No kid is just cut out of the blue without warning.

I have a question about that. Last year my son in U11 was on the 1st team of an VPL club. My wife would take him to practices, she is not at all interested in soccer and wouldn't view the practices. What I gather from my son is he does try and put in effort but he isn't athletic like the other kids. He gets 5-10 minutes a half, a couple other players might play the whole game, except for a break or two.

Were no longer at the same club. What would be the possible motivations for a coach continuously benching a player. This isn't U9 NCSL so I know the scores matter somewhat. There is more context I can put around it, but I don't want to sound bias.

[Anonymous]

^^ he would probably do better on the 2nd team being a leader vs getting less touches/playing time on the first team--especially at 9/10 years old.

We have asked to stay on the 2nd team prior when my son was young. He got to play all key positions and grew extremely confident. He would try new things and had no fear of 'displeasing' a coach. The environment was less intense as well and better for learning/development.

The added benefit was that in practice they constantly played against the first team. In theory, he was training against stronger players vs. playing against the 2nd team.

Parents in this area are so misguided and want the 'glory' of saying their kid is on the A team in the younger ages even when it flies in the face of their kid's personal development.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are odds of getting back on a DA after being cut? Do they give you a fair "new"look at tryouts ?

My guess would be if you didn't address any of the issues of why the player was cut then the odds are nill getting back on that team. Especially at older ages where age groups are combined and the number of clubs are reduced.

But the first thing to do is talk to the coach about why your kid was cut and work towards improving those deficiencies.

There is a glaring misconception of what DA should be by having a parent actually asking this question. If all DA, in this area anyway, is a club's first team that bestows bragging rights to to both parent/child, then yes treat DA like trying to get promoted within a club rising through the ladder of teams.

My assumption, at this point is that if DA technical coaches saw what they liked at tryouts, but after a FULL season of training and matches decided they were going to give other players opportunities and no longer wanted that player on their DA roster, I can't imagine what a player would do over the course of one year, that wasn't
already addressed during their time at DA, that would convince the technical staff to again take a chance and offer the player a spot.

If I were in the same spot, I would go for another club's DA.

Was there any feedback or evaluation given during the year? I find the programs in this area completely worthless. There is zero evaluation of value given to players in the developmental years. We received a 6-page detailed evaluation from a foreign coach down to how the kid held his foot when receiving a pass, etc. Each part of the player was broken down from mechanical, decision-making, etc.

The douche-Mcdouchey programs around here are the worst.

A really good youth program lets the kid know where they stand, especially as tryouts near.

We've been at Clubs with great transparency where things weren't a 'secret' and the kid was part of the process and knew if he./she was out of their league, struggling, etc.

If this is older than U-16 I get it, but for the DA u12-u14 they really should be providing detailed evaluations for all players.

You know those games where your kid is getting ten minutes? Take the hint and have your kid talk to the coach or do so yourself. No kid is just cut out of the blue without warning.

I call BS on this theory. I had a kid that played the entire game of every game and the Coach always appointed him Captain. He said he was the hardest working, well-behaved/respectful and smartest player. The other players and parents on the sideline were always complimenting him. He had just about every assist, perfectly set the plays. Coach repeatedly would tell us he was the top player on the team, was advancing tremendously and would be moved up without a doubt the following season.

What happened after tryouts? They moved 5 bench sitters over him the following season. My kid was on the A field during the entire 3 tryouts while the bench sitters were on the lower fields with the 3rd and 4th teams. Coach told us he was extremely upset and fought hard for my kid, as did the age group director. He didn't fault us for leaving the Club. The other kids did have a long family history at the Club and knew the next age group coaches well.

We went somewhere else. The new Coaches in summer training told us my kid was too advanced for his peer group and they were placing him in the older age group/year above where he is currently thriving.

The thing you can deduce from a kid not getting playing time is that the Coach 'thinks' he is not a value, but in our experience being the 'clutch' player and playing the entire game can also mean shit when the Coaches don't have final say over their own rosters or the next age group knows nothing about the kids the age group below and have never, ever watched them play.

Unlike your wife, I know a lot about soccer and I see really great players getting the shaft a lot. We have a kid on my other son's team who is responsible for about 90% of goals scored against us. He is well below the level of every other kid on the team and the teams below son's. The parents are heavily involved in the Club and older sibling is on an A team which is the only reason anyone can fathom how he was moved onto the team and better players demoted.

Weird shit happens.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are odds of getting back on a DA after being cut? Do they give you a fair "new"look at tryouts ?

My guess would be if you didn't address any of the issues of why the player was cut then the odds are nill getting back on that team. Especially at older ages where age groups are combined and the number of clubs are reduced.

But the first thing to do is talk to the coach about why your kid was cut and work towards improving those deficiencies.

There is a glaring misconception of what DA should be by having a parent actually asking this question. If all DA, in this area anyway, is a club's first team that bestows bragging rights to to both parent/child, then yes treat DA like trying to get promoted within a club rising through the ladder of teams.

My assumption, at this point is that if DA technical coaches saw what they liked at tryouts, but after a FULL season of training and matches decided they were going to give other players opportunities and no longer wanted that player on their DA roster, I can't imagine what a player would do over the course of one year, that wasn't
already addressed during their time at DA, that would convince the technical staff to again take a chance and offer the player a spot.

If I were in the same spot, I would go for another club's DA.

Was there any feedback or evaluation given during the year? I find the programs in this area completely worthless. There is zero evaluation of value given to players in the developmental years. We received a 6-page detailed evaluation from a foreign coach down to how the kid held his foot when receiving a pass, etc. Each part of the player was broken down from mechanical, decision-making, etc.

The douche-Mcdouchey programs around here are the worst.

A really good youth program lets the kid know where they stand, especially as tryouts near.

We've been at Clubs with great transparency where things weren't a 'secret' and the kid was part of the process and knew if he./she was out of their league, struggling, etc.

If this is older than U-16 I get it, but for the DA u12-u14 they really should be providing detailed evaluations for all players.

You know those games where your kid is getting ten minutes? Take the hint and have your kid talk to the coach or do so yourself. No kid is just cut out of the blue without warning.

I call BS on this theory. I had a kid that played the entire game of every game and the Coach always appointed him Captain. He said he was the hardest working, well-behaved/respectful and smartest player. The other players and parents on the sideline were always complimenting him. He had just about every assist, perfectly set the plays. Coach repeatedly would tell us he was the top player on the team, was advancing tremendously and would be moved up without a doubt the following season.

What happened after tryouts? They moved 5 bench sitters over him the following season. My kid was on the A field during the entire 3 tryouts while the bench sitters were on the lower fields with the 3rd and 4th teams. Coach told us he was extremely upset and fought hard for my kid, as did the age group director. He didn't fault us for leaving the Club. The other kids did have a long family history at the Club and knew the next age group coaches well.

We went somewhere else. The new Coaches in summer training told us my kid was too advanced for his peer group and they were placing him in the older age group/year above where he is currently thriving.

The thing you can deduce from a kid not getting playing time is that the Coach 'thinks' he is not a value, but in our experience being the 'clutch' player and playing the entire game can also mean shit when the Coaches don't have final say over their own rosters or the next age group knows nothing about the kids the age group below and have never, ever watched them play.

Unlike your wife, I know a lot about soccer and I see really great players getting the shaft a lot. We have a kid on my other son's team who is responsible for about 90% of goals scored against us. He is well below the level of every other kid on the team and the teams below son's. The parents are heavily involved in the Club and older sibling is on an A team which is the only reason anyone can fathom how he was moved onto the team and better players demoted.

Weird shit happens.

Different coaches have different opinions. However, your scenario sounds a bit different. It sounds like your kid was top dog on a B team and he looked to be making a move to be promoted to the A team? If that is the case then your kid simply may not fit a need that the A team coach wanted. The A team coach may have your kid wrong but the A team coach may have other pressing needs that those "bench kids" were needed more. Your kid, while good perhaps simply was not better than the kid they already have at that position?

Perhaps those bench kids did lots of work away from the team that your current coach never acknowledged but a set of "fresh eyes" did see? Perhaps they played a position that the new coach had a need for?

The parent is always the worst judge of their kids talent.

All of the above being said, this is still not a situation where the current coach of a kid cut the kid out of the blue. And if you are trying out for a A team, from a B team your kid is not being cut, your kid did not make the team that also didn't make the year before.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are odds of getting back on a DA after being cut? Do they give you a fair "new"look at tryouts ?

My guess would be if you didn't address any of the issues of why the player was cut then the odds are nill getting back on that team. Especially at older ages where age groups are combined and the number of clubs are reduced.

But the first thing to do is talk to the coach about why your kid was cut and work towards improving those deficiencies.

There is a glaring misconception of what DA should be by having a parent actually asking this question. If all DA, in this area anyway, is a club's first team that bestows bragging rights to to both parent/child, then yes treat DA like trying to get promoted within a club rising through the ladder of teams.

My assumption, at this point is that if DA technical coaches saw what they liked at tryouts, but after a FULL season of training and matches decided they were going to give other players opportunities and no longer wanted that player on their DA roster, I can't imagine what a player would do over the course of one year, that wasn't
already addressed during their time at DA, that would convince the technical staff to again take a chance and offer the player a spot.

If I were in the same spot, I would go for another club's DA.

Was there any feedback or evaluation given during the year? I find the programs in this area completely worthless. There is zero evaluation of value given to players in the developmental years. We received a 6-page detailed evaluation from a foreign coach down to how the kid held his foot when receiving a pass, etc. Each part of the player was broken down from mechanical, decision-making, etc.

The douche-Mcdouchey programs around here are the worst.

A really good youth program lets the kid know where they stand, especially as tryouts near.

We've been at Clubs with great transparency where things weren't a 'secret' and the kid was part of the process and knew if he./she was out of their league, struggling, etc.

If this is older than U-16 I get it, but for the DA u12-u14 they really should be providing detailed evaluations for all players.

You know those games where your kid is getting ten minutes? Take the hint and have your kid talk to the coach or do so yourself. No kid is just cut out of the blue without warning.

I call BS on this theory. I had a kid that played the entire game of every game and the Coach always appointed him Captain. He said he was the hardest working, well-behaved/respectful and smartest player. The other players and parents on the sideline were always complimenting him. He had just about every assist, perfectly set the plays. Coach repeatedly would tell us he was the top player on the team, was advancing tremendously and would be moved up without a doubt the following season.

What happened after tryouts? They moved 5 bench sitters over him the following season. My kid was on the A field during the entire 3 tryouts while the bench sitters were on the lower fields with the 3rd and 4th teams. Coach told us he was extremely upset and fought hard for my kid, as did the age group director. He didn't fault us for leaving the Club. The other kids did have a long family history at the Club and knew the next age group coaches well.

We went somewhere else. The new Coaches in summer training told us my kid was too advanced for his peer group and they were placing him in the older age group/year above where he is currently thriving.

The thing you can deduce from a kid not getting playing time is that the Coach 'thinks' he is not a value, but in our experience being the 'clutch' player and playing the entire game can also mean shit when the Coaches don't have final say over their own rosters or the next age group knows nothing about the kids the age group below and have never, ever watched them play.

Unlike your wife, I know a lot about soccer and I see really great players getting the shaft a lot. We have a kid on my other son's team who is responsible for about 90% of goals scored against us. He is well below the level of every other kid on the team and the teams below son's. The parents are heavily involved in the Club and older sibling is on an A team which is the only reason anyone can fathom how he was moved onto the team and better players demoted.

Weird shit happens.

Similar view, but opposite event happened to us. Our child is an awesome Rec player and single handedly took their Rec team from obscurity to the top place in the top division after several seasons. They decided to tryout for Travel, and was able to get onto a high Travel team - we were excited since we knew our kid was great. Well, our kid is talented, but on that high of a team our kid just kind of blended in and was not aggressive like in Rec, and definitely was not the play maker - our bubble was burst. S/He scored enough to be noticed and usually played half of the game, but there were others on the team that are/were much better. We had hoped our kid would be moved down a travel level after this past tryout, so they could be the play maker again. Didn't happen and made the same travel team, and some kids we thought were just as good or better got moved down to a lower travel team. We can't figure why our kid stayed and others moved down. Our kid has great foot skills when dribbling, better than many, but can get shut down easily when there is more than one defender, and he doesn't chase after the ball - doesn't have the aggressive gene when playing Travel. Maybe the coaches see something we don't - we do know a lot of soccer parents and coaches since we have other kids that play soccer - but we were not out lobbying for our kid to stay at a high travel level, and were kind of rooting for our kid to be moved down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are odds of getting back on a DA after being cut? Do they give you a fair "new"look at tryouts ?

My guess would be if you didn't address any of the issues of why the player was cut then the odds are nill getting back on that team. Especially at older ages where age groups are combined and the number of clubs are reduced.

But the first thing to do is talk to the coach about why your kid was cut and work towards improving those deficiencies.

There is a glaring misconception of what DA should be by having a parent actually asking this question. If all DA, in this area anyway, is a club's first team that bestows bragging rights to to both parent/child, then yes treat DA like trying to get promoted within a club rising through the ladder of teams.

My assumption, at this point is that if DA technical coaches saw what they liked at tryouts, but after a FULL season of training and matches decided they were going to give other players opportunities and no longer wanted that player on their DA roster, I can't imagine what a player would do over the course of one year, that wasn't
already addressed during their time at DA, that would convince the technical staff to again take a chance and offer the player a spot.

If I were in the same spot, I would go for another club's DA.

Was there any feedback or evaluation given during the year? I find the programs in this area completely worthless. There is zero evaluation of value given to players in the developmental years. We received a 6-page detailed evaluation from a foreign coach down to how the kid held his foot when receiving a pass, etc. Each part of the player was broken down from mechanical, decision-making, etc.

The douche-Mcdouchey programs around here are the worst.

A really good youth program lets the kid know where they stand, especially as tryouts near.

We've been at Clubs with great transparency where things weren't a 'secret' and the kid was part of the process and knew if he./she was out of their league, struggling, etc.

If this is older than U-16 I get it, but for the DA u12-u14 they really should be providing detailed evaluations for all players.

You know those games where your kid is getting ten minutes? Take the hint and have your kid talk to the coach or do so yourself. No kid is just cut out of the blue without warning.

I call BS on this theory. I had a kid that played the entire game of every game and the Coach always appointed him Captain. He said he was the hardest working, well-behaved/respectful and smartest player. The other players and parents on the sideline were always complimenting him. He had just about every assist, perfectly set the plays. Coach repeatedly would tell us he was the top player on the team, was advancing tremendously and would be moved up without a doubt the following season.

What happened after tryouts? They moved 5 bench sitters over him the following season. My kid was on the A field during the entire 3 tryouts while the bench sitters were on the lower fields with the 3rd and 4th teams. Coach told us he was extremely upset and fought hard for my kid, as did the age group director. He didn't fault us for leaving the Club. The other kids did have a long family history at the Club and knew the next age group coaches well.

We went somewhere else. The new Coaches in summer training told us my kid was too advanced for his peer group and they were placing him in the older age group/year above where he is currently thriving.

The thing you can deduce from a kid not getting playing time is that the Coach 'thinks' he is not a value, but in our experience being the 'clutch' player and playing the entire game can also mean shit when the Coaches don't have final say over their own rosters or the next age group knows nothing about the kids the age group below and have never, ever watched them play.

Unlike your wife, I know a lot about soccer and I see really great players getting the shaft a lot. We have a kid on my other son's team who is responsible for about 90% of goals scored against us. He is well below the level of every other kid on the team and the teams below son's. The parents are heavily involved in the Club and older sibling is on an A team which is the only reason anyone can fathom how he was moved onto the team and better players demoted.

Weird shit happens.

Similar view, but opposite event happened to us. Our child is an awesome Rec player and single handedly took their Rec team from obscurity to the top place in the top division after several seasons. They decided to tryout for Travel, and was able to get onto a high Travel team - we were excited since we knew our kid was great. Well, our kid is talented, but on that high of a team our kid just kind of blended in and was not aggressive like in Rec, and definitely was not the play maker - our bubble was burst. S/He scored enough to be noticed and usually played half of the game, but there were others on the team that are/were much better. We had hoped our kid would be moved down a travel level after this past tryout, so they could be the play maker again. Didn't happen and made the same travel team, and some kids we thought were just as good or better got moved down to a lower travel team. We can't figure why our kid stayed and others moved down. Our kid has great foot skills when dribbling, better than many, but can get shut down easily when there is more than one defender, and he doesn't chase after the ball - doesn't have the aggressive gene when playing Travel. Maybe the coaches see something we don't - we do know a lot of soccer parents and coaches since we have other kids that play soccer - but we were not out lobbying for our kid to stay at a high travel level, and were kind of rooting for our kid to be moved down.

Humble brag post of the month.

[Anonymous]

Does anyone have any statistics on how many players end up playing in college from all these clubs/ leagues? That is the end game right? A college scholarship?
The way I see it, and I've been duped myself, is that it is all a $$$ grab and we are all falling for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are odds of getting back on a DA after being cut? Do they give you a fair "new"look at tryouts ?

My guess would be if you didn't address any of the issues of why the player was cut then the odds are nill getting back on that team. Especially at older ages where age groups are combined and the number of clubs are reduced.

But the first thing to do is talk to the coach about why your kid was cut and work towards improving those deficiencies.

There is a glaring misconception of what DA should be by having a parent actually asking this question. If all DA, in this area anyway, is a club's first team that bestows bragging rights to to both parent/child, then yes treat DA like trying to get promoted within a club rising through the ladder of teams.

My assumption, at this point is that if DA technical coaches saw what they liked at tryouts, but after a FULL season of training and matches decided they were going to give other players opportunities and no longer wanted that player on their DA roster, I can't imagine what a player would do over the course of one year, that wasn't
already addressed during their time at DA, that would convince the technical staff to again take a chance and offer the player a spot.

If I were in the same spot, I would go for another club's DA.

Was there any feedback or evaluation given during the year? I find the programs in this area completely worthless. There is zero evaluation of value given to players in the developmental years. We received a 6-page detailed evaluation from a foreign coach down to how the kid held his foot when receiving a pass, etc. Each part of the player was broken down from mechanical, decision-making, etc.

The douche-Mcdouchey programs around here are the worst.

A really good youth program lets the kid know where they stand, especially as tryouts near.

We've been at Clubs with great transparency where things weren't a 'secret' and the kid was part of the process and knew if he./she was out of their league, struggling, etc.

If this is older than U-16 I get it, but for the DA u12-u14 they really should be providing detailed evaluations for all players.

You know those games where your kid is getting ten minutes? Take the hint and have your kid talk to the coach or do so yourself. No kid is just cut out of the blue without warning.

I call BS on this theory. I had a kid that played the entire game of every game and the Coach always appointed him Captain. He said he was the hardest working, well-behaved/respectful and smartest player. The other players and parents on the sideline were always complimenting him. He had just about every assist, perfectly set the plays. Coach repeatedly would tell us he was the top player on the team, was advancing tremendously and would be moved up without a doubt the following season.

What happened after tryouts? They moved 5 bench sitters over him the following season. My kid was on the A field during the entire 3 tryouts while the bench sitters were on the lower fields with the 3rd and 4th teams. Coach told us he was extremely upset and fought hard for my kid, as did the age group director. He didn't fault us for leaving the Club. The other kids did have a long family history at the Club and knew the next age group coaches well.

We went somewhere else. The new Coaches in summer training told us my kid was too advanced for his peer group and they were placing him in the older age group/year above where he is currently thriving.

The thing you can deduce from a kid not getting playing time is that the Coach 'thinks' he is not a value, but in our experience being the 'clutch' player and playing the entire game can also mean shit when the Coaches don't have final say over their own rosters or the next age group knows nothing about the kids the age group below and have never, ever watched them play.

Unlike your wife, I know a lot about soccer and I see really great players getting the shaft a lot. We have a kid on my other son's team who is responsible for about 90% of goals scored against us. He is well below the level of every other kid on the team and the teams below son's. The parents are heavily involved in the Club and older sibling is on an A team which is the only reason anyone can fathom how he was moved onto the team and better players demoted.

Weird shit happens.

Similar view, but opposite event happened to us. Our child is an awesome Rec player and single handedly took their Rec team from obscurity to the top place in the top division after several seasons. They decided to tryout for Travel, and was able to get onto a high Travel team - we were excited since we knew our kid was great. Well, our kid is talented, but on that high of a team our kid just kind of blended in and was not aggressive like in Rec, and definitely was not the play maker - our bubble was burst. S/He scored enough to be noticed and usually played half of the game, but there were others on the team that are/were much better. We had hoped our kid would be moved down a travel level after this past tryout, so they could be the play maker again. Didn't happen and made the same travel team, and some kids we thought were just as good or better got moved down to a lower travel team. We can't figure why our kid stayed and others moved down. Our kid has great foot skills when dribbling, better than many, but can get shut down easily when there is more than one defender, and he doesn't chase after the ball - doesn't have the aggressive gene when playing Travel. Maybe the coaches see something we don't - we do know a lot of soccer parents and coaches since we have other kids that play soccer - but we were not out lobbying for our kid to stay at a high travel level, and were kind of rooting for our kid to be moved down.

Humble brag post of the month.

If it was a humble brag, you'd think they would add something about the club, age group or sex of the kid. Lots of travel kids can kill on Rec teams, and have their lunch eaten on travel teams.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are odds of getting back on a DA after being cut? Do they give you a fair "new"look at tryouts ?

My guess would be if you didn't address any of the issues of why the player was cut then the odds are nill getting back on that team. Especially at older ages where age groups are combined and the number of clubs are reduced.

But the first thing to do is talk to the coach about why your kid was cut and work towards improving those deficiencies.

There is a glaring misconception of what DA should be by having a parent actually asking this question. If all DA, in this area anyway, is a club's first team that bestows bragging rights to to both parent/child, then yes treat DA like trying to get promoted within a club rising through the ladder of teams.

My assumption, at this point is that if DA technical coaches saw what they liked at tryouts, but after a FULL season of training and matches decided they were going to give other players opportunities and no longer wanted that player on their DA roster, I can't imagine what a player would do over the course of one year, that wasn't
already addressed during their time at DA, that would convince the technical staff to again take a chance and offer the player a spot.

If I were in the same spot, I would go for another club's DA.

Was there any feedback or evaluation given during the year? I find the programs in this area completely worthless. There is zero evaluation of value given to players in the developmental years. We received a 6-page detailed evaluation from a foreign coach down to how the kid held his foot when receiving a pass, etc. Each part of the player was broken down from mechanical, decision-making, etc.

The douche-Mcdouchey programs around here are the worst.

A really good youth program lets the kid know where they stand, especially as tryouts near.

We've been at Clubs with great transparency where things weren't a 'secret' and the kid was part of the process and knew if he./she was out of their league, struggling, etc.

If this is older than U-16 I get it, but for the DA u12-u14 they really should be providing detailed evaluations for all players.

You know those games where your kid is getting ten minutes? Take the hint and have your kid talk to the coach or do so yourself. No kid is just cut out of the blue without warning.

I call BS on this theory. I had a kid that played the entire game of every game and the Coach always appointed him Captain. He said he was the hardest working, well-behaved/respectful and smartest player. The other players and parents on the sideline were always complimenting him. He had just about every assist, perfectly set the plays. Coach repeatedly would tell us he was the top player on the team, was advancing tremendously and would be moved up without a doubt the following season.

What happened after tryouts? They moved 5 bench sitters over him the following season. My kid was on the A field during the entire 3 tryouts while the bench sitters were on the lower fields with the 3rd and 4th teams. Coach told us he was extremely upset and fought hard for my kid, as did the age group director. He didn't fault us for leaving the Club. The other kids did have a long family history at the Club and knew the next age group coaches well.

We went somewhere else. The new Coaches in summer training told us my kid was too advanced for his peer group and they were placing him in the older age group/year above where he is currently thriving.

The thing you can deduce from a kid not getting playing time is that the Coach 'thinks' he is not a value, but in our experience being the 'clutch' player and playing the entire game can also mean shit when the Coaches don't have final say over their own rosters or the next age group knows nothing about the kids the age group below and have never, ever watched them play.

Unlike your wife, I know a lot about soccer and I see really great players getting the shaft a lot. We have a kid on my other son's team who is responsible for about 90% of goals scored against us. He is well below the level of every other kid on the team and the teams below son's. The parents are heavily involved in the Club and older sibling is on an A team which is the only reason anyone can fathom how he was moved onto the team and better players demoted.

Weird shit happens.

Similar view, but opposite event happened to us. Our child is an awesome Rec player and single handedly took their Rec team from obscurity to the top place in the top division after several seasons. They decided to tryout for Travel, and was able to get onto a high Travel team - we were excited since we knew our kid was great. Well, our kid is talented, but on that high of a team our kid just kind of blended in and was not aggressive like in Rec, and definitely was not the play maker - our bubble was burst. S/He scored enough to be noticed and usually played half of the game, but there were others on the team that are/were much better. We had hoped our kid would be moved down a travel level after this past tryout, so they could be the play maker again. Didn't happen and made the same travel team, and some kids we thought were just as good or better got moved down to a lower travel team. We can't figure why our kid stayed and others moved down. Our kid has great foot skills when dribbling, better than many, but can get shut down easily when there is more than one defender, and he doesn't chase after the ball - doesn't have the aggressive gene when playing Travel. Maybe the coaches see something we don't - we do know a lot of soccer parents and coaches since we have other kids that play soccer - but we were not out lobbying for our kid to stay at a high travel level, and were kind of rooting for our kid to be moved down.

If you really wanted him to be on the lower team, you just have to ask. It's done all the time. We've done it.

To the other poster, it sounds like both the coach and current age group director (not the parent) were the ones advocating the move. If that's the case and the new place values the player, the correct choice was made to leave. You shouldn't stay somewhere with that inconsistency/lack of communication of coaching staff. The opinion of the Coach who watched the player 10 months vs the Coach or TD that saw the kids for a mere 3 hours should take precedence and be given more weight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are odds of getting back on a DA after being cut? Do they give you a fair "new"look at tryouts ?

My guess would be if you didn't address any of the issues of why the player was cut then the odds are nill getting back on that team. Especially at older ages where age groups are combined and the number of clubs are reduced.

But the first thing to do is talk to the coach about why your kid was cut and work towards improving those deficiencies.

There is a glaring misconception of what DA should be by having a parent actually asking this question. If all DA, in this area anyway, is a club's first team that bestows bragging rights to to both parent/child, then yes treat DA like trying to get promoted within a club rising through the ladder of teams.

My assumption, at this point is that if DA technical coaches saw what they liked at tryouts, but after a FULL season of training and matches decided they were going to give other players opportunities and no longer wanted that player on their DA roster, I can't imagine what a player would do over the course of one year, that wasn't
already addressed during their time at DA, that would convince the technical staff to again take a chance and offer the player a spot.

If I were in the same spot, I would go for another club's DA.

Was there any feedback or evaluation given during the year? I find the programs in this area completely worthless. There is zero evaluation of value given to players in the developmental years. We received a 6-page detailed evaluation from a foreign coach down to how the kid held his foot when receiving a pass, etc. Each part of the player was broken down from mechanical, decision-making, etc.

The douche-Mcdouchey programs around here are the worst.

A really good youth program lets the kid know where they stand, especially as tryouts near.

We've been at Clubs with great transparency where things weren't a 'secret' and the kid was part of the process and knew if he./she was out of their league, struggling, etc.

If this is older than U-16 I get it, but for the DA u12-u14 they really should be providing detailed evaluations for all players.

You know those games where your kid is getting ten minutes? Take the hint and have your kid talk to the coach or do so yourself. No kid is just cut out of the blue without warning.

I call BS on this theory. I had a kid that played the entire game of every game and the Coach always appointed him Captain. He said he was the hardest working, well-behaved/respectful and smartest player. The other players and parents on the sideline were always complimenting him. He had just about every assist, perfectly set the plays. Coach repeatedly would tell us he was the top player on the team, was advancing tremendously and would be moved up without a doubt the following season.

What happened after tryouts? They moved 5 bench sitters over him the following season. My kid was on the A field during the entire 3 tryouts while the bench sitters were on the lower fields with the 3rd and 4th teams. Coach told us he was extremely upset and fought hard for my kid, as did the age group director. He didn't fault us for leaving the Club. The other kids did have a long family history at the Club and knew the next age group coaches well.

We went somewhere else. The new Coaches in summer training told us my kid was too advanced for his peer group and they were placing him in the older age group/year above where he is currently thriving.

The thing you can deduce from a kid not getting playing time is that the Coach 'thinks' he is not a value, but in our experience being the 'clutch' player and playing the entire game can also mean shit when the Coaches don't have final say over their own rosters or the next age group knows nothing about the kids the age group below and have never, ever watched them play.

Unlike your wife, I know a lot about soccer and I see really great players getting the shaft a lot. We have a kid on my other son's team who is responsible for about 90% of goals scored against us. He is well below the level of every other kid on the team and the teams below son's. The parents are heavily involved in the Club and older sibling is on an A team which is the only reason anyone can fathom how he was moved onto the team and better players demoted.

Weird shit happens.

Similar view, but opposite event happened to us. Our child is an awesome Rec player and single handedly took their Rec team from obscurity to the top place in the top division after several seasons. They decided to tryout for Travel, and was able to get onto a high Travel team - we were excited since we knew our kid was great. Well, our kid is talented, but on that high of a team our kid just kind of blended in and was not aggressive like in Rec, and definitely was not the play maker - our bubble was burst. S/He scored enough to be noticed and usually played half of the game, but there were others on the team that are/were much better. We had hoped our kid would be moved down a travel level after this past tryout, so they could be the play maker again. Didn't happen and made the same travel team, and some kids we thought were just as good or better got moved down to a lower travel team. We can't figure why our kid stayed and others moved down. Our kid has great foot skills when dribbling, better than many, but can get shut down easily when there is more than one defender, and he doesn't chase after the ball - doesn't have the aggressive gene when playing Travel. Maybe the coaches see something we don't - we do know a lot of soccer parents and coaches since we have other kids that play soccer - but we were not out lobbying for our kid to stay at a high travel level, and were kind of rooting for our kid to be moved down.

Humble brag post of the month.

If it was a humble brag, you'd think they would add something about the club, age group or sex of the kid. Lots of travel kids can kill on Rec teams, and have their lunch eaten on travel teams.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone have any statistics on how many players end up playing in college from all these clubs/ leagues? That is the end game right? A college scholarship?
The way I see it, and I've been duped myself, is that it is all a $$$ grab and we are all falling for it.

It is not the end game for everyone. I for one just support my kid playing at the highest level he can and provide him the best opportunities to develop...today. I don't focus on tomorrow. They are too young and so many things can happen. Do full college scholarships even exist? We should all know that travel soccer isn't a good investment. It's for teaching life skills. That's the end game for me.