Does anyone's kids do BOTH house AND travel soccer? Is that weird?

[planet]

We are in Vienna and we love our house team to death, but we recently got invited to a girls' U9 travel team. So I have three questions:

1) is it logistically possible to do both?
2) does it even make sense to do both?
3) am i crazy?

[Anonymous]

Lots do with Stoddert and PPA in DC, I know that.

[Anonymous]

1) is it logistically possible to do both? Maybe if VYS's rec league allows it but its poor form to have a ringer travel player on a rec team.
2) does it even make sense to do both? Once your rec team hits Suburban Friendship League (at U12 I think), she definitely cannot play travel and SFL
3) am i crazy? You're crazy to go down the travel soccer rabbit hole. Just skim a few of the hundreds of posts here about all the goings on with leagues, clubs, parents etc. It's nuts! The reality is that there are no college scholarships, professional contracts, and national team call-ups for 99% of these kids. Its youth sports and nothing more. Save your money and your sanity.

[Anonymous]

planet wrote:We are in Vienna and we love our house team to death, but we recently got invited to a girls' U9 travel team. So I have three questions:

1) is it logistically possible to do both?
2) does it even make sense to do both?
3) am i crazy?

I know a few who do. Either they are really serious about soccer or they stay with their house team because they have friends on that. It can work at U9, U10 but becomes more unsustainable at older ages.
Make sure the rules for the house/rec team allow this. Many rec leagues do not allow travel players. I think a lot of Stoddert kids do it because it does allow this.

[Anonymous]

I don’t think VYS allows this and yes, it’s crazy. Your child is 8 and travel is all year. Have her try another sport that’s not as time consuming at this age like rec basketball in the winter to play with other friends on a team. Lots of kids to this.

[Anonymous]

AND over half of the girls in VYS we knew who started travel at U9 decided not to continue the next year. All were super excited before beginning. Try one year and see if she’s having fun a year later before you worry about doubling up. Maybe she will love it but maybe she won’t.

[Anonymous]

VYSA does not allow it.

Unfair to have a travel player in the rec league, eligible for All Stars....

You have to choose.

[Anonymous]

Stoddert is one of the only rec leagues that allows this. It's not usually possible with other leagues.

[Anonymous]

Don't do it if it means you will miss a bunch of rec games. It's a lousy thing to do to the rec team, taking up a roster spot and then not showing up.

[Anonymous]

At U9 its not a big deal. Just by joining a travel league doesn't mean you are going to surpass other players from the rec team right away. If logistically you can do both and the rules are cool with it go for it. Travel has been a great experience for us and if you have the money to put into it then its not a concern if you are solely doing it to play with more serious players and get better training. Too soon to know if your kids will be playing D1 college soccer.

[Anonymous]

It isn't allowed either by VYSA or VYS. You can have house players guest with travel teams using a "rec pass" but you can't have travel players on house teams.

[Anonymous]

My kid started with his rec team at 4. The coach was the father of a preschool classmates, and about half of the kids had been in preschool together, the other half joined from his son's Kindergarten class.

By 9 or 10, most of the kids had either started travel, or found another sport that they were more into. But because they loved each other they played together until 8th grade. Yes, there were a few kids who played travel who were significantly better, but the team also included some kids (mine) who were pretty bad at soccer, so they were very much a middle team in their league.

[Anonymous]

The MSI Classic program allows kids to play travel and Classic (I think each team is allowed 3, so it can't be the entire team, and not until U12).

[Anonymous]

Arlington Soccer Association allows it through 4th grade.
http://www.arlingtonsoccer.com/programs/recreation/information
That said, the rec coach has to be on board with your DC missing some/all practices and some games.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn’t do house & travel of same sport but we have done it for different sports (Rec baseball & travel soccer). Not sure that much of any one sports is good for them when younger.