Is this normal?

[Anonymous]

My son is on a mid-level (3rd team of 5) travel team and is U13. His coach keeps scheduling last minute (like 2 days in advance) practices and scrimmages over the summer, and getting upset when people can't attend. My son plays another summer sport (he is on a competitive tennis team through our pool) and also goes to overnight camp for two weeks. I am wondering if this is typical for a travel soccer team for his age group and level. To be clear, I think it is great that the coach is putting in so much effort to schedule things, but we're not getting enough advance notice, and I think he needs to be more understanding that people can't always change other plans over the summer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son is on a mid-level (3rd team of 5) travel team and is U13. His coach keeps scheduling last minute (like 2 days in advance) practices and scrimmages over the summer, and getting upset when people can't attend. My son plays another summer sport (he is on a competitive tennis team through our pool) and also goes to overnight camp for two weeks. I am wondering if this is typical for a travel soccer team for his age group and level. To be clear, I think it is great that the coach is putting in so much effort to schedule things, but we're not getting enough advance notice, and I think he needs to be more understanding that people can't always change other plans over the summer.

Yeah it happens. Talk to the team manager if there is one about the nature of last minute scheduling.

[Anonymous]

Sounds like the coach is unorganized and on a power trip. Yikes.

[Anonymous]

Have you communicated that to the coach?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son is on a mid-level (3rd team of 5) travel team and is U13. His coach keeps scheduling last minute (like 2 days in advance) practices and scrimmages over the summer, and getting upset when people can't attend. My son plays another summer sport (he is on a competitive tennis team through our pool) and also goes to overnight camp for two weeks. I am wondering if this is typical for a travel soccer team for his age group and level. To be clear, I think it is great that the coach is putting in so much effort to schedule things, but we're not getting enough advance notice, and I think he needs to be more understanding that people can't always change other plans over the summer.

Our club has practice scheduled 2x per week all summer and back to 3x in the fall.

[Anonymous]

Sadly, it's very normal. And if you don't go, the coach holds it against you. That's one of the reasons we left a club. Don't allow your lives to be controlled by the disorganized whims of a coach or club.

[Anonymous]

Yes, though motivated, many American youth travel coaches are not professionals.

[Anonymous]

My son is on a mid-level (3rd team of 5) travel team and is U13. His coach keeps scheduling last minute (like 2 days in advance) practices and scrimmages over the summer, and getting upset when people can't attend. My son plays another summer sport (he is on a competitive tennis team through our pool) and also goes to overnight camp for two weeks. I am wondering if this is typical for a travel soccer team for his age group and level. To be clear, I think it is great that the coach is putting in so much effort to schedule things, but we're not getting enough advance notice, and I think he needs to be more understanding that people can't always change other plans over the summer.



Our club has practice scheduled 2x per week all summer and back to 3x in the fall.

OP here. That is totally fine, and if we had been told that in advance, we would not have signed him up for tennis and overnight camp.

[Anonymous]

welcome to arlington or loudon

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

My son is on a mid-level (3rd team of 5) travel team and is U13. His coach keeps scheduling last minute (like 2 days in advance) practices and scrimmages over the summer, and getting upset when people can't attend. My son plays another summer sport (he is on a competitive tennis team through our pool) and also goes to overnight camp for two weeks. I am wondering if this is typical for a travel soccer team for his age group and level. To be clear, I think it is great that the coach is putting in so much effort to schedule things, but we're not getting enough advance notice, and I think he needs to be more understanding that people can't always change other plans over the summer.



Our club has practice scheduled 2x per week all summer and back to 3x in the fall.

OP here. That is totally fine, and if we had been told that in advance, we would not have signed him up for tennis and overnight camp.

No, you should have signed him up for tennis. Do not worry about missing a few practices in July. Your actual Contract with the club truly runs August through May/June.

It is annoying and nothing more. Don't worry about missing them now but explain WHY you are missing them and provide the coach YOUR summer schedule.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

My son is on a mid-level (3rd team of 5) travel team and is U13. His coach keeps scheduling last minute (like 2 days in advance) practices and scrimmages over the summer, and getting upset when people can't attend. My son plays another summer sport (he is on a competitive tennis team through our pool) and also goes to overnight camp for two weeks. I am wondering if this is typical for a travel soccer team for his age group and level. To be clear, I think it is great that the coach is putting in so much effort to schedule things, but we're not getting enough advance notice, and I think he needs to be more understanding that people can't always change other plans over the summer.



Our club has practice scheduled 2x per week all summer and back to 3x in the fall.

OP here. That is totally fine, and if we had been told that in advance, we would not have signed him up for tennis and overnight camp.

No, you should have signed him up for tennis. Do not worry about missing a few practices in July. Your actual Contract with the club truly runs August through May/June.

It is annoying and nothing more. Don't worry about missing them now but explain WHY you are missing them and provide the coach YOUR summer schedule.

Most clubs contracts run July 1 thru June 30.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

My son is on a mid-level (3rd team of 5) travel team and is U13. His coach keeps scheduling last minute (like 2 days in advance) practices and scrimmages over the summer, and getting upset when people can't attend. My son plays another summer sport (he is on a competitive tennis team through our pool) and also goes to overnight camp for two weeks. I am wondering if this is typical for a travel soccer team for his age group and level. To be clear, I think it is great that the coach is putting in so much effort to schedule things, but we're not getting enough advance notice, and I think he needs to be more understanding that people can't always change other plans over the summer.



Our club has practice scheduled 2x per week all summer and back to 3x in the fall.

OP here. That is totally fine, and if we had been told that in advance, we would not have signed him up for tennis and overnight camp.

No, you should have signed him up for tennis. Do not worry about missing a few practices in July. Your actual Contract with the club truly runs August through May/June.

It is annoying and nothing more. Don't worry about missing them now but explain WHY you are missing them and provide the coach YOUR summer schedule.

Most clubs contracts run July 1 thru June 30.

So what, don't forget who is paying who.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

My son is on a mid-level (3rd team of 5) travel team and is U13. His coach keeps scheduling last minute (like 2 days in advance) practices and scrimmages over the summer, and getting upset when people can't attend. My son plays another summer sport (he is on a competitive tennis team through our pool) and also goes to overnight camp for two weeks. I am wondering if this is typical for a travel soccer team for his age group and level. To be clear, I think it is great that the coach is putting in so much effort to schedule things, but we're not getting enough advance notice, and I think he needs to be more understanding that people can't always change other plans over the summer.



Our club has practice scheduled 2x per week all summer and back to 3x in the fall.

OP here. That is totally fine, and if we had been told that in advance, we would not have signed him up for tennis and overnight camp.

Thats a fair response from you. Communication is one of the easiest things yet for whatever reason both clubs and families seem to struggle to get on the same page. You have every right to express that in a non confrontational way with the club. Kill them with kindness.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son is on a mid-level (3rd team of 5) travel team and is U13. His coach keeps scheduling last minute (like 2 days in advance) practices and scrimmages over the summer, and getting upset when people can't attend. My son plays another summer sport (he is on a competitive tennis team through our pool) and also goes to overnight camp for two weeks. I am wondering if this is typical for a travel soccer team for his age group and level. To be clear, I think it is great that the coach is putting in so much effort to schedule things, but we're not getting enough advance notice, and I think he needs to be more understanding that people can't always change other plans over the summer.

No, not typical for a travel team. We're 2nd level team and practices (optional) for the summer were set up early for June and July. 2x per week.

[Anonymous]

The kids need some downtime from soccer - what I've read indicates it isn't healthy to play a competitive sport non-stop all year every year while they are growing.

I have at least a month of no formal soccer in the summer for my rising U13 (typically late June-July).