Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

NOVASoccerCoach wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

NOVASoccerCoach wrote:Hello everyone I am NOVASoccerCoach. Some of you may remember me a couple months ago, where I did a Q&A and shared my insight on a couple of threads. Obviously a lot has changed since I was last on this forum and I just wanted to share some of my frustrating opinions about the landscape of youth soccer as well as offer you some insight.

1. No Tryout BS
A lot of clubs seem to be guaranteeing spots to players and doing this "no tryouts" thing. All I'm going to say is that its total bs. Players are now getting placed on teams without tryouts and there's an ABSURD amount of behind-the-scenes recruiting going on. I've even heard some directors/coaches have conducted "Social Distancing Tryouts" where they go to the kids' house and they do a ball mastery tryout. It's absolutely ridiculous and sad. Kids who have spent years at the club are getting dropped without a proper tryout for these outside club players who just had an illegal "social distancing" tryout.

Clubs are just robbing people
First off, clubs should be refunding parents for the spring. It's absolutely ridiculous. The "virtual season" does not count as a season. It should not be awarded a % credit or stipend or anything. It's bs. I can really dive into this but clubs, tournaments, etc. are just robbing families that have been loyal to clubs for so long. It's f*cked up. I don't want to even get into how they are handling the fall season...


If you have a coach that you are fond of, really lean and tap into those coaches in this time. Ask them to be honest with you and they will. Coaches unfortunately are stuck in the middle right now between the bs upper leadership is doing and actually caring for what's best for the kid. Most of the time, I would hope the coach will tell you his/her honest opinion on what's best for your kid.

What is so wrong with a coach "recruiting" a player and dropping another without tryouts? The coach obviously knows the kid that he is dropping and, hopefully, saw the kid that he is recruiting in the Fall/Winter. I'm not so sure that a trainer/coach working with a player is illegal, so I don't think a 1 on 1 tryout is therefore illegal. Plus, there is no loyalty in youth soccer from either the parent or the club side. I don't see why you are so upset about all of this. I'm sure you've seen it all a million times before.

Imagine you are a kid. You just played a fall season on the 1st team. COVID happens. You get told there will be no tryouts. You get an email from your parents that you are being moved to the B team. Ok...who from the B team is taking my spot? No one. It's a player from the outside who had a tryout, after being told there are no tryouts. The kid doesn't even get a chance to fight for the spot. Even if there were actual tryouts and that kid would have been dropped anyways, at least that kid feels they had a chance and maybe looks at themselves saying, I need to improve, my tryout wasn't good enough.

Kids need to understand that he had an entire year to "try out" for next year. I understand that COVID happened and he lost Spring, but, if his work through the winter didn't cut it, then it didn't cut it. If a kid joined the club (regardless if he was recruited or just joined), he should be placed on the team that most suited to his ability. Let this be a lesson that kids need to treat every day like it's a try out....Ok maybe not every day but you get my point. The hypothetical kid that got cut had his chance. Hopefully, he uses this to to motivate him. I honestly do not see anything wrong with this...and my kid is only 12. The only problem I would have is if he got cut and had no where else to go, but if there is a B team, so be it. He drops to the B team.

Agree completely. The reverse also sucks. Our club said everyone gets to keep their team placement no matter what, even though coach told individual players mid-season that they were on track to move up (maybe blowing smoke, who knows?). But guess what happened? After coach announced on a Zoom call that there would be no upward or downward movement between the A and B teams, all the A team players stopped doing the weekly team "challenges". Coach even called them out . . . and they're still doing nothing. This approach only breeds complacency and entitlement. Let the fall and winter season serve as the tryout-- if existing A team players are outmatched by B team players, let the pieces fall as they may! They had their chance and don't deserve to be "grandfathered" in to the top team because BIG SOCCER ORGANIZATION doesn't want to hurt anyone's feelings.

Anonymous wrote:

NOVASoccerCoach wrote:Hello everyone I am NOVASoccerCoach. Some of you may remember me a couple months ago, where I did a Q&A and shared my insight on a couple of threads. Obviously a lot has changed since I was last on this forum and I just wanted to share some of my frustrating opinions about the landscape of youth soccer as well as offer you some insight.

1. No Tryout BS
A lot of clubs seem to be guaranteeing spots to players and doing this "no tryouts" thing. All I'm going to say is that its total bs. Players are now getting placed on teams without tryouts and there's an ABSURD amount of behind-the-scenes recruiting going on. I've even heard some directors/coaches have conducted "Social Distancing Tryouts" where they go to the kids' house and they do a ball mastery tryout. It's absolutely ridiculous and sad. Kids who have spent years at the club are getting dropped without a proper tryout for these outside club players who just had an illegal "social distancing" tryout.

I have not seen this. Our club has told all travel players they will be guaranteed a spot on a team, but in some cases it will not be the same team. In those cases, the body of work in the fall season will be the basis for it. I would hope that coaches are doing proper evaluations of anyone coming in new.

NOVASoccerCoach wrote:
Clubs are just robbing people
First off, clubs should be refunding parents for the spring. It's absolutely ridiculous. The "virtual season" does not count as a season. It should not be awarded a % credit or stipend or anything. It's bs. I can really dive into this but clubs, tournaments, etc. are just robbing families that have been loyal to clubs for so long. It's f*cked up. I don't want to even get into how they are handling the fall season...

Our club has offered a partial refund in the form of a credit towards fees if returning, or a partial refund if not. I don't have any problems with that since they have done quite everything possible to keep the kids engaged thus far.

NOVASoccerCoach wrote:
If you have a coach that you are fond of, really lean and tap into those coaches in this time. Ask them to be honest with you and they will. Coaches unfortunately are stuck in the middle right now between the bs upper leadership is doing and actually caring for what's best for the kid. Most of the time, I would hope the coach will tell you his/her honest opinion on what's best for your kid.

Anonymous wrote:

NOVASoccerCoach wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

NOVASoccerCoach wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

NOVASoccerCoach wrote:Hello everyone I am NOVASoccerCoach. Some of you may remember me a couple months ago, where I did a Q&A and shared my insight on a couple of threads. Obviously a lot has changed since I was last on this forum and I just wanted to share some of my frustrating opinions about the landscape of youth soccer as well as offer you some insight.

1. No Tryout BS
A lot of clubs seem to be guaranteeing spots to players and doing this "no tryouts" thing. All I'm going to say is that its total bs. Players are now getting placed on teams without tryouts and there's an ABSURD amount of behind-the-scenes recruiting going on. I've even heard some directors/coaches have conducted "Social Distancing Tryouts" where they go to the kids' house and they do a ball mastery tryout. It's absolutely ridiculous and sad. Kids who have spent years at the club are getting dropped without a proper tryout for these outside club players who just had an illegal "social distancing" tryout.

Clubs are just robbing people
First off, clubs should be refunding parents for the spring. It's absolutely ridiculous. The "virtual season" does not count as a season. It should not be awarded a % credit or stipend or anything. It's bs. I can really dive into this but clubs, tournaments, etc. are just robbing families that have been loyal to clubs for so long. It's f*cked up. I don't want to even get into how they are handling the fall season...


If you have a coach that you are fond of, really lean and tap into those coaches in this time. Ask them to be honest with you and they will. Coaches unfortunately are stuck in the middle right now between the bs upper leadership is doing and actually caring for what's best for the kid. Most of the time, I would hope the coach will tell you his/her honest opinion on what's best for your kid.

What is so wrong with a coach "recruiting" a player and dropping another without tryouts? The coach obviously knows the kid that he is dropping and, hopefully, saw the kid that he is recruiting in the Fall/Winter. I'm not so sure that a trainer/coach working with a player is illegal, so I don't think a 1 on 1 tryout is therefore illegal. Plus, there is no loyalty in youth soccer from either the parent or the club side. I don't see why you are so upset about all of this. I'm sure you've seen it all a million times before.

Imagine you are a kid. You just played a fall season on the 1st team. COVID happens. You get told there will be no tryouts. You get an email from your parents that you are being moved to the B team. Ok...who from the B team is taking my spot? No one. It's a player from the outside who had a tryout, after being told there are no tryouts. The kid doesn't even get a chance to fight for the spot. Even if there were actual tryouts and that kid would have been dropped anyways, at least that kid feels they had a chance and maybe looks at themselves saying, I need to improve, my tryout wasn't good enough.

Kids need to understand that he had an entire year to "try out" for next year. I understand that COVID happened and he lost Spring, but, if his work through the winter didn't cut it, then it didn't cut it. If a kid joined the club (regardless if he was recruited or just joined), he should be placed on the team that most suited to his ability. Let this be a lesson that kids need to treat every day like it's a try out....Ok maybe not every day but you get my point. The hypothetical kid that got cut had his chance. Hopefully, he uses this to to motivate him. I honestly do not see anything wrong with this...and my kid is only 12. The only problem I would have is if he got cut and had no where else to go, but if there is a B team, so be it. He drops to the B team.

You would be fine if your kid got cut to the B team for an outside player who tried out when you were told there would be no tryouts?

Yes, I would. They don't even have to explain to me that they went to his house and gave him a tryout. All they would have to say is that the [insert a position that my kid plays] from [insert another club] decided to join our team and unfortunately he makes our team stronger than with your your kid, so we are bumping your kid down to the B team. I don't understand how that isn't understandable. What do you think should happen...should I say, but there wasn't a tryout? They watched my son play all year! Hopefully, my kid would understand and this would make him better. That's why I tell my kid he needs to play hard all the time and ALWAYS do his best, so there are no regrets. Plus, you never know who might be watching.

Anonymous wrote:OP- that's disgusting and I 100% believe it.

I have not committed to anything for next year for my rising future U16 (current 14-year old 8th grader) or my rising U13 boys. They are on a first team now in a good league.

I have been disgusted by youth soccer since the oldest started travel at U9. Totally disgusted by what became of a sport I used to love.

My kids and I are playing a ton of soccer now. They are training on their own. They love their current coaches and are doing zoom meetings. Unfortunately, this club is too far away and we were looking to transition next year--but frankly there is no other club we like or staff we respect.

For now, with no guarantee of soccer, my husband and I that played college soccer will train our own kids. Once groups of players are allowed to meet together and compete we will reassess the situation.

Your description of private tryouts out kid's homes or fields is disturbing.

I also think the 'no tryout' thing and nothing based on actual MERIT is a huge disservice to youth soccer. It's a reason kids that progress rapidly and do not advance leave the sport entirely.

Anonymous wrote:

NOVASoccerCoach wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

NOVASoccerCoach wrote:Hello everyone I am NOVASoccerCoach. Some of you may remember me a couple months ago, where I did a Q&A and shared my insight on a couple of threads. Obviously a lot has changed since I was last on this forum and I just wanted to share some of my frustrating opinions about the landscape of youth soccer as well as offer you some insight.

1. No Tryout BS
A lot of clubs seem to be guaranteeing spots to players and doing this "no tryouts" thing. All I'm going to say is that its total bs. Players are now getting placed on teams without tryouts and there's an ABSURD amount of behind-the-scenes recruiting going on. I've even heard some directors/coaches have conducted "Social Distancing Tryouts" where they go to the kids' house and they do a ball mastery tryout. It's absolutely ridiculous and sad. Kids who have spent years at the club are getting dropped without a proper tryout for these outside club players who just had an illegal "social distancing" tryout.

Clubs are just robbing people
First off, clubs should be refunding parents for the spring. It's absolutely ridiculous. The "virtual season" does not count as a season. It should not be awarded a % credit or stipend or anything. It's bs. I can really dive into this but clubs, tournaments, etc. are just robbing families that have been loyal to clubs for so long. It's f*cked up. I don't want to even get into how they are handling the fall season...


If you have a coach that you are fond of, really lean and tap into those coaches in this time. Ask them to be honest with you and they will. Coaches unfortunately are stuck in the middle right now between the bs upper leadership is doing and actually caring for what's best for the kid. Most of the time, I would hope the coach will tell you his/her honest opinion on what's best for your kid.

What is so wrong with a coach "recruiting" a player and dropping another without tryouts? The coach obviously knows the kid that he is dropping and, hopefully, saw the kid that he is recruiting in the Fall/Winter. I'm not so sure that a trainer/coach working with a player is illegal, so I don't think a 1 on 1 tryout is therefore illegal. Plus, there is no loyalty in youth soccer from either the parent or the club side. I don't see why you are so upset about all of this. I'm sure you've seen it all a million times before.

Imagine you are a kid. You just played a fall season on the 1st team. COVID happens. You get told there will be no tryouts. You get an email from your parents that you are being moved to the B team. Ok...who from the B team is taking my spot? No one. It's a player from the outside who had a tryout, after being told there are no tryouts. The kid doesn't even get a chance to fight for the spot. Even if there were actual tryouts and that kid would have been dropped anyways, at least that kid feels they had a chance and maybe looks at themselves saying, I need to improve, my tryout wasn't good enough.

Kids need to understand that he had an entire year to "try out" for next year. I understand that COVID happened and he lost Spring, but, if his work through the winter didn't cut it, then it didn't cut it. If a kid joined the club (regardless if he was recruited or just joined), he should be placed on the team that most suited to his ability. Let this be a lesson that kids need to treat every day like it's a try out....Ok maybe not every day but you get my point. The hypothetical kid that got cut had his chance. Hopefully, he uses this to to motivate him. I honestly do not see anything wrong with this...and my kid is only 12. The only problem I would have is if he got cut and had no where else to go, but if there is a B team, so be it. He drops to the B team.

Anonymous wrote:

NOVASoccerCoach wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

NOVASoccerCoach wrote:Hello everyone I am NOVASoccerCoach. Some of you may remember me a couple months ago, where I did a Q&A and shared my insight on a couple of threads. Obviously a lot has changed since I was last on this forum and I just wanted to share some of my frustrating opinions about the landscape of youth soccer as well as offer you some insight.

1. No Tryout BS
A lot of clubs seem to be guaranteeing spots to players and doing this "no tryouts" thing. All I'm going to say is that its total bs. Players are now getting placed on teams without tryouts and there's an ABSURD amount of behind-the-scenes recruiting going on. I've even heard some directors/coaches have conducted "Social Distancing Tryouts" where they go to the kids' house and they do a ball mastery tryout. It's absolutely ridiculous and sad. Kids who have spent years at the club are getting dropped without a proper tryout for these outside club players who just had an illegal "social distancing" tryout.

Clubs are just robbing people
First off, clubs should be refunding parents for the spring. It's absolutely ridiculous. The "virtual season" does not count as a season. It should not be awarded a % credit or stipend or anything. It's bs. I can really dive into this but clubs, tournaments, etc. are just robbing families that have been loyal to clubs for so long. It's f*cked up. I don't want to even get into how they are handling the fall season...


If you have a coach that you are fond of, really lean and tap into those coaches in this time. Ask them to be honest with you and they will. Coaches unfortunately are stuck in the middle right now between the bs upper leadership is doing and actually caring for what's best for the kid. Most of the time, I would hope the coach will tell you his/her honest opinion on what's best for your kid.

What is so wrong with a coach "recruiting" a player and dropping another without tryouts? The coach obviously knows the kid that he is dropping and, hopefully, saw the kid that he is recruiting in the Fall/Winter. I'm not so sure that a trainer/coach working with a player is illegal, so I don't think a 1 on 1 tryout is therefore illegal. Plus, there is no loyalty in youth soccer from either the parent or the club side. I don't see why you are so upset about all of this. I'm sure you've seen it all a million times before.

Imagine you are a kid. You just played a fall season on the 1st team. COVID happens. You get told there will be no tryouts. You get an email from your parents that you are being moved to the B team. Ok...who from the B team is taking my spot? No one. It's a player from the outside who had a tryout, after being told there are no tryouts. The kid doesn't even get a chance to fight for the spot. Even if there were actual tryouts and that kid would have been dropped anyways, at least that kid feels they had a chance and maybe looks at themselves saying, I need to improve, my tryout wasn't good enough.

You are not a real coach if you believe tryouts are the only metric for player selection.

If you have seen a kid in practice three days a week and you need a tryout to determine their contribution and value to the team then you’re not paying attention.

Anonymous wrote:I think this guys account has been hacked. No legitimate coach posts on an anonymous forum saying "youth soccer sucks".

Anonymous wrote:

NOVASoccerCoach wrote:Hello everyone I am NOVASoccerCoach. Some of you may remember me a couple months ago, where I did a Q&A and shared my insight on a couple of threads. Obviously a lot has changed since I was last on this forum and I just wanted to share some of my frustrating opinions about the landscape of youth soccer as well as offer you some insight.

1. No Tryout BS
A lot of clubs seem to be guaranteeing spots to players and doing this "no tryouts" thing. All I'm going to say is that its total bs. Players are now getting placed on teams without tryouts and there's an ABSURD amount of behind-the-scenes recruiting going on. I've even heard some directors/coaches have conducted "Social Distancing Tryouts" where they go to the kids' house and they do a ball mastery tryout. It's absolutely ridiculous and sad. Kids who have spent years at the club are getting dropped without a proper tryout for these outside club players who just had an illegal "social distancing" tryout.

Clubs are just robbing people
First off, clubs should be refunding parents for the spring. It's absolutely ridiculous. The "virtual season" does not count as a season. It should not be awarded a % credit or stipend or anything. It's bs. I can really dive into this but clubs, tournaments, etc. are just robbing families that have been loyal to clubs for so long. It's f*cked up. I don't want to even get into how they are handling the fall season...


If you have a coach that you are fond of, really lean and tap into those coaches in this time. Ask them to be honest with you and they will. Coaches unfortunately are stuck in the middle right now between the bs upper leadership is doing and actually caring for what's best for the kid. Most of the time, I would hope the coach will tell you his/her honest opinion on what's best for your kid.

What is so wrong with a coach "recruiting" a player and dropping another without tryouts? The coach obviously knows the kid that he is dropping and, hopefully, saw the kid that he is recruiting in the Fall/Winter. I'm not so sure that a trainer/coach working with a player is illegal, so I don't think a 1 on 1 tryout is therefore illegal. Plus, there is no loyalty in youth soccer from either the parent or the club side. I don't see why you are so upset about all of this. I'm sure you've seen it all a million times before.

Anonymous wrote:What are you doing during this time op? How is your club treating you? Do you get paid? Thanks for the info.

Anonymous wrote:He's not with Loudoun. He may have coached rec league a bit but he's not a travel coach or anything like that.