Diary of the overburdening soccer dad
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Youthsoccercoach456
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greypanther
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MadridFan
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Repost!
...title was hitting home! |
Ihatedumbsoccerparents
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Lol man I wanted to see this thread 
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Blutarski
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Here is what the original post contained. Day 1 Dear Diary, Jimmy returns for another season of club soccer and we just can’t wait! His u15 team did great last season. We won the second lowest division of Mid Atlantic Cup, the team will be competing in EDP and I really think Jimmy has an opportunity to play at U of Maryland one day. We’ll do anything to help get him there. He’s been training 18 times a day but it’s all he wants to do, we dont push him extra hard we just try to stay out of the way and let the chips fall where they may. I’ll write another update after a few sessions and their first scrimmage. Day 7 Dear Diary, It’s been one week and Jimmy is probably going to play in the World Cup one day. He’s a sophomore in HS and doesn’t start for his public HS JV team, but the kids on his club team are just so good that I know he’s going to be such a big time soccer player one day. We have only had 2 practices in the past week and I’ve told his coach that I think we really need to pump those numbers up. Two-a-days three times a week on top of his HS practice and game schedule should be manageable. He’s only 15 anyway, right? This week we had our first club scrimmage, I was sitting over on the bleachers w the other parents but when I saw one of the other parents stand next to the bench, I thought to myself…why aren’t I standing next to the bench too?? Jimmy just really likes to have me around so I wanted to support him, he played half the game but I think coach will come around. I’ve really been talking to his coach about all of these great tournaments coming up, I expect we’ll have every weekend and holidays booked with tourneys!! Future Terp on the horizon baby!! Day 14 Dear Diary, I was speaking with one of the other parents at Jimmy’s JV game today. He said that he was talking to his son’s club soccer coach, he plays in pre-ECNL all the way out in Manassas which is a bit of a hike for us here in Frederick, but he was saying that he knows one of the U of MD’s assistant coaches!!! We told our coach today that Jimmy plans on switching clubs ASAP. We are fine with laying the rest of the club dues and making the extra drive, I’m sure MSYSA might have a small problem w him switching teams but as long as we pay both clubs, what’s the problem?! I also made sure to sign Jimmy up for 26 different D1 ID Camps in case Sasho doesn’t rate him. Nothing too serious, just UCLA, Indiana, UVA, Stanford, schools like that. We’re going to have a great summer next year! Day 21 Dear Diary, Jimmy has started half of his games for his JV team and the new ECNL club is working out great. They originally told us before we signed up that Jimmy will be playing ECNL, when come to find out he’s actually playing for the club’s red team just under ECNL, but he’ll get there one day I just know it. His old coach was really patient with him and played him in his favorite position, lol what a pansy ass. This new coach loses his temper with him every practice and I’m just here for all of it, he’s gonna whip Jimmy right into shape who cares if he’s never played left back before. We went to a MD game together last night and I waited 4 hours afterward for Coach Sasho so we could say hello. He said he’s never heard of the 2008 Manassa Red Pre-Pre-ECNL team before but that’s ok, we’ll be on the map before you know it. Day 60 Dear Diary, High school season just ended. Unfortunately Jimmy didn’t get called up to varsity, I asked the coach about it a few hundred times and he just said that Jimmy is “slow and uncoordinated”. So we hired him a physical and personal trainer to make sure he’s getting some extra training in on his own, it’s what he wants. His current club team only practices three times a week during the fall and we only play in tournaments, I keep telling him that the other parents and I would be more than willing to spend the extra money so they play 5 matches every weekend but he just kind of rolls his eyes and walks away. That’s ok. Jimmy has been having injury issues lately and I’m not really sure why, but I’m sure the new trainers will help him get stronger. Day 90 Dear Diary, It’s almost winter time. I’ve looked into every possible option for Jimmy to play futsal since his club team only trains twice a week in the winter. I also paid Soccerwire for him to be a featured player, and created this awesome Instagram and TikTok profile so all of the assistant college coaches can monitor his progress. We put together a new highlight tape which was only really 30 seconds long, but I think if one or two big time D1 college coaches see it then maybe they’ll mention something to Sasho. Big season coming up in the Spring. The new trainees have been great. Jimmy asked me if he could die his hair bright purple and has been getting in trouble at school lately, I think it’s because he’s just so excited to be a professional soccer player. Hopefully Maryland can give him a full ride, so we can afford to keep paying for his nutritionist and extra training year round. Big things coming up baby! |
Ihatedumbsoccerparents
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| This diary was even better than expected great post......I only remember saying O snap...I think that way sometimes...1 time....great perspective 👍🏻 |
westsidesoccer
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It's inevitably amusing in the same way that every inmate in the asylum believes everybody else deserves to be there except for them.
Let's step back from this a minute. It is amusing to see parents grind under these circumstances, and also sad. But it seems that you think it is especially amusing because the kid won't succeed. Which leads me to ask you what success is in this context. None of these kids is going to have a pro career that pays more than an average public school teacher. Others who sensibly opt for scholarship are not likely to be competitive with most kids who spend a lot more time on academics than on multiple practices, showcases, etc. The dividends from the investments in human capital pay out over a lifetime. There are comparably small and diminishing turns for yet another practice doing the same things over and over again. There is a tiny number of student-athletes who do well and have a combination of qualities that inevitably carry them forward to success in a variety of endeavors. Most kids getting scholarships are not going to what would be viewed as good academic schools or, ultimately grad schools. So they have spent an extraordinary time doing soccer to -- at best -- get a scholarship to a marginal school. I congratulate all of them on it. But I question whether they could not have spent their time doing something else likely to pay longer term dividends. By the end of their D-12 career, they will be playing in the equivalent of the NCSL or CCL of universities. Now if you're spending all of that time and not even getting full rides -- and that is most kids in MLS Next and ECNL -- that truly is a total waste of time and both laughable and sad. Good luck to your kids and don't laugh too hard at others. |
Cruzado
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Meh. Most often the choice is between a teenager playing vidya games or screwing around on his iphone versus playing soccer; not reading the Iliad or learning advanced math versus playing soccer. My kid loves soccer and is good at it. I laughed at the silly "Diary of a Soccer Dad" post because it was funny Plenty of "academic" focused strivers who end up at hoity toity schools studying useless subjects have been my barista at Starbucks over the years. Don't laugh too hard your kid may be one of them. |
Size5Balls
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What is success in any context? That is up to the individual. If you are playing soccer to be the very best you can be, then the highest level competition you can attain is the reward. |
Ihatedumbsoccerparents
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Well said I agree....I still think the original post is well written and very humorous....my laughter is more at the parent not the kid ( piece comes off as a well written satire to me..not a real diary😳)...I know to many dads who think if they have their child play 3-4 teams a year will make up for getting in the sport “late”.....I just enjoy watching my DD push herself to be the best at a sport SHE loves...I don’t love soccer I love my DD 😎...wish I had the ability to write as well as the OPED ...it’s a compliment |
westsidesoccer
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Re: the choice between video games and soccer, that's what rec is for. If your kid doesn't want to play, they shouldn't be playing travel. If they want to play, terrific. But they can still play rec if they have the ability and willingness to do other things or high school soccer. For high-achievers, yes, the choice is between doing a Science or Math Olympiad and a showcase, and it is a choice on multiple weekends for years. In terms of your other comments, I will say only that your acquaintances are pretty limited. |
soccermum79
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Hilarious~ |