Reply to How good are travel teams in the low tier?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Are the kids having fun? Are they playing with kids of similar skill?  If so, then why do you care?

Families choose travel over rec for many reasons, including a paid/non-parent coach, other kids who want to play soccer, enough players to field teams within the age group, access to better fields.

For many of the lower level travel leagues, nobody is traveling very far.  So the games are 10 minutes further than you'd otherwise play at in Rec.  It's not like they are traveling 5 hours away.

I have a player on a "B" team at a big club and she is really enjoying her season.  Why is that not enough?  If she were playing Rec, she'd be in a U10-12 combined division where half the kids don't even want to be there.  I'll pay extra for her to have an enjoyable experience.[/quote]

This is a great take.

I'd only add, though, that maybe a part of the problem comes from the marketing that clubs engage in. For example, calling their entire program "Elite." When we first moved to the area a few years ago, we arrived late in the summer. Most rosters of top teams were set. My oldest son was offered a spot on PAC's 4th team, the "PAC Elite YG Silver." We liked PAC and he spent a very nice year there, but there was nothing elite about that team. A few good players (many of them also late arrivals), but it was a rude awakening when we matched up with mid-level teams (usually at tournaments) that had decent players up and down the roster.

I do see more clubs going without the "academy" and "elite" monikers these days. Good. [/quote]

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