Reply to 9 years of travel socce for DC, I regret it

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]This thread has been really helpful. We haven't reached the point where we have switched from red to travel.  We are doing a "mini" travel league this year, just into the surrounding DMV area.  I have one concern that has been lightly touched on- but interested in the perspective of others.  When I was growing up, travel leagues were really just starting (at least in my area). That meant, for the most part, you could still be a Star athlete at the High School level without having ever played travel.  BUT.. for the few kids who did do travel (this was especially prevalent in softball at that time), you could really tell the difference between the travel players and the rec players.  The travel players all made Varsity at a young age, were starters, and played a lot. Rec players could still make the team- and maybe even start- but it wasn't a guarantee.  But there were a few who could still be top players.  Travel players were the ones hoping to play in college.

I guess, my worry for my kids, is that Travel leagues are so prevalent, especially in this area, that it feels like if we do not do them my kids will have ZERO chance of even playing High School sports.  This conversation has been a lot of about College level, and D1 verses D2 & 3, etc... but what about High School.  I didn't play anything in college, but in High School all my friends were in at least one sport. I would like to know my kids will at least have the opportunity to play... not just be a bench warmer.

And what about multiple sports? Is that no longer a thing in High School? Do we have to commit to one sport, year round by Middle School and hope they stay interested in that one sport throughout their childhood? Obviously gifted athletes will be able to make a jump. But what about your average kid?[/quote]

Playing at the travel level is generally a pre requisite for HS Soccer. That said, not all High School's are the same and there is a tremendous variance between travel leagues and travel teams within the same club. Kids from all levels of travel soccer make HS soccer teams. There is a lot of disagreement on these boards about he quality of HS soccer but most tend to agree that it is more for social aspects than it is terribly competitive. Overall HS soccer is a lower quality of soccer played than most travel soccer. You likely will not need to shell out huge money at a travel level if your child wishes to play HS soccer. It can be a challenge to make a team as a freshman or sophomore but any decent travel team should get your child on a HS team.

Travel is generally a 10 month commitment with a league shut down period to accommodate for the high school season. It can be challenging to play multiple HS sports and travel sports overall. Travel sports, regardless of the sport have similar levels of commitment. I am generally pro travel sports but I will admit that they tend to ruin the opportunities for multiple sport athletes at both the travel and HS level to branch out. While specialization does have its place I think kids do lose something by being forced to choose a sport to focus on. 
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