Reply to Vent: current landscape and player participation

Forum Index » Soccer

Reply to "Vent: current landscape and player participation"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Youth coach for last 10 years. Was w some bigger and more competitive clubs in Baltimore area.

Left for a club in DC area. Supposed to be giving more opportunities to kids/families who can’t afford traditional pay to play, scholarships etc.

Took over a 2005 team 3 seasons ago, I was told that the players tried to sabotage the past coach by not showing up and they barely tried.

Trying to get kids to come to practice was like pulling teeth. The kids who were good and took it serious left. We only trained twice a week and if I had 8 kids in a session is would have been a miracle. By their junior years they stopped caring bc they weren’t winning like when they were u12/u14.

Then I took an 06 team. I’ve lost probably 10-14 kids to ECNL or MLNext teams.

I’ve tried to reload w local DC kids w ability who say they wanna take it serious.

The problem is, we have given so many scholarships and opportunities to kids, and they just do what they want. They have no skin in the game, and they don’t commit.

It’s been really frustrating. Between the 05 and 06 teams I’ve had more kids just stop showing up and leave us hanging and all of them were on scholarship. I am having a hard time just fielding a full team for showcases.

It’s disappointing because…when the US failed to qualify for 2018 WC everyone obsessed over kids falling thru the cracks.

But kids are jumping through the cracks bc the current landscape is MLSNext/ECNL or bust. The kids look at our little NL team as a rec league team. Or they are scared to buy in.

Either way, it really sucks to go from competitive environments where kids show up every session and take it serious, you try to make a difference for kids who don’t have $5k a season to spend on youth soccer, you do it for 3 years and u end up moving backward. Yes there are the core group of 8-10 dedicated families, but you try to make a difference and give kids opps and they don’t even respect you enough to show up. [/quote]

The parents quest for name-brand and Keeping up with the Jones's unfortunately filters down to the kids.
The substance of the sport and true development takes a backseat to bragging and IG, FB likes.

Once the love isn't for the sport, there won't be discipline and dedication.  [/quote]

On the flip side there is always the quest for "the best". Right now that seems to be promoted as MLSNext?ECNL, so I think it's natural for some folks to try and flock there, if they feel they have the talent ad desire to play at the "top" level. The other issue is there are so many leagues and tournaments that I feel sorry for the average travel parent trying to sort through it all.[/quote]

When the coaches are tyrants and the club's MLS Next team(s) are bottom dwellers getting blown out every week, I doubt just jumping from wherever you are to there is automatically the best choice for all.
Especially if you're leaving behind a good coach and environment and you're developing well. [/quote]

It depends on the goal. For a highs school aged boy who wants to play in college, they are better off with a tyrant coach and little development in an MLS academy than with an amazing coach at a club playing in the NCSL [/quote]

Are you saying MLS Club Academy or MLS Next team?

Assuming you're saying MLS Next team. Why would a college coach scouting individual players be more interested on a player on a weak MLS Next team than the same quality player on a well coached 'other' team? [/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics