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[quote=Anonymous][quote=RantingSoccerDad]1. People who say "you never played" are using that as an excuse to avoid keeping up to date with what's happening in the sport. Also, nearly everyone has "played." I once got accosted by a coach telling me I'd never "played," and then I found no evidence that he had ever played at a higher level (U14 travel, intramural, adult rec) than I had.

2. U9 through U11 -- have three tiers of play. Top level has no more than one team per locality -- a giant club can have a "Loudoun North" or "Arlington South." The top-level teams are fluid and change throughout the year, with players from the second tier getting a chance. The second tier is also "travel," sort of -- the players are still in rec league, but they get a second training session each week with club staff. The club puts together teams to play 2-3 friendlies and a tournament each season. No tryouts.

3. U12 on up -- pro academies start (combining MLS Next, ECNL and GA), but other than that, no distinction between "travel" and "rec." Form promotion/relegation pyramids. Your team can hire a pro coach, or not. Your team can have Darwinian tryouts to move up, or not. The typical EDP team won't really be affected, but the line between NCSL and SFL goes away, and league management becomes more professionalized. If you want to do "club vs. club," like CCL and some NPLs, do that in tournaments, not in leagues.

4. As an alternative to that pyramid, offer 7v7 leagues for older age groups. (Basically, a new take on rec soccer.)

5. Until U14, refs have the authority to give yellow and red cards to parents, and they do so quite liberally.

6. Periodically, offer parents a chance to meet with refs after games so they can learn why calls were made.

7. All coaches go into a publicly accessible database listing their licenses and prior clubs -- and any sanctions against them, from red cards to SafeSport violations.

8.  Clubs should offer free-play nights open to anyone registering in advance (can cap numbers depending on space), with staff on hand only to help with equipment and first aid (and maybe helping to form teams, mixing players of different levels while making sure no player is overwhelmed).

9. Parents in the DCUM forum should create profiles. You can still remain anonymous.[/quote]

Kids don't need that much supervision for free play unless very young. Parents should have the balls to drop their kid off at a field and let the kids fend for themselves a bit.  We need more futsal goals added to basketball courts.[/quote]

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