Reply to How good does a kid have to be to make travel

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Are you folks dense? The argument is that it is not for everyone but for those who don't have the capacity to go into travel at u9.

I am glad that you and others have the means to go into travel at u9. I am glad that you have one or two kids and can dedicate time to your kid. Some of us don't so we look for other alternatives. I am here to tell you that it is possible, not definite but possible to find an alternative to B or C travel and work to make elite soccer by u15.

I have seen it and have provided names of teams with strong coaches. I personally know girls who came from classic and spent 2.3 years playing travel before being invited to play ECNL.

Sorry but I am not going to allow you folks who have bought into the travel industrial complex tell me or anyone else that they have to spend $3,000 and drive insane distances to play C teams when they can get a similar if not better experience in classic/select.

I have watched too often parents spend money on a C team expecting their DC to develop on the C team only to watch a classic player tryout and beat out their DC for a spot on the A or B team. From there, I have seen the same player make an ECNL team. It is not everyone but I have seen it enough to believe that it is an alternative for the right kid. [/quote]

If you can control the experience then sure, but most people cannot control that aspect. They do not know going into a Classic environment who the good coach is. In most Classic or Challenge teams kids are simply assigned a team. You are signing up to play in a program you are not choosing a team to hopefully make.

There are kids who make ECNL/DA teams from all kinds of backgrounds and it is terrific that there is that soccer halfway house I mentioned earlier that can be affordable and keep kids engaged and continue to develop.

Nobody is disagreeing on this point. Why you insist on badgering and calling folks morons for their chosen path when nobody has criticized you for your kids path. To you, travel isn't worth it. That is fine, and that is your opinion. It is right for you but your experience is not something that can be easily replicated by others. For one, there are many VA posters here and there are only a handful of clubs that even offer a similar program and in those clubs the programs get very few resources.

My kids were B and C team travel kids who did develop into ECNL/DA players. But DA/ECNL was something that they strived for. Granted at 9 or 10 years old it was more a desire to make the next higher team but that desire to improve was there. If a player demonstrates a desire to want to improve and move up a team then travel is worth it. If a player is hesitant and wants to explore other sports then Classic makes absolute sense. It depends on the kid, their ability and their overall interest level. I will say that at the DA/ECNL level I personally know of no known players on the teams who took the route that you have proposed. All were in travel by at least 10 and at least half were on the A/B teams at their respective clubs.

By the same token, if you put a player with a high ambition and potential on a classic team you run the risk of them being bored. In a majority of travel players, by U11 at least, most of the kids are committed to improving regardless of their actual level. Classic soccer by that age is more of an activity and that subtle difference is why even a B or C travel team is a better choice for a more serious player. Serious does not mean better, just more committed to the process and the sport and surrounded by similar minded players.

Good luck with your kid with your chosen route. I hope it works out well. Just remember, what is right for you and your kid is all that should matter to you. Thanks for sharing your experience but please accept that your pathway for many people comes with to much risk during some very important developmental years that is frankly a leap of faith for many.  [/quote]

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