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[quote=Anonymous][quote]This is my first contribution to this thread but I thought I should pipe in. I had a U10 DD many years ago who was playing 30-50% in league games and 5-10 minutes in tournaments. She wasn't the only one. The team had a HUGE roster so the [b]better[/b]players played about 70% and the others 30%. No one was happy. The parents of the[b] stronger players wanted the kids who are committed to getting better to play more than those who simply want more minutes without extra work to get better.[/b] Multiple parents approached the coach expressing unhappiness so a team meeting was held. Coach told us players get better in practice and games are meaningless at the young age. And that they actually get better from "watching" the game being played. We are no longer with the club. I will leave it here for all to speculate as to the coach and club and to whether watching other kids play in games is more helpful than actually playing in them.[/quote]

I fixed it for you.

To the OP, look at the tone of the complainers. If a kid is getting more time they are labeled as "favorites" and not considered to be better. Sure parents were unhappy and I'll give them credit for talking to the coach. But all they wanted was unilaterally more playing time without a consideration of how their kids could actually improve to earn more minutes. But they've covered the fruitlessness of that endeavor because in their eyes the other kids are "favorites"  and not actually deserving or better players in a travel environment.

Similar things have been echoed by other "take my ball and go home" parents who have used words or statements like "believe" or the coach just isn't "interested in my kid".

The bottom line is that in order for a kid to actually get better and become a better player they have to admit that they actually need to get better. Simply leaving a club for greener pastures will not in and of itself make the player better in the long run.

Where this whole thread is really divided is there are two lines:

I am advocating that the real issue is how to help the kid get better as a player. I have made no statements about staying or leaving the current team. To me that is secondary and one should always go where they are happy, appreciated etc...

The other side is really only interested in the minutes and not really about the development. Not one of the opposing statements have mentioned anything about how their kid can improve. They believe playing time and development are one and the same. The coach is right about training being more important than games. Games are fun but they are not the development tool you believe them to be.  The desire to play is strong and a kid should play where they can be impactful but that is not as important at 9 years old. Practicing with and against stronger players 3 times a week is more important than 5 more minutes in a game.

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