Is his team competitive in all, or almost all of their games? If that is the case, then it makes sense to not want to move down.

A couple of things to keep in mind, though: First, NCSL is far from hard and fast regarding moving teams up and down. If the club/team pushes to stay in the same division, they may be able to stay. Second, the teams change from Fall to Spring. There may be teams playing NCSL this season that won’t in Spring and teams that aren’t playing Fall that will in Spring. This is especially true at HS age (you said teen, so not sure if that applies). A few clubs play their CCL and ECNL-RL teams in NCSL in Spring, for instance, so that can shift the competitiveness of divisions.

Anonymous wrote:My son is really upset about this, but isn't it better to move to a division where the team can be more successful and play against more appropriately-matched opponents? No one likes to move down, but in theory, isn't it better to be more appropriately placed? Am I giving him bad advice when I say not to worry too much about this?

Just tell him that if he was a better player and worked harder, this wouldn't be happening.

Who moves up?

in Division 1, the bottom 2 teams move down. in division 2 or lower, the bottom 3 teams move down.

This gives other teams who did well a chance to move up a division. If his team wants to move back up next season, well.. they have to earn it.

Understood, they are in division 2. I looked at it and think they have a chance of staying where they are, but that's not his assessment.

in Division 1, the bottom 2 teams move down. in division 2 or lower, the bottom 3 teams move down.

This gives other teams who did well a chance to move up a division. If his team wants to move back up next season, well.. they have to earn it.

Unless your son’s team is dead last in the division and losing every game, it’s too early to know whether the team will move down next season. And if his team is dead last and losing every game, then moving down may be a relief because it’s no fun to be completely uncompetitive.

There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of difference between mid-level/ bottom D1 and the other divisions. My kids subs for teams in lower divisions. Still decently competitive. Pace of play is slower but I wouldn't overthink it. They could be back up in a higher division the next season.

Yeah, this is great that your son is upset. It means he cares. Hopefully, this lights a fire in him to improve and same with his teammates.

Learning that you can try your hardest and still come up short is a lesson that sports teaches. From a parent's perspective, they will get over it and then be happier that they are winning more games. It's not fun to be on the team that other teams beat up on

Anonymous wrote:

My son is really upset about this, but isn't it better to move to a division where the team can be more successful and play against more appropriately-matched opponents? No one likes to move down, but in theory, isn't it better to be more appropriately placed? Am I giving him bad advice when I say not to worry too much about this?


Would your son even know this if you didn’t tell him?

Yes, definitely. He is a teen, and he and his friends (who play for another club that might also drop) discuss this.

If he is tracking the standings and cares then leave him be. This is a part of competition.

My son is really upset about this, but isn't it better to move to a division where the team can be more successful and play against more appropriately-matched opponents? No one likes to move down, but in theory, isn't it better to be more appropriately placed? Am I giving him bad advice when I say not to worry too much about this?


Would your son even know this if you didn’t tell him?

Yes, definitely. He is a teen, and he and his friends (who play for another club that might also drop) discuss this.

Anonymous wrote:My son is really upset about this, but isn't it better to move to a division where the team can be more successful and play against more appropriately-matched opponents? No one likes to move down, but in theory, isn't it better to be more appropriately placed? Am I giving him bad advice when I say not to worry too much about this?

Would your son even know this if you didn’t tell him?

Depends. Maybe he is the best player on the team and super frustrated with passes that go no where. It all depends on where he sits in terms of technical skill, athleticism, game knowledge, performance anxiety compared to his teammates. If he is right there with his teammates skill wise then I would say yes this is good advice - if he is working his butt off in a midfield position, the best on his team and frustrated with the losses then it may be time to look for another team. If you aren’t sure - ask his coach.

Thanks. No, he is appropriately placed on this team. He has had some really good games, but some not good ones as well. He sometimes struggles to play well through minor issues and injuries (like an opponent accidentially kicking him, not serious physcial injuries), which will hopefully change with maturity, but for now, he's in the right place.

Depends. Maybe he is the best player on the team and super frustrated with passes that go no where. It all depends on where he sits in terms of technical skill, athleticism, game knowledge, performance anxiety compared to his teammates. If he is right there with his teammates skill wise then I would say yes this is good advice - if he is working his butt off in a midfield position, the best on his team and frustrated with the losses then it may be time to look for another team. If you aren’t sure - ask his coach.

My son is really upset about this, but isn't it better to move to a division where the team can be more successful and play against more appropriately-matched opponents? No one likes to move down, but in theory, isn't it better to be more appropriately placed? Am I giving him bad advice when I say not to worry too much about this?