Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I knew when my child told me he was going to play in college. DC was 9 or 10 at the time, on a fourth-tier team, routinely overlooked by coaches, and candidly looked like a baby deer on ice on the field. The reason I knew is that I saw what the coaches did not: that DC was and is one of the hardest-working kids I’ve ever known, and is profoundly goal-oriented. I knew by age 9 that DC would accomplish what he wanted.

And he did. DC did drills on his own every day. He spent hours in the backyard. He asked for extra training outside of the club (we learned early on never to trust the clubs) and focused hard in those sessions. He never asked to skip practice once. He lifted weights even though he hated doing it. He ignored taunts from teammates, coaches that targeted him because he was a weaker player, and many, many games where he was suited up but played maybe ten minutes max, or not at all. He switched teams multiple times as a kid, at his own volition, just slowly moving up and up the system. He ended up at MLSNext/ECNL level but even there didn’t trust the coaches (wise decision) and put in many hours of his own time contacting colleges. Those college coaches evaluated him on his own merits (they don’t trust the clubs either, as it turns out), and he had several good college offers. Now he’s a starter.

DCUM is convinced that if your kid isn’t a superstar by 9 you might as well give up. It’s ridiculous. My kid had more and better offers than the first team players we knew at U10. But focus, hard work, grit and tenacity are absolutely required.

Sounds very much like my son. It seems continually getting screwed over does something for kids that want it. I couldn't believe my kid still wanted to play after some of the truly awful things that were done to him by Clubs and coaches over the years. And younger son easily got every spot he ever tried out for, always played, always selected, etc. and he the other one was by far more committed and a better player. Younger son never really experienced adversity in the sport and even when I'd tell him he wasn't working hard enough or didn't look like he was trying in practice of tryouts--he always would get picked. He never turned into the player he could have been...and the firstborn was the opposite and it was hard to watch younger brother just get it so easily. Younger one had no desire to play in college even though he could of. Older one also had tons of growth-related injuries over the years, was out his entire Junior year--but kept pushing and landed a D1 school Fall of Senior year.

Anonymous wrote:I knew when my child told me he was going to play in college. DC was 9 or 10 at the time, on a fourth-tier team, routinely overlooked by coaches, and candidly looked like a baby deer on ice on the field. The reason I knew is that I saw what the coaches did not: that DC was and is one of the hardest-working kids I’ve ever known, and is profoundly goal-oriented. I knew by age 9 that DC would accomplish what he wanted.

And he did. DC did drills on his own every day. He spent hours in the backyard. He asked for extra training outside of the club (we learned early on never to trust the clubs) and focused hard in those sessions. He never asked to skip practice once. He lifted weights even though he hated doing it. He ignored taunts from teammates, coaches that targeted him because he was a weaker player, and many, many games where he was suited up but played maybe ten minutes max, or not at all. He switched teams multiple times as a kid, at his own volition, just slowly moving up and up the system. He ended up at MLSNext/ECNL level but even there didn’t trust the coaches (wise decision) and put in many hours of his own time contacting colleges. Those college coaches evaluated him on his own merits (they don’t trust the clubs either, as it turns out), and he had several good college offers. Now he’s a starter.

DCUM is convinced that if your kid isn’t a superstar by 9 you might as well give up. It’s ridiculous. My kid had more and better offers than the first team players we knew at U10. But focus, hard work, grit and tenacity are absolutely required.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I knew when my child told me he was going to play in college. DC was 9 or 10 at the time, on a fourth-tier team, routinely overlooked by coaches, and candidly looked like a baby deer on ice on the field. The reason I knew is that I saw what the coaches did not: that DC was and is one of the hardest-working kids I’ve ever known, and is profoundly goal-oriented. I knew by age 9 that DC would accomplish what he wanted.

And he did. DC did drills on his own every day. He spent hours in the backyard. He asked for extra training outside of the club (we learned early on never to trust the clubs) and focused hard in those sessions. He never asked to skip practice once. He lifted weights even though he hated doing it. He ignored taunts from teammates, coaches that targeted him because he was a weaker player, and many, many games where he was suited up but played maybe ten minutes max, or not at all. He switched teams multiple times as a kid, at his own volition, just slowly moving up and up the system. He ended up at MLSNext/ECNL level but even there didn’t trust the coaches (wise decision) and put in many hours of his own time contacting colleges. Those college coaches evaluated him on his own merits (they don’t trust the clubs either, as it turns out), and he had several good college offers. Now he’s a starter.

DCUM is convinced that if your kid isn’t a superstar by 9 you might as well give up. It’s ridiculous. My kid had more and better offers than the first team players we knew at U10. But focus, hard work, grit and tenacity are absolutely required.

Sounds very much like my son. It seems continually getting screwed over does something for kids that want it. I couldn't believe my kid still wanted to play after some of the truly awful things that were done to him by Clubs and coaches over the years. And younger son easily got every spot he ever tried out for, always played, always selected, etc. and he the other one was by far more committed and a better player. Younger son never really experienced adversity in the sport and even when I'd tell him he wasn't working hard enough or didn't look like he was trying in practice of tryouts--he always would get picked. He never turned into the player he could have been...and the firstborn was the opposite and it was hard to watch younger brother just get it so easily. Younger one had no desire to play in college even though he could of. Older one also had tons of growth-related injuries over the years, was out his entire Junior year--but kept pushing and landed a D1 school Fall of Senior year.

Anonymous wrote:I knew when my child told me he was going to play in college. DC was 9 or 10 at the time, on a fourth-tier team, routinely overlooked by coaches, and candidly looked like a baby deer on ice on the field. The reason I knew is that I saw what the coaches did not: that DC was and is one of the hardest-working kids I’ve ever known, and is profoundly goal-oriented. I knew by age 9 that DC would accomplish what he wanted.

And he did. DC did drills on his own every day. He spent hours in the backyard. He asked for extra training outside of the club (we learned early on never to trust the clubs) and focused hard in those sessions. He never asked to skip practice once. He lifted weights even though he hated doing it. He ignored taunts from teammates, coaches that targeted him because he was a weaker player, and many, many games where he was suited up but played maybe ten minutes max, or not at all. He switched teams multiple times as a kid, at his own volition, just slowly moving up and up the system. He ended up at MLSNext/ECNL level but even there didn’t trust the coaches (wise decision) and put in many hours of his own time contacting colleges. Those college coaches evaluated him on his own merits (they don’t trust the clubs either, as it turns out), and he had several good college offers. Now he’s a starter.

DCUM is convinced that if your kid isn’t a superstar by 9 you might as well give up. It’s ridiculous. My kid had more and better offers than the first team players we knew at U10. But focus, hard work, grit and tenacity are absolutely required.

Anonymous wrote:you can know all you want but if your kid isn't committed to it, it doesn't matter.