Nobody seems to be answering your question, which I think is essentially: Where else can a good player play, when they are at a big club that will lock their player card, even at a young age, and the regular season is not offering them enough of a challenge?

1. Ask about guest-playing one or even two years up with her home club, especially on the second or even third team. Most clubs are very happy to accommodate that in some way, for top players. Playing against bigger, stronger players can be a good challenge, even if the overall skill level is lower.

2. Futsal. There are tons of options, including year-round; usually does not conflict with the player card and can help with speed of game play.

3. Organizing 3v3 and 5v5 teams. You can Google and see lots of options. This requires some coordination by the families, and the tournaments can be hit-or-miss - you can have all easy opponents and no competitive games, or you can get combined with an older age group that actually has strong teams and get annihilated. Both are bad. But there can also be fun, competitive days with tons of touches.

All that said, I do agree with other posters that the games aren't actually that important for development at the young ages. It's best to spend less time schlepping to games, and more time training on the ball.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:First step is to relax. I know from the crazy parents on this bb it can feel like everything matters but your kid is 9 years old. Nothing really matters where you play until U13 when they start playing 11 v 11, and even then it really doesn't matter where you play until U15.

At U10, the best way to make sure you daughter is developing is to find a coach and team she likes so she falls in love with playing soccer. And not just playing, but also loves practicing. Practicing and working on her own as much as possible is what will separate her from the others at her age and beyond. Maybe find a small group trainer that she can do once/week to work on technical skills.

Good advice as I already have multiple kids playing at u13 and above. Just looking for something to supplement her team.

Supplement with technical group training where they work on how to pass, receive, shoot, dribble, 1v1's, defending. It's important to have a good understanding of the basics and then she can work on those same things on her own. If she puts a good amount of time in practicing you'll quickly see the separation from the other players on her team not doing those things. Development especially at that age doesn't happen in games. It happens in practicing individual skills.

Thanks. She is doing these things both with trainers and on her own. Looking for playing supplements as well.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:First step is to relax. I know from the crazy parents on this bb it can feel like everything matters but your kid is 9 years old. Nothing really matters where you play until U13 when they start playing 11 v 11, and even then it really doesn't matter where you play until U15.

At U10, the best way to make sure you daughter is developing is to find a coach and team she likes so she falls in love with playing soccer. And not just playing, but also loves practicing. Practicing and working on her own as much as possible is what will separate her from the others at her age and beyond. Maybe find a small group trainer that she can do once/week to work on technical skills.

Good advice as I already have multiple kids playing at u13 and above. Just looking for something to supplement her team.

Supplement with technical group training where they work on how to pass, receive, shoot, dribble, 1v1's, defending. It's important to have a good understanding of the basics and then she can work on those same things on her own. If she puts a good amount of time in practicing you'll quickly see the separation from the other players on her team not doing those things. Development especially at that age doesn't happen in games. It happens in practicing individual skills.

Anonymous wrote:First step is to relax. I know from the crazy parents on this bb it can feel like everything matters but your kid is 9 years old. Nothing really matters where you play until U13 when they start playing 11 v 11, and even then it really doesn't matter where you play until U15.

At U10, the best way to make sure you daughter is developing is to find a coach and team she likes so she falls in love with playing soccer. And not just playing, but also loves practicing. Practicing and working on her own as much as possible is what will separate her from the others at her age and beyond. Maybe find a small group trainer that she can do once/week to work on technical skills.

Good advice as I already have multiple kids playing at u13 and above. Just looking for something to supplement her team.

Anonymous wrote:I think you should just quit now. Clearly her soccer career is over by this horrific downgrade in competition.

It’s ok to have different goals for our kids. Every kid has their own path and no one path is better than another. If the subject doesn’t apply to you, that’s ok too, just move on.

First step is to relax. I know from the crazy parents on this bb it can feel like everything matters but your kid is 9 years old. Nothing really matters where you play until U13 when they start playing 11 v 11, and even then it really doesn't matter where you play until U15.

At U10, the best way to make sure you daughter is developing is to find a coach and team she likes so she falls in love with playing soccer. And not just playing, but also loves practicing. Practicing and working on her own as much as possible is what will separate her from the others at her age and beyond. Maybe find a small group trainer that she can do once/week to work on technical skills.

Anonymous wrote:I think you should just quit now. Clearly her soccer career is over by this horrific downgrade in competition.

100%! I’m glad someone said it! You’re the only sane person here.

I think you should just quit now. Clearly her soccer career is over by this horrific downgrade in competition.

You are absurd. There is barely any discernible difference between different adjacent divisions of NCSL.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:at u10 in NCSL, there is no such thing as a top division in NCLS- it's still based on proximity

This is incorrect. There is clearly a top tier division where all the big clubs put their top two teams.

I think PP was making an epistemological comment, along the lines of “there is no such thing as an elite 9 year old soccer player.”

Both are true - top tiers exist in NCSL and elite u10 soccer isn’t really elite anything.

What club?

My DD plays on the top team in her age, her club doesn’t allow for playing up permanently, so she dual rosters on a boys team for the club in a less competitive league to help keep her speed of play as high as possible.

Anonymous wrote:at u10 in NCSL, there is no such thing as a top division in NCLS- it's still based on proximity

This is incorrect. There is clearly a top tier division where all the big clubs put their top two teams.

Anonymous wrote:Wondering what other options are out there for our U10 daughter whose team will not be playing in the top NCSL division. The club communicated the top team will be playing in the second division and we are worried the speed of play will hinder her development.

Outside of year round futsal programs, what option would she have to play at a higher level outside of her main team without having any player card conflicts?

You’ve got to discuss this with your club tbh. Even Futsal can have player card conflicts with the club - and some clubs are legit insane about it.

at u10 in NCSL, there is no such thing as a top division in NCLS- it's still based on proximity

Wondering what other options are out there for our U10 daughter whose team will not be playing in the top NCSL division. The club communicated the top team will be playing in the second division and we are worried the speed of play will hinder her development.

Outside of year round futsal programs, what option would she have to play at a higher level outside of her main team without having any player card conflicts?