Anonymous
04/07/2025 07:52
Subject: Are there any alternatives to travel soccer?
Anonymous wrote:she might be 2nd or 3rd team material. these are a lot less demanding and you will be able to skip practice and/or games. they have fun and pressure is lighter.
For most larger clubs, 2nd and 3rd teams are still travel ball and skipping is not acceptable.
Anonymous
04/06/2025 22:45
Subject: Are there any alternatives to travel soccer?
Not all rec is the same. We did rec and it started getting painful with the level of play so moved up to travel. Had a terrible experience there and went back to a different rec team where we pay 10% of what travel cost but the teammates, coaching, parents etc are all way better than the travel experience we had.
Anonymous
04/06/2025 17:03
Subject: Are there any alternatives to travel soccer?
Anonymous wrote:she might be 2nd or 3rd team material. these are a lot less demanding and you will be able to skip practice and/or games. they have fun and pressure is lighter.
Let’s not tell people to skip practice or games. Rec parents and kids don’t want this either.
Anonymous
04/06/2025 16:32
Subject: Are there any alternatives to travel soccer?
she might be 2nd or 3rd team material. these are a lot less demanding and you will be able to skip practice and/or games. they have fun and pressure is lighter.
Anonymous
04/06/2025 14:48
Subject: Re:Are there any alternatives to travel soccer?
Arlington has ADP, which is supposed to be in between rec and travel. Our DS did it for the first time this year. While we like the idea of some additional practices, we found ADP to be poorly organized and not well-run (e.g., we learned about the practice schedule about 1 week before we started).
I think you could supplement rec play with other practices, whether through the league directly or through outside coaching.
I think you could supplement rec play with other practices, whether through the league directly or through outside coaching.
Anonymous
04/06/2025 14:44
Subject: Are there any alternatives to travel soccer?
Was also going to recommend MSI Classic. Some of the D1 Classic teams could take on travel teams at the same age level. The Classic parents and players are happy with 2 practices per week and playing in Montgomery County and occasionally traveling for a tournament if and only if the team decides to
Anonymous
04/06/2025 14:42
Subject: Are there any alternatives to travel soccer?
What grade (I see her age). Alexandria has MCL/AGP as an intermediate league. It only goes to 6th grade. My child didn't do it, but referees for league games.
Anonymous
04/06/2025 14:39
Subject: Are there any alternatives to travel soccer?
If you’re in MD, MSI Classic is what you are looking for — it’s like rec plus. Level of play is high level rec to low level travel. Teams are run independently— some are parent/volunteer led (generally those that come up together as a rec team; volunteer run teams sometimes have paid coaches) and some are run and coached by a club. There are many clubs that put their lowest level team in Classic as opposed to EDP. MSI runs the league and handles game scheduling; all games are somewhere in Montgomery County. Generally only two practices a week
Anonymous
04/06/2025 12:17
Subject: Are there any alternatives to travel soccer?
In our area there are club leagues with 3 practices a week and a tournament every weekend (or at least 2 games), and also club leagues with 2 practices a week and one game a weekend except for one tournament weekend per season. This is the type of club league I prefer. Coaches are also volunteer so it’s cheaper. We are outside of Baltimore
Anonymous
04/06/2025 11:53
Subject: Are there any alternatives to travel soccer?
Rec is it frankly, let's be honest. If you want any semblance of a 'league' with structured games, a volunteer coach, and at least one ref, you have to succumb to rec. If 2-3 practices are too much, make up an excuse why she cannot attend one and then she'll have just 1-2 practices a week plus a game. Every rec league requires full participation and if she's decent, the coach will play her plenty.
Outside of a rec team, pick-up games are it or a local sportsclub, typically indoor, that just do futsals and no practices. Those are usually quite badly run however from experience.
Outside of a rec team, pick-up games are it or a local sportsclub, typically indoor, that just do futsals and no practices. Those are usually quite badly run however from experience.
Anonymous
04/06/2025 11:49
Subject: Are there any alternatives to travel soccer?
Anonymous wrote:DD is 10 and has been doing travel soccer for a few years. She's above average, maybe good, definitely not elite. She loves soccer, her team, games, and tournaments.
She doesn't mind team practice, but will not train/practice/play on her own because she "does soccer 4 to 5 days and a week, is just a kid, and doesn't want to do soccer all the time." I think this is actually a very well-reasonable opinion for a 10 year old, BUT she's starting to get left behind skillwise by her peers and she would be pretty upset if she moves down a level.
Part of what she enjoys is her friendships on the team and I don't want her to lose those because she's not keeping up with placements. I worry if she just drops, she'll give up playing completely. I also don't want her to burnout and lose her love for the game completely because she's expected to be a full time soccer player at such a young age.
She has many other activities and wants to explore more and I don't know how to help her balance her interests. Are there any alternatives for soccer other than club and rec? If not, how can we help her take the best approach Again, she's an above average/good player on her club team, but I've seen her play with rec teams and she looks like Messi in comparison and that's not rewarding for her.
I know other families struggle with this but just looking for options. There doesn't appear to be a "middle class" for soccer.
I would stay where you are until they move you down to another team. Then reconsider. In the next year or two she may change to doing training on her own or asking to do something else.
Anonymous
04/06/2025 11:00
Subject: Are there any alternatives to travel soccer?
Anonymous wrote:Hi OP. I think what you describe is very normal. The kids I see at U11 and U10 who are doing so much extra soccer seems to be largely driven by the parents (particularly the ones who run Instagram accounts for their kids.) Very few kids will practice on their own constantly after all the travel practice. My DD feels like she is missing out on other activities also, yet she loves soccer and believes she will be a professional soccer player one day. But yes, she could be demoted to make room for other kids as our roster is quite full already.
I have thought about this question also and have determined my kid could play rec a year up with myself as the coach. Or, we could take a year off and focus on skills clinics and camps like False8, Futstars, Capstone, St James ect...then re-assess down the road.
We had a few kids get moved down this past year to make room for new kids who were very good. None of the kids that were moved down were thrilled with it and one left the club because of it. It's a tough problem. But hang in there. The best 10 year old won't be the best 13 year olds and the best 13 year olds won't be the best 16 year olds. I would stick it out and go off your kids interest level.
Thanks! This is very helpful...and validating.
Anonymous
04/06/2025 10:12
Subject: Re:Are there any alternatives to travel soccer?
Death.
Anonymous
04/06/2025 10:07
Subject: Are there any alternatives to travel soccer?
Hi OP. I think what you describe is very normal. The kids I see at U11 and U10 who are doing so much extra soccer seems to be largely driven by the parents (particularly the ones who run Instagram accounts for their kids.) Very few kids will practice on their own constantly after all the travel practice. My DD feels like she is missing out on other activities also, yet she loves soccer and believes she will be a professional soccer player one day. But yes, she could be demoted to make room for other kids as our roster is quite full already.
I have thought about this question also and have determined my kid could play rec a year up with myself as the coach. Or, we could take a year off and focus on skills clinics and camps like False8, Futstars, Capstone, St James ect...then re-assess down the road.
We had a few kids get moved down this past year to make room for new kids who were very good. None of the kids that were moved down were thrilled with it and one left the club because of it. It's a tough problem. But hang in there. The best 10 year old won't be the best 13 year olds and the best 13 year olds won't be the best 16 year olds. I would stick it out and go off your kids interest level.
I have thought about this question also and have determined my kid could play rec a year up with myself as the coach. Or, we could take a year off and focus on skills clinics and camps like False8, Futstars, Capstone, St James ect...then re-assess down the road.
We had a few kids get moved down this past year to make room for new kids who were very good. None of the kids that were moved down were thrilled with it and one left the club because of it. It's a tough problem. But hang in there. The best 10 year old won't be the best 13 year olds and the best 13 year olds won't be the best 16 year olds. I would stick it out and go off your kids interest level.
Anonymous
04/06/2025 09:52
Subject: Are there any alternatives to travel soccer?
DD is 10 and has been doing travel soccer for a few years. She's above average, maybe good, definitely not elite. She loves soccer, her team, games, and tournaments.
She doesn't mind team practice, but will not train/practice/play on her own because she "does soccer 4 to 5 days and a week, is just a kid, and doesn't want to do soccer all the time." I think this is actually a very well-reasonable opinion for a 10 year old, BUT she's starting to get left behind skillwise by her peers and she would be pretty upset if she moves down a level.
Part of what she enjoys is her friendships on the team and I don't want her to lose those because she's not keeping up with placements. I worry if she just drops, she'll give up playing completely. I also don't want her to burnout and lose her love for the game completely because she's expected to be a full time soccer player at such a young age.
She has many other activities and wants to explore more and I don't know how to help her balance her interests. Are there any alternatives for soccer other than club and rec? If not, how can we help her take the best approach Again, she's an above average/good player on her club team, but I've seen her play with rec teams and she looks like Messi in comparison and that's not rewarding for her.
I know other families struggle with this but just looking for options. There doesn't appear to be a "middle class" for soccer.
She doesn't mind team practice, but will not train/practice/play on her own because she "does soccer 4 to 5 days and a week, is just a kid, and doesn't want to do soccer all the time." I think this is actually a very well-reasonable opinion for a 10 year old, BUT she's starting to get left behind skillwise by her peers and she would be pretty upset if she moves down a level.
Part of what she enjoys is her friendships on the team and I don't want her to lose those because she's not keeping up with placements. I worry if she just drops, she'll give up playing completely. I also don't want her to burnout and lose her love for the game completely because she's expected to be a full time soccer player at such a young age.
She has many other activities and wants to explore more and I don't know how to help her balance her interests. Are there any alternatives for soccer other than club and rec? If not, how can we help her take the best approach Again, she's an above average/good player on her club team, but I've seen her play with rec teams and she looks like Messi in comparison and that's not rewarding for her.
I know other families struggle with this but just looking for options. There doesn't appear to be a "middle class" for soccer.