They have to be ready. My kid started at 6. They played up a couple of years with rec and could see the potential and limitations with the rec environment. My kid absolutely loved it. They were second team the first year and made first team the second year of u9.Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:OP -Just take your kid to the travel team tryouts next spring. I think they take them as young as 7 or 8 for U9 travel. ADP is a partial-waste of time of time if they like it. You are jumping the line for the travel top teams and will start out on the top team (They will have about 5-6 teams to start.) vs doing ADP or stying in Rec.
-Your kid might be on the bottom or mid level team the early year, but next year (when they try out for travel at their age group) they will usually be so far ahead, skill-wise, they should be placed on the top team.
-If you think that doesn't matter now, then I assure you it will matter and become a very difficult/ impossible task down the line by U11.
That is, if your 6 year old isn’t burnt out by 3 day a week soccer by age 11.
Anonymous wrote:OP -Just take your kid to the travel team tryouts next spring. I think they take them as young as 7 or 8 for U9 travel. ADP is a partial-waste of time of time if they like it. You are jumping the line for the travel top teams and will start out on the top team (They will have about 5-6 teams to start.) vs doing ADP or stying in Rec.
-Your kid might be on the bottom or mid level team the early year, but next year (when they try out for travel at their age group) they will usually be so far ahead, skill-wise, they should be placed on the top team.
-If you think that doesn't matter now, then I assure you it will matter and become a very difficult/ impossible task down the line by U11.