One thing that we didn't expect with high school soccer is just how long the practices are.

If your kid is the type who always works hard, it will be completely exhausting to have a 2.5 hour practice, even with a fair amount of 'dead' time (meaning, they completely waste an hour but still have 1.5 hours where it's intense if, as a player, you make it intense).

Training/playing on the school team every day after school, plus 4 days a week for club, with multiple games per week once the season starts, plus a club game on the weekends, is a crazy schedule.

Apart from being physically exhausted, it gives them very little time for studying/homework, plus no chance to do other extracurriculars.

This is why many kids don't WANT to play both club and school -- especially boys who realize that, even if they are ECNL starters, they are borderline, at best, to be recruited for Div I or desirable Div II or III schools.

Anonymous wrote:Why would they give waivers to play for private schools but not for public schools?

The families lie and tell the league it's a condition that they play for the PRIVATE high school because of their scholarship or a part of the admissions requirements.

Anonymous wrote:Why would they give waivers to play for private schools but not for public schools?

Cause money talks and BS walks

This the dmv fool.

Why would they give waivers to play for private schools but not for public schools?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:HS soccer is fun.....but will vary in competition level. Coaching sucks across the board and what makes a State Champion vs a non champion is how many travel players you were lucky enough to have attend your school.

MLS Next Homegrowns cannot play HS soccer, their clubs will be fined if caught. Other than that, they are all allowed to play. VDA didn't let their boys do it a few years ago, but they have had to change with the times as well.

There are rumblings that MLSN1 is going to be even more strict about the 'no highschool' rules in 26/27. I have no issue if that is what they want to do (no is being forced to play MLSN), my issue is that (right now) they pretty much give exceptions to any private school student who wants to play HS (via waivers), which is BS.

Yup, all the Armour kids play in the MIAA in Baltimore. But there are enough complaints about the club that I think most would leave if waivers weren’t freely available. Baltimore Union, and a pipeline would benefit.

Anonymous wrote:HS soccer is fun.....but will vary in competition level. Coaching sucks across the board and what makes a State Champion vs a non champion is how many travel players you were lucky enough to have attend your school.

MLS Next Homegrowns cannot play HS soccer, their clubs will be fined if caught. Other than that, they are all allowed to play. VDA didn't let their boys do it a few years ago, but they have had to change with the times as well.

There are rumblings that MLSN1 is going to be even more strict about the 'no highschool' rules in 26/27. I have no issue if that is what they want to do (no is being forced to play MLSN), my issue is that (right now) they pretty much give exceptions to any private school student who wants to play HS (via waivers), which is BS.

HS soccer is fun.....but will vary in competition level. Coaching sucks across the board and what makes a State Champion vs a non champion is how many travel players you were lucky enough to have attend your school.

MLS Next Homegrowns cannot play HS soccer, their clubs will be fined if caught. Other than that, they are all allowed to play. VDA didn't let their boys do it a few years ago, but they have had to change with the times as well.

Anonymous wrote:Must be Virginia parent…

Who is "Virginia Parent"? Is she a local celebrity? I've never heard of her.

Onus is on parents and players for letting an outside organization dictating your life choices.

Public schools . . . you get what you pay for.

Anonymous wrote:Must be Virginia parent…

Kids priorities change when they get to high school. I can see how playing in your school stadium in front of friends would be more attractive than playing at some random park in front of a handful of parents. The number of teams per age group drop rapidly as the go up in age. Probably the same for other sports.

Must be Virginia parent…

Anonymous wrote:What local teams do not allow boys to play high school soccer? We have a player looking to move down from the top tier or quit so he can play with his friends at school. It makes sense for the MLS academies not to play since the team is making an investment in the player, but for everyone else this seems short sighted. How many talented athletes are we losing at the top level b/c of this rule?

You sure transitioned quickly from an issue for your DS to addressing the entire system.

Then go play for HS.

What local teams do not allow boys to play high school soccer? We have a player looking to move down from the top tier or quit so he can play with his friends at school. It makes sense for the MLS academies not to play since the team is making an investment in the player, but for everyone else this seems short sighted. How many talented athletes are we losing at the top level b/c of this rule?