The goal is for kids to get some exercise, make friends and be on a team with kids of similar skill, with a decent coach. Ideally, they learn some discipline and that you get out what you put into it.

My 8th grader enjoys it, it keeps her fit and motivated. Shes got ADHD so loves being active. We have done travel for just over a year. I don't give in to the crazy, you don't have to. I talk to the normal parents on the sidelines.
My current goal if im being honest is for her to make the HS team. She is starting in mcps from private and I want her to find her people. Being on the soccer team in HS would be great.

Anonymous wrote:There is no goal any more than other things my kids do have a goal. They like it, I can afford it, so we do it. We also go on vacations, concerts, they take music lessons. There is no goal other than doing activities we enjoy.

This is us as well. DS loves it and we enjoy it too. There's a good chance he will be offered a scholarship but I'm hoping it doesn't happen. Ad a former college athlete, I had some regrets in college and my early 20s about what my 4 years old college looked like thanks to my sport. Also, DS has a major and end goal in mind that wouldn't work well with being a college athlete.

Anonymous wrote:My family is at the beginning of travel soccer and it seems like so many families are pushing for most competitive teams, most competitive or “elite” clubs, etc.

For those who have bought in (literally), what are you most hoping your kid gets from competitive soccer? A shot at a college scholarship? Benefits of a team sport? Discipline from playing at a competitive level?

My DS has closed the book two years ago on competitive soccer. He just turned 20 this week and for him it was having fun and developing discipline from playing at a competitive level. He was all about the relationships with friends on the team, playing for his HS, learning to manage his time, etc. He told us and demonstrated early on this was what he wanted and was happy doing. That was fine and great for us. He played at a level that was right for him. He'll kick around every once in a while now, but that's about it.

His younger sister is going to be a HS senior next year and it's been a different experience. Keep in mind, we started on the same path for both of them and she got more serious with it and we let her tell us what she wanted - for example, at U10, she was selected to play for a team that practiced 3 times a week which created a conflict with her dance classes. We talked and she wanted more soccer, so she stopped dance. She asked if she could play futsal, so we did that. She wanted to do more trainings, so we signed her up for those.

We road the wave with her - she's learned a lot about commitment, leadership, ups and downs of life dong this for the last 5 or 6 years. The fact that she loves the game and has been able to parlay that love into a college scholarship at a T20 university is the icing on the cake so far. We're looking forward to see where this takes her next. We never said going into this when I was coaching her U6 team that this is where we needed to be.

Good luck and enjoy the ride.

Anonymous wrote:My family is at the beginning of travel soccer and it seems like so many families are pushing for most competitive teams, most competitive or “elite” clubs, etc.

For those who have bought in (literally), what are you most hoping your kid gets from competitive soccer? A shot at a college scholarship? Benefits of a team sport? Discipline from playing at a competitive level?

I think if you are just starting out and your kid is U8 or U7 now, it is wise to figure out a strategic long-term question such as this. -I was in your shoes about 5 years ago, we are going into U13 next year.

-Originally, I just wanted my DD to develop a passion for a sport that I love, with the end goal of playing in HS, making fiends, going on trips and creating fun memories together.

Then, the 1st year my DD was placed a 2nd team. Initially I didn't know what the difference was, all the kids seemed sort of similar. regarding their skill level. But then, as the 1st season went one, I noticed the 1st team coach was a lot better than our 2nd team coach. I noticed they had an extra player and we had fewer players and players who sometimes didn't even come to practice. I noticed they were becoming better, faster, more skilled and our team was not improving as much. The girls started to notice and they just knew they were not as good as the 1st team... they still played and had fun, but it just was not the same experience.

Being on the second team came with more turnover... better kids moved up, kids eventually quit, the parents were a bit dissatisfied ands there wasn't much unity or enthusiasm to even meet up for pizza after a game.

Some parents know about the difference in team dynamics either through experience or they are just dialed in to the dynamics or travel sports already.

We are on a high level 2nd team now with a national playoff pathway, one of the best in our state... but there is still a big difference between the support and resources & dedication of the families on the 1st team vs the 2nd team. 1st team fundraises and happily all signs up to fly to Florida for a showcase, the 2nd team complains if the match is 90 minutes away.

We already have college paid for by the GI Bill, but many of the 1st team parents are realistic and know there kids likely won't get a scholarship out of it. So, I think they worked early and paid for extra training, private training and skills clinics to get on top teams, especially at bigger clubs, because they are type A, want the best environment for their kids and hope to see them go off to play in college one day. Some families will do whatever it takes it get their kid in the right school, in with the right group, or on the highest team just because that is what they think they should be doing.

-Just my 2 cents and minor 2nd team rant.

Varsity soccer starter for a top high school. Having played into adult competitive leagues looking back this is the pinnacle.

Anonymous wrote:My family is at the beginning of travel soccer and it seems like so many families are pushing for most competitive teams, most competitive or “elite” clubs, etc.

For those who have bought in (literally), what are you most hoping your kid gets from competitive soccer? A shot at a college scholarship? Benefits of a team sport? Discipline from playing at a competitive level?

In the short-term, the goal is to have DC playing with a team they like and that makes them happy. Dividing youth soccer into competitive tiers works best when it facilitates this goal and is not just about people chasing an "elite team" for status. Soccer is the ultimate team sport and when you are on a team playing together with the same technical ability and understanding against good opposition, it is an amazing feeling. If your child gets to a point where they are much better than everyone on the field, it actually makes the game less enjoyable. By the same token, if they are on a top-tier team but aren't really good enough and spend most of their time on the bench and getting smoked in practice, that's not going to be fun either.

In the long term, the goal is to have them love soccer their whole lives, and fifty years from now they are playing twice a week and watching their kids or grandkids, hoping they enjoy the game as much as DC did when they were young.

My goal is for my DD to develop the same level of lifelong passion that a sport has given me. In doing so, I hope she develops the life skills that are critical for becoming an independent and strong female. If she decides to apply those skills to higher levels of soccer then even better.

The end goal is having fun. Becoming great at this sport and competing against the best in the land.

The goal is a college scholarship or at least entry to a school he wouldn’t otherwise qualify. It would be a major waste of time and money to give up at this point after what has been invested so far. He’s in 9th grade.

I want my kids to be healthy, learn to be leaders, and most importantly have fun. They are both in middle school, and we will keep going as long as they want to.

I have no goal except to facilitate my DD’s goals. If she wants to push to be on competitive teams, we will help her. If she’s happy playing on less competitive teams, we will celebrate her efforts. If she’s happy playing wants to stop, we will let her.

Right now she wants to be good enough to make & play on her HS team, and maybe more. We’re trying to help her realize that goal. I do think playing on a competitive team has been good for her.

Anonymous wrote:My family is at the beginning of travel soccer and it seems like so many families are pushing for most competitive teams, most competitive or “elite” clubs, etc.

For those who have bought in (literally), what are you most hoping your kid gets from competitive soccer? A shot at a college scholarship? Benefits of a team sport? Discipline from playing at a competitive level?

Type A families all push for the most competitive teams. They don't have an end goal, but they have a short term goal to be on the best team possible.

There is no goal any more than other things my kids do have a goal. They like it, I can afford it, so we do it. We also go on vacations, concerts, they take music lessons. There is no goal other than doing activities we enjoy.

My family is at the beginning of travel soccer and it seems like so many families are pushing for most competitive teams, most competitive or “elite” clubs, etc.

For those who have bought in (literally), what are you most hoping your kid gets from competitive soccer? A shot at a college scholarship? Benefits of a team sport? Discipline from playing at a competitive level?