Anonymous
Post 06/17/2026 09:49     Subject: Do mid season demotions ever happen?
Anonymous wrote:And these bottom few players, its not like they had potential. They weren't fast, not as athletic as the surrounding team and league. No improvement and development despite playing with more advanced players the entire year. If anything, being on the top team hurt them. It messed with their confidence and you could see the frustration in their game.



That's always a great attitude to have for youth players
Anonymous
Post 06/17/2026 09:21     Subject: Do mid season demotions ever happen?
And these bottom few players, its not like they had potential. They weren't fast, not as athletic as the surrounding team and league. No improvement and development despite playing with more advanced players the entire year. If anything, being on the top team hurt them. It messed with their confidence and you could see the frustration in their game.

Anonymous
Post 06/17/2026 08:45     Subject: Do mid season demotions ever happen?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:

Serious question. How do 2-3 players jeopardize the development of other players?


Every time these players touched the ball, it would get stolen. Their footwork/ball control wasn’t good enough to avoid pressure and they couldn’t pass, so building out from the back was non-existent. Building from the back is a fundamental foundation at the older/higher level. As far as the wingers and forwards, they get limited playing experience when the only time they’re getting the ball is from kick ball/long balls or stealing the ball.


Bingo. And that doesn’t even begin to talk about the wasted training sessions that aren’t making the other players better with no practical competition or botched/low intensity drills.


+1.

The bottom 1/3rd of my kids team this past year messed up drills by not paying attention when it was being explained, no urgency, lack of skill (ex. bad passes/first touch).
Anonymous
Post 06/17/2026 08:29     Subject: Do mid season demotions ever happen?
Anonymous wrote:

Serious question. How do 2-3 players jeopardize the development of other players?


Every time these players touched the ball, it would get stolen. Their footwork/ball control wasn’t good enough to avoid pressure and they couldn’t pass, so building out from the back was non-existent. Building from the back is a fundamental foundation at the older/higher level. As far as the wingers and forwards, they get limited playing experience when the only time they’re getting the ball is from kick ball/long balls or stealing the ball.


Bingo. And that doesn’t even begin to talk about the wasted training sessions that aren’t making the other players better with no practical competition or botched/low intensity drills.
Anonymous
Post 06/17/2026 07:49     Subject: Do mid season demotions ever happen?

Serious question. How do 2-3 players jeopardize the development of other players?


Every time these players touched the ball, it would get stolen. Their footwork/ball control wasn’t good enough to avoid pressure and they couldn’t pass, so building out from the back was non-existent. Building from the back is a fundamental foundation at the older/higher level. As far as the wingers and forwards, they get limited playing experience when the only time they’re getting the ball is from kick ball/long balls or stealing the ball.
Anonymous
Post 06/17/2026 06:10     Subject: Do mid season demotions ever happen?
Anonymous wrote:Achilles has a pool model where you are not guaranteed a spot and must earn it every week. That is the closest I have seen. It forces players to develop.


Technically most ECNL teams are “pool model.”

How many kids actually move around though from week to week? This seems like one of those things that sounds like good “philosophy” but awful in practice.
Anonymous
Post 06/16/2026 22:46     Subject: Do mid season demotions ever happen?
Anonymous wrote:My kid plays at a big club in MD that has several teams per age group. I noticed that it is extremely rare for mid season demotions to take place. I do see mid season promotions (usually when kids drop out or out injured). I also see demotions when offers are sent out at the end of the season, but never mid season.
It also seems to me that even if a player underperforms, it will not be sent down. The only way for something like that is if a parents asks the club to sent him down due to lack of minutes.
Are there clubs in the area that regularly send players down when they are underperforming or not getting minutes with their current team?


Potomac boys do tons of demotions/promotions. Some justified, some not. MR changes kids around like crazy. So yes, it happens.
Anonymous
Post 06/16/2026 21:14     Subject: Do mid season demotions ever happen?
I have seen it happen on the girls side at u11 and younger, after a convo with the parents about development & playing time or coaching fit.

At older ages the club usually has more information going into offers and kids should be given a chance to level up as some ebbs and flows in development are naturally. Changes within the year should be rare and reserved for unusual circumstances.
Anonymous
Post 06/16/2026 21:14     Subject: Do mid season demotions ever happen?
Anonymous wrote:I wished our club did. The last two years we had 2-3 players that were significantly less talented compared to the rest of the team. It was a completely different game whenever they were in. Soccer is a team sport and I’m a big believer that you’re only as good as the players around you. They jeopardized the overall development of players on the team.

Serious question. How do 2-3 players jeopardize the development of other players? I get it that they could jeopardize winning a game but that doesnt change a players development.
We had a new goalie this season. She wasn’t very good at the start. Our kids played amazing games but lost a few because of goals let in. Didn’t mean my kid didn’t learn and improve. They played really well.
Anonymous
Post 06/16/2026 21:14     Subject: Do mid season demotions ever happen?
I feel like at some point, moving down may be a violation of the contract agreement. Maybe not at U9 or with clubs that pool the players together. I know at some clubs, the club fees differ by team level. So, it would be a mess to move a kid down, vs moving a kid up. A family could have actual recourse for breaking a contract if they wanted to push it.

Anonymous
Post 06/16/2026 20:46     Subject: Do mid season demotions ever happen?
I wished our club did. The last two years we had 2-3 players that were significantly less talented compared to the rest of the team. It was a completely different game whenever they were in. Soccer is a team sport and I’m a big believer that you’re only as good as the players around you. They jeopardized the overall development of players on the team.
Anonymous
Post 06/16/2026 19:47     Subject: Do mid season demotions ever happen?
I’ve know of boys who have gotten moved down. I’ve never heard of a girl mid season. Ulittles
Anonymous
Post 06/16/2026 19:40     Subject: Do mid season demotions ever happen?
Achilles has a pool model where you are not guaranteed a spot and must earn it every week. That is the closest I have seen. It forces players to develop.
Anonymous
Post 06/16/2026 19:18     Subject: Do mid season demotions ever happen?
Anonymous wrote:My kid plays at a big club in MD that has several teams per age group. I noticed that it is extremely rare for mid season demotions to take place. I do see mid season promotions (usually when kids drop out or out injured). I also see demotions when offers are sent out at the end of the season, but never mid season.
It also seems to me that even if a player underperforms, it will not be sent down. The only way for something like that is if a parents asks the club to sent him down due to lack of minutes.
Are there clubs in the area that regularly send players down when they are underperforming or not getting minutes with their current team?


I don’t know how common it is, but a few years ago my kid got moved up midseason from second to top team and another couple of kids got moved down. This was u little age.
Anonymous
Post 06/16/2026 19:07     Subject: Do mid season demotions ever happen?
My kid plays at a big club in MD that has several teams per age group. I noticed that it is extremely rare for mid season demotions to take place. I do see mid season promotions (usually when kids drop out or out injured). I also see demotions when offers are sent out at the end of the season, but never mid season.
It also seems to me that even if a player underperforms, it will not be sent down. The only way for something like that is if a parents asks the club to sent him down due to lack of minutes.
Are there clubs in the area that regularly send players down when they are underperforming or not getting minutes with their current team?