You want to start going to the development academies. Find one close to your house. This one is in DC, but the website will give you a good feel for what to look for in a program.

http://www.dcyouthfutbolclub.org/dcyfc-academy-program.html

Notice the price. Pricing varies.

If you do one of these type programs, your ds will improve rapidly, enjoy the program and you will get out of the rec stuff- poke and chase.

Potomac Soccer club & Brit Am have also partnered to do a K-1st program http://www.potomacsoccer.org/Default.aspx?tabid=515209

Bethesda Soccer Club doesn't start until around U8 I think. Most of the kids who end up on that development academy (the 'elite') and the travel teams have generally come up (and the Potomac Soccer Club travel teams) via MSI through teams coached by parents who were former relatively big players themselves.

We do Jouons and it sounds like what you're looking for. You can try their winter league.

http://www.jouonsfc.com/default.aspx

Do MSI & your husband coach. Ask other kids from DS's class & neighborhood to join who he likes to spend time with (and/or blatantly already invite kids who seem more athletic). Seriously. Both of my kids are now in the developmental league.

fwiw, ages 4-7 is a magical important time. most programs / clubs offer rec team options plus a once a week extra skills clinic in a group setting of marginal value. summer camps very similar, whether county, club, or something like UK petite. after making the mistake with our first child, we skipped all of this and coached our own boys teams (indoor in winter) and did our own dad trainings during this time, and all of our boys made A travel teams, and 4 of them made it a year early and played up. most clubs offer paid babysitting for these young kids at ages 4-7. good luck figuring it out . . . for most families rec is enough, but volunteering and coaching twice a week kick'rounds at these ages will give your kid a chance to play travel early if that is your goal.

Anonymous wrote:Good Lord, get a grip on yourselves. Unless a kid is literally on fire, bleeding profusely, or suffering some other serious medical emergency on the soccer field there is nothing "dire" about any of it.

Another niave lemming parent throwing their time away. Their kid ended up with the same footskills as every other top kid at their big club at age 9. This swmi-pro dad should go watch a few of the sessions that they offer for these ages. It is garbage.

Anonymous wrote:we did Brit-Am at that age...son loved it. More "real" soccer and really nice coaches

Same. By far the best.

Good Lord, get a grip on yourselves. Unless a kid is literally on fire, bleeding profusely, or suffering some other serious medical emergency on the soccer field there is nothing "dire" about any of it.

Anonymous wrote:uh-- it's not all that dire. The kid is barely out of diapers. My kid is a "top soccer player" too and Rec was fine (with some supplemental clinics) until he was (gasp) 8. He did not even do Coerver until he was the ripe old age of 9!!

U r Wong. It is dire. This family is already realizing it.

uh-- it's not all that dire. The kid is barely out of diapers. My kid is a "top soccer player" too and Rec was fine (with some supplemental clinics) until he was (gasp) 8. He did not even do Coerver until he was the ripe old age of 9!!

Your post could have been written by us. I have bad news for you, what you want doesn't exist. As a parent of a couple young children, I can tell your husband to go do it himself. We searched and tried a lot. It is all horrible. Find a group of skilled similar minded players/families desperate for something better then the rec stuff and camps around here, and coach them once a week on your own. Focus on technique and footskills above all else. Our 2 kids are now top travel players and no one has caught up to their ability on the ball. Coaches still ask where they learned soccer. Stop looking, you will waste your time. There are other families like you on the rec fields. You have to find them. It's the only way unfortunately.

Might want to check out PPA

we did Brit-Am at that age...son loved it. More "real" soccer and really nice coaches

Is he in kindergarten yet? A lot of the programs around here start at kindergarten for the rec level. (ours does - we're in Arlington.)

If not, maybe you could give him a chance to try a different sport until next fall, when he can join a rec league with other kindergartners. He could try basketball or lacrosse and shake things up, and then go back to soccer.

My DS is five and has, for lack of a better word, outgrown is current soccer club. I know that he is young, but he has been kicking a ball since he could walk (thanks to his dad who played semi-pro and couldn't resist getting him started early). This will be his fourth season at our current club, which has undergone some changes that are making the experience somewhat boring for DS. We did a lot of research before getting him started in a league, making sure that he would go somewhere that would actually teach him soccer specific skills and not just babysit him for an hour. Much of what was available when he started at age 3 involved games meant for kids who have never seen a soccer ball before and that's just not my kid. Unfortunately, our club has partnered with another organization that has moved the focus of it's youngest age group back in the direction of kids who are new to the game. This is great generally, but DS is visibly bored and at times frustrated by what's going on (they pick the ball up with their hands quite a bit, for example).

We live in Bethesda and don't mind driving a bit if it means getting him into the right program. To be clear, we're not looking to sign a pro contract at age five. I promise we're not those parents. But we do want him to enjoy the game (or at least have a real opportunity to decide for himself whether he's interested), and the current situation isn't cutting it.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!