15:58 - not necessarily, depending on the club. The last couple of years at our big club, most of the girls who tried out made it. But the number of boys trying out exceeded the available spots by about 100%.

If he likes where he is, stick with it. Travel is expensive and I'm not sure it's worth it unless you're on one of the top teams. We've done all 3 levels (rec, developmental, travel) and if you're not one of the top kids on a top team, you can get kind of overlooked. My daughter was one of the younger, smaller kids on her travel team and she didn't get a lot of playing time. But she's a starter and a leader on her current rec and developmental teams, so that's been really good for her.

OP here - his PPA team is worlds away from his previous Rec team so I wouldn't compare that way. It's the right level of competition and time commitment for him now but I'm concerned that as he gets older and if he decides he wants more, it wlll be too late.

we moved to travel this year (8 years old and 3rd grade) and it has been great. also, we went by to watch the rec team play and see friends and they were pretty terrible. it was eye opening to see the differences in skill sets.

But happiness is a big factor.

At 8, I'd stay where he's happy. With my (now 14 yo), we stayed with rec through elementary school and then moved to a travel team for 6th grade. Most of his teammates were moving on to travel then and it was a good time.

He probably "should" have moved to travel a year earlier, but he enjoyed his team so much and didn't want to then. That was more important to me.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If he's happy where he is, don't mess with it.

Agree.

Btw, any kid can make a travel team. There are a gazillion travel teams in the area at all different levels. It's just a matter of signing a check. It isn't "a select thing" like it was decades ago when only very few kids could make one and the majority played rec.

I agree with this. We decided to stay with rec instead of doing travel for a variety of reasons, and had a tough couple of years when the rest of the rec field just wasn't that good and kids didn't care about playing. Now the travel players seem to be coming back to rec in droves.

^^ If rec is still good competition then no, travel is not worth it.

Best on my experience with several kids who play or played at the most competitive levels, you do not need to rush into travel at this age. If your coach is strong, technical training is a focus and you are playing against good competition given your DS's abilities, you are safe. Let him develop skills and a love for the game. Once that happens then I would recommend revisiting travel at U12/U13.

Don't get caught up in this push to travel. To be frank, unless your kid in a super star and is head and shoulders above everyone else and the coaching is horrible, you will waste time and money. At the top clubs, if your are playing on anything other than the A team, you are traveling around the DMV to play against team on par or worse than the teams you play at PPA. The coaching is also uneven because the best coaches as coaching the older kids.

At this age, keep your DS at PPA if the coach is good. Get their input. Ask if they plan to play in the local travel tournaments like Mid-Atlantic. Use the money you would have spent on travel to enroll your DS at a strong summer clinic or summer camp.

Many of the DC parents are like lemmings and just follow everyone off of the cliff into the money pit called travel soccer. We did the same until we realized that travel soccer was a waste at the younger ages for most kids. If your DS develops, he will run circles around current travel players at the u12/u13 tryouts.

RantingSoccerDad wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS is 8 and in 3rd grade. Plays on a very good PPA Developmental Team and is probably in the middle of the pack talent wise on that team. He's happy on that team and isn't asking for more so we should just stick with it right? It's unlikely he'd even make a travel team, right?

depends on his goals. If he's excited about soccer, wanting more, or frustrated with the sometimes lackadaisical play, travel will provide more challenge and at some point, will be pretty much required in order to continue development and play against higher level competition. You can also continue in rec, and supplement that with private skills training.
I would wait until he shows some real interest and dedication before wading into the travel realm. It's not for everyone. At some age.. perhaps 10, 11, unless you have been diligent with extra training, it will become difficult to make a travel team.

Seems to be the opposite in NoVa. We have giant cattle-call tryouts at U9, and then they're begging for players by U13.

Agree. They drive the love of the sport right out of the kids and many gravitate to other things. And, these are kids that lived and died for soccer when they started out at 8.

Anonymous wrote:If he's happy where he is, don't mess with it.

Agree.

Btw, any kid can make a travel team. There are a gazillion travel teams in the area at all different levels. It's just a matter of signing a check. It isn't "a select thing" like it was decades ago when only very few kids could make one and the majority played rec.

Anonymous wrote:DS is 8 and in 3rd grade. Plays on a very good PPA Developmental Team and is probably in the middle of the pack talent wise on that team. He's happy on that team and isn't asking for more so we should just stick with it right? It's unlikely he'd even make a travel team, right?

depends on his goals. If he's excited about soccer, wanting more, or frustrated with the sometimes lackadaisical play, travel will provide more challenge and at some point, will be pretty much required in order to continue development and play against higher level competition. You can also continue in rec, and supplement that with private skills training.
I would wait until he shows some real interest and dedication before wading into the travel realm. It's not for everyone. At some age.. perhaps 10, 11, unless you have been diligent with extra training, it will become difficult to make a travel team.

If he's happy where he is, don't mess with it.

Anonymous wrote:At the early ages, most kids who have had any training will make a travel team.

while true, check the threads here to see what you might expect if you end up on on an A, B, C, or D team

Yep, he's fine.

At the early ages, most kids who have had any training will make a travel team.

DS is 8 and in 3rd grade. Plays on a very good PPA Developmental Team and is probably in the middle of the pack talent wise on that team. He's happy on that team and isn't asking for more so we should just stick with it right? It's unlikely he'd even make a travel team, right?