Anonymous wrote:Understand from the beginning that the club essentially only cares about the A team and provides better coaching and resources and to the A team and that hardly anyone ever moves up to the A team from the B team.

+1

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How much it would cost in time and money until senior year....

About 2K/yr 7th and 8th grade
About 3K/yr 9-12

$16K

We just played club and no private training

I think you need to add in travel costs when looking at expense. That is where the real $$$ accrues.

Some tournaments are close by so you can drive back and forth each day; however, many/most tournaments are much further away so you will either drive and spend the night (plus food), or you will fly/train there, rent a car and then also have lodging/food expenses. Those costs are not apparent but they rack up rapidly. Then you add in the cost of the contributions for the team snacks at each tournament, sometimes having to pay for parking, and it is a death by a thousand cuts in addition to the bigger expenses you've already incurred.

We don't break out club costs by kid but I would guesstimate from a quick glance right now at our financial software that we spend at least $10k per kid per club sport per year, including the club fees estimated by the PP above.

Big schools?

Anonymous wrote:Understand from the beginning that the club essentially only cares about the A team and provides better coaching and resources and to the A team and that hardly anyone ever moves up to the A team from the B team.

They also don't give a sh*t about A team players that are not going to big schools.

Understand from the beginning that the club essentially only cares about the A team and provides better coaching and resources and to the A team and that hardly anyone ever moves up to the A team from the B team.

Anonymous wrote:OP. How do you not let your child play year round if the DC area clubs all seem to play year round?

My son played club soccer until he was in 10th grade.

We are MD so

Fall = soccer and 1-2 lax tournaments
Winter = Volunteering, low level basketball and some indoor lax
Spring = lax through June. 3 soccer tournaments, that he sometime missed.

July - maybe 1 lax tournament



By 10th had to drop club soccer.

Anonymous wrote:How much it would cost in time and money until senior year....

About 2K/yr 7th and 8th grade
About 3K/yr 9-12

$16K

We just played club and no private training

My kid is a 22. And plays on the beat 22 team in the area. He will play basketball for his HS this winter but has fall workouts for that too. He will also play fall showcases with his club lax team and attend a couple prospect days. Over the summer he played lax for his club and played basketball. That’s how it works.

Anonymous wrote:OP. How do you not let your child play year round if the DC area clubs all seem to play year round?

Exactly! They all require a year-long commitment and by 9th grade it is a huge waste of time and money.

OP. How do you not let your child play year round if the DC area clubs all seem to play year round?

How much it would cost in time and money until senior year....

Parent of DS who'll play in college next year. Stick to your local rec or club team as long as possible. Move to the top 3 club tryouts by 8th grade, no earlier than 7th. Perhaps look for a summer club but not necessarily top 3 by 6th grade.

Do not let your DK play lax year-round. Instead focus on other recreation level sports like basketball, field hockey if a girl, ice hockey, tennis - whatever they might like to try for fun. This will improve overall skills and avoid burnout. Lax coaches like multi-sport athletes. Foot work, speed, stick work (wall ball) all will help too.

Don't get caught up in the parent drama of top clubs etc until it's relevant - middle school at the earliest-see below.

If you want your kid to have a chance at private school lax, I'd start having them tryout out for a top club in 7th grade. Ours was recruited from a top club team to private and given significant aid. Private school coaches are there coaching while looking for public school talent to bring in. They look for raw athletic ability and decent speed and stick skills. Otherwise you can wait until 8th and save your weekends etc.

+1

Anonymous wrote:Looking for some perspective of those who have BTDT.

Just wish that it didn't exist. It has ruined the sport.

Looking for some perspective of those who have BTDT.