I think the other question you should ask is, "If he moves to a lower team, will he be the best player on the team?" If the answer is "no", then he should probably move. If the answer is "yes", then don't move. If you're the best player on the field at a young age, you're on the wrong field.

yes

If it's physical and technical, I would definitely move him. Talk to his team coach first. Get his opinion. Just know that if he drops a team in the same club, the kids on that team may have very high expectations of him which may add some unwanted pressure to him. Just some points to consider.

My son was probably placed on too high a team. He is not as good as his teammates and cannot keep up in the running/fitness drills. We don't have a ton of time to put towards conditioning outside of soccer practice (he has learning disabilities, so schoolwork takes him so much longer than other kids). Can we just ask to move down one team, and give someone on the team below an opportunity to move up? He is U13, and said he doesn't care either way. The kids on his current team have been yelling at him, so it hasn't been much fun, and I'd rather he have a better experience with more comparable teammates.


Is it just conditioning? Or is he struggling technically too?

Seems to be both.

Anonymous wrote:My son was probably placed on too high a team. He is not as good as his teammates and cannot keep up in the running/fitness drills. We don't have a ton of time to put towards conditioning outside of soccer practice (he has learning disabilities, so schoolwork takes him so much longer than other kids). Can we just ask to move down one team, and give someone on the team below an opportunity to move up? He is U13, and said he doesn't care either way. The kids on his current team have been yelling at him, so it hasn't been much fun, and I'd rather he have a better experience with more comparable teammates.

Is it just conditioning? Or is he struggling technically too?

I would move him. My ds' friend quit soccer because he was on too high of a team. He struggled the entire year.

Of course you can, OP. Parents need to think about what is best for the child. No one else can prioritize your child the way you can.

Also, if you notice it you can be sure the coaches notice it, too. Generally coaches are very reluctant to move a kid down when he was promised the higher team because most parents go crazy. I have been on teams when coaches have repeatedly told parents (and I know this because the parents are friends of mine) that they think it would be better for the child's development to be on the lower team and the parents 1) ignore it/behave like the coach is just one random opinion 2) don't recognize that their child is not keeping up 3) plot to demand their money back if the child is "demoted" 4) are then livid when the child doesn't start and gets limited playing time.

My guess is that the coaches will genuinely appreciate someone who has an objective view of their child's performance and will likely be happy to make the move.

Anonymous wrote:My son was probably placed on too high a team. He is not as good as his teammates and cannot keep up in the running/fitness drills. We don't have a ton of time to put towards conditioning outside of soccer practice (he has learning disabilities, so schoolwork takes him so much longer than other kids). Can we just ask to move down one team, and give someone on the team below an opportunity to move up? He is U13, and said he doesn't care either way. The kids on his current team have been yelling at him, so it hasn't been much fun, and I'd rather he have a better experience with more comparable teammates.

If the training times don't conflict, you could ask whether he might be allowed to train with the other team too... This would give him an idea of whether that team is a better fit, both skill wise and the kids that play there. When asking current coach, spin it as you're looking to get him some extra touches in a structured way, it's a win-win for everyone. Then if you still want to switch him, talk to the coaches? But agree with one of the PP's, it's pretty early in the season - might want to give it a few weeks.

Anonymous wrote:

Let me guess - he's a big kid? This is why we need to stop promoting kids just because of their size. It does nobody any favors.

No, average. We weren't exactly promoted, we came from another club. Maybe they thought we wouldn't take the spot if it was not a good enough offer, but the truth was we made the change because we moved. Anyway, I just think everyone (his teammates, him) would be happier if he were placed more appropriately.

You could also just let him play through for the fall. You are pulling the chute waaaay to soon.

Let me guess - he's a big kid? This is why we need to stop promoting kids just because of their size. It does nobody any favors.

No, average. We weren't exactly promoted, we came from another club. Maybe they thought we wouldn't take the spot if it was not a good enough offer, but the truth was we made the change because we moved. Anyway, I just think everyone (his teammates, him) would be happier if he were placed more appropriately.

Let me guess - he's a big kid? This is why we need to stop promoting kids just because of their size. It does nobody any favors.

But even if he does move down it doesn't mean they want any of the other kids to replace him. It doesn't always work like that.

Sure- I'd just ask the director or whoever runds his age group.

Anonymous wrote:My son was probably placed on too high a team. He is not as good as his teammates and cannot keep up in the running/fitness drills. We don't have a ton of time to put towards conditioning outside of soccer practice (he has learning disabilities, so schoolwork takes him so much longer than other kids). Can we just ask to move down one team, and give someone on the team below an opportunity to move up? He is U13, and said he doesn't care either way. The kids on his current team have been yelling at him, so it hasn't been much fun, and I'd rather he have a better experience with more comparable teammates.

You can ask anything, you did here, what makes you think you can't ask a club?

My son was probably placed on too high a team. He is not as good as his teammates and cannot keep up in the running/fitness drills. We don't have a ton of time to put towards conditioning outside of soccer practice (he has learning disabilities, so schoolwork takes him so much longer than other kids). Can we just ask to move down one team, and give someone on the team below an opportunity to move up? He is U13, and said he doesn't care either way. The kids on his current team have been yelling at him, so it hasn't been much fun, and I'd rather he have a better experience with more comparable teammates.