16:01 the order of the names/numbers on the tryouts (at stoddert) are meaningless.

Have to agree with the poster about he good grades. As an example, Univ of Michigan offered $10,000 in merit scholarship money for 4 years to all the churchill acceptees. Many other univ offer merit money as well. Good grades are much better to strive for than travel soccer.

does anyone know if the 'order' of the names on tryout results indicate how they did, i.e., the kids with best scores were listed first?

another travel parent here and i agree with 15:20. I don't understand the bitterness. Being child molested in the 70s was not only a soccer thing. People were dumb about guarding their children then. We try to organize pickup games by email. Sometimes it works.

My son plays travel. He plays travel because rec soccer wasn't any fun for him. We have no aspirations to turn him pro. We have no aspirations that soccer will pay for college. I can tell you this, though:

* he is really enjoying it.

* he is thriving in the environment with coaches who treat him so seriously (in the best of ways...)

* he is LOVING the serious athleticism of the program (which he just wasn't finding in rec).

* he is making friends with some nice kids from nice families.

I'm not sure I'm with 14:10 on avoiding team sports because the "clock" doesn't lie, because at least for us, the team thing is part of what's working.

Anonymous wrote:I disagree, and that is the point of the article. You don't need 14 or 22 kids to play pick up soccer, and according to the comments from readers, there is more pick-up soccer in the suburbs than the inner city.

1) you need at least ONE other kid who's at similar level of ability and INTERESTS to do pickup games. all i'm saying is i'm not seeing it happening in the burbs. i see kids in playgrounds but never one with a soccer ball.

2) i don't live in the inner city so i don't know if they play there; no pickup soccer in my suburban neighborhood.

Put them in a different sport. Sibling did get a full-ride...but was outstanding..and known nationwide. He played professional.

do you have any idea what a professional US soccer player makes? Ha! Have your kid spend his hours studying instead.

There are way too many politics in kids soccer around here. The coaches and parents don't know crap. The parents pressure the coaches for their kids. The best kids aren't placed on the State or National teams (which is why we still can't win at the WorldCup). It is a frickin' living nightmare. You will end up with ulcers if you see your kid scr*wed over.

If your kid must play a sport, make it something like swimming or running which is timed. The clock doesn't lie. It doesn't judge. The bad kids will be weeded out.

I started traveling at 10 in 1980. We used to stay with a teammate with 'host families' in the other states, even countries- Canada. Found out as an adult that 2 of my teammates were molested by a host family member. I don't think this is the practice anymore (staying with host families)....but I remember picking up our 'host kids' for the weekend and being picked up by 'host families'. I'll never forget some of the families I stayed with in Long Island. It was like the Sopranos. Another time--my friend and I ditched the host family and went back to stay with our parents at a hotel because the apart. was literally in a ghetto of Toronto. WTh were parents thinking back then?

I disagree, and that is the point of the article. You don't need 14 or 22 kids to play pick up soccer, and according to the comments from readers, there is more pick-up soccer in the suburbs than the inner city.

well pick-up games require a critical mass which means density of children and there's no way it's happening in a suburb hence the needs for organized games.

the key is to play often, simple as that. i guarantee you if our kids all do pickup soccer playdates we'd be in good shape.

I am the PP. Sally Jenkins sums it up right here:

"The pick-up game is essential to mastery of any sport; it's how kids come to create new moves and make them their own, how they learn to create and aspire and imagine. Instead we're cultivating players in little leagues overmanaged by adults handing out juice boxes."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/29/AR2010062901438.html?hpid=skybox

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:None of this means that much until the U12/U13 area. Kids who are stars now may or may not be when they begin to reach and pass puberty. IMO this is simply way too young for this kind of competition, and the idea of a parent appealing for travel soccer for an 8 or 9 year old is appalling.

r u against travel soccer for 8/9 yos? just curious.

Just saw this bumped. I am not against travel soccer for 8 and 9 year olds, but I just don't think any parent should get too wrapped up in it, because so much changes as the kids hit puberty. I know that some of the soccer clubs who participate this young would rather not, but feel they are forced to in order to hold spots at more appropriate age classifications.

I just think, at this age, it is still about playing with your friends, and yes keeping score (as opposed to not keeping score at U5 and U6, for example), but the idea of having parents cris-crossing the metropolitan area on weekends, and finding time for multiple weekly practices for 9 year olds just seems excessive.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We're right on the border between Arlington and McLean--anyone have any insight into which one offers a better/stronger travel program for young (U9) players?

Go to Arlington. We left McLean - too many crazy coaches who don't deliver what they promise. And openly violate recruiting rules. Poor role models for the players.

Thanks PP. I'm not the poster with the question about Arlington v. McLean but I am interested in (and concerned about) your comments. Would you mind elaborating on the recruiting rules violated, crazy coaches and unfullfilled promies? Does anyone else have input about McLean? Thanks a lot!

Anonymous wrote:We're right on the border between Arlington and McLean--anyone have any insight into which one offers a better/stronger travel program for young (U9) players?

Go to Arlington. We left McLean - too many crazy coaches who don't deliver what they promise. And openly violate recruiting rules. Poor role models for the players.

Anonymous wrote:...Check out this really interesting NY Times article for one example:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/06/magazine/06Soccer-t.html

"...I couldn’t tell for sure, but it seemed to me that the guy, Délano van der Heyden, born in September 2004, might actually be small even for a 5-year-old. The ball at his feet came up almost to his knees. He was “playing up,” competing against boys as old as 9. When the game started, he was exactly as advertised: remarkable. Délano kept up with the other boys, a few of whom fell on contact and had to be attended by coaches, which he never did. He showed the ability to kick with either foot. He could receive the ball with his back to his offensive end and turn, with the ball still in his control, and head toward the goal. ..."

U5 plays up U9. unreal.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/10/sports/10scholarships.html?scp=1&sq=%22spoRts%20scholarships%22&st=cse


This article from the NY times in 2008 details the college scholarship game. Very few sports offer a full ride so please don't think that investing all that money will gain you a full ride. What it may do is open a door to a school that might otherwise be out of reach.