Anonymous wrote:
Our local HS had 150 travel soccer kids try out for the varsity team the year before covid. Probably 50 of them were on the top teams for their clubs so all excellent players. They started with a timed run and if you didn't make the very competitive time you got cut automatically but I can guarantee you all of those 50 made it. There were a couple of stars and position mattered of course, but for the rest it seemed pretty random. It was hard to differentiate between many of those top 50. I'm sure politics/pressure from parents who have influence in the school plays in to it as this is a school in a wealthy area. This is the boys side.

150 at tryouts seems crazy to me. My son plays on HS team and travel before that. At our HS of probably 1300-1400 kids, there were maybe 35-40 kids trying out. Some of those were good athletes in other sports just looking for something to do in the spring to stay active. Some were rec players who hadn’t played on a team in years. Anyone with travel level experience easily made the team. It’s so different from school to school, and year to year.

Anonymous wrote:On the boys' side (I know nothing about the girls')... this whole thread seems crazy to me. Obviously "travel soccer" spans a huge range of player/team quality. But for the A teams on decent clubs, 100%* of them would make their HS team. Really, it's the reverse -- most HS players would not make the A teams on decent clubs. Heck, the entire top league (MLS Next) keeps (almost) all their players out of HS soccer. For better or worse, boys HS soccer just isn't that good; and most of the top players don't play it. One way to tell is that college coaches don't scout HS games at all. I've never seen one -- even D3 -- at a HS game, even the state playoffs.

* Maybe there's an exception for freshman making a HS team, just because of the physical development differences in boys.

The big thing about high school soccer for guys is size difference. 15/16 and some 17s are just too small. Guys continue growing well into late teens and early twenties. Yes there are small skilled 16 year olds but they will also often be competing against big fast skillful 18 year olds. Mind you, that applies to most high school sports. But, not so much on the girls side where a vastly greater percentage of girls are done growing at 16/17. A 5’6” 135lb 15 year old guy is going to get beat up playing against 17/18 year olds who are going to be 20-30 lbs heavier and 4-6 inches taller. So the, “my kid plays on a good club team” group can be disappointed when their kid does not make varsity as a freshman or sophomore. The coach is not being “mean” or “stupid”. They are recognizing the facts of the high school game with the potential 4 year age gap - and protecting the smaller kids.

As for recruiting; college coaches don’t randomly go to any game or match in any high school or club sport - well they might live nearby and be walking the dog and stop to watch. That is certainly not how recruiting works. And, yes - I have seen a good many college soccer coaches at high school games - come to see a specific player.

Anonymous wrote:HS soccer is terrible.

So is your face.

HS soccer is terrible.

On the boys' side (I know nothing about the girls')... this whole thread seems crazy to me. Obviously "travel soccer" spans a huge range of player/team quality. But for the A teams on decent clubs, 100%* of them would make their HS team. Really, it's the reverse -- most HS players would not make the A teams on decent clubs. Heck, the entire top league (MLS Next) keeps (almost) all their players out of HS soccer. For better or worse, boys HS soccer just isn't that good; and most of the top players don't play it. One way to tell is that college coaches don't scout HS games at all. I've never seen one -- even D3 -- at a HS game, even the state playoffs.

* Maybe there's an exception for freshman making a HS team, just because of the physical development differences in boys.

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Anonymous wrote:While a HS junior, DS was able to play internationally against the likes of FC Zenit, play u23 summer club ball with and against D1 talent and earn a u23/first team offer from a USL2 club outside our area, but yet not make his HS varsity team. The bar is EXTREMELY high in PW County!

He played USL2 but not HS Varsity?

Making the high school varsity team at a big high school in the dmv area depends on a lot of things. Really good players get cut all the time, especially once they hit junior year. It depends on what positions they have too many of, what type of players the coach prefers, etc. The coach has many players who are all pretty much at the same level and has to cut some of them. At our high school, it is often surprising who gets cut and who makes the team.

This is what we figure - she seems to prefer big/fast/super athletic players for the HS team. Can't argue with coach's success! DS is good size, not huge, very technical and abhors the kick and run style so many resort to for a W. He received an offer from a USL2 club in NJ. We couldn't figure out rooming/moving him to online HS at the start of the pandemic so he didn't do it.

Did you ever think of getting your kid faster and stronger instead of using the common excuse that most parents use when their kid isn't fast and strong which is...the coach only takes big fast kids. Excuse is so old. At higher levels everyone is technical, everyone is fast, everyone is strong. and most are big....but you can't control height.

No everyone is fast, strong or has size at the higher levels but not many are technical. Remember “elite” travel soccer is at its best high school age kids. In “elite” travel soccer and college you can get away with just being a good athlete, mostly just being fast. Now in the professional league it’s a different story but do not think travel and college soccer are in the same class.

Look at your clubs record of producing professional players and you will get a sense for how elite the pro game is.

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Anonymous wrote:While a HS junior, DS was able to play internationally against the likes of FC Zenit, play u23 summer club ball with and against D1 talent and earn a u23/first team offer from a USL2 club outside our area, but yet not make his HS varsity team. The bar is EXTREMELY high in PW County!

He played USL2 but not HS Varsity?

Making the high school varsity team at a big high school in the dmv area depends on a lot of things. Really good players get cut all the time, especially once they hit junior year. It depends on what positions they have too many of, what type of players the coach prefers, etc. The coach has many players who are all pretty much at the same level and has to cut some of them. At our high school, it is often surprising who gets cut and who makes the team.

This is what we figure - she seems to prefer big/fast/super athletic players for the HS team. Can't argue with coach's success! DS is good size, not huge, very technical and abhors the kick and run style so many resort to for a W. He received an offer from a USL2 club in NJ. We couldn't figure out rooming/moving him to online HS at the start of the pandemic so he didn't do it.

Did you ever think of getting your kid faster and stronger instead of using the common excuse that most parents use when their kid isn't fast and strong which is...the coach only takes big fast kids. Excuse is so old. At higher levels everyone is technical, everyone is fast, everyone is strong. and most are big....but you can't control height.

+1

+1 LOL the kid “I don’t like to work hard and I don’t like to run”. The parent “coach does not play my short fat kid because he favors the fast, strong and tall kid”. Excuses! Look your kid belly it needs work out, it needs better habits.

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Anonymous wrote:While a HS junior, DS was able to play internationally against the likes of FC Zenit, play u23 summer club ball with and against D1 talent and earn a u23/first team offer from a USL2 club outside our area, but yet not make his HS varsity team. The bar is EXTREMELY high in PW County!

He played USL2 but not HS Varsity?

Making the high school varsity team at a big high school in the dmv area depends on a lot of things. Really good players get cut all the time, especially once they hit junior year. It depends on what positions they have too many of, what type of players the coach prefers, etc. The coach has many players who are all pretty much at the same level and has to cut some of them. At our high school, it is often surprising who gets cut and who makes the team.

This is what we figure - she seems to prefer big/fast/super athletic players for the HS team. Can't argue with coach's success! DS is good size, not huge, very technical and abhors the kick and run style so many resort to for a W. He received an offer from a USL2 club in NJ. We couldn't figure out rooming/moving him to online HS at the start of the pandemic so he didn't do it.

Did you ever think of getting your kid faster and stronger instead of using the common excuse that most parents use when their kid isn't fast and strong which is...the coach only takes big fast kids. Excuse is so old. At higher levels everyone is technical, everyone is fast, everyone is strong. and most are big....but you can't control height.

+1

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While a HS junior, DS was able to play internationally against the likes of FC Zenit, play u23 summer club ball with and against D1 talent and earn a u23/first team offer from a USL2 club outside our area, but yet not make his HS varsity team. The bar is EXTREMELY high in PW County!

He played USL2 but not HS Varsity?

Making the high school varsity team at a big high school in the dmv area depends on a lot of things. Really good players get cut all the time, especially once they hit junior year. It depends on what positions they have too many of, what type of players the coach prefers, etc. The coach has many players who are all pretty much at the same level and has to cut some of them. At our high school, it is often surprising who gets cut and who makes the team.

This is what we figure - she seems to prefer big/fast/super athletic players for the HS team. Can't argue with coach's success! DS is good size, not huge, very technical and abhors the kick and run style so many resort to for a W. He received an offer from a USL2 club in NJ. We couldn't figure out rooming/moving him to online HS at the start of the pandemic so he didn't do it.

Did you ever think of getting your kid faster and stronger instead of using the common excuse that most parents use when their kid isn't fast and strong which is...the coach only takes big fast kids. Excuse is so old. At higher levels everyone is technical, everyone is fast, everyone is strong. and most are big....but you can't control height.

Anonymous wrote:In FFX cnty Most public HS teams wouldn't be able to beat most clubs top travel teams ages u15 and up. My DS plays travel and I wouldn't let him him play in
HS league simply due to inadequate coaching and refereeing.

That is simply pathetic.

Anonymous wrote:Agree that high school soccer is disgustingly political-especially on the girls side in DMV privates. When you see 3rd and 4th level travel players making Varsity over ECNL/EDP players there is a problem…

Your logic doesn't work because not all EDP teams are good. Some are rec that just wanted to play travel but couldn't get into any other league now that ODSL is gone. Top division EDP is legit though.

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While a HS junior, DS was able to play internationally against the likes of FC Zenit, play u23 summer club ball with and against D1 talent and earn a u23/first team offer from a USL2 club outside our area, but yet not make his HS varsity team. The bar is EXTREMELY high in PW County!

He played USL2 but not HS Varsity?

Making the high school varsity team at a big high school in the dmv area depends on a lot of things. Really good players get cut all the time, especially once they hit junior year. It depends on what positions they have too many of, what type of players the coach prefers, etc. The coach has many players who are all pretty much at the same level and has to cut some of them. At our high school, it is often surprising who gets cut and who makes the team.

This is what we figure - she seems to prefer big/fast/super athletic players for the HS team. Can't argue with coach's success! DS is good size, not huge, very technical and abhors the kick and run style so many resort to for a W. He received an offer from a USL2 club in NJ. We couldn't figure out rooming/moving him to online HS at the start of the pandemic so he didn't do it.

Did your son refuse to change clubs in order to play for her travel team? We all know who she is and what she does. I’m surprised it has not caught up with her yet.

I don't know who she is. Just saying.

Anonymous wrote:In FFX cnty Most public HS teams wouldn't be able to beat most clubs top travel teams ages u15 and up. My DS plays travel and I wouldn't let him him play in
HS league simply due to inadequate coaching and refereeing.

You make it sound like your son would even make the team. Send him out there in Feb and let's see what happens. He can always decline the spot because you won't let him.

My DS's travel team has maybe 5 players I think could end up making their HS teams. DS isn't one of them.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:While a HS junior, DS was able to play internationally against the likes of FC Zenit, play u23 summer club ball with and against D1 talent and earn a u23/first team offer from a USL2 club outside our area, but yet not make his HS varsity team. The bar is EXTREMELY high in PW County!

He played USL2 but not HS Varsity?

Making the high school varsity team at a big high school in the dmv area depends on a lot of things. Really good players get cut all the time, especially once they hit junior year. It depends on what positions they have too many of, what type of players the coach prefers, etc. The coach has many players who are all pretty much at the same level and has to cut some of them. At our high school, it is often surprising who gets cut and who makes the team.

This is what we figure - she seems to prefer big/fast/super athletic players for the HS team. Can't argue with coach's success! DS is good size, not huge, very technical and abhors the kick and run style so many resort to for a W. He received an offer from a USL2 club in NJ. We couldn't figure out rooming/moving him to online HS at the start of the pandemic so he didn't do it.

Did your son refuse to change clubs in order to play for her travel team? We all know who she is and what she does. I’m surprised it has not caught up with her yet.

Agree that high school soccer is disgustingly political-especially on the girls side in DMV privates. When you see 3rd and 4th level travel players making Varsity over ECNL/EDP players there is a problem…