Anonymous
03/19/2025 06:12
Subject: New Club Search Season Full Swing
Lots has already been said and not sure we will have option to leave for better team. Here goes. U15 girl:
1. Lack of club organization and facilities. At least 1/3 of practices cancelled this year. Indoor space not procured equitably. Yes 1st team got it, but so did lower level younger boys teams.
2. Huge rage of kids on team, not all serious, and lots of drama.
3. Too much scrimmaging. Totally agree, even the best teams do SOME tech training. It’s super important. One-touching to each other doesn’t happen with no practice.The girls who do nothing at home and don’t run are obvious.
4. Practices constantly change and can be up to an hour away. Really hard for working parents.
5. No film review ever.
6. Also agree that club heads, TDs, should come to a practice or two. Single coach is overwhelmed with little to no support from club.
1. Lack of club organization and facilities. At least 1/3 of practices cancelled this year. Indoor space not procured equitably. Yes 1st team got it, but so did lower level younger boys teams.
2. Huge rage of kids on team, not all serious, and lots of drama.
3. Too much scrimmaging. Totally agree, even the best teams do SOME tech training. It’s super important. One-touching to each other doesn’t happen with no practice.The girls who do nothing at home and don’t run are obvious.
4. Practices constantly change and can be up to an hour away. Really hard for working parents.
5. No film review ever.
6. Also agree that club heads, TDs, should come to a practice or two. Single coach is overwhelmed with little to no support from club.
Anonymous
03/18/2025 22:24
Subject: New Club Search Season Full Swing
Leaving because Coach favors players who can’t play. Result? Loss after loss after loss. Hello politics. The coach prioritizes physicality and kickball.
Anonymous
03/18/2025 21:38
Subject: New Club Search Season Full Swing
Anonymous wrote:Leaving because Coach sold possession-based strategy, realized who he recruited and then couldn’t pull off strategy - went for classic kick and run.
Also the gifted small players are never promoted.
What guarantees do you have for new team?
Anonymous
03/18/2025 20:54
Subject: New Club Search Season Full Swing
Leaving because Coach sold possession-based strategy, realized who he recruited and then couldn’t pull off strategy - went for classic kick and run.
Also the gifted small players are never promoted.
Also the gifted small players are never promoted.
Anonymous
03/18/2025 19:51
Subject: New Club Search Season Full Swing
Anonymous wrote:This should be interesting
What are the top three elements you are looking for in the new club for your DC and why?
What is the biggest reason you are leaving your current club?
Top 3 Elements for new club:
1) Competition. My kid does not care if he is on 2nd or 3rd team. He wants the opportunity to compete and get better on a weekly basis.
2) an environment where kids play. Minimum of 3 practices a week and kids who want to play small-sided games 1-2x a week to replicate an international environment where kids play
3) Focus on development versus wins and losses. My child is 10 and I am more concerned with them playing every position and LEARNING versus winning the top bracket at Jefferson Cup
Why leaving current club:
Not enough kids as passionate as my child about playing. My kid is a starter and gets all of the playing time but learns more playing against better talent and older kids in neutral training environments like Next Star, Futstar, etc.
Anonymous
03/18/2025 18:12
Subject: Rules for playing for a club and your highschool?
are kids allowed to do both
Anonymous
03/18/2025 14:09
Subject: New Club Search Season Full Swing
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Leaving SYC because our current coach plays favoritism.
Hard works FAVORS those who put in the hard work
I always laugh when parents get upset if their kid doesn't start or get a lot of play time. There is ONE THING coaches care about at any competitive travel club - winning. If your kid is good enough they will start and get play time. If they are not their play time will be less. Don't blame the coaches. Their job is to win games. This isn't rec league. It's competitive travel.
Two years ago I was talking to parents who complained their kids weren't playing as much as others. I stayed quiet. But, I knew their kids never practiced at home. They never did any extra training. They came to practice and games and that's it. Other kids, the ones who started and played more, were training at home. Even basic stuff like juggling for 10-15 minutes a day or doing possession drills at home for 5-10 minutes. It adds up and the better players always find the field more.
Don't blame the coach your kid isn't playing.
Your unicorn world sounds great. In the real world, coaches and playing time does not work like this. Politics, favoritism, quid pro quo are much bigger factors. Maybe if a player is so much better than the rest of team they could overcome the non-merit factors. But usually there isn't enough difference between players so the other factors are used.
Anonymous
03/18/2025 13:46
Subject: New Club Search Season Full Swing
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Leaving SYC because our current coach plays favoritism.
Hard works FAVORS those who put in the hard work
I always laugh when parents get upset if their kid doesn't start or get a lot of play time. There is ONE THING coaches care about at any competitive travel club - winning. If your kid is good enough they will start and get play time. If they are not their play time will be less. Don't blame the coaches. Their job is to win games. This isn't rec league. It's competitive travel.
Two years ago I was talking to parents who complained their kids weren't playing as much as others. I stayed quiet. But, I knew their kids never practiced at home. They never did any extra training. They came to practice and games and that's it. Other kids, the ones who started and played more, were training at home. Even basic stuff like juggling for 10-15 minutes a day or doing possession drills at home for 5-10 minutes. It adds up and the better players always find the field more.
Don't blame the coach your kid isn't playing.
It's not winning that matters to clubs/coaches. It's $$$$. The sooner you understand that, the better.
Anonymous
03/18/2025 13:28
Subject: Re:New Club Search Season Full Swing
Leaving current club for club that knows what they are doing for boys college recruiting. And puts investment there. A club that walks the talk and has results and relationships. At younger years this is less important. By U-15 it matters and too many clubs ride the girls coattails but don’t do anything similar for their boys.
Anonymous
03/18/2025 13:20
Subject: New Club Search Season Full Swing
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:We see people talk about 'development' often in the forum
What is development to you U8 to U14 and how do you see realistically the contribution of local clubs to your kid's individual development?
Clubs have resources and they can Manage the Coaches and Playing Environments. They Can help player development in a few ways:
-Spend 1 day per week working on foot skills, ball mastery. (Some clubs work on this for 5-10 minutes only as a warm up.)
-Conduct 2-3 player performance reviews per year. (Some clubs don't do this at all.)
-Bring in the Coaching Director/ Technical Director of Director of Coaching to oversee a few practices and have them work with the current coach. (Some Clubs never utilize other coaches on staff to round out practice sessions.)
-Go over game footage or hold tactics sessions. (Some clubs record the games and then the coach never goes over that footage with the kids.)
-Incorporate some measurable amount of fitness or skills for the players.... timed half mile for example or counted juggles. Reward kids who beat their records each season. (Some clubs just have kids run with no real measure. Some clubs have kids juggle, but there is no measure or reward for doing well.)
-Bring in some well thought out drills for offense and defense. (Some clubs just do basic passing drills and rondos over and over, with scrimmages... no plays are being developed.)
-Utilize US Soccer's developmental framework for youth soccer players and help the kids in those areas. (Coaches learn about those player needs, but never go back to incorporate those items.)
-Work on 1 theme at practice for 2 weeks and look for improvements in the game. (Some clubs don't work on anything with a theme at practice and then they don't expect much at the game on the weekends.)
These are a few examples of successes in player development that clubs can accomplish.... if the coach gets lackadaisical and the club does not have much oversight... players won't develop as much as they could. I have been on teams that scrimmage a lot and they are not that much better at the end of 9 months.
Before U10 drills should be done at home not during practice. By U11 and especially U12 players should already have the basic ball mastery skills down. If not, they don't belong in travel soccer. Stick with rec.
I put that top 1 in on purpose. The OP what clubs could do to help with player development. They could help with ball mastery skills more, instead you often have to pay to attend supplemental ball mastery programs that are not included. If you take the attitude that individual player development should only be done at home, then there is only Team Development at practice. The better clubs incorporate individual development into practice sessions. Look, here is Ajax U13 club doing a butt-ton (technical term) of individual soccer ball mastery!!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOZ3z3UtMkE&t=12s
Oh, be sure to go tell them they should not be doing that and all those players should be doing that at home! How dare those coaches try to incorporate individual technical ability like juggling and brazilians at practice... and they did if for more than 5 minutes too! Seriously, go watch better clubs and teams...try to get your kid involved with those programs.
Anonymous
03/18/2025 12:22
Subject: New Club Search Season Full Swing
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Leaving SYC because our current coach plays favoritism.
Hard works FAVORS those who put in the hard work
I always laugh when parents get upset if their kid doesn't start or get a lot of play time. There is ONE THING coaches care about at any competitive travel club - winning. If your kid is good enough they will start and get play time. If they are not their play time will be less. Don't blame the coaches. Their job is to win games. This isn't rec league. It's competitive travel.
Two years ago I was talking to parents who complained their kids weren't playing as much as others. I stayed quiet. But, I knew their kids never practiced at home. They never did any extra training. They came to practice and games and that's it. Other kids, the ones who started and played more, were training at home. Even basic stuff like juggling for 10-15 minutes a day or doing possession drills at home for 5-10 minutes. It adds up and the better players always find the field more.
Don't blame the coach your kid isn't playing.
The goal of a youth coach is to develop players
If they're on the roster, they should play or not be on roster at all
How they gonna get better not playing and how are they motivated to train harder knowing they ain't playing on Saturday?
+1 There are two major parts to development in any sports endeavor, 1. Practice and 2. Execution (playtime). Kids will only improve so much if all they get is practice. All parents pay the same amount, so if you are not going to play a child then they should be put on a "practice squad" and be charged less. But these coaches are happy to take the lower player's parents money with grand promises of future playtime.
So many kids are late developers who eventually become top players.
It's the coaches who didn't ignore them and write them off why they made it
Looking for kids to make you win only at u10 and keeping kids on the bench means you're an adult coach getting paid to coach kids
Anonymous
03/18/2025 12:13
Subject: New Club Search Season Full Swing
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Leaving SYC because our current coach plays favoritism.
Hard works FAVORS those who put in the hard work
I always laugh when parents get upset if their kid doesn't start or get a lot of play time. There is ONE THING coaches care about at any competitive travel club - winning. If your kid is good enough they will start and get play time. If they are not their play time will be less. Don't blame the coaches. Their job is to win games. This isn't rec league. It's competitive travel.
Two years ago I was talking to parents who complained their kids weren't playing as much as others. I stayed quiet. But, I knew their kids never practiced at home. They never did any extra training. They came to practice and games and that's it. Other kids, the ones who started and played more, were training at home. Even basic stuff like juggling for 10-15 minutes a day or doing possession drills at home for 5-10 minutes. It adds up and the better players always find the field more.
Don't blame the coach your kid isn't playing.
The goal of a youth coach is to develop players
If they're on the roster, they should play or not be on roster at all
How they gonna get better not playing and how are they motivated to train harder knowing they ain't playing on Saturday?
+1 There are two major parts to development in any sports endeavor, 1. Practice and 2. Execution (playtime). Kids will only improve so much if all they get is practice. All parents pay the same amount, so if you are not going to play a child then they should be put on a "practice squad" and be charged less. But these coaches are happy to take the lower player's parents money with grand promises of future playtime.
It's not the coaches, it's the clubs.
Anonymous
03/18/2025 12:07
Subject: New Club Search Season Full Swing
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Leaving SYC because our current coach plays favoritism.
Hard works FAVORS those who put in the hard work
I always laugh when parents get upset if their kid doesn't start or get a lot of play time. There is ONE THING coaches care about at any competitive travel club - winning. If your kid is good enough they will start and get play time. If they are not their play time will be less. Don't blame the coaches. Their job is to win games. This isn't rec league. It's competitive travel.
Two years ago I was talking to parents who complained their kids weren't playing as much as others. I stayed quiet. But, I knew their kids never practiced at home. They never did any extra training. They came to practice and games and that's it. Other kids, the ones who started and played more, were training at home. Even basic stuff like juggling for 10-15 minutes a day or doing possession drills at home for 5-10 minutes. It adds up and the better players always find the field more.
Don't blame the coach your kid isn't playing.
The goal of a youth coach is to develop players
If they're on the roster, they should play or not be on roster at all
How they gonna get better not playing and how are they motivated to train harder knowing they ain't playing on Saturday?
+1 There are two major parts to development in any sports endeavor, 1. Practice and 2. Execution (playtime). Kids will only improve so much if all they get is practice. All parents pay the same amount, so if you are not going to play a child then they should be put on a "practice squad" and be charged less. But these coaches are happy to take the lower player's parents money with grand promises of future playtime.
Anonymous
03/18/2025 12:01
Subject: New Club Search Season Full Swing
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Leaving SYC because our current coach plays favoritism.
Hard works FAVORS those who put in the hard work
I always laugh when parents get upset if their kid doesn't start or get a lot of play time. There is ONE THING coaches care about at any competitive travel club - winning. If your kid is good enough they will start and get play time. If they are not their play time will be less. Don't blame the coaches. Their job is to win games. This isn't rec league. It's competitive travel.
Two years ago I was talking to parents who complained their kids weren't playing as much as others. I stayed quiet. But, I knew their kids never practiced at home. They never did any extra training. They came to practice and games and that's it. Other kids, the ones who started and played more, were training at home. Even basic stuff like juggling for 10-15 minutes a day or doing possession drills at home for 5-10 minutes. It adds up and the better players always find the field more.
Don't blame the coach your kid isn't playing.
The goal of a youth coach is to develop players
If they're on the roster, they should play or not be on roster at all
How they gonna get better not playing and how are they motivated to train harder knowing they ain't playing on Saturday?
Anonymous
03/18/2025 11:56
Subject: New Club Search Season Full Swing
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Leaving SYC because our current coach plays favoritism.
Hard works FAVORS those who put in the hard work
That place is a mental asylum