Anonymous
05/06/2025 09:20
Subject: Re:Moved down a team - chances of moving back up later?
Anonymous wrote:I crack up at all the striver Nova parents living vicariously through their child’s team placement. It’s like a caste system for childcare parent alike.
My DD was a 5th teamer at large club, and was moved down once. She got motivated, got lots of playing time, and worked her way back up to the first team. She now starts on an ECNL squad.
I continue to see so many parents caring way more about the team than the playing time and whether their child’s is improving. Worry about the last two. Put the work in, both on technique and athleticism.
NP here - I thought I wrote this entire comment word for word (except for 5th team and the ECNL DD) but it is somebody else. This is truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
Anonymous
05/06/2025 08:31
Subject: Re:Moved down a team - chances of moving back up later?
Anonymous wrote:I crack up at all the striver Nova parents living vicariously through their child’s team placement. It’s like a caste system for childcare parent alike.
My DD was a 5th teamer at large club, and was moved down once. She got motivated, got lots of playing time, and worked her way back up to the first team. She now starts on an ECNL squad.
I continue to see so many parents caring way more about the team than the playing time and whether their child’s is improving. Worry about the last two. Put the work in, both on technique and athleticism.
Your scenario is a lot easier on the girls side than the boys. There are so many more boys it’s harder to break through and get moved up. We have seen a lot more upward movement of girls than boys at our large club.
Anonymous
05/06/2025 08:12
Subject: Re:Moved down a team - chances of moving back up later?
Anonymous wrote:I crack up at all the striver Nova parents living vicariously through their child’s team placement. It’s like a caste system for childcare parent alike.
My DD was a 5th teamer at large club…
She now starts on an ECNL squad….
I continue to see so many parents caring way more about the team...
I’ll just leave this here and let the irony set in
Anonymous
05/06/2025 07:40
Subject: Moved down a team - chances of moving back up later?
Anonymous wrote:is 4th the last team
reread the original post mate
Anonymous
05/06/2025 06:35
Subject: Moved down a team - chances of moving back up later?
Easier to move up by switching club. My observation is it's hard to move up within the same club unless you DS starts scoring a bunch of goals game after game. It's unfortunately but the reality.
Anonymous
05/06/2025 06:19
Subject: Re:Moved down a team - chances of moving back up later?
I crack up at all the striver Nova parents living vicariously through their child’s team placement. It’s like a caste system for childcare parent alike.
My DD was a 5th teamer at large club, and was moved down once. She got motivated, got lots of playing time, and worked her way back up to the first team. She now starts on an ECNL squad.
I continue to see so many parents caring way more about the team than the playing time and whether their child’s is improving. Worry about the last two. Put the work in, both on technique and athleticism.
My DD was a 5th teamer at large club, and was moved down once. She got motivated, got lots of playing time, and worked her way back up to the first team. She now starts on an ECNL squad.
I continue to see so many parents caring way more about the team than the playing time and whether their child’s is improving. Worry about the last two. Put the work in, both on technique and athleticism.
Anonymous
05/05/2025 22:20
Subject: Moved down a team - chances of moving back up later?
Don't worry too much about the placement yet at this age. Just let your son have fun. Next year will be a crazy shuffle of kids from the age change. Everyone is saying if your son is born on 9/1, he'll be a national team player. 
Anonymous
05/05/2025 18:33
Subject: Moved down a team - chances of moving back up later?
I’m the mom of a GK who is now
U17. GKs can be hard to come by at younger ages so that might have been a factor. Maybe they needed one for that team? It can also be politics. My son has seen kids occasionally moved up but more often moved down. If your son wants to play solely for fun and isn’t a competitive personality, I would leave it alone if he is happy to stay. But if he has aspirations, I’d find a new club and do some private training if you can’t find group training. My GK did 2x a week group through his club at u10 and u11. It was included. We did some private sessions to address footskills. In the years since, he has consistently had outside training. If your player doesn’t have any GK training through the club, do a few private lessons to get down the basics. He needs to know how to dive safely and how to protect himself from overly aggressive strikers.
U17. GKs can be hard to come by at younger ages so that might have been a factor. Maybe they needed one for that team? It can also be politics. My son has seen kids occasionally moved up but more often moved down. If your son wants to play solely for fun and isn’t a competitive personality, I would leave it alone if he is happy to stay. But if he has aspirations, I’d find a new club and do some private training if you can’t find group training. My GK did 2x a week group through his club at u10 and u11. It was included. We did some private sessions to address footskills. In the years since, he has consistently had outside training. If your player doesn’t have any GK training through the club, do a few private lessons to get down the basics. He needs to know how to dive safely and how to protect himself from overly aggressive strikers.
Anonymous
05/05/2025 17:40
Subject: Moved down a team - chances of moving back up later?
Anonymous wrote:My son played travel for the first time this year for one of the big Loudoun clubs. He's on the 3rd team out of 6 teams for his birth year (elementary ages). Player placements for next year came out and of the 10 kids on his team, 6 kids stayed on the 3rd team, 2 moved up, and 2 moved down (one of which was my son).
He took it well, and just wants to play soccer so we accepted the offer for the 4th team for next year. DS prefers to be goalie, but also plays striker and wing. He's gotten good playing time this year, mostly as goal keeper, so him being dropped down was a bit of a shock to everyone.
Assuming he sticks with soccer after next year, does he have a chance of moving back up, or should we start looking into other clubs? He loves soccer, but at least now he's not a kid who's going to be competing for a top tier spot. We just want him to have fun and improve.
Happens all the time
Anonymous
05/05/2025 15:46
Subject: Moved down a team - chances of moving back up later?
He's a 2016? I would want him in the field too, not just in the goal at this age.
I wouldn't care where he's place at this age either. If I felt like my kid was amazing and deserved to be on the top team, then maybe I'd consider switching clubs. But there's probably very little difference between the 3rd and 4th team and that team probably just needs a goal keeper.
I wouldn't care where he's place at this age either. If I felt like my kid was amazing and deserved to be on the top team, then maybe I'd consider switching clubs. But there's probably very little difference between the 3rd and 4th team and that team probably just needs a goal keeper.
Anonymous
05/05/2025 13:19
Subject: Re:Moved down a team - chances of moving back up later?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Absolutely he can move back up... it happens all the time, especially in the younger ages. If he is motivated and trains on his own, anything can happen. Also, if he wants to specialize at keeper, and focus his training there, that might be the ticket.
GK is his preferred position by far. He would be in goal all the time if allowed. He does the 1 hour/week GK camp through his club but the HP Elite GK classes don't start for another year or two. If anyone knows of GK camps/classes that a 2016 can register for, let me know!
Don't wait for club provided training... Work with him yourself or help him set up a training program to do on his own. There are plenty of resources online!
Anonymous
05/05/2025 13:03
Subject: Moved down a team - chances of moving back up later?
Anonymous wrote:Maybe the fourth team needed a kid willing to play GK.
Also my thought.
OP, the move may say less about your son's skills and more about the lower team needing a keeper.
Anonymous
05/05/2025 11:45
Subject: Moved down a team - chances of moving back up later?
Anonymous wrote:Maybe the fourth team needed a kid willing to play GK.
This is what I was thinking too. There is little difference between the 3rd and 4th team. They may just be trying to spread out talent for different positions. OP, if your kid actually likes to play goalie get him some private training. If you like the club, and are fine paying for travel soccer for this level of play, then I wouldn't move him. I wouldn't anticipate him moving up though.
Anonymous
05/05/2025 11:38
Subject: Re:Moved down a team - chances of moving back up later?
Anonymous wrote:Absolutely he can move back up... it happens all the time, especially in the younger ages. If he is motivated and trains on his own, anything can happen. Also, if he wants to specialize at keeper, and focus his training there, that might be the ticket.
GK is his preferred position by far. He would be in goal all the time if allowed. He does the 1 hour/week GK camp through his club but the HP Elite GK classes don't start for another year or two. If anyone knows of GK camps/classes that a 2016 can register for, let me know!
Anonymous
05/05/2025 11:31
Subject: Moved down a team - chances of moving back up later?
Sounds like he is very young and there will be a lot of changes to what team kids play in Elem/MS years. We grew up Loudoun, many boys on 4th team moved to 2nd team and at least 2 are on NVA now (HS age). Hopefully 4th team has a good coach, that's what matters.