Anonymous
Post 05/08/2025 07:25     Subject: Top team offers are already out—how’s your team shaping up?
Anonymous wrote:Not looking good for 2nd team kids to move up at u12. Rumor is, our top team took 3 outsiders over 2nd team players. Will follow up. But it’s messed up to take outsiders over 2nd team players.


How is it messed up? My U12 kid is an outsider going to a top team. They are coming from a different top team and not the only one. I have no clue whether anyone on the second team “should” have been moved up. I’m sure some were hoping. Why not take someone who is already used to the competition level/speed of play and can hang with current top team players?
Anonymous
Post 05/08/2025 07:00     Subject: Top team offers are already out—how’s your team shaping up?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Not looking good for 2nd team kids to move up at u12. Rumor is, our top team took 3 outsiders over 2nd team players. Will follow up. But it’s messed up to take outsiders over 2nd team players.


With all the ECNL vs MLSnext movement and a couple clubs that had a lot of drama over the past year, there were some talented kids looking around, so I wouldn’t be surprised if multiple clubs found themselves pulling top team talent from outside.

But I don’t think it is necessarily messed up if that is the result - sometimes you just have competitive talent and coaches have to make hard decisions.

At our club, I thought our coaches did a great job of bringing multiple 2nd team players to 1st team games as guest players to see how they did with the faster pace and different schemes. The external players practiced a lot with the first and second teams before tryouts (with one exception) including 1st vs 2nd team scrimmages, so they got a good look of everyone against each other. It’s heartbreaking every time a sweet kid doesn’t get their top choice, but we saw real effort by our coaches to do it the right way.

Don't forget that if there's 2 equivalent players one on the B team and another from a different club there's a financial incentive to bring on the player from a different club over the one from the B team.

Sometimes parents think clubs want to field the best team possible but that's not always the case. Often they have no clue how a player will develop over time so they prioritize growth of the club.
Anonymous
Post 05/08/2025 06:16     Subject: Top team offers are already out—how’s your team shaping up?
Anonymous wrote:Not looking good for 2nd team kids to move up at u12. Rumor is, our top team took 3 outsiders over 2nd team players. Will follow up. But it’s messed up to take outsiders over 2nd team players.


With all the ECNL vs MLSnext movement and a couple clubs that had a lot of drama over the past year, there were some talented kids looking around, so I wouldn’t be surprised if multiple clubs found themselves pulling top team talent from outside.

But I don’t think it is necessarily messed up if that is the result - sometimes you just have competitive talent and coaches have to make hard decisions.

At our club, I thought our coaches did a great job of bringing multiple 2nd team players to 1st team games as guest players to see how they did with the faster pace and different schemes. The external players practiced a lot with the first and second teams before tryouts (with one exception) including 1st vs 2nd team scrimmages, so they got a good look of everyone against each other. It’s heartbreaking every time a sweet kid doesn’t get their top choice, but we saw real effort by our coaches to do it the right way.
Anonymous
Post 05/08/2025 06:15     Subject: Top team offers are already out—how’s your team shaping up?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Parents: We want teams to focus on developing players not just winning.

Also Parents: We should cut 3 players because they hold onto the ball too long and have low soccer IQ.

Parents, you are the problem.


Apples to Oranges. Kids don't grow as players when others on the team can't or won't play to the level of the rest of the team. We are past kick and run after the ball/drive into a sea of players and how for the best age; so yes, cut the kids still doing this while everyone else has learned when to drive and when to pass while holding possession. Low soccer IQ players have no business being on a top team.


There are levels to this and many around here are misguided about true elite and top teams

How did the low IQ kid get on an alleged top team anyway?


Most start there at u9 and just don't progress with the team appropriately so they ride the bench for years while parents complain about politics and bad coaches with no effort to address the problems leaving to their player sitting more than playing. No one knows who's going to be a National team player at 8 or 9. I'm sorry you just don't. If your kid is aggressive and bigger than the other kids or has the tiniest amount of footskills at that age they get put on a first or second team. Should half of those kids stay on those teams 4 years later? No. Will most of them anyways? Yes.


Great response. This matches what I've seen around here.
Anonymous
Post 05/08/2025 05:44     Subject: Top team offers are already out—how’s your team shaping up?
Anonymous wrote:Parents: We want teams to focus on developing players not just winning.

Also Parents: We should cut 3 players because they hold onto the ball too long and have low soccer IQ.

Parents, you are the problem.


Well, they’re also talking about “we” and “our” team.

No over-investment on display at all.
Anonymous
Post 05/08/2025 05:16     Subject: Top team offers are already out—how’s your team shaping up?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:All very common. Follow the money.

I really don't understand how it's all about the $$$. Our club will not move anyone down. With the number of people leaving there will be one less team this year unless they can massively recruit over the summer. So either they get the parents $$ for the kids that deserve to be on the team or they get the same amount of money but will lose more games and alienate those that chose to stay and actually belong there.

"Massivy Recruit" is the typical girls ECNL parents way of thinking when the teams not winning.

The non girls ECNL way of thinking is that our club should be developing and brining up players from lower level teams.

Do you see the difference? One group thinks their team could be better if they had better players developed by other clubs. The other group looks inward to the club for development and bringing up talent. Now that GA is a viable alternative to girls ECNL it's going to force ECNLclubs to develope and promote from within.
Anonymous
Post 05/07/2025 23:43     Subject: Top team offers are already out—how’s your team shaping up?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Parents: We want teams to focus on developing players not just winning.

Also Parents: We should cut 3 players because they hold onto the ball too long and have low soccer IQ.

Parents, you are the problem.


Apples to Oranges. Kids don't grow as players when others on the team can't or won't play to the level of the rest of the team. We are past kick and run after the ball/drive into a sea of players and how for the best age; so yes, cut the kids still doing this while everyone else has learned when to drive and when to pass while holding possession. Low soccer IQ players have no business being on a top team.


There are levels to this and many around here are misguided about true elite and top teams

How did the low IQ kid get on an alleged top team anyway?


Most start there at u9 and just don't progress with the team appropriately so they ride the bench for years while parents complain about politics and bad coaches with no effort to address the problems leaving to their player sitting more than playing. No one knows who's going to be a National team player at 8 or 9. I'm sorry you just don't. If your kid is aggressive and bigger than the other kids or has the tiniest amount of footskills at that age they get put on a first or second team. Should half of those kids stay on those teams 4 years later? No. Will most of them anyways? Yes.
Anonymous
Post 05/07/2025 23:37     Subject: Top team offers are already out—how’s your team shaping up?
Not looking good for 2nd team kids to move up at u12. Rumor is, our top team took 3 outsiders over 2nd team players. Will follow up. But it’s messed up to take outsiders over 2nd team players.
Anonymous
Post 05/07/2025 19:47     Subject: Top team offers are already out—how’s your team shaping up?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Parents: We want teams to focus on developing players not just winning.

Also Parents: We should cut 3 players because they hold onto the ball too long and have low soccer IQ.

Parents, you are the problem.


Apples to Oranges. Kids don't grow as players when others on the team can't or won't play to the level of the rest of the team. We are past kick and run after the ball/drive into a sea of players and how for the best age; so yes, cut the kids still doing this while everyone else has learned when to drive and when to pass while holding possession. Low soccer IQ players have no business being on a top team.


There are levels to this and many around here are misguided about true elite and top teams

How did the low IQ kid get on an alleged top team anyway?


Parents' connection with the club, I know the player is not a good fit for the top team. They consistently struggle to stay focused and composed during games, often looking to their parents in the middle of play and becoming visibly upset or emotional when things don’t go their way. This affects their ability to stay mentally engaged and recover from mistakes. Additionally, their understanding of the game is limited. they don’t grasp key concepts like offside, have a poor first touch, and often rely on using their body instead of technique or positioning. These issues, combined with a low tolerance for pressure and emotional instability during matches, make it clear that they would benefit more from continued development in a lower-tier environment where they can build confidence and foundational skills at a more appropriate pace.
Anonymous
Post 05/07/2025 19:35     Subject: Top team offers are already out—how’s your team shaping up?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Parents: We want teams to focus on developing players not just winning.

Also Parents: We should cut 3 players because they hold onto the ball too long and have low soccer IQ.

Parents, you are the problem.


Apples to Oranges. Kids don't grow as players when others on the team can't or won't play to the level of the rest of the team. We are past kick and run after the ball/drive into a sea of players and how for the best age; so yes, cut the kids still doing this while everyone else has learned when to drive and when to pass while holding possession. Low soccer IQ players have no business being on a top team.


+1
Anonymous
Post 05/07/2025 19:05     Subject: Top team offers are already out—how’s your team shaping up?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Parents: We want teams to focus on developing players not just winning.

Also Parents: We should cut 3 players because they hold onto the ball too long and have low soccer IQ.

Parents, you are the problem.


Apples to Oranges. Kids don't grow as players when others on the team can't or won't play to the level of the rest of the team. We are past kick and run after the ball/drive into a sea of players and how for the best age; so yes, cut the kids still doing this while everyone else has learned when to drive and when to pass while holding possession. Low soccer IQ players have no business being on a top team.


There are levels to this and many around here are misguided about true elite and top teams

How did the low IQ kid get on an alleged top team anyway?
Anonymous
Post 05/07/2025 18:58     Subject: Top team offers are already out—how’s your team shaping up?
This feels like a troll post or team manager maybe? As a PP said, we talk to other parents on the team, so we know who is returning and who is leaving. But the coach and club have not said anything about who might be coming from other teams within the club or from tryouts.
Anonymous
Post 05/07/2025 18:54     Subject: Top team offers are already out—how’s your team shaping up?
Anonymous wrote:Parents: We want teams to focus on developing players not just winning.

Also Parents: We should cut 3 players because they hold onto the ball too long and have low soccer IQ.

Parents, you are the problem.


Apples to Oranges. Kids don't grow as players when others on the team can't or won't play to the level of the rest of the team. We are past kick and run after the ball/drive into a sea of players and how for the best age; so yes, cut the kids still doing this while everyone else has learned when to drive and when to pass while holding possession. Low soccer IQ players have no business being on a top team.
Anonymous
Post 05/07/2025 18:38     Subject: Top team offers are already out—how’s your team shaping up?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I know tryout season just wrapped for most top teams. Is there a lot of movement on yours? Anyone make it who probably shouldn’t have?

Here’s how things went with my DC team:
• 2 new kids from outside the club
• 2 kids moved up from the B team
• 1 kid left for another club
• And somehow, 2 kids who clearly didn’t earn a top spot still made the cut

What’s the situation like with your team?


What age group


U12B
Anonymous
Post 05/07/2025 18:17     Subject: Top team offers are already out—how’s your team shaping up?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Do clubs actually announce next season’s rosters when this season isn’t over? Other than from discussing with parents who said they got an offer have no idea who made the team (from current top team), I have no clue of others (from second team or from outside the club).


In my experience, no. 4th year and we have not seen this before. It’s all kinda secretive. Also, they don’t announce rosters to allow for 1 or 2 player movements to happen over the summer. Which cuts down on jealousy issues.


I have no clue if anyone new made the team. I only know if current players are returning or no - parents talk