Anonymous wrote:I’m just trying to get an idea here.

Let’s say you have a U8/U9 kid and you would hope for them to eventually develop into a collegiate or pro player (small percentage of that happening I know)

Are you wanting for them to join a cheaper program where the coaches are volunteers even though they have some coaching experience or maybe even a lot.

Or are you

Choosing a more expensive program where the coaches are paid and have more experience?

What are your thoughts and has anyone done both or one or the other?

Ok. Here's my experience as a parent of two kids that played soccer or are currently playing soccer.

DS is now in college. He played on rec teams that were coaches by parents, including me, up through U7, then joined his clubs ADP - Advanced Development Program for U8 and U9. Once he was in that, it was paid coaches by the club. Some younger folks just starting out coaching or even some more experienced coaches as well. He went on to play on "traveL' teams after ADP but always at the lower levels but with paid coaches which, in my opinion were a benefit. For my son, not having a parent just worked better for him as far as structure and discipline went. He had anyone from a local USL pro player as a coach to collegiate assistants to his last year an older gentlemen who loved soccer and coaching HS age kids. All had some sort of USSF license. He never really had any overnight trips but loved the experience of playing - the team work, hanging out with the boys, etc. He played MS and HS soccer as well.

DD is a HS Junior and is playing ECNL U17. She started the same way with coed rec soccer with parent coaches and went through ADP but was selected for higher level travel teams early on (U10) and decided that's what she wanted to do. She was focused and driven, much more so than our son. Her early travels years were coached by a local USL player that "retired" and loved coaching. He was really, really good and the girls loved playing for him. She's had 4 different coaches throughout her ECNL years and all have brought unique experiences and different coaching styles to the table. I think that's good to be exposed to different coaches - different personalities, communication styles, etc are all valuable. It's made her a better player. She choose not to play HS soccer and during the spring has played with a combined ECNL age group team and trained with the USLW team in the area. She's verbally committed to play collegiately at a Big10 school.

FWIW, there was no way that we were thinking about where our kids would end up today when they were U8/U9. We wanted them to have their best experience and allowed them, as much as it made sense, to steer things a bit. DS enjoyed playing, but was not the kid to ask to go out and do extra stuff. He was happy in the winter to play rec hoops with his buddies from school. That was great. DD on the other hand really wanted that extra soccer stuff and we helped facilitate that for her - whether it was extra training or playing futsal during the winter, etc.

Good Luck!

Paid coaching = clubs more likely to hire qualified candidates w/experience and creds because they get paid

Volunteer coaching = a mixed bag. Some are highly experienced former players/coaches and want to give back and/or to coach their children, or some may just want the freedom/control they get at a volunteer only club.

Bottom line, do not expect any guarantees about the coaching you'll get unless you see them in action at tryouts, workouts, matched, or whatever.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Literally you are asking whether people prefer rec (cheaper, volunteer coaches) or travel (paid coaches).

Yes I know I’m asking that.

I should mention that the volunteer coaches do a pretty good job.

The program is also travel? I should have mentioned that.

Volunteer coaches doing a "pretty good job" are not going to get your kid into college.

A paid coach isnt going to do it either if the kid doesnt have the talent and motivation to get better. Plus nowadays its the league badge on the jersey that matters most, because thats what attracts the college scouts.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly curious-what club that plays in jeff cup has volunteer coaches?

I'm curious too

Doesn't matter. The quality of the players on the team matters a lot more than the coach. Now the coach has to be somewhat competent to string together a team of talented athletes, but from there the players will adapt to any shortfalls in coaching and improve as long as they are getting the repetitions. Plus their success will attract other good athletes in the area to tryout.

This is evidenced when you see a large club with 5 teams at a given age group and each team gets signicantly worse to where the 5th team is no better than a rec team. If paid coaching and club coaching mattered that much, every team would be good.

Most of what is discussed here "doesn't matter".

What teams/clubc that play in the Jefferson Cup have volunteer coaches?

Is that inconceivable to you? If so, why?

Do you know one way or another which clubs do or dont have paid coaches to claim its not possible?

Why so defensive? Why not just say what teams they are?

Because I dont feel like drawing attention to our team so the toxic people here can start bashing them.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly curious-what club that plays in jeff cup has volunteer coaches?

I'm curious too

Doesn't matter. The quality of the players on the team matters a lot more than the coach. Now the coach has to be somewhat competent to string together a team of talented athletes, but from there the players will adapt to any shortfalls in coaching and improve as long as they are getting the repetitions. Plus their success will attract other good athletes in the area to tryout.

This is evidenced when you see a large club with 5 teams at a given age group and each team gets signicantly worse to where the 5th team is no better than a rec team. If paid coaching and club coaching mattered that much, every team would be good.

Most of what is discussed here "doesn't matter".

What teams/clubc that play in the Jefferson Cup have volunteer coaches?

Is that inconceivable to you? If so, why?

Do you know one way or another which clubs do or dont have paid coaches to claim its not possible?

Why so defensive? Why not just say what teams they are?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly curious-what club that plays in jeff cup has volunteer coaches?

I'm curious too

Doesn't matter. The quality of the players on the team matters a lot more than the coach. Now the coach has to be somewhat competent to string together a team of talented athletes, but from there the players will adapt to any shortfalls in coaching and improve as long as they are getting the repetitions. Plus their success will attract other good athletes in the area to tryout.

This is evidenced when you see a large club with 5 teams at a given age group and each team gets signicantly worse to where the 5th team is no better than a rec team. If paid coaching and club coaching mattered that much, every team would be good.

Most of what is discussed here "doesn't matter".

What teams/clubc that play in the Jefferson Cup have volunteer coaches?

Is that inconceivable to you? If so, why?

Do you know one way or another which clubs do or dont have paid coaches to claim its not possible?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly curious-what club that plays in jeff cup has volunteer coaches?

I'm curious too

Doesn't matter. The quality of the players on the team matters a lot more than the coach. Now the coach has to be somewhat competent to string together a team of talented athletes, but from there the players will adapt to any shortfalls in coaching and improve as long as they are getting the repetitions. Plus their success will attract other good athletes in the area to tryout.

This is evidenced when you see a large club with 5 teams at a given age group and each team gets signicantly worse to where the 5th team is no better than a rec team. If paid coaching and club coaching mattered that much, every team would be good.

Most of what is discussed here "doesn't matter".

What teams/clubc that play in the Jefferson Cup have volunteer coaches?

^ meant to say "club culture" in the last sentence.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly curious-what club that plays in jeff cup has volunteer coaches?

I'm curious too

Doesn't matter. The quality of the players on the team matters a lot more than the coach. Now the coach has to be somewhat competent to string together a team of talented athletes, but from there the players will adapt to any shortfalls in coaching and improve as long as they are getting the repetitions. Plus their success will attract other good athletes in the area to tryout.

This is evidenced when you see a large club with 5 teams at a given age group and each team gets signicantly worse to where the 5th team is no better than a rec team. If paid coaching and club coaching mattered that much, every team would be good.

Anonymous wrote:Honestly curious-what club that plays in jeff cup has volunteer coaches?

I'm curious too

Paid coach isn't always better than volunteer coach. Especially at the younger ages, not understanding little kids and how to motivate can be detrimental. I don't think anyone here is going to be able to answer this question though. There is too much variability between volunteer coach with experience or limited experience with kids vs paid coach who maybe played but has zero experience plus no kids. The goal at the younger ages should be enjoyment but we have successfully eliminated that.

My boys have had bad volunteer coaches and bad paid coaches in travel. It is a toss up on what you can wind up with. But I don't like the politics of having volunteer/parent as a coach. Look at the program long term. I think it pays to go where the paid coaches are in the end because you are paying their salary.

Play rec for the spring. Touch the ball daily for 20 minutes at a minimum. Just play with them in the backyard and learn how to juggle. Sign up for a few summer camps. If the kid wants more, especially after the World Cup in the summer, you will know and then you can have this conversation in person with coaches who have seen your kid and provide a better assessment. There will always be a spot available on small local travel clubs. It is very easy to get on a college/pro track if your kid loves the game. It has to be the kid who wants it and the parent has to be patient and wait for when it clicks for the kid. Your original post does not make you a bad parent. It does make you overly invested in the outcome so you need to monitor yourself more than other parents.

Anonymous wrote:Until at least age 11, let them stay with their friends in Rec, unless they are bored with the game, scoring 5+ goals every game, getting frustrated with the level of play. If they are always kicking around a ball at home, in all their free time, etc.

Then go to Travel. And make sure that every season they like their coach and teammates, and are having fun and learning. Otherwise they burn out and quit, because it's no fun

So few American kids play in college these days, something like 80% of players in D1 schools are from Europe and South America

80%?! Where did you find that statistic?

Anonymous wrote:I’m just trying to get an idea here.

Let’s say you have a U8/U9 kid and you would hope for them to eventually develop into a collegiate or pro player (small percentage of that happening I know)

Are you wanting for them to join a cheaper program where the coaches are volunteers even though they have some coaching experience or maybe even a lot.

Or are you

Choosing a more expensive program where the coaches are paid and have more experience?

What are your thoughts and has anyone done both or one or the other?

You need to familiarize yourself with the story of Todd Marinovich and his father. If that doesn't help you take a step, or five back, be prepared for your kid to hate you.