I will tell my DC that it’s an opportunity for you to be a playmaker & leader and make your team that much better.

Being the best player on the team, your DC is probably the main goal scorer, take most or all penalty kicks and free kicks, etc. This helps tremendously with his confidence, game understanding and other mental aspects as well.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The better question is: Why is DC frustrated? You need to decipher if his/her request to switch is legit.

OP. Level of team has dropped. Doesn't feel same fit as before. Wants to play with better kids and better competition. This is coming from DC. Not from me. And is atypical to hear these kind of complaints. Not looking to rush anything. Just curious about how the process works.

Gotcha. Well, you have what, 7 more games or so? Stick it out until winter break. I am a team manager and my coach and I would definitely give pause to a family who would bail so quickly on a team just because of a few lost games.

You are a team manager and sound like a pain in the ass, nosy one. Big buddies with coach, eh?

It’s not your place to gossip. You bring your big binder with player cards and stfu.

We are in the same boat. DS wants to leave and has expressed interest in seeking another club. It makes me sad because we have been with the club for 5 years. He is a top player on the B team. The level of play has decreased it's early but he wants to look in to other options.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The better question is: Why is DC frustrated? You need to decipher if his/her request to switch is legit.

OP. Level of team has dropped. Doesn't feel same fit as before. Wants to play with better kids and better competition. This is coming from DC. Not from me. And is atypical to hear these kind of complaints. Not looking to rush anything. Just curious about how the process works.

Gotcha. Well, you have what, 7 more games or so? Stick it out until winter break. I am a team manager and my coach and I would definitely give pause to a family who would bail so quickly on a team just because of a few lost games.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The better question is: Why is DC frustrated? You need to decipher if his/her request to switch is legit.

OP. Level of team has dropped. Doesn't feel same fit as before. Wants to play with better kids and better competition. This is coming from DC. Not from me. And is atypical to hear these kind of complaints. Not looking to rush anything. Just curious about how the process works.

Target the potential club you want to join and then talk to the coach about practicing with them. Unfortunately, this is probably too early in the season to do that. The coaches are just getting a feel for what they have.

I would suggest sticking it out until at least the winter break but start getting to know other clubs by practicing with them prior to that. If you leave this soon, you are teaching your kid that he should quit at the first sign of any trouble, plus it will look odd to your potential new club.

Anonymous wrote:The better question is: Why is DC frustrated? You need to decipher if his/her request to switch is legit.

I don't entirely disagree, if it's whimsical. Still part of the reason to play is for joy of the game, so I don't recommend leaving a player at a club over the long term if he or she is unhappy.

Anonymous wrote:The better question is: Why is DC frustrated? You need to decipher if his/her request to switch is legit.

OP. Level of team has dropped. Doesn't feel same fit as before. Wants to play with better kids and better competition. This is coming from DC. Not from me. And is atypical to hear these kind of complaints. Not looking to rush anything. Just curious about how the process works.

The better question is: Why is DC frustrated? You need to decipher if his/her request to switch is legit.

Would not recommend moving now. Take your time. Don't teach your DC to cut and run at the first sign of difficulty. They made a commitment and they should honor the commitment they made. There are situations where throw that out the window and GTFO like a coach abusing players, that kind of stuff but otherwise think about what life lessons your actions are teaching your child. Besides, if you just jump to the first club down the road now you are just as likely to end up in a worse situation than you are now.

On the other hand, starting to work to make things better now by taking the right steps to make sure you don't make the same kind of mistake again sends all the right messages. Do your homework, put in the legwork in advance and secure a good situation for the next season. Meanwhile problem-solve strategies with DC about how they can get the most out of the team they are with now. What parts of their game can they improve to be ready for next team? What are the good things about this team they can focus on? What can they get out of it.

Anonymous wrote:Bumping for some advice.

Couple weeks into season and DC is frustrated and not having fun. Asked about switching clubs. Has been lots of turnover so not surprising.

Curious if it is too soon to reach out to other teams. Realize it is close community and word may get back to current team.

Could the move be made this soon? Or would it have to happen in the winter at the earliest? Assume I am out the full cost of the current team or would I be able to avoid the unpaid portion?

Now is the time to start your research. Pick out some teams of interest and go watch them play and train. By winter you should be guesting with teams which are of interest. Late fall and early spring tournaments and futsal/indoor leagues are the perfect opportunity to actually get a feel for what playing with that team will be like. The way tryouts are run in this area they are for the coaches not the players. You can't tell anything about the team from the tryout--if you wait until then you may as well just roll the dice or throw a dart at the map to choose your team.

Anonymous wrote:The season has not yet begun- but we already know we need to change clubs
We should have done it in the Spring, but had delayed hoping things would change at the club (they have not).

So, we are stuck in current situation for this year (U-12).

When should we start getting in touch with other clubs/coaches for next year?

Is it too early to start the process in Fall? Do we wait until closer to Spring tryouts?

Thanks for advice!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bumping for some advice.

Couple weeks into season and DC is frustrated and not having fun. Asked about switching clubs. Has been lots of turnover so not surprising.

Curious if it is too soon to reach out to other teams. Realize it is close community and word may get back to current team.

Could the move be made this soon? Or would it have to happen in the winter at the earliest? Assume I am out the full cost of the current team or would I be able to avoid the unpaid portion?

Move can be made whenever you want. Remember--you are in control, not the club. If word does get back to the club they will either a) tell you to F@#$ off in which case you don't want to be with that kind of club anyway or b) come to you and try to address some of your concerns or c) just ignore you and not really care (in which case you don't want to be with them anyway).

Now is not too early to reach out. If there is a possibility of improving the current situation you can reach out, but if not you should start looking elsewhere.

If your kid is a legit stud ignore this advice, but otherwise, I’d wait until later in Fall. No offense, but I think you might get the side eye from clubs/teams you’re interested in if you are reaching out this soon...Fair or not, it looks like you played a handful of games with the team and decided a switch is in order because your kid isn’t getting mins or playing the position they wanted...So you better have some real concrete issues with the club and coaches if they are going to take you seriously.

Anonymous wrote:I'm sure if you talk with the club and do it in a good way, they may just release the player. Some will release without paying the remainder of the fee while others will require you to pay. Friends that left for a new club are not happy with the over rostering of teams and players having to sit out and being rotated when they were told something else before moving. Some other clubs do have space. If you stayed with better hopes, reach out to other clubs nearby or just show up at a field and speak to the coach and if they have space, may even allow your kid to jump in practice. May be a winter move or even now if current club works with you.

Clubs sometimes over roster their top team in the hope that you will stay with the club so parents can say they are with the top team. Players generally don't care and just need to play. Being on the top team and rotating is not better than playing on the lower team without rotating.

Anonymous wrote:Bumping for some advice.

Couple weeks into season and DC is frustrated and not having fun. Asked about switching clubs. Has been lots of turnover so not surprising.

Curious if it is too soon to reach out to other teams. Realize it is close community and word may get back to current team.

Could the move be made this soon? Or would it have to happen in the winter at the earliest? Assume I am out the full cost of the current team or would I be able to avoid the unpaid portion?

Move can be made whenever you want. Remember--you are in control, not the club. If word does get back to the club they will either a) tell you to F@#$ off in which case you don't want to be with that kind of club anyway or b) come to you and try to address some of your concerns or c) just ignore you and not really care (in which case you don't want to be with them anyway).

Now is not too early to reach out. If there is a possibility of improving the current situation you can reach out, but if not you should start looking elsewhere.

Bumping for some advice.

Couple weeks into season and DC is frustrated and not having fun. Asked about switching clubs. Has been lots of turnover so not surprising.

Curious if it is too soon to reach out to other teams. Realize it is close community and word may get back to current team.

Could the move be made this soon? Or would it have to happen in the winter at the earliest? Assume I am out the full cost of the current team or would I be able to avoid the unpaid portion?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm sure if you talk with the club and do it in a good way, they may just release the player. Some will release without paying the remainder of the fee while others will require you to pay. Friends that left for a new club are not happy with the over rostering of teams and players having to sit out and being rotated when they were told something else before moving. Some other clubs do have space. If you stayed with better hopes, reach out to other clubs nearby or just show up at a field and speak to the coach and if they have space, may even allow your kid to jump in practice. May be a winter move or even now if current club works with you.

In this scenario, why wouldn’t they simply move back to the old club or another club? Don’t be such a doormat and allow clubs to over roster and the rotating of players. What’s the point?

You’re paying a lot of money to be rotated to play in games. Are you thinking you’d be on the short list for DA or ECNL ? Think again. Rotating is the worst.

Just go back to the old club. Rotating is not good.