Anonymous wrote:Do not, and I repeat do not go to a team where your child will not get a decent amount of playing time at this age. It is developmentally inappropriate and a sign that the coach is not a good coach and the club is not a good club if they allow it.

Check with other parents about the coach's reputation. Then make your decision. Take it from someone who saw this at U11 and the next year all the kids with little playing time got moved down. They were good players that stagnated and got discouraged at U11. That's crazy.

Sounds a lot like McLean's U11-U12 boys. Coaching was poor and a number of players stagnated.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He’s 10! Go with the team that he’ll have the most fun with. Note that this decision will not decide his eventual soccer path. That will be determined by how much he is committed to the sport and how hard he works when he’s older. Did I mention he’s 10?

Please tell us, at what age do we start thinking about these things and why you think that. Will you say...But he's only 12!!! or But he's only 13!!! But he's only 14!!!!!.....

Usually it's U15 when clubs move to more competition. This is when roughly all the kids have hit puberty and it's less about who hit her growth spurt first.

U16 for us.

Our son has a late birthday and we are late growers. He was 15 all of U16 this year and he didn't hit his growth spurt until last summer. He went from around 5'2" to 5'11" from April 20-May 2021. He is predicted to be about 6'2". His shoe size went from 11 to 13 this year.

He was a very technical, smart player and now with his size it has all come together. He is an attacking center mid and now is the go-to player. Middle years were rough for him because he had more talent but not the size too match and there was literally a foot or more size discrepancy in 6th/7th/8th grades for him.

9 inches in a year!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He’s 10! Go with the team that he’ll have the most fun with. Note that this decision will not decide his eventual soccer path. That will be determined by how much he is committed to the sport and how hard he works when he’s older. Did I mention he’s 10?

Please tell us, at what age do we start thinking about these things and why you think that. Will you say...But he's only 12!!! or But he's only 13!!! But he's only 14!!!!!.....

Usually it's U15 when clubs move to more competition. This is when roughly all the kids have hit puberty and it's less about who hit her growth spurt first.

U16 for us.

Our son has a late birthday and we are late growers. He was 15 all of U16 this year and he didn't hit his growth spurt until last summer. He went from around 5'2" to 5'11" from April 20-May 2021. He is predicted to be about 6'2". His shoe size went from 11 to 13 this year.

He was a very technical, smart player and now with his size it has all come together. He is an attacking center mid and now is the go-to player. Middle years were rough for him because he had more talent but not the size too match and there was literally a foot or more size discrepancy in 6th/7th/8th grades for him.

So boys like him will still be in Club U17-U19. I read Weston McKennie saying how even at U16 he was never a first pick. He was never the go to player to get called up to camps. He was really surprised when he was called up because he was never the player everyone was talking about. For boys,things can happen so much later.

Now, I'm not saying my kid is anywhere near that level of play --but male soccer players don't even peak until most American youth hang up their cleats at 18.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He’s 10! Go with the team that he’ll have the most fun with. Note that this decision will not decide his eventual soccer path. That will be determined by how much he is committed to the sport and how hard he works when he’s older. Did I mention he’s 10?

Please tell us, at what age do we start thinking about these things and why you think that. Will you say...But he's only 12!!! or But he's only 13!!! But he's only 14!!!!!.....

Usually it's U15 when clubs move to more competition. This is when roughly all the kids have hit puberty and it's less about who hit her growth spurt first.

U16 for us.

Our son has a late birthday and we are late growers. He was 15 all of U16 this year and he didn't hit his growth spurt until last summer. He went from around 5'2" to 5'11" from April 20-May 2021. He is predicted to be about 6'2". His shoe size went from 11 to 13 this year.

He was a very technical, smart player and now with his size it has all come together. He is an attacking center mid and now is the go-to player. Middle years were rough for him because he had more talent but not the size too match and there was literally a foot or more size discrepancy in 6th/7th/8th grades for him.

Playing time in games is critical in player development (emotional and technical). No one enjoys riding the bench.

Confidence, not confident.

Anonymous wrote:Do not, and I repeat do not go to a team where your child will not get a decent amount of playing time at this age. It is developmentally inappropriate and a sign that the coach is not a good coach and the club is not a good club if they allow it.

Check with other parents about the coach's reputation. Then make your decision. Take it from someone who saw this at U11 and the next year all the kids with little playing time got moved down. They were good players that stagnated and got discouraged at U11. That's crazy.

100 percent correct. I have seen the kids who play full games on the B team quickly outpace the bench kids on A team. They build confident and touches in multiple high pressure unexpected situations. That is not a skill that comes in practice; you know your teammates too well. I can’t emphasize this enough. Plus, it’s more fun to be on the field!!!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He’s 10! Go with the team that he’ll have the most fun with. Note that this decision will not decide his eventual soccer path. That will be determined by how much he is committed to the sport and how hard he works when he’s older. Did I mention he’s 10?

Please tell us, at what age do we start thinking about these things and why you think that. Will you say...But he's only 12!!! or But he's only 13!!! But he's only 14!!!!!.....

Usually it's U15 when clubs move to more competition. This is when roughly all the kids have hit puberty and it's less about who hit her growth spurt first.

Do not, and I repeat do not go to a team where your child will not get a decent amount of playing time at this age. It is developmentally inappropriate and a sign that the coach is not a good coach and the club is not a good club if they allow it.

Check with other parents about the coach's reputation. Then make your decision. Take it from someone who saw this at U11 and the next year all the kids with little playing time got moved down. They were good players that stagnated and got discouraged at U11. That's crazy.

Anonymous wrote:My kid was on B team when he was in the younger age groups. There were virtually no subs so he played all the time. ALL the time. It was great for him. He's now a top team player and I would credit the continuous play time (and his own practicing) with getting him there. In many clubs, A & B practice together so if that is the case I'd go with B team. You'll still get the benefit of practicing with the higher level players. At this age, it's about staying off the bench.

That's a fair point. In many clubs, however, even on the A team kids get roughly equal playing time. I know that's the case with VYS. If you can get roughly equal playing time on the A team, and your son's coaches think he's ready for the increased challenge of the A team, I say go for it.

Yeah I'm in the same boat with DD aged 9. She is red team on a lesser club and one of the stars. She is trying out for an established club. Wild talent and great rep. She wants to play there. She's sick of losing all the time. But mentally, I don't know enough about this club to be confident they will hold her hand like her current club. She gets the same coach next year there too. But def the second club is hella better. She used what she learned at tryouts in practice with her current club so kid can learn. But again she will be the bottom 1-2 player. Or she will get in their worst team. It'll be a new coach. I just don't know. Usually I'd say go with the best and I agree people rise to the occasion but I think mentally it's about the best culture fit for the person in order they want to keep going.

Anonymous wrote:He’s 10! Go with the team that he’ll have the most fun with. Note that this decision will not decide his eventual soccer path. That will be determined by how much he is committed to the sport and how hard he works when he’s older. Did I mention he’s 10?

Please tell us, at what age do we start thinking about these things and why you think that. Will you say...But he's only 12!!! or But he's only 13!!! But he's only 14!!!!!.....

My kid was on B team when he was in the younger age groups. There were virtually no subs so he played all the time. ALL the time. It was great for him. He's now a top team player and I would credit the continuous play time (and his own practicing) with getting him there. In many clubs, A & B practice together so if that is the case I'd go with B team. You'll still get the benefit of practicing with the higher level players. At this age, it's about staying off the bench.