It is possible for a kid that LOVES, LOVES, LOVES soccer to have that beat down by too much tedium and not enough fun in the early years.

I don't know why people are adamant that if a child does not like structured, boring 3Xweek 90-minute practices from the time of age 7 that it means they just don't love the sport.

Bullshit. I saw with both of my soccer-obsessed kids that would play any chance that could get and loved going to the park for spontaneous pick-up games every night in the summer and when there wasn't a practice---that around 9/10 they started to hate "the grind". I pulled back. I stopped having them do the winter practices. I let them miss practices on occassion. I made sure to keep it organic and fun and found trainers that were challenging but in a way that made them want to work and laugh.

I think this is why they didn't drop the sport like the vast majority of their friends that were also fanatical about it---but all hated that the 90minute 3X a week year-round practices and travel all weekend left them with no down time or time to play anything else.

So--yes---you can love soccer and that love can be taken away when the wrong people enforce too much structure and not age-appropriate training that keeps young kids engaged and having fun. I've seen Academies in Europe train only 60 minutes a session at ages 7/8/9--much less than your typical travel soccer Club. More structure young is not better.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Rec level soccer has gotten a reputation as an "immigrant's" game. With how hostile our country is to brown people right now, no surprise people aren't flocking to soccer.

It's not just scheduling and travel. It's a perception of the sport and the kinds of people who play it, I'm sorry to say.

So what are you saying? You think this country just became hostile to brown people?

Is the argument that soccer is now a "brown people" sport so whites are less likely to play? I doubt this is true, especially in the areas most white people live.

the perception of soccer in this country is wealthy suburban white parents paying a fortune to travel all over the country.

most immigrants cannot afford soccer at a higher/travel level.

I see Lacrosse as a wealthy suburban white parent sport, our travel team has several minorities, granted their parents are UMC.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Rec level soccer has gotten a reputation as an "immigrant's" game. With how hostile our country is to brown people right now, no surprise people aren't flocking to soccer.

It's not just scheduling and travel. It's a perception of the sport and the kinds of people who play it, I'm sorry to say.

So what are you saying? You think this country just became hostile to brown people?

Is the argument that soccer is now a "brown people" sport so whites are less likely to play? I doubt this is true, especially in the areas most white people live.

the perception of soccer in this country is wealthy suburban white parents paying a fortune to travel all over the country.

most immigrants cannot afford soccer at a higher/travel level.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Rec level soccer has gotten a reputation as an "immigrant's" game. With how hostile our country is to brown people right now, no surprise people aren't flocking to soccer.

It's not just scheduling and travel. It's a perception of the sport and the kinds of people who play it, I'm sorry to say.

So what are you saying? You think this country just became hostile to brown people?

Is the argument that soccer is now a "brown people" sport so whites are less likely to play? I doubt this is true, especially in the areas most white people live.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sadly for DS, soccer was no longer fun. Crazy, right? A 10 year old wants to have fun playing a sport he loves. Two years of travel soccer were enough for him - he asked to not tryout for another season. Our hope is that he can play for his school in the coming years. We value the benefits of being physically active, playing on a team, building camaraderie and hope that a school team will be a better experience. We all did learn a lot though, so there's that...

A HS school team is 5 years from now for your DS. Why worry about soccer at all. It may be hard to believe but not every kid loves soccer. Just let him find his thing and perhaps stay out of the Soccer threads. If he is no longer playing the sport then why are you here, in a soccer thread? Perhaps Soccer is what YOU want for him.

Nothing wrong with that, I want soccer for DS and put him into travel soccer and other training. He sometimes complains but after the session is over on the first day, he let's me know he liked it and is happy to go back. I do believe we sometimes believe a child's agency is well developed, when in truth they would much rather be doing something as oppose to nothing, and may not know it yet.

We all know when a kid loves something and when they hate something. I have no problem picking things for my kids to try when they are younger. However, if he is likely to quit anyways might as well just do a less intense travel program or rec. Use the time to try other things. Again, worrying abut whether he'll play soccer in HS is a bad reason to force him to play soccer now. Your motives are wrong in this instance. You have no idea what High School will bring. The kid could end up loving Theater for all you know or can predict.

Expose him to as much stuff as you can and just see what sticks without a concern for HS or what he may play when he is 40 years old.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sadly for DS, soccer was no longer fun. Crazy, right? A 10 year old wants to have fun playing a sport he loves. Two years of travel soccer were enough for him - he asked to not tryout for another season. Our hope is that he can play for his school in the coming years. We value the benefits of being physically active, playing on a team, building camaraderie and hope that a school team will be a better experience. We all did learn a lot though, so there's that...

A HS school team is 5 years from now for your DS. Why worry about soccer at all. It may be hard to believe but not every kid loves soccer. Just let him find his thing and perhaps stay out of the Soccer threads. If he is no longer playing the sport then why are you here, in a soccer thread? Perhaps Soccer is what YOU want for him.

Nothing wrong with that, I want soccer for DS and put him into travel soccer and other training. He sometimes complains but after the session is over on the first day, he let's me know he liked it and is happy to go back. I do believe we sometimes believe a child's agency is well developed, when in truth they would much rather be doing something as oppose to nothing, and may not know it yet.

those are 2 different arguments

1 - yours where a kid might just be a bit harder to get started but enjoys the experience and wants to go back...

vs

2- a kid that actively says they don't want to play anymore (at least travel, but sounds like soccer).. is that really then a sport they love?

Is this the PP and the same kid? doesn't sound like it. A kid who loves a sport might ask to play on a different team or at least tell you why they didn't enjoy it (coach, kids, travel, competition, etc)

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sadly for DS, soccer was no longer fun. Crazy, right? A 10 year old wants to have fun playing a sport he loves. Two years of travel soccer were enough for him - he asked to not tryout for another season. Our hope is that he can play for his school in the coming years. We value the benefits of being physically active, playing on a team, building camaraderie and hope that a school team will be a better experience. We all did learn a lot though, so there's that...

A HS school team is 5 years from now for your DS. Why worry about soccer at all. It may be hard to believe but not every kid loves soccer. Just let him find his thing and perhaps stay out of the Soccer threads. If he is no longer playing the sport then why are you here, in a soccer thread? Perhaps Soccer is what YOU want for him.

Nothing wrong with that, I want soccer for DS and put him into travel soccer and other training. He sometimes complains but after the session is over on the first day, he let's me know he liked it and is happy to go back. I do believe we sometimes believe a child's agency is well developed, when in truth they would much rather be doing something as oppose to nothing, and may not know it yet.

Anonymous wrote:Sadly for DS, soccer was no longer fun. Crazy, right? A 10 year old wants to have fun playing a sport he loves. Two years of travel soccer were enough for him - he asked to not tryout for another season. Our hope is that he can play for his school in the coming years. We value the benefits of being physically active, playing on a team, building camaraderie and hope that a school team will be a better experience. We all did learn a lot though, so there's that...

A HS school team is 5 years from now for your DS. Why worry about soccer at all. It may be hard to believe but not every kid loves soccer. Just let him find his thing and perhaps stay out of the Soccer threads. If he is no longer playing the sport then why are you here, in a soccer thread? Perhaps Soccer is what YOU want for him.

Sadly for DS, soccer was no longer fun. Crazy, right? A 10 year old wants to have fun playing a sport he loves. Two years of travel soccer were enough for him - he asked to not tryout for another season. Our hope is that he can play for his school in the coming years. We value the benefits of being physically active, playing on a team, building camaraderie and hope that a school team will be a better experience. We all did learn a lot though, so there's that...

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The fun is gone too young. Too many parents ruining it for the kids and over-training them younger and younger. Clubs out to make $ and requiring too much structure and too much $$ at an age-inappropriate time.

The organized 90-minute travel practices 3+ times a week almost year round for SECOND graders is ridiculous...add in multiple tournaments each season and long drives and a culture that gives up on 90% of kids in an age group.

+1,000,000

We are bailing this club nightmare. They ruin the sport by age 12 for many families. Great post.

Question for the pp’s do you think it would have been better had your kids started travel at an older age? My son expressed interest but I’m concerned about burnout

OMG “Burnout”. Please stop with this tired concern. Just because a kid quits playing a sport or any activity it isn’t cause for concern or “burnout”. And even if it is burnout So what? It is no crime to simply lose interest in a extracurricular activity. If they would rather skip a practice let them. If they have a crappy game laugh it off. If they don’t want you at practice, stay in the car.

The point is, set some expectations but let them drive the ship and if they don’t absolutely fall in love with every activity don’t worry about it and try something else until something sticks.

Wow calm down pp. Perhaps burnout wasnt the correct term (didn’t realize it was such a trigger) - my concern is my child getting too consumed with practices and games at such a young age. I really don’t care if my kid loves soccer 2 years from now, but if he commits to a season the expectation in my family is that he finishes it. I don’t want a cranky, stressed out kid when it could be avoided by starting at an older age.

Buddy, this isn’t hard. You simply won’t know how your kid will react so frankly it is a stupid waste of your time worrying about it. Also, you can go under the assumption that your kid is a kid and doesn’t know what the fuck they even like yet. Kids are goofy shits who will eat pancakes 3 times a day for a month.

So while yes, the “life lesson” of finishing what you start is nice and all but if you’re forgetting the effect that putting to much emphasis on that lesson can have if your kid truly finds out that they just don’t like it and you make them finish. He/she will be less likely to try something new.

And the last final point. If 3 practices is just to much then only go to two and reassess. Communication with the coach is important and YOU are the customer. In a short time your kid just might say “I want to go to the third practice now”.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The fun is gone too young. Too many parents ruining it for the kids and over-training them younger and younger. Clubs out to make $ and requiring too much structure and too much $$ at an age-inappropriate time.

The organized 90-minute travel practices 3+ times a week almost year round for SECOND graders is ridiculous...add in multiple tournaments each season and long drives and a culture that gives up on 90% of kids in an age group.

+1,000,000

We are bailing this club nightmare. They ruin the sport by age 12 for many families. Great post.

Question for the pp’s do you think it would have been better had your kids started travel at an older age? My son expressed interest but I’m concerned about burnout

OMG “Burnout”. Please stop with this tired concern. Just because a kid quits playing a sport or any activity it isn’t cause for concern or “burnout”. And even if it is burnout So what? It is no crime to simply lose interest in a extracurricular activity. If they would rather skip a practice let them. If they have a crappy game laugh it off. If they don’t want you at practice, stay in the car.

The point is, set some expectations but let them drive the ship and if they don’t absolutely fall in love with every activity don’t worry about it and try something else until something sticks.

Wow calm down pp. Perhaps burnout wasnt the correct term (didn’t realize it was such a trigger) - my concern is my child getting too consumed with practices and games at such a young age. I really don’t care if my kid loves soccer 2 years from now, but if he commits to a season the expectation in my family is that he finishes it. I don’t want a cranky, stressed out kid when it could be avoided by starting at an older age.

Some of the rec training is terrible. It needs to be improved.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The fun is gone too young. Too many parents ruining it for the kids and over-training them younger and younger. Clubs out to make $ and requiring too much structure and too much $$ at an age-inappropriate time.

The organized 90-minute travel practices 3+ times a week almost year round for SECOND graders is ridiculous...add in multiple tournaments each season and long drives and a culture that gives up on 90% of kids in an age group.

+1,000,000

We are bailing this club nightmare. They ruin the sport by age 12 for many families. Great post.

Question for the pp’s do you think it would have been better had your kids started travel at an older age? My son expressed interest but I’m concerned about burnout

OMG “Burnout”. Please stop with this tired concern. Just because a kid quits playing a sport or any activity it isn’t cause for concern or “burnout”. And even if it is burnout So what? It is no crime to simply lose interest in a extracurricular activity. If they would rather skip a practice let them. If they have a crappy game laugh it off. If they don’t want you at practice, stay in the car.

The point is, set some expectations but let them drive the ship and if they don’t absolutely fall in love with every activity don’t worry about it and try something else until something sticks.

At 11 - 13 burnout is what parents call it when the kid wants to do something else. It's fine. The kid is at an age where they have more control over what they are doing. If they are done with (fill in the blank) and ready to move on - let them.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The fun is gone too young. Too many parents ruining it for the kids and over-training them younger and younger. Clubs out to make $ and requiring too much structure and too much $$ at an age-inappropriate time.

The organized 90-minute travel practices 3+ times a week almost year round for SECOND graders is ridiculous...add in multiple tournaments each season and long drives and a culture that gives up on 90% of kids in an age group.

+1,000,000

We are bailing this club nightmare. They ruin the sport by age 12 for many families. Great post.

Question for the pp’s do you think it would have been better had your kids started travel at an older age? My son expressed interest but I’m concerned about burnout