Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So - they are saying he can’t play at all? Or just that he can’t play on THAT team? Those are two different things.

OP hasn’t answered this despite being asked at least twice.

Yes he can play on a team but not that specific team with his friends.

Well there you go. This has nothing to do with being competitive - they are balancing the teams. And probably taking into account cliques, personalities (trying to avoid one team with a lot of strong personalities for example). Trust the process. You are joining for the sport, not the kid.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So - they are saying he can’t play at all? Or just that he can’t play on THAT team? Those are two different things.

OP hasn’t answered this despite being asked at least twice.

Yes he can play on a team but not that specific team with his friends.

So he can play rec. OP has misrepresented. My son plays rec basketball with his travel soccer friends. They create a team coached by a parent. They usually have a full roster with the continuing travel players, who have played together for many years. If there is space on the team, we can add a new player, but we won't bump one of the existing members to accommodate a new kid. If your child is completely new to a sport, you register him through the portal and he'll be added to a team with space based on level. Roster sizes must be limited to allow play time for all kids.

This is pretty straight forward.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So - they are saying he can’t play at all? Or just that he can’t play on THAT team? Those are two different things.

OP hasn’t answered this despite being asked at least twice.

Yes he can play on a team but not that specific team with his friends.

Anonymous wrote:You should see our Little League- totally cutthroat dads and coaches who try to manipulate things so that they can create a super stacked All Star team. And our basketball league...coaches who try to work the draft by telling good kids not to show up to evals so that other coaches won't recognize them and therefore leaving them to be drafted by the coach in the know.

The most insane dads I’ve met in my area of Fairfax are the Little League dads. Totally delusional cutthroat dads who think their kid is the next MLB superstar.

Anonymous wrote:So - they are saying he can’t play at all? Or just that he can’t play on THAT team? Those are two different things.

OP hasn’t answered this despite being asked at least twice.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DS’s rec soccer team is really good, but they add players if there is space on the team. Maybe the friend’s team’s roster is full with the kids from previous seasons.

Nope roster is not full, registration just opened.

That doesn’t mean the spots aren’t spoken for

When we moved to Olney we signed up our daughter for the local rec team and you are right, it is very competitive! Parents are screaming at the coaches, it felt like a political and competitive environment. It was very clicky and unfortunately, my daughter did not make any friends. We only did two seasons hoping she would make friends and learn a new sport, but neither of those worked out.

It’s sad to see that it’s like that in other rec groups too.

So - they are saying he can’t play at all? Or just that he can’t play on THAT team? Those are two different things.

I am torn here, because I get what you are saying. But I also understand the flip side - it’s hard to get better at a sport, if every year, 50% of the players have never played. And you don’t know if the family is committed to coming to practices and games. This sounds like a sweet spot that doesn’t involve travel for the kids that can play. I’m sorry your son can’t play with his friend, but that doesn’t mean he can’t play at all.

To be completely transparent, I disagree with how our rec league is run. I think they *should* have different levels of teams. Having to start over every year with kids who have never played and families who aren’t committed is what sends people to travel.

You can do it OP

Um, so find a different less competitive team? Don't go for the really good teams with kids who've been playing together for ages. Go for a team that matches your kids skill level. This isn't rocket science.

You should see our Little League- totally cutthroat dads and coaches who try to manipulate things so that they can create a super stacked All Star team. And our basketball league...coaches who try to work the draft by telling good kids not to show up to evals so that other coaches won't recognize them and therefore leaving them to be drafted by the coach in the know.

Some of that is not competitive but its about teaching and your child needs a beginner class that teaches.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At the rec level, they should be doing what they can to make sure the teams are roughly level in terms of skill, so that when the teams play each other, it is fun for all the teams.

What usually happens is that the stronger teams try to stay together. Some leagues are better at preventing this than others. Usually though, the coaches have some sort of "draft" and if the friend's coach doesn't think your DC is good, they won't draft them.

OP here- you are right. But it’s not just the coaches, its the parents too who don’t want to share their teams registration code. It’s just sad to see your kid looking forward to playing a sport with his friends only to find out he can’t because the team is too good and he is a beginner..

Yes, this is what the US has come to in terms of intensity of extra-curriculars and unavailability of "walk-on" groups. My daughter is an advanced orchestral player, started her instrument really young, and I had to find compassionate words to tell another parent that no, their late-elementary beginner would probably not be accepted into the same youth orchestra as my daughter. You can't expect kids who have worked hard to attain a certain level to be lumped in with others who will play a ton of wrong notes and can't sight-read. Same for sports, I imagine.

We're talking about REC sports. Not club, not travel, no tryouts. Way to miss the point, you snob. These are CHILDREN. There should be a place for children to join and learn and participate without parents freaking out that their precious prodigy might have to deal with someone not being as amazing as they are.

OP here- thanks PP

Not to mention these kids will have no chance of making a high school team anyway. Its so selfish to not give them opportunities to try a sport on rec teams either.

I get this and agree, OP, but there does come a point when a beginner just isn't going to work on even a rec team that has been playing together for many years. My kid is in 8th grade and his soccer team (rec) isn't that great, but they've been playing since they were 4. A kid who is brand new to the sport is going to be miserable, I would think, and would get runover by other teams.

I'm not saying any team should turn him down because he's a beginner, but I wonder if you know what he's getting into if you are signing up a middle school player for a sport where the rest have been playing for years and years?

PP here. And yes, DS is already on his school's MS team and will likely make his school's HS team. I think you underestimate these players.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At the rec level, they should be doing what they can to make sure the teams are roughly level in terms of skill, so that when the teams play each other, it is fun for all the teams.

What usually happens is that the stronger teams try to stay together. Some leagues are better at preventing this than others. Usually though, the coaches have some sort of "draft" and if the friend's coach doesn't think your DC is good, they won't draft them.

OP here- you are right. But it’s not just the coaches, its the parents too who don’t want to share their teams registration code. It’s just sad to see your kid looking forward to playing a sport with his friends only to find out he can’t because the team is too good and he is a beginner..

Yes, this is what the US has come to in terms of intensity of extra-curriculars and unavailability of "walk-on" groups. My daughter is an advanced orchestral player, started her instrument really young, and I had to find compassionate words to tell another parent that no, their late-elementary beginner would probably not be accepted into the same youth orchestra as my daughter. You can't expect kids who have worked hard to attain a certain level to be lumped in with others who will play a ton of wrong notes and can't sight-read. Same for sports, I imagine.

We're talking about REC sports. Not club, not travel, no tryouts. Way to miss the point, you snob. These are CHILDREN. There should be a place for children to join and learn and participate without parents freaking out that their precious prodigy might have to deal with someone not being as amazing as they are.

OP here- thanks PP

Not to mention these kids will have no chance of making a high school team anyway. Its so selfish to not give them opportunities to try a sport on rec teams either.

I get this and agree, OP, but there does come a point when a beginner just isn't going to work on even a rec team that has been playing together for many years. My kid is in 8th grade and his soccer team (rec) isn't that great, but they've been playing since they were 4. A kid who is brand new to the sport is going to be miserable, I would think, and would get runover by other teams.

I'm not saying any team should turn him down because he's a beginner, but I wonder if you know what he's getting into if you are signing up a middle school player for a sport where the rest have been playing for years and years?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At the rec level, they should be doing what they can to make sure the teams are roughly level in terms of skill, so that when the teams play each other, it is fun for all the teams.

What usually happens is that the stronger teams try to stay together. Some leagues are better at preventing this than others. Usually though, the coaches have some sort of "draft" and if the friend's coach doesn't think your DC is good, they won't draft them.

OP here- you are right. But it’s not just the coaches, its the parents too who don’t want to share their teams registration code. It’s just sad to see your kid looking forward to playing a sport with his friends only to find out he can’t because the team is too good and he is a beginner..

Yes, this is what the US has come to in terms of intensity of extra-curriculars and unavailability of "walk-on" groups. My daughter is an advanced orchestral player, started her instrument really young, and I had to find compassionate words to tell another parent that no, their late-elementary beginner would probably not be accepted into the same youth orchestra as my daughter. You can't expect kids who have worked hard to attain a certain level to be lumped in with others who will play a ton of wrong notes and can't sight-read. Same for sports, I imagine.

We're talking about REC sports. Not club, not travel, no tryouts. Way to miss the point, you snob. These are CHILDREN. There should be a place for children to join and learn and participate without parents freaking out that their precious prodigy might have to deal with someone not being as amazing as they are.

OP here- thanks PP

Not to mention these kids will have no chance of making a high school team anyway. Its so selfish to not give them opportunities to try a sport on rec teams either.

Damn