Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Huh. I'll admit my son isn't in an elite soccer right at this moment, but he has done a good deal of elite-adjacent soccer and is pretty good. His team (a W in MCPS) is competitive and the games look nothing like what you describe. Also their coach is very good. I guess this varies by school or county?

I mean this kindly, most parents have zero idea what 'good soccer' looks like. And there is such a huge gap between an MLSNext/ECNL game and 'elite-adjacent' soccer. The jump to speed of play and decision making is 3-folds higher. It takes most kids a full season to adjust to the higher level.

I know the parents at our high school think it's wonderful soccer. It is so painful to watch and to see what is going wrong and the coaches throwing sideline tantrums and screaming with zero idea how to 'right the ship'.

I think you're reading a great deal into your interpretation of what I said. I never said my kid's high school has absolutely wonderful next-level soccer. I said it doesn't look like they're lobbing the ball around like noobs, as PPs describe.

...and to expand on that, the coaches don't throw sideline tantrums, scream, or need to right any ships. Again, it's not MLS next. But it's not what you desire. I am curious what schools you're watching.

Ones where one of the coaches gets a yellow or red every single game.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Huh. I'll admit my son isn't in an elite soccer right at this moment, but he has done a good deal of elite-adjacent soccer and is pretty good. His team (a W in MCPS) is competitive and the games look nothing like what you describe. Also their coach is very good. I guess this varies by school or county?

I mean this kindly, most parents have zero idea what 'good soccer' looks like. And there is such a huge gap between an MLSNext/ECNL game and 'elite-adjacent' soccer. The jump to speed of play and decision making is 3-folds higher. It takes most kids a full season to adjust to the higher level.

I know the parents at our high school think it's wonderful soccer. It is so painful to watch and to see what is going wrong and the coaches throwing sideline tantrums and screaming with zero idea how to 'right the ship'.

I think you're reading a great deal into your interpretation of what I said. I never said my kid's high school has absolutely wonderful next-level soccer. I said it doesn't look like they're lobbing the ball around like noobs, as PPs describe.

...and to expand on that, the coaches don't throw sideline tantrums, scream, or need to right any ships. Again, it's not MLS next. But it's not what you desire. I am curious what schools you're watching.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Huh. I'll admit my son isn't in an elite soccer right at this moment, but he has done a good deal of elite-adjacent soccer and is pretty good. His team (a W in MCPS) is competitive and the games look nothing like what you describe. Also their coach is very good. I guess this varies by school or county?

I mean this kindly, most parents have zero idea what 'good soccer' looks like. And there is such a huge gap between an MLSNext/ECNL game and 'elite-adjacent' soccer. The jump to speed of play and decision making is 3-folds higher. It takes most kids a full season to adjust to the higher level.

I know the parents at our high school think it's wonderful soccer. It is so painful to watch and to see what is going wrong and the coaches throwing sideline tantrums and screaming with zero idea how to 'right the ship'.

I think you're reading a great deal into your interpretation of what I said. I never said my kid's high school has absolutely wonderful next-level soccer. I said it doesn't look like they're lobbing the ball around like noobs, as PPs describe.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Many high school coaches are complete arrogant d*cks.

So are most club coaches. What's your point?

At least club coaches know soccer, many HS coaches for most part do not and kids who know soccer pick up on that very quickly and know that they are arrogant d*cks for no reason other than power tripping.

DP That is very debatable. I have seen the horror show that passes for ECNL/“high level”travel soccer and it’s coaching. Most if the time they are just rolling the ball out on field and looking confused if they happen to draw a team that can play/pass. Who’s a good coach? It’s the coach who starts your kid. Are they really a good coach? No. If they were a good coach they would be some place else. They all tell the parents this is elite soccer but it is not. Just watch it.

ECNL is not good soccer. I have seen so many ECNL games/teams that are just crap. Girls bouncing balls off their shins, first touch turns any ball they touch in to a 50/50 ball, can’t put three passes together with no pressure, etc. and develop end at 15. Now they run fast and a very physical but soccer is not rugby or football. If you are not a parent you are not watching ECNL unless you are getting paid.

High School soccer is a level below top travel but there is a thing where seniors and juniors plays and freshman and sophomore wait their turn. If you do not like that you will hate college soccer.

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone care about fun?
My son plays high school and ECNL, and while sure, the ECNL team is much much better, he has far more fun playing for high school where they have lots of students attending and making tons of noise.
He scored the winning goal last week, and kids in the stands were chanting his name. He said it was his favorite soccer moment ever. Good luck getting anything like that in a club game.

Definitely true, and the reality for a lot of boys is that they won’t be playing after HS, even for the majority of ECNL and MLS Next players.

Does anyone care about fun?
My son plays high school and ECNL, and while sure, the ECNL team is much much better, he has far more fun playing for high school where they have lots of students attending and making tons of noise.
He scored the winning goal last week, and kids in the stands were chanting his name. He said it was his favorite soccer moment ever. Good luck getting anything like that in a club game.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Many high school coaches are complete arrogant d*cks.

So are most club coaches. What's your point?

At least club coaches know soccer, many HS coaches for most part do not and kids who know soccer pick up on that very quickly and know that they are arrogant d*cks for no reason other than power tripping.

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Anonymous wrote:HS soccer is not the highest level of play. It's just fun for the kids. Let DD enjoy the time outside and camaraderie of HS sports. That's really what she's getting out of it.

Yeah--that stops working for them eventually when they have to sit on the bench and watch absolute crap on the field week after week. Most kids would rather be doing something else besides wasting so many hours a day and not playing. Some kids just aren't cut out for the bench or the boosters.

100% my kids have spent time on the bench over their youth career and it's fine when you know the person playing your position is a better player. When my kids were frustrated, I was dead honest. I would tell them 'you aren't going to play until you can show you are better at that position than the kid playing it'. See---that doesn't work in high school. It will work on a high level team with intelligent well-trained and licensed coaches. It is working this Fall for my one son when the coach just announced that there is going to be a change in starting line up since the kids (new kids not starting) our not getting scored on and not losing the ball and it is a noticeable difference. My neighbor's daughter was cut from her high school team and went on to play for UNC

For the system the coach is playing, the kids playing are better. In basketball, the most skilled player may be a center, but if the coach plays a positionless uptempo, they may ride the bench in favor of better athletes. In football, you may have a great pure passing qb, but if the coach runs the option, that QB is riding the bench. The teams to boot and run play the strongest fastest players because those players work in that system. You may hate that system, but that doesn't mean your kid is going to start over a kid better suited to it.

That's fine if your kid then goes onto play for UNC. My neighbor's daughter gets a kick out of it now. It wasn't 'so fun' when it was happening.

The coaches don't care if the kid will play for UNC if they aren't suited to their system, although I doubt a kid good enough to play for UNC was cut (they presumably have more fitness and strength than other kids on the team) unless they had a terrible attitude

Come on! It happens all.of.the.time. Nepotism and politics is even more rampant in HS than club.

A player recruited to play at UNC will be faster and have a stronger foot than any other kid at tryouts. They may be technical, but they are also perfectly suited to kick and run. Unless they have a terrible attitude. No coach wants to hear what then should be doing from a player. Screaming nepotism and politics is an excuse for your kid getting cut or benched- most coaches do not have full rosters worth of kids they have personal connections to every year throughout a multi-decade career

Believe what you want to believe.

Many high school coaches are complete arrogant d*cks.

We know several instances where they only took kids from certain clubs. There are also a few known to select only from clubs where they coach too. It didn't matter about athleticism. Our school did fitness tests that had zero bearing on the team selections. Several kids that were top in the mile and beep test (skilled as well) did not make the team.

It is a nice world when you think everything is fair. The world doesn't work that way.

If the coach is benefiting financially from kids they take, then it's the other kids' parents' fault for letting it stand. If the school is private, raise hell with the HoS. If it's public start the process to report bribery. There is no jurisdiction that lets public employees benefit directly from their office even if most coaches try to.

Maybe some did report it? A coach resigned from his club team about 6-8 months ago but still continues to be a MCPS HS girls varsity coach. For the club, he was coaching more than two high school age girls travel teams….(most of players attend the HS he’s coaching too.)

Anonymous wrote:

Many high school coaches are complete arrogant d*cks.

So are most club coaches. What's your point?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Huh. I'll admit my son isn't in an elite soccer right at this moment, but he has done a good deal of elite-adjacent soccer and is pretty good. His team (a W in MCPS) is competitive and the games look nothing like what you describe. Also their coach is very good. I guess this varies by school or county?

I mean this kindly, most parents have zero idea what 'good soccer' looks like. And there is such a huge gap between an MLSNext/ECNL game and 'elite-adjacent' soccer. The jump to speed of play and decision making is 3-folds higher. It takes most kids a full season to adjust to the higher level.

I know the parents at our high school think it's wonderful soccer. It is so painful to watch and to see what is going wrong and the coaches throwing sideline tantrums and screaming with zero idea how to 'right the ship'.

NP. I’m wondering if the poster you are responding to is a fellow parent on my son’s JV team at a W school. We have an older child who played DA and D1 at a top program, and are aware of what good soccer looks like. Our coach is terrific and the boys are skillful. Of course the level is not going to be what you see on a top club team, but the kids play an attractive style of soccer. Same is true for several of the other teams we play, though I’ve certainly seen plenty of teams play the way OP describes.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:HS soccer is not the highest level of play. It's just fun for the kids. Let DD enjoy the time outside and camaraderie of HS sports. That's really what she's getting out of it.

Yeah--that stops working for them eventually when they have to sit on the bench and watch absolute crap on the field week after week. Most kids would rather be doing something else besides wasting so many hours a day and not playing. Some kids just aren't cut out for the bench or the boosters.

100% my kids have spent time on the bench over their youth career and it's fine when you know the person playing your position is a better player. When my kids were frustrated, I was dead honest. I would tell them 'you aren't going to play until you can show you are better at that position than the kid playing it'. See---that doesn't work in high school. It will work on a high level team with intelligent well-trained and licensed coaches. It is working this Fall for my one son when the coach just announced that there is going to be a change in starting line up since the kids (new kids not starting) our not getting scored on and not losing the ball and it is a noticeable difference. My neighbor's daughter was cut from her high school team and went on to play for UNC

For the system the coach is playing, the kids playing are better. In basketball, the most skilled player may be a center, but if the coach plays a positionless uptempo, they may ride the bench in favor of better athletes. In football, you may have a great pure passing qb, but if the coach runs the option, that QB is riding the bench. The teams to boot and run play the strongest fastest players because those players work in that system. You may hate that system, but that doesn't mean your kid is going to start over a kid better suited to it.

That's fine if your kid then goes onto play for UNC. My neighbor's daughter gets a kick out of it now. It wasn't 'so fun' when it was happening.

The coaches don't care if the kid will play for UNC if they aren't suited to their system, although I doubt a kid good enough to play for UNC was cut (they presumably have more fitness and strength than other kids on the team) unless they had a terrible attitude

Come on! It happens all.of.the.time. Nepotism and politics is even more rampant in HS than club.

A player recruited to play at UNC will be faster and have a stronger foot than any other kid at tryouts. They may be technical, but they are also perfectly suited to kick and run. Unless they have a terrible attitude. No coach wants to hear what then should be doing from a player. Screaming nepotism and politics is an excuse for your kid getting cut or benched- most coaches do not have full rosters worth of kids they have personal connections to every year throughout a multi-decade career

Believe what you want to believe.

Many high school coaches are complete arrogant d*cks.

We know several instances where they only took kids from certain clubs. There are also a few known to select only from clubs where they coach too. It didn't matter about athleticism. Our school did fitness tests that had zero bearing on the team selections. Several kids that were top in the mile and beep test (skilled as well) did not make the team.

It is a nice world when you think everything is fair. The world doesn't work that way.

If the coach is benefiting financially from kids they take, then it's the other kids' parents' fault for letting it stand. If the school is private, raise hell with the HoS. If it's public start the process to report bribery. There is no jurisdiction that lets public employees benefit directly from their office even if most coaches try to.

Anonymous wrote:The best players at our high school do not play high school soccer.

Do they play other high school sports, or just club soccer?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:HS soccer is not the highest level of play. It's just fun for the kids. Let DD enjoy the time outside and camaraderie of HS sports. That's really what she's getting out of it.

Yeah--that stops working for them eventually when they have to sit on the bench and watch absolute crap on the field week after week. Most kids would rather be doing something else besides wasting so many hours a day and not playing. Some kids just aren't cut out for the bench or the boosters.

100% my kids have spent time on the bench over their youth career and it's fine when you know the person playing your position is a better player. When my kids were frustrated, I was dead honest. I would tell them 'you aren't going to play until you can show you are better at that position than the kid playing it'. See---that doesn't work in high school. It will work on a high level team with intelligent well-trained and licensed coaches. It is working this Fall for my one son when the coach just announced that there is going to be a change in starting line up since the kids (new kids not starting) our not getting scored on and not losing the ball and it is a noticeable difference. My neighbor's daughter was cut from her high school team and went on to play for UNC

For the system the coach is playing, the kids playing are better. In basketball, the most skilled player may be a center, but if the coach plays a positionless uptempo, they may ride the bench in favor of better athletes. In football, you may have a great pure passing qb, but if the coach runs the option, that QB is riding the bench. The teams to boot and run play the strongest fastest players because those players work in that system. You may hate that system, but that doesn't mean your kid is going to start over a kid better suited to it.

That's fine if your kid then goes onto play for UNC. My neighbor's daughter gets a kick out of it now. It wasn't 'so fun' when it was happening.

The coaches don't care if the kid will play for UNC if they aren't suited to their system, although I doubt a kid good enough to play for UNC was cut (they presumably have more fitness and strength than other kids on the team) unless they had a terrible attitude

Come on! It happens all.of.the.time. Nepotism and politics is even more rampant in HS than club.

A player recruited to play at UNC will be faster and have a stronger foot than any other kid at tryouts. They may be technical, but they are also perfectly suited to kick and run. Unless they have a terrible attitude. No coach wants to hear what then should be doing from a player. Screaming nepotism and politics is an excuse for your kid getting cut or benched- most coaches do not have full rosters worth of kids they have personal connections to every year throughout a multi-decade career

Believe what you want to believe.

Many high school coaches are complete arrogant d*cks.

Completey Agree!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:HS soccer is not the highest level of play. It's just fun for the kids. Let DD enjoy the time outside and camaraderie of HS sports. That's really what she's getting out of it.

Yeah--that stops working for them eventually when they have to sit on the bench and watch absolute crap on the field week after week. Most kids would rather be doing something else besides wasting so many hours a day and not playing. Some kids just aren't cut out for the bench or the boosters.

100% my kids have spent time on the bench over their youth career and it's fine when you know the person playing your position is a better player. When my kids were frustrated, I was dead honest. I would tell them 'you aren't going to play until you can show you are better at that position than the kid playing it'. See---that doesn't work in high school. It will work on a high level team with intelligent well-trained and licensed coaches. It is working this Fall for my one son when the coach just announced that there is going to be a change in starting line up since the kids (new kids not starting) our not getting scored on and not losing the ball and it is a noticeable difference. My neighbor's daughter was cut from her high school team and went on to play for UNC

For the system the coach is playing, the kids playing are better. In basketball, the most skilled player may be a center, but if the coach plays a positionless uptempo, they may ride the bench in favor of better athletes. In football, you may have a great pure passing qb, but if the coach runs the option, that QB is riding the bench. The teams to boot and run play the strongest fastest players because those players work in that system. You may hate that system, but that doesn't mean your kid is going to start over a kid better suited to it.

That's fine if your kid then goes onto play for UNC. My neighbor's daughter gets a kick out of it now. It wasn't 'so fun' when it was happening.

The coaches don't care if the kid will play for UNC if they aren't suited to their system, although I doubt a kid good enough to play for UNC was cut (they presumably have more fitness and strength than other kids on the team) unless they had a terrible attitude

Come on! It happens all.of.the.time. Nepotism and politics is even more rampant in HS than club.

A player recruited to play at UNC will be faster and have a stronger foot than any other kid at tryouts. They may be technical, but they are also perfectly suited to kick and run. Unless they have a terrible attitude. No coach wants to hear what then should be doing from a player. Screaming nepotism and politics is an excuse for your kid getting cut or benched- most coaches do not have full rosters worth of kids they have personal connections to every year throughout a multi-decade career

Believe what you want to believe.

Many high school coaches are complete arrogant d*cks.

We know several instances where they only took kids from certain clubs. There are also a few known to select only from clubs where they coach too. It didn't matter about athleticism. Our school did fitness tests that had zero bearing on the team selections. Several kids that were top in the mile and beep test (skilled as well) did not make the team.

It is a nice world when you think everything is fair. The world doesn't work that way.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:HS soccer is not the highest level of play. It's just fun for the kids. Let DD enjoy the time outside and camaraderie of HS sports. That's really what she's getting out of it.

Yeah--that stops working for them eventually when they have to sit on the bench and watch absolute crap on the field week after week. Most kids would rather be doing something else besides wasting so many hours a day and not playing. Some kids just aren't cut out for the bench or the boosters.

100% my kids have spent time on the bench over their youth career and it's fine when you know the person playing your position is a better player. When my kids were frustrated, I was dead honest. I would tell them 'you aren't going to play until you can show you are better at that position than the kid playing it'. See---that doesn't work in high school. It will work on a high level team with intelligent well-trained and licensed coaches. It is working this Fall for my one son when the coach just announced that there is going to be a change in starting line up since the kids (new kids not starting) our not getting scored on and not losing the ball and it is a noticeable difference. My neighbor's daughter was cut from her high school team and went on to play for UNC

For the system the coach is playing, the kids playing are better. In basketball, the most skilled player may be a center, but if the coach plays a positionless uptempo, they may ride the bench in favor of better athletes. In football, you may have a great pure passing qb, but if the coach runs the option, that QB is riding the bench. The teams to boot and run play the strongest fastest players because those players work in that system. You may hate that system, but that doesn't mean your kid is going to start over a kid better suited to it.

That's fine if your kid then goes onto play for UNC. My neighbor's daughter gets a kick out of it now. It wasn't 'so fun' when it was happening.

The coaches don't care if the kid will play for UNC if they aren't suited to their system, although I doubt a kid good enough to play for UNC was cut (they presumably have more fitness and strength than other kids on the team) unless they had a terrible attitude

Come on! It happens all.of.the.time. Nepotism and politics is even more rampant in HS than club.

A player recruited to play at UNC will be faster and have a stronger foot than any other kid at tryouts. They may be technical, but they are also perfectly suited to kick and run. Unless they have a terrible attitude. No coach wants to hear what then should be doing from a player. Screaming nepotism and politics is an excuse for your kid getting cut or benched- most coaches do not have full rosters worth of kids they have personal connections to every year throughout a multi-decade career

Believe what you want to believe.

Many high school coaches are complete arrogant d*cks.