Is this the thread where HS coaches are rated?

Look at the Class 5 and Class 6 state champs last spring. Both had mediocre coaches, but stacked with club players. They didn't game plan wins, they just did what they were taught from a young age which is to play soccer. I think Lightridge was made up of all former or current club players. Herndon was the same with the top player being a DCU player.

So you can complain about the quality of HS soccer, but the reality is most have a few quality club players. The ones that do well just has more of club players.

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Anonymous wrote:I have a kid that played at a top end ECNL team in the area. He ended his club season in February and could have continued to play in college but opted to focus on school. He played HS soccer this spring and he loved every moment. Winning Jeff Cup, top rankings in showcases, and ECNL playoffs combined didn't bring him as much joy as playing his final year in HS. All the pressure of travel was lifted and he play for the purity of the sport. If I knew this would have been the outcome, I would have suggested he stop playing club years ago.

High School is complete garbage soccer. I am happy your kid found a place where he got to play and enjoy himself, though. However, don't act like you had a top team kid dominating the field in club games that gave it all up to enjoy High School soccer. That's not a thing in this area.

I used to repeat the stereotype that HS soccer is complete garbage

Then I watched a couple games in recent years and realized there are many kids playing who can and do easily play in leagues like MLS Next and ECNL
Some of the coaches are real coaches that coach at some good clubs in the DMV

The benches won't be as deep as MLS Next teams, so there's a quality issue there.
But there are some schools with players who don't play expensive p-2-p club soccer because of costs but are good players

The levels of HS soccer teams vary so the games vary. The strong teams are pretty good with players from MLS Next to EDP and club coaches

So its not garbage imho

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Anonymous wrote:I have a kid that played at a top end ECNL team in the area. He ended his club season in February and could have continued to play in college but opted to focus on school. He played HS soccer this spring and he loved every moment. Winning Jeff Cup, top rankings in showcases, and ECNL playoffs combined didn't bring him as much joy as playing his final year in HS. All the pressure of travel was lifted and he play for the purity of the sport. If I knew this would have been the outcome, I would have suggested he stop playing club years ago.

High School is complete garbage soccer. I am happy your kid found a place where he got to play and enjoy himself, though. However, don't act like you had a top team kid dominating the field in club games that gave it all up to enjoy High School soccer. That's not a thing in this area.

Competitive parents like you never miss a chance to make a federal case out of high school soccer. Newsflash: every kid wants to play it, no matter the level. If you actually read the original post (big ask, I know), you’d see no one said their kid quit club — just that he enjoyed HS soccer. Reading comprehension, people. Try it sometime.

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Anonymous wrote:I have a kid that played at a top end ECNL team in the area. He ended his club season in February and could have continued to play in college but opted to focus on school. He played HS soccer this spring and he loved every moment. Winning Jeff Cup, top rankings in showcases, and ECNL playoffs combined didn't bring him as much joy as playing his final year in HS. All the pressure of travel was lifted and he play for the purity of the sport. If I knew this would have been the outcome, I would have suggested he stop playing club years ago.

High School is complete garbage soccer. I am happy your kid found a place where he got to play and enjoy himself, though. However, don't act like you had a top team kid dominating the field in club games that gave it all up to enjoy High School soccer. That's not a thing in this area.

Not every kid who is capable of playing college wants to play college soccer. Several very good players on ECNL teams that are friends with my daughter stopped playing club junior or senior year because they decided college soccer wasn’t what they wanted. They had academic goals or just wanted to have more fun in college. Probably weren’t good enough for power 4 scholarships but they absolutely could have played D1 someplace if that was their desire. They did still continue to play on their HS teams. They are doing great in college now. They didn’t give up club because of HS soccer, they gave it up because college soccer was no longer a goal so club didn’t make sense anymore but those last two years of HS soccer they loved.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a kid that played at a top end ECNL team in the area. He ended his club season in February and could have continued to play in college but opted to focus on school. He played HS soccer this spring and he loved every moment. Winning Jeff Cup, top rankings in showcases, and ECNL playoffs combined didn't bring him as much joy as playing his final year in HS. All the pressure of travel was lifted and he play for the purity of the sport. If I knew this would have been the outcome, I would have suggested he stop playing club years ago.

High School is complete garbage soccer. I am happy your kid found a place where he got to play and enjoy himself, though. However, don't act like you had a top team kid dominating the field in club games that gave it all up to enjoy High School soccer. That's not a thing in this area.

It should be, though.

The grownups have completely ruined sports for kids.

Anonymous wrote:I have a kid that played at a top end ECNL team in the area. He ended his club season in February and could have continued to play in college but opted to focus on school. He played HS soccer this spring and he loved every moment. Winning Jeff Cup, top rankings in showcases, and ECNL playoffs combined didn't bring him as much joy as playing his final year in HS. All the pressure of travel was lifted and he play for the purity of the sport. If I knew this would have been the outcome, I would have suggested he stop playing club years ago.

High School is complete garbage soccer. I am happy your kid found a place where he got to play and enjoy himself, though. However, don't act like you had a top team kid dominating the field in club games that gave it all up to enjoy High School soccer. That's not a thing in this area.

I have a kid that played at a top end ECNL team in the area. He ended his club season in February and could have continued to play in college but opted to focus on school. He played HS soccer this spring and he loved every moment. Winning Jeff Cup, top rankings in showcases, and ECNL playoffs combined didn't bring him as much joy as playing his final year in HS. All the pressure of travel was lifted and he play for the purity of the sport. If I knew this would have been the outcome, I would have suggested he stop playing club years ago.

This comment is underrated. Only on DCUM do people think soccer starts or stops at college/pro. This is a healthy, fun, lifelong passion for those of us who had fun and built relationships in the formative years. Including once when we have jobs and families.

I wasn’t even that good, but I’ve loved football since school. And it keeps giving back to me.

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Anonymous wrote:Reality is, all the kids playing HS only and 99%+ of kids playing Travel will all be in the same place with soccer in 5 years

Exactly. If there is no path to college or pro soccer, high level travel soccer is an extravagant expense for high school age players. $10K/year would do much better sitting in a 529. At most high schools it is possible to make the team without continuing to play travel. I imagine many figure this out freshman/sophomore year.

Are there actually people paying $10k/year in soccer because they think it will pay off financially somehow? I find it hard to believe people are that dumb.

Every kid playing at a playoff qualifying ECNL team is spending $10K. I am sure most parents think/hope it will pay off through a college scholarship. I am sure some parents are able to pay $10K for what amounts to a hobby for their kid. Probably a higher % in the DMV than other areas. The reality is that for most kids' competitive soccer ends their senior year of high school.

Oh, I am fully aware people are paying $10k a year. I'm one of them. I just haven't encountered any parents on our teams expecting a financial payback. Everyone knows it's an expensive hobby.

I am doing the same but to be honest, if I come to the conclusion that this will all end in high school, we will look to scale back to something with less travel. It shouldn't cost $10K to play competitive soccer, certainly not as a hobby. I think there should be more events like Copa Talento where kids can join a pickup team and play in a tournament with decent competition.

Old dudes are playing and having fun every Sunday morning or Friday evening somewhere for free

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Reality is, all the kids playing HS only and 99%+ of kids playing Travel will all be in the same place with soccer in 5 years

Exactly. If there is no path to college or pro soccer, high level travel soccer is an extravagant expense for high school age players. $10K/year would do much better sitting in a 529. At most high schools it is possible to make the team without continuing to play travel. I imagine many figure this out freshman/sophomore year.

Are there actually people paying $10k/year in soccer because they think it will pay off financially somehow? I find it hard to believe people are that dumb.

Every kid playing at a playoff qualifying ECNL team is spending $10K. I am sure most parents think/hope it will pay off through a college scholarship. I am sure some parents are able to pay $10K for what amounts to a hobby for their kid. Probably a higher % in the DMV than other areas. The reality is that for most kids' competitive soccer ends their senior year of high school.

Oh, I am fully aware people are paying $10k a year. I'm one of them. I just haven't encountered any parents on our teams expecting a financial payback. Everyone knows it's an expensive hobby.

I am doing the same but to be honest, if I come to the conclusion that this will all end in high school, we will look to scale back to something with less travel. It shouldn't cost $10K to play competitive soccer, certainly not as a hobby. I think there should be more events like Copa Talento where kids can join a pickup team and play in a tournament with decent competition.

*^were D3

^ funny you say that my kids two best friends on club team are D3 players that transferred to the school.

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Reality is, all the kids playing HS only and 99%+ of kids playing Travel will all be in the same place with soccer in 5 years

Exactly. If there is no path to college or pro soccer, high level travel soccer is an extravagant expense for high school age players. $10K/year would do much better sitting in a 529. At most high schools it is possible to make the team without continuing to play travel. I imagine many figure this out freshman/sophomore year.

Call me crazy but soccer isn't some investment for my daughter. 529s are fine as well. She actually likes playing club soccer and is really damn good at it so we support her.

High-level youth soccer is an investment. You are investing in your child's skill set. Like all investments, you hope for a return, which in this case is being able to play soccer at the next level. Your child can enjoy the game without this level of commitment. (School, pickup, rec etc.) This makes sense for most kids where playing at the next level is not a realistic option.

That said, if your kid enjoys playing travel and money isn't a concern....why not?

Nope, not true. I do not hope for the return of the next level. I want her to have fun at the highest level possible currently and it so happens to be the top girls league. I have no expectations of college ⚽ other the fact it's something she's poured a ton of hours into and had great success. This will certainly help when it's time to apply to any college.

It actually matters if they want to even play college club soccer. My kid was the only college freshmen to make the team—MLSNext player at a D1. Most kids on the club team dropped down from Varsity, or are international, etc. Competing at top level is how they were able to continue playing. It’s very competitive.

If kid is going to college anyway and you're still paying while being on the soccer team, it's extracurricular activity

Duh. But we didn’t have to pay for him to fly to Nationals or any of the travel to all the games at other colleges, etc or hotels- the school did. My point was that many kids are very disappointed that they didn’t make the college “club” team. At D1 schools it’s very competitive. Hundreds of freshmen for only 1 or 2 spots and those are kids that did have D3 offers or played a year or two on varsity and dropped out of it, etc.

Just wow to think that after over a decade of hard work 4-5 days a week for over 10 months a year and around a $100k that college club soccer is viewed as some kind of payoff. If soccer is fun great, and life lessons to be learned were great but crazy to be stoked to view the top of the mountain as college club soccer and that is what made it all worth it.

Take that you losers is less than elite leagues, you won't get to play college club soccer. See how far behind you were.

Yeah. Or pay $100k year for a D3 varsity spot which is the same level as D1 club at a big school.

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Reality is, all the kids playing HS only and 99%+ of kids playing Travel will all be in the same place with soccer in 5 years

Exactly. If there is no path to college or pro soccer, high level travel soccer is an extravagant expense for high school age players. $10K/year would do much better sitting in a 529. At most high schools it is possible to make the team without continuing to play travel. I imagine many figure this out freshman/sophomore year.

Call me crazy but soccer isn't some investment for my daughter. 529s are fine as well. She actually likes playing club soccer and is really damn good at it so we support her.

High-level youth soccer is an investment. You are investing in your child's skill set. Like all investments, you hope for a return, which in this case is being able to play soccer at the next level. Your child can enjoy the game without this level of commitment. (School, pickup, rec etc.) This makes sense for most kids where playing at the next level is not a realistic option.

That said, if your kid enjoys playing travel and money isn't a concern....why not?

Nope, not true. I do not hope for the return of the next level. I want her to have fun at the highest level possible currently and it so happens to be the top girls league. I have no expectations of college ⚽ other the fact it's something she's poured a ton of hours into and had great success. This will certainly help when it's time to apply to any college.

It actually matters if they want to even play college club soccer. My kid was the only college freshmen to make the team—MLSNext player at a D1. Most kids on the club team dropped down from Varsity, or are international, etc. Competing at top level is how they were able to continue playing. It’s very competitive.

If kid is going to college anyway and you're still paying while being on the soccer team, it's extracurricular activity

Duh. But we didn’t have to pay for him to fly to Nationals or any of the travel to all the games at other colleges, etc or hotels- the school did. My point was that many kids are very disappointed that they didn’t make the college “club” team. At D1 schools it’s very competitive. Hundreds of freshmen for only 1 or 2 spots and those are kids that did have D3 offers or played a year or two on varsity and dropped out of it, etc.

Just wow to think that after over a decade of hard work 4-5 days a week for over 10 months a year and around a $100k that college club soccer is viewed as some kind of payoff. If soccer is fun great, and life lessons to be learned were great but crazy to be stoked to view the top of the mountain as college club soccer and that is what made it all worth it.

Take that you losers is less than elite leagues, you won't get to play college club soccer. See how far behind you were.