Anonymous
08/30/2025 17:14
Subject: WAGS Brackets
They are definitely beating up on 3rd level teams who are a year older. But I think it’s less about winning but how they are trying to differentiate in the market. Come to our team and we will start getting your kid exposed to 11v11 so they can have a leg up. However, this only works with parents that either 1) like the location of the team or 2) are caught up in “what it looks like” vs the soccer reality of “this is not the way”. For the reason mentioned above, not to mention most locations in the world do it this way, kids need to be 13/14 before they start playing 11v11.Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:U12 teams playing 11v11 reminds me of black Friday shopping at 6pm on Thanksgiving.
There is a reason U12 plays 9v9 and not 11v11. My U13 daughter played her first ever 11v11 games a couple weeks ago and the team has adapted just fine.
I agree with this. Our team is U12 and we are playing 11v11. Developmentally, the kids are not ready for it. The U13 kids are ready for it. The U13 kids just make decisions faster and have more leg to move the ball around the bigger field easier. The U12 teams react slower and can't break the lines with short passes and over dribbling. The U13 can easily head the ball off goal keeper punts, most U12 players can't do that. U12 teams should still be playing 9v9 for developmental reasons with a size 4 ball. But hey, clubs are going to do what they are going to do.
I agree as well. 9v9 also means more time on the ball for individual development so playing 11v11 means less game time with the ball under pressure, less development, even if it has short-term benefits for winning at u13. Shows prioritization of winning over player development.
Anonymous
08/30/2025 14:52
Subject: WAGS Brackets
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:U12 teams playing 11v11 reminds me of black Friday shopping at 6pm on Thanksgiving.
There is a reason U12 plays 9v9 and not 11v11. My U13 daughter played her first ever 11v11 games a couple weeks ago and the team has adapted just fine.
I agree with this. Our team is U12 and we are playing 11v11. Developmentally, the kids are not ready for it. The U13 kids are ready for it. The U13 kids just make decisions faster and have more leg to move the ball around the bigger field easier. The U12 teams react slower and can't break the lines with short passes and over dribbling. The U13 can easily head the ball off goal keeper punts, most U12 players can't do that. U12 teams should still be playing 9v9 for developmental reasons with a size 4 ball. But hey, clubs are going to do what they are going to do.
I agree as well. 9v9 also means more time on the ball for individual development so playing 11v11 means less game time with the ball under pressure, less development, even if it has short-term benefits for winning at u13. Shows prioritization of winning over player development.
Anonymous
08/30/2025 08:43
Subject: WAGS Brackets
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:U12 teams playing 11v11 reminds me of black Friday shopping at 6pm on Thanksgiving.
There is a reason U12 plays 9v9 and not 11v11. My U13 daughter played her first ever 11v11 games a couple weeks ago and the team has adapted just fine.
I agree with this. Our team is U12 and we are playing 11v11. Developmentally, the kids are not ready for it. The U13 kids are ready for it. The U13 kids just make decisions faster and have more leg to move the ball around the bigger field easier. The U12 teams react slower and can't break the lines with short passes and over dribbling. The U13 can easily head the ball off goal keeper punts, most U12 players can't do that. U12 teams should still be playing 9v9 for developmental reasons with a size 4 ball. But hey, clubs are going to do what they are going to do.
The ball size is also interesting. Didn't MLSNext say U13 would play with size 4?
Anonymous
08/30/2025 08:36
Subject: WAGS Brackets
Anonymous wrote:U12 teams playing 11v11 reminds me of black Friday shopping at 6pm on Thanksgiving.
There is a reason U12 plays 9v9 and not 11v11. My U13 daughter played her first ever 11v11 games a couple weeks ago and the team has adapted just fine.
I agree with this. Our team is U12 and we are playing 11v11. Developmentally, the kids are not ready for it. The U13 kids are ready for it. The U13 kids just make decisions faster and have more leg to move the ball around the bigger field easier. The U12 teams react slower and can't break the lines with short passes and over dribbling. The U13 can easily head the ball off goal keeper punts, most U12 players can't do that. U12 teams should still be playing 9v9 for developmental reasons with a size 4 ball. But hey, clubs are going to do what they are going to do.
Anonymous
08/30/2025 07:14
Subject: WAGS Brackets
U12 teams playing 11v11 reminds me of black Friday shopping at 6pm on Thanksgiving.
There is a reason U12 plays 9v9 and not 11v11. My U13 daughter played her first ever 11v11 games a couple weeks ago and the team has adapted just fine.
There is a reason U12 plays 9v9 and not 11v11. My U13 daughter played her first ever 11v11 games a couple weeks ago and the team has adapted just fine.
Anonymous
08/28/2025 08:04
Subject: WAGS Brackets
Anonymous wrote:Most teams play in more than 1 league at this age. NCSL for 9 v 9 and EDP for 11 v 11. Or some other combination. That way you get the development of 9v9 and get a little practice at 11v11 before you are thrown into it when it matters. Plus the jump from 9v9 to 11v11 is a very hard jump that many kids don’t want to make (lots more running). So if you dip your toe in first you get less attrition. That is the theory at least, and it seems sound.
When it matters….they are u13. It doesn’t really matter. They have plenty of time to figure it out.
Anonymous
08/28/2025 07:33
Subject: WAGS Brackets
Yes, but that isnt what the VA teams are doing. SYC and Loudoun are only doing 11v11 and skipped the second year of 9v9.Anonymous wrote:Most teams play in more than 1 league at this age. NCSL for 9 v 9 and EDP for 11 v 11. Or some other combination. That way you get the development of 9v9 and get a little practice at 11v11 before you are thrown into it when it matters. Plus the jump from 9v9 to 11v11 is a very hard jump that many kids don’t want to make (lots more running). So if you dip your toe in first you get less attrition. That is the theory at least, and it seems sound.
Anonymous
08/28/2025 00:07
Subject: WAGS Brackets
Most teams play in more than 1 league at this age. NCSL for 9 v 9 and EDP for 11 v 11. Or some other combination. That way you get the development of 9v9 and get a little practice at 11v11 before you are thrown into it when it matters. Plus the jump from 9v9 to 11v11 is a very hard jump that many kids don’t want to make (lots more running). So if you dip your toe in first you get less attrition. That is the theory at least, and it seems sound.
Anonymous
08/27/2025 16:16
Subject: WAGS Brackets
Yes, loaded rosters = $$$$Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:I agree other than the trophy hunting comment. It’s hard to figure out where these teams fit since they are new to 11v11.Anonymous wrote:WAGS should do what Jeff Cup has started doing and have a bracket of 11 v. 11 for U12. Let them play each other instead of trophy hunting by having a top U12 team play a low bracket U13 team.
Agree as well, but it seemed like fewer teams were playing up in the fall vs the spring. Apparently everyone needs to get "ahead" now (even when not developmentally appropriate)
Anonymous
08/27/2025 16:07
Subject: WAGS Brackets
Anonymous wrote:I agree other than the trophy hunting comment. It’s hard to figure out where these teams fit since they are new to 11v11.Anonymous wrote:WAGS should do what Jeff Cup has started doing and have a bracket of 11 v. 11 for U12. Let them play each other instead of trophy hunting by having a top U12 team play a low bracket U13 team.
Agree as well, but it seemed like fewer teams were playing up in the fall vs the spring. Apparently everyone needs to get "ahead" now (even when not developmentally appropriate)
Anonymous
08/27/2025 16:05
Subject: WAGS Brackets
I agree other than the trophy hunting comment. It’s hard to figure out where these teams fit since they are new to 11v11.Anonymous wrote:WAGS should do what Jeff Cup has started doing and have a bracket of 11 v. 11 for U12. Let them play each other instead of trophy hunting by having a top U12 team play a low bracket U13 team.
Anonymous
08/27/2025 14:16
Subject: WAGS Brackets
WAGS should do what Jeff Cup has started doing and have a bracket of 11 v. 11 for U12. Let them play each other instead of trophy hunting by having a top U12 team play a low bracket U13 team.
Anonymous
08/27/2025 14:14
Subject: WAGS Brackets
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Looking at U13 and it's a GA Fest (and many of the same teams just played at Spirit United)
ECNL throwing down the hammer scheduling on the same weekend
9 2014 teams playing up too in u13. I find it funny both SYC teams are playing higher than other 2014 top teams.
I know certain clubs have been playing 2013 team kids down on the 2014 teams when playing up a year in u13 so they don't get crushed this summer. Hard to do when those kids' actual teams are playing in the same tournaments tho.
Loudoun
No doubt—they even had U12 kids playing in the U11s at Copa last week.
Anonymous
08/27/2025 13:45
Subject: WAGS Brackets
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Looking at U13 and it's a GA Fest (and many of the same teams just played at Spirit United)
ECNL throwing down the hammer scheduling on the same weekend
9 2014 teams playing up too in u13. I find it funny both SYC teams are playing higher than other 2014 top teams.
I know certain clubs have been playing 2013 team kids down on the 2014 teams when playing up a year in u13 so they don't get crushed this summer. Hard to do when those kids' actual teams are playing in the same tournaments tho.
Loudoun
NJ teams do this all the time - primarily 20XX team playing up with 20XX+1 players "to help out". It's all a joke
Anonymous
08/27/2025 13:14
Subject: WAGS Brackets
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Looking at U13 and it's a GA Fest (and many of the same teams just played at Spirit United)
ECNL throwing down the hammer scheduling on the same weekend
9 2014 teams playing up too in u13. I find it funny both SYC teams are playing higher than other 2014 top teams.
I know certain clubs have been playing 2013 team kids down on the 2014 teams when playing up a year in u13 so they don't get crushed this summer. Hard to do when those kids' actual teams are playing in the same tournaments tho.
Loudoun