Anonymous wrote:I do not consider a January-March birthday playing up. The Jan-Feb 2009s are essentially the same age as the Oct-Dec 20008s.

My Dec 2005 plays with the 2004s. He is still 12 and many of his teammates have turned 14 in the last 3 months. There is a huge physical difference in these years.

Agree. Little kids playing up isn’t huge. It is a lot of younger siblings that had exposure. If the kid is still playing up by 13, then it is more talent-based.

Well with Arlington, they will have an entire team worth of kids who SHOULD be playing up but aren't. So when you play them at U9 when your kid is just getting their feet wet in travel soccer, your team is locked in front of its own goal the entire game playing against kids that could easily slot onto a "good" U10 team just defending.

I do not consider a January-March birthday playing up. The Jan-Feb 2009s are essentially the same age as the Oct-Dec 20008s.

My Dec 2005 plays with the 2004s. He is still 12 and many of his teammates have turned 14 in the last 3 months. There is a huge physical difference in these years.

At our club, the few kids who play up are those who need a more challenging training environment. Typically skillful. They’re not always the biggest kids. Not about team wins. Maybe Arlington is different...but I doubt it. Sounds like sour grapes to be complaining about a couple of U9 or U10 play-ups. Just sayin’...who cares if a team “dominates” at U9 or U10??

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree with 11:39 - I notice it a lot that the second or third kid in the family who plays soccer is often better than the first kid because they have had so much exposure to the game. They have been at practices and games for a couple years, and likely kicking the ball around with the older siblings and the parents. Plus the parents have already been around the block and know about all the various levels of play and training, so they can sign up kid #2 for stuff after kid #1 did it.

Nothing sinister here. A kid who plays up for U9 and then drops back to his/her real level for U10 has a serious edge on the other players.


My daughter has a late year birthday, so she is old for her rec team and young for travel, and her year in travel had her playing a 7x7 format and positions a year earlier than the kids on her rec team. So when the rec league moved from 4x4 to 7x7 and positions(+goalie) the following year, she already had a year of experience with that. It worked in her favor.

That edge I've noticed only lasts for so long, I feel like by u10 it's mostly gone. When those kids who played up dropped back to the age group, I was hoping for some serious advantage that didn't come to be.

This is standard practice for Arlington, having 2-3 play up and start early. Doesn't matter if skill doesn't last, it gives the wins for the U9 year. It's all about winning

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree with 11:39 - I notice it a lot that the second or third kid in the family who plays soccer is often better than the first kid because they have had so much exposure to the game. They have been at practices and games for a couple years, and likely kicking the ball around with the older siblings and the parents. Plus the parents have already been around the block and know about all the various levels of play and training, so they can sign up kid #2 for stuff after kid #1 did it.

Nothing sinister here. A kid who plays up for U9 and then drops back to his/her real level for U10 has a serious edge on the other players.


My daughter has a late year birthday, so she is old for her rec team and young for travel, and her year in travel had her playing a 7x7 format and positions a year earlier than the kids on her rec team. So when the rec league moved from 4x4 to 7x7 and positions(+goalie) the following year, she already had a year of experience with that. It worked in her favor.

That edge I've noticed only lasts for so long, I feel like by u10 it's mostly gone. When those kids who played up dropped back to the age group, I was hoping for some serious advantage that didn't come to be.

It’s a tough time to play up. U10-U12 the girls really grow. The differences between u10 and u11 are pretty big. In each age group the girls are 10-15% stronger, faster, quicker, coordinated, etc ...just more development mentally and physically. That’s the average. Sometimes your 8 or 9 year old will be going against a 5’ tall 90 pound girl who has been taught to “use your size”. It can take a toll. After u13 it does not matter as much. The girls are mostly done growing.

Anonymous wrote:Agree with 11:39 - I notice it a lot that the second or third kid in the family who plays soccer is often better than the first kid because they have had so much exposure to the game. They have been at practices and games for a couple years, and likely kicking the ball around with the older siblings and the parents. Plus the parents have already been around the block and know about all the various levels of play and training, so they can sign up kid #2 for stuff after kid #1 did it.

Nothing sinister here. A kid who plays up for U9 and then drops back to his/her real level for U10 has a serious edge on the other players.


My daughter has a late year birthday, so she is old for her rec team and young for travel, and her year in travel had her playing a 7x7 format and positions a year earlier than the kids on her rec team. So when the rec league moved from 4x4 to 7x7 and positions(+goalie) the following year, she already had a year of experience with that. It worked in her favor.

That edge I've noticed only lasts for so long, I feel like by u10 it's mostly gone. When those kids who played up dropped back to the age group, I was hoping for some serious advantage that didn't come to be.

Agree with 11:39 - I notice it a lot that the second or third kid in the family who plays soccer is often better than the first kid because they have had so much exposure to the game. They have been at practices and games for a couple years, and likely kicking the ball around with the older siblings and the parents. Plus the parents have already been around the block and know about all the various levels of play and training, so they can sign up kid #2 for stuff after kid #1 did it.

Nothing sinister here. A kid who plays up for U9 and then drops back to his/her real level for U10 has a serious edge on the other players.

My daughter has a late year birthday, so she is old for her rec team and young for travel, and her year in travel had her playing a 7x7 format and positions a year earlier than the kids on her rec team. So when the rec league moved from 4x4 to 7x7 and positions(+goalie) the following year, she already had a year of experience with that. It worked in her favor.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:23:49 - that seems to be happening more and more. I was talking to a parent last night whose kindergartner is already being scouted to play up a year in travel. (their 3rd grader plays travel and the K girl has had a lot of exposure.) And the 2009 roster included a bunch of 2010 girls playing up, who will likely step back to 2010 rosters next year and dominate.

Scouting in kindergarten?

So my younger daughter played up at U9...she spent a lot of time as a 4-7 year old at her big sister's practice field and games, always had a ball at her feet, loves to juggle, etc. Played in the travel club's pre-travel program. Also played rec with her school friends. Didn't mind drills and repetition from an early age. So when the club's TD asked us if she'd be interested in playing with the U9s as a seven year old, we asked her, and she said yes and we said yes. That happens a lot in our club. Fast forward a few years, she's still playing and still loves it as an eighth grader. So I'd say for her, it was the right decision. She played up until U13, then dropped back down to her true age group when her size became an issue. So for some kids, playing up is the right call. We appreciated the opportunity. Is that recruiting? I guess. Did it give her a leg up on new kids coming in at U9? Of course. But coaches understand the distinction between a play up and a new travel player and know that over time, that gap will close as the new player catches up on foot skills and gains confidence.

It just seems like the PP is framing this sort of scenario as some kind of injustice and favoritism. If a kid shows a love for the game and an interest in playing at a higher level at a younger age, why is that a problem? My kid enjoyed rec with her friends, but was ready for something more than "sharks and minnows" at a younger age. That's the choice we made - totally get that it's not for everyone. And, yes an advance year of formal training IS going to make my 8 year old look different than one who didn't play up but any coach worth his salt will understand why that difference exists and not overlook a new kid with good potential.

Maybe not everything in travel soccer is a conspiracy, you know? Or maybe I don't understand the PP's issue/beef.

Anonymous wrote:23:49 - that seems to be happening more and more. I was talking to a parent last night whose kindergartner is already being scouted to play up a year in travel. (their 3rd grader plays travel and the K girl has had a lot of exposure.) And the 2009 roster included a bunch of 2010 girls playing up, who will likely step back to 2010 rosters next year and dominate.

So playing up for girls in the younger ages is not a good idea. If the girls have skill they will get beaten up.

Anonymous wrote:23:49 - that seems to be happening more and more. I was talking to a parent last night whose kindergartner is already being scouted to play up a year in travel. (their 3rd grader plays travel and the K girl has had a lot of exposure.) And the 2009 roster included a bunch of 2010 girls playing up, who will likely step back to 2010 rosters next year and dominate.

Scouting in kindergarten?

23:49 - that seems to be happening more and more. I was talking to a parent last night whose kindergartner is already being scouted to play up a year in travel. (their 3rd grader plays travel and the K girl has had a lot of exposure.) And the 2009 roster included a bunch of 2010 girls playing up, who will likely step back to 2010 rosters next year and dominate.

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Anonymous wrote:So when you get an offer letter or whatever it’s called, how does that work? Can the club move a player up or down during the year?

Yes. My son was offered a spot on the top team and moved to the B team as soon as the season started. A few new kids appeared after the initial roster was set and it was clear they would need to make space on the top team for them. They were undeniably better than any of the existing players. It was disappointing for our son and I felt like it was a bait and switch. A few weeks into the season, my son was over it and so was I. The B team was still a strong team and I think it’s a better fit for his skill level. If I couldn’t clearly see that the new players were better than my son, I probably would have had a tougher time accepting it.

Although the situation does suck in the long run it's probably best for him as he likely gets a lot more playing time than he would have had on the top team. He has an opportunity to continue developing and build some confidence so that next year he can challenge for the top team.

I'm much happier that my kid at U-little plays on a B team, rather than A teams. First, it is a lot more fun to watch the games where your kid makes a big difference in the outcome of a game, Second, less stress and yelling by the coach if they mess up a play, Third, DC still practices and scrimmages against the top team, and Fourth, the A team parents are pretty intense / crazy, always yelling at their kids during the game what the kid should be doing. I'm sure at U11, DC will be called up to A team, but we're enjoying the lesser stress at this time. The part that sucks is when DC or another gets called up to play with the A team at a tournament or game, leaves our B team weaker.

I couldn't agree more. A teams, especially at top Clubs, have a pressure to win, win, win and most will do anything beginning at U9 to do that which flies in the face of developing these players for how they will be at 16/17/18 years old and beyond. They tend to pigeonhold kids to position. They tend to be joysticked more. They tend to play in more tournaments and have games farther away. They have the expectation that they have to purchase every additional training the Club offers. They have the pressure to not miss a single practice or game---even when it is a family wedding or something that will be so much more important than an 8-year old's soccer game in life.

I also agree there is an intensity on the sidelines of almost all 'A' teams from parents. They exude stress. They are always looking at other kids as the enemy. God forbid a kid from one of the 'lowly' teams guest plays for them.

Being on a B team in the younger years allows the kids to scrimmage the A team at practices. It allows the players a lot more freedom and leeway in terms of missing practices or deciding not to play futsal or to get individual training somewhere on their own not affiliated with the Club. The parents, for the most part, tend to much more relaxed. They tend to have a bigger picture and a long-term development in mind.

I look at our A teams crazy schedule and crazy, butt-clenched so tight they could polish quarters and I am so glad my kid is playing in a relaxed environment. With older kid, we have seen the benefit now that he is entering teen years. Most of those A team kids started dropping the sport by middle school, burned out or they no longer could hang on the A team and couldn't handle a demotion.

Of course, there are exceptions. However, they tend to be few.

There were 11 kids on my son's U10 A team. 9 of them are in DA now (U14). I agree many great players were on B team when they were young. But saying most of A team players will burn out or drop maybe is not making too much sense.

PP here. I do want to add that I also know many good players were on B, C or even D team at younger age. So no need to rush to A team too early.

Is this THEIR own Club's DA where they started and stayed when they were U10? That is a very different thing then leaving their home Club and making DC United's U14 team. The former is essentially the same coaches and the same team as their old A team. Very few kids after puberty and different development spurts, lack of growth, other kids growing, stay in the same spot for 4 full years.

The club has no DA.

Similar situation here. Of the 11 on my kids U10 A team, 7 are in DA - split between VDA, Arlington, and DCU. His old club has no DA.

But yeah, it's all political.

knowing arlington, probably every kid on the 2010 A team will have played up a year, either in travel or rec

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Anonymous wrote:So when you get an offer letter or whatever it’s called, how does that work? Can the club move a player up or down during the year?

Yes. My son was offered a spot on the top team and moved to the B team as soon as the season started. A few new kids appeared after the initial roster was set and it was clear they would need to make space on the top team for them. They were undeniably better than any of the existing players. It was disappointing for our son and I felt like it was a bait and switch. A few weeks into the season, my son was over it and so was I. The B team was still a strong team and I think it’s a better fit for his skill level. If I couldn’t clearly see that the new players were better than my son, I probably would have had a tougher time accepting it.

Although the situation does suck in the long run it's probably best for him as he likely gets a lot more playing time than he would have had on the top team. He has an opportunity to continue developing and build some confidence so that next year he can challenge for the top team.

I'm much happier that my kid at U-little plays on a B team, rather than A teams. First, it is a lot more fun to watch the games where your kid makes a big difference in the outcome of a game, Second, less stress and yelling by the coach if they mess up a play, Third, DC still practices and scrimmages against the top team, and Fourth, the A team parents are pretty intense / crazy, always yelling at their kids during the game what the kid should be doing. I'm sure at U11, DC will be called up to A team, but we're enjoying the lesser stress at this time. The part that sucks is when DC or another gets called up to play with the A team at a tournament or game, leaves our B team weaker.

I couldn't agree more. A teams, especially at top Clubs, have a pressure to win, win, win and most will do anything beginning at U9 to do that which flies in the face of developing these players for how they will be at 16/17/18 years old and beyond. They tend to pigeonhold kids to position. They tend to be joysticked more. They tend to play in more tournaments and have games farther away. They have the expectation that they have to purchase every additional training the Club offers. They have the pressure to not miss a single practice or game---even when it is a family wedding or something that will be so much more important than an 8-year old's soccer game in life.

I also agree there is an intensity on the sidelines of almost all 'A' teams from parents. They exude stress. They are always looking at other kids as the enemy. God forbid a kid from one of the 'lowly' teams guest plays for them.

Being on a B team in the younger years allows the kids to scrimmage the A team at practices. It allows the players a lot more freedom and leeway in terms of missing practices or deciding not to play futsal or to get individual training somewhere on their own not affiliated with the Club. The parents, for the most part, tend to much more relaxed. They tend to have a bigger picture and a long-term development in mind.

I look at our A teams crazy schedule and crazy, butt-clenched so tight they could polish quarters and I am so glad my kid is playing in a relaxed environment. With older kid, we have seen the benefit now that he is entering teen years. Most of those A team kids started dropping the sport by middle school, burned out or they no longer could hang on the A team and couldn't handle a demotion.

Of course, there are exceptions. However, they tend to be few.

There were 11 kids on my son's U10 A team. 9 of them are in DA now (U14). I agree many great players were on B team when they were young. But saying most of A team players will burn out or drop maybe is not making too much sense.

PP here. I do want to add that I also know many good players were on B, C or even D team at younger age. So no need to rush to A team too early.

Is this THEIR own Club's DA where they started and stayed when they were U10? That is a very different thing then leaving their home Club and making DC United's U14 team. The former is essentially the same coaches and the same team as their old A team. Very few kids after puberty and different development spurts, lack of growth, other kids growing, stay in the same spot for 4 full years.

The club has no DA.