Anonymous wrote:Seeing this heavily at U-13 boys, the players with size on the big field are dominating. As skilled as some of the small kids are, they have a hard time keeping up. The larger ones shine. I take heart that I saw the fiend completely change but it took almost U16.

I moved my kids around as necessary to offset this and avoid being marginalized.

At U13 my pip squeak has been playing against giants this season. One defender on opposing team was as large and strong as my 15-year old older son and had a full mustache. He flattened one of our players that had to be carried off the field. They moved up two giants from the lower team to stick in the back and offset the size discrepancy we are facing this season.

The middle school years for boys are a joke until the hormones/growth settle by HS.

Seeing this heavily at U-13 boys, the players with size on the big field are dominating. As skilled as some of the small kids are, they have a hard time keeping up. The larger ones shine. I take heart that I saw the fiend completely change but it took almost U16.

I moved my kids around as necessary to offset this and avoid being marginalized.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid was on the C team until 9th grade and ended up First team All Met in high school and had offers to play in college. Better to get to play regularly than be a bench warmer. And you never know which kids are going to end up being really good. Love of game and good connection with coach are more important than A team, especially at younger ages.

Boys develop even later than girls, many boys aren’t even near full height/size at 15–some are just starting their growth spurt.

Similar story in my house. Turned out to be a Gatorade State player too with lots of offers. Years of getting overlooked, but focused on his technical game young. It paid off.

What paid off? Growing?

Think about where he’d be if he hadn’t grown.

Focusing on technical game young paid off. That’s PP’s point.

It’s not growth vertically necessarily. It’s puberty. The body mass is different post-puberty. Boys that have completed it before MS ends are at an advantage. Kids that are late growers are playing against stronger/larger players so they need something to stay in the game—like high soccer IQ and ball skill. Then they finally grow and their technicality was that much better after years of playing against the larger/testosterone kids.

I have 3 late growers and saw it play out in my own years playing too. It’s why rosters can change a lot at 16/17.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid was on the C team until 9th grade and ended up First team All Met in high school and had offers to play in college. Better to get to play regularly than be a bench warmer. And you never know which kids are going to end up being really good. Love of game and good connection with coach are more important than A team, especially at younger ages.

Boys develop even later than girls, many boys aren’t even near full height/size at 15–some are just starting their growth spurt.

Similar story in my house. Turned out to be a Gatorade State player too with lots of offers. Years of getting overlooked, but focused on his technical game young. It paid off.

What paid off? Growing?

Think about where he’d be if he hadn’t grown.

Focusing on technical game young paid off. That’s PP’s point.

And yet if his kid didn’t actually grow the technical work wouldn’t have mattered.

Puberty occurs at very different rates and with it brings testosterone. A kid that hast hit full puberty won’t have the full muscle mass or speed even if he’s on the smaller stature size.

This kid was a late grower. He focused on the technical side of his gave while playing against essentially men while he was still a boy. Low and behold when he finally came into puberty/growth where they had already been for 2-3 years—his speed, muscle mass and size added to the technical game made him that much better. Players have to get creative when working at a disadvantage and most quit prior so the kid that stays generally has at least passion/grit/drive too.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid was on the C team until 9th grade and ended up First team All Met in high school and had offers to play in college. Better to get to play regularly than be a bench warmer. And you never know which kids are going to end up being really good. Love of game and good connection with coach are more important than A team, especially at younger ages.

Boys develop even later than girls, many boys aren’t even near full height/size at 15–some are just starting their growth spurt.

Similar story in my house. Turned out to be a Gatorade State player too with lots of offers. Years of getting overlooked, but focused on his technical game young. It paid off.

What paid off? Growing?

Think about where he’d be if he hadn’t grown.

Focusing on technical game young paid off. That’s PP’s point.

And yet if his kid didn’t actually grow the technical work wouldn’t have mattered.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid was on the C team until 9th grade and ended up First team All Met in high school and had offers to play in college. Better to get to play regularly than be a bench warmer. And you never know which kids are going to end up being really good. Love of game and good connection with coach are more important than A team, especially at younger ages.

Boys develop even later than girls, many boys aren’t even near full height/size at 15–some are just starting their growth spurt.

Similar story in my house. Turned out to be a Gatorade State player too with lots of offers. Years of getting overlooked, but focused on his technical game young. It paid off.

What paid off? Growing?

Think about where he’d be if he hadn’t grown.

Focusing on technical game young paid off. That’s PP’s point.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid was on the C team until 9th grade and ended up First team All Met in high school and had offers to play in college. Better to get to play regularly than be a bench warmer. And you never know which kids are going to end up being really good. Love of game and good connection with coach are more important than A team, especially at younger ages.

Boys develop even later than girls, many boys aren’t even near full height/size at 15–some are just starting their growth spurt.

Similar story in my house. Turned out to be a Gatorade State player too with lots of offers. Years of getting overlooked, but focused on his technical game young. It paid off.

What paid off? Growing?

Think about where he’d be if he hadn’t grown.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Always be playing. Take the slot on the B team - development comes with more game minutes, not sitting on a bench.

Curious how common it is in this area to not make a high school team after being on travel growing up as a kid. I have young kids so that just seems unreal.

Crazy amount of talent in this area and number of travel teams from U16-U19 far exceeds number of high schools that have combined U16-U19 rosters. My kids play travel but I have no expectation they will be able to play for their HS.

Sure, but not all travel soccer is high level. ODSL and lower division NCSL players will struggle to standout in varsity soccer. But I’ve seen rec kids who are very good who didn’t have the money to pay for club make the team. I’ve coached a local high school for 7 years and we always ask the kids to wear a plain black shirt. We don’t find out who their club is or what league is until after. Interestingly enough we pick heavily from CCL and NPL. Perhaps because ECNL and former da kids were less

Were less what? Talented? Represented at tryouts?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Always be playing. Take the slot on the B team - development comes with more game minutes, not sitting on a bench.

Curious how common it is in this area to not make a high school team after being on travel growing up as a kid. I have young kids so that just seems unreal.

Crazy amount of talent in this area and number of travel teams from U16-U19 far exceeds number of high schools that have combined U16-U19 rosters. My kids play travel but I have no expectation they will be able to play for their HS.

Sure, but not all travel soccer is high level. ODSL and lower division NCSL players will struggle to standout in varsity soccer. But I’ve seen rec kids who are very good who didn’t have the money to pay for club make the team. I’ve coached a local high school for 7 years and we always ask the kids to wear a plain black shirt. We don’t find out who their club is or what league is until after. Interestingly enough we pick heavily from CCL and NPL. Perhaps because ECNL and former da kids were less

Anonymous wrote:My kid was on the C team until 9th grade and ended up First team All Met in high school and had offers to play in college. Better to get to play regularly than be a bench warmer. And you never know which kids are going to end up being really good. Love of game and good connection with coach are more important than A team, especially at younger ages.

Boys develop even later than girls, many boys aren’t even near full height/size at 15–some are just starting their growth spurt.

Similar story in my house. Turned out to be a Gatorade State player too with lots of offers. Years of getting overlooked, but focused on his technical game young. It paid off.

My kid was on the C team until 9th grade and ended up First team All Met in high school and had offers to play in college. Better to get to play regularly than be a bench warmer. And you never know which kids are going to end up being really good. Love of game and good connection with coach are more important than A team, especially at younger ages.

Anonymous wrote:If your kid is a bench warmer on A team you should have them work harder for playing time. Dont lower the expectations by moving down to a B team. For god sakes thats the problem today parents want to make the children appear to be successful instead of taking pride in hard work and accomplishing something. Cmon people dont cheat the process or your child have more faith in them to get better.

This is not good advice, depending on the coach. Don't fall into the trap. As a PP said, in most clubs, there is little difference between the bottom of the A team and the top of the B team.

One reason to stay on the A team might be that the quality of practice is better and it can be incentive to work hard to get better. In reality, though, that rarely happens. What happens is that the bottom players it, and are not given any attention by coaches. When a top player from another team comes along, the bench warmers are dropped, and find themselves in a worse position from being on the A team if they haven't been given the opportunity to play.

If a kid wants to move up, whether that is at a current club or to move in the future, the kid needs game experience, hard work in practice all the time, and extra practice at home in the yard, against a wall, or just juggling. If your kid wants a better spot, that's attainable, but not always at the same club.

Not playing does not help any kid.

Anonymous wrote:Way yo show your kid how to be a good sport!

No wonder kids have problems

Screw the first team. B team players and parents don’t need to care or give a crap about your A team success.

Anonymous wrote:If your kid is a bench warmer on A team you should have them work harder for playing time. Dont lower the expectations by moving down to a B team. For god sakes thats the problem today parents want to make the children appear to be successful instead of taking pride in hard work and accomplishing something. Cmon people dont cheat the process or your child have more faith in them to get better.

Sometimes it is just a bad fit with a coach. Coaches have their favorite style/type of player. It does a 9/10/11 year old no good to ride the bench. They would develop better with lots of game time and touches.

Nobody is saying to coddle them. Many top players didn’t start on the top teams, not by a long shot.

If your kid is a bench warmer on A team you should have them work harder for playing time. Dont lower the expectations by moving down to a B team. For god sakes thats the problem today parents want to make the children appear to be successful instead of taking pride in hard work and accomplishing something. Cmon people dont cheat the process or your child have more faith in them to get better.