Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Blame the unqualified coaches (non soccer-licensed gym teachers) for these blasphemies! If some of our counties wanted to improve their sports programs you would think that they could at least get these folks some outside coach training or something. Most are using American football tactics on a soccer field. It’s a shame really because the kids really care about their school’s teams and it wouldn’t be that hard to make the level of play better. Step 1 is to step outside of the 1980s.

I told my DS, they’re not going to teach you anything nor will you become a better player—your just donating your time and skill for a little bit of street cred.

That is our school's coaches in a nutshell. It's absolutely absurd. It's 2023 and these kids, by the time they reach HS, have played for UEFA licensed coaches that were former Euro academy players/pro players, etc. That the school has not kept up with the times and has the same coaches is crazy. It's not the same for other sports btw, the lacrosse and baseball coaches are all Club coaches/trained, licensed, etc. The football and basketball coaches are top-notch. Soccer is an entirely different story. I think because it's easy to win due to player pool and having virtually zero league competition. ADs they have no concept of soccer just assume it's a good program if they have wins, meanwhile their college commits could resemble the other programs if they overhauled the soccer program and brought up to 2023 standards.

Anonymous wrote:Blame the unqualified coaches (non soccer-licensed gym teachers) for these blasphemies! If some of our counties wanted to improve their sports programs you would think that they could at least get these folks some outside coach training or something. Most are using American football tactics on a soccer field. It’s a shame really because the kids really care about their school’s teams and it wouldn’t be that hard to make the level of play better. Step 1 is to step outside of the 1980s.

I told my DS, they’re not going to teach you anything nor will you become a better player—your just donating your time and skill for a little bit of street cred.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Blame the unqualified coaches (non soccer-licensed gym teachers) for these blasphemies! If some of our counties wanted to improve their sports programs you would think that they could at least get these folks some outside coach training or something. Most are using American football tactics on a soccer field. It’s a shame really because the kids really care about their school’s teams and it wouldn’t be that hard to make the level of play better. Step 1 is to step outside of the 1980s.

I told my DS, they’re not going to teach you anything nor will you become a better player—your just donating your time and skill for a little bit of street cred.

....with extremely high probabilities of getting injured. By November, many kids playing HS soccer are returning to their club teams with injuries. Primarily from excessive running and NFL style fitness training.

Anonymous wrote:Blame the unqualified coaches (non soccer-licensed gym teachers) for these blasphemies! If some of our counties wanted to improve their sports programs you would think that they could at least get these folks some outside coach training or something. Most are using American football tactics on a soccer field. It’s a shame really because the kids really care about their school’s teams and it wouldn’t be that hard to make the level of play better. Step 1 is to step outside of the 1980s.

I told my DS, they’re not going to teach you anything nor will you become a better player—your just donating your time and skill for a little bit of street cred.

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.

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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.

That's not my experience in a single game. And it doesn't seem normal at all. Are the coaches parents? Teachers? Or actual coaches? Our public school coaches are actual coaches.

Teachers. Private school.

I think there is a lot less BS in public school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

That's not my experience in a single game. And it doesn't seem normal at all. Are the coaches parents? Teachers? Or actual coaches? Our public school coaches are actual coaches.

Anonymous wrote:

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.