Anonymous wrote:I wanted to revive this post because are doing something like this...

The primary premise is a bunch of Rec kids who could have made a variety of levels of Travel, but didn't want to for a variety of reasons (cost, commitment, etc.). Maybe two 1st team kids, two lower team kids and everyone else in the middle somewhere based on what we've seen and offers made.

We got the blessing of our club to basically create a Rec tourney team (just kids from 3 of 10 teams in total), practice 1x/week and attend a few tournaments. The tourneys have all been great and allowed us to enter in the lowest division.

The cost has been at a non-profit level with simple kits at $40/set and actual cost of each event. Overall cost should be under $300 per player (3 tourneys/kit) plus travel but only one may require and overnight stay.

Parents are coaches but all licensed and growing with the kids and all are improving and having fun.

No idea where this will go but YES, there is a market. I too am a big believer in NOT playing one sport year-round (although I do admit that it is prevalent in many sports).

Soccer is a very different world than many other sports...

Anonymous wrote:Over the years, I've seen many kids with good soccer skills drop out of travel soccer because they lack time, or because the parents lack the financial resources. Rec soccer remains an option for these kids, but some of them don't pursue rec soccer because they don't find it challenging. So, soccer stops being a part of their lives.

This leads me to my idea for a new soccer "product". Actually, I think Arlington's ADP program already captures this idea, but it has a max age of 11, so that leaves the kids who are 12+ out in the cold. Here is the idea:

1. Aim for a price of $1000 per year
2. One two-hour practice per week, coached by a pro
3. One scrimmage per week. To save money, there is no coach (just a parent or team manager to supervise).
4. Competes in a lower level of the NCSL (but some teams might be able to aim higher)

Does a market exist for this "product"?

Perhaps this isn't possible in dense, urban suburbs like Arlington due to constraints on field space, but further out it seems like it might be feasible.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t know about the professional coaches + less than $1k.

In Md, SAM Select and MSI Classic seem to be sort of the model you are looking for… more competitive than rec and the players are more dedicated, but the games are close by and it’s less pressure. We have experience with both.

Two practices a week, one game per week in moco, and a couple of tournaments each season. Many kids play other sports or have other big interests and this allows them to play competitively, train consistently, and still have a life. Both kids a practice or a fame here and there and it’s 100% NBD.

Volunteer coach team is about $1k a year plus kit. Paid coach and bigger club is more like $2k per year.

Classic or SAM Select with a volunteer coach should not cost anywhere close to 1k unless the team is hiring a coach or trainer part time or paying to rent space over the winter, for example.

OP here. Doing closer math, the $1k/year estimate includes two seasons, four tournaments, winter training, and kit. There is zero nickel and diming, it’s all included, which I appreciate, and the team has been a great experience.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t know about the professional coaches + less than $1k.

In Md, SAM Select and MSI Classic seem to be sort of the model you are looking for… more competitive than rec and the players are more dedicated, but the games are close by and it’s less pressure. We have experience with both.

Two practices a week, one game per week in moco, and a couple of tournaments each season. Many kids play other sports or have other big interests and this allows them to play competitively, train consistently, and still have a life. Both kids a practice or a fame here and there and it’s 100% NBD.

Volunteer coach team is about $1k a year plus kit. Paid coach and bigger club is more like $2k per year.

Classic or SAM Select with a volunteer coach should not cost anywhere close to 1k unless the team is hiring a coach or trainer part time or paying to rent space over the winter, for example.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think what your plan is missing is multiple practices per week. That is what my child wanted that caused her to move to travel from rec. She wanted 2-3 practices per week and travel offered that. ADP also has 2 practices per week, one parent led and one pro coach led. And then the parent coach does the weekly games.

The ADP program is being updated for the upcoming year and changes will be implemented, including that both the pool and team practices will be overseen by pro coaches. And a pro coach will be present at every game, supporting the parent coach.

Info here: https://arlingtonsoccer.com/programs/adp

What is the impact of these changes on the cost of ADP? How much per season? I can find the rates on the ASA website.

Anonymous wrote:Central NJ does this, it is called "inter county soccer". Basically a bunch of towns realized that after U11 the really do not have enough kids to have a rec program so all of the towns got together and made a giant rec program that spans a nice section of central NJ. There ends up being enough teams on the boys side to have 4 or more "levels" of teams.

Anonymous wrote:My two multi-activity kids (one multi sport, one soccer and theater) both did MSI Classic throughout MS and HS. Both with parent coached teams, and it was very inexpensive ($235ish each season, not including kit which they would wear for 4 seasons/2 years). 2 practices/week, games in Montgomery County (mostly on turf), and one of their teams did a couple of tournaments each year, some local and one involving travel/hotels.

My spouse and I called it travel-lite, because it was competitive, engaging, with their friends, and they continued to learn. Maybe we lucked out, as both of their long-term parent coaches were excellent

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:BRYC has something like this - the BRYC "bridge" teams. They are separate from BRYC Elite and play in NCSL. They usually are parent coached/run.

I thought they got rid of these