Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:See I told you. Everything is raes fault.

Just your opinion, but you might be right.

Anonymous wrote:See I told you. Everything is raes fault.

Anonymous wrote:See I told you. Everything is raes fault.

Anonymous wrote:RAE is not that hard to understand. Let’s say you have two kids with equal skill in the same school grade. One born 12/31/2012, the other born 01/01/2013. They are identical physically, technically, etc when they go to travel tryouts for U9.

The 01/01/2013 birthdate child will be one of the oldest players in the 2013 age group. They are placed on the top team because they are skilled and average/above average size/speed/skill for that age group. The 12/31/2012 player is the youngest player in the age group and are placed on the 2012 B team, while they are skilled, they are smaller and slower than the other older players.

From there the 01/01 birthdate player get the top coach in the age group, is playing with the most skilled players in the age group, and is competing against other club top teams/players and is provided with other development activities and attention for top team players.

The 12/31 player gets a B team coach and plays with less skilled/committed players and does not get the additional attention/opportunities on the B team. They struggle physically with players up to a year older than them. Most of the players on the team are a grade above them in school, which is socially difficult.

If all other things are equal these two player experiences and development opportunities (and success) will be very different due to a 1 day difference. The 12/31 player will be more likely to quit (struggling physically, not enjoying socially) and will not get the success or extra attention the 1/1 player will. This is why when you look at a top team despite Aug-Dec being 5/12 months you typically see only a quarter (not closer to half) of the roster.

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Anonymous wrote:No way. They will gladly take the August kid on the SY A team if they are good enough to make it. Clubs care about winning far more than grade alignment.

Not when it causes drama and issues for the club.

Allowing kids to play up in bulk numbers is the drama leagues and clubs are avoiding at all costs.

That makes no sense

It does if you run a club. Many parents don't get it for sure, they think their DC deserves special treatment, that's the drama, that's the problem.

Kids wanting to play on teams.with other kids in their grade in school is normal. The fact that you cant see that is problematic.

It's also normal for kids to play with different grades, now in BY and before in SY, especially in travel when you typically don't play with actual classmates. Both should happen where appropriate.

No, playing on teams with players that are all a grade younger than your kid is not normal. In fact the entire switch back from BY to SY was done to allow more players to play on teams with other kids in their grade.

Why would kids who are grouped by birth year/month need to be pushed into manufactured school grade groupings when school has nothing to do with travel soccer?

Because College Coaches recruit by graduating year or grade in school.

I thought they recruited by talent and potential

College coaches do both. They recruit by graduating year (grade in school) and talent and potential. Most reviewing by coaches who they want on their roster is done during players sophomore year. Official signed offers happen midway through junior year. This gives coaches one year of buffer to address any issues.

Sophmores are compared against all other sophmores and maybe Juniors and Seniors. What this means is if you're a Sophmore Aug birthday playing down on a Freshman team playing at a Freshman level in club you are at a SERIOUS disadvantage for being recruited.

Looney tunes is trying to convince people that playing down doesn't matter if you have a really video on Instagram. This is not true as soon as a coach finds out that the player is playing down they'll either move on or require then to attend a camp to see how they play against players their age and older. Which they'll fail at because they're not used to higher levels of play.

Sophomores of all ages are compared against other current and potential college recruits. Potential recruits play on other college teams, over seas, some sophomores on good teams and some sophomores on bad teams. The ages of teammates for a recruit is irrelevant but college coaches will take into account the overall level of play. A main part of college coaches job is to evaluate talent, they know what they are doing regardless of the circumstances, they do recruit from bad teams also. To suggest otherwise is uninformed and illogical and is clearly being done to mislead a specific August girl to be self serving.

How do you not see that Aug birthdays playing a level down against younger players will not prepare them for playing against players your grade and older?

The way you practice is the way you play in games.

Because they are not actually playing down. That is your invention.

Research shows that kids being a top player on a team is advantageous while being towards the bottom of the team leads to increased probability of quitting. Beyond puberty, ages don't matter, like the college coaches say.

You don't have to believe the research but you lose the discussion ever time without receipts.

What exactly are the youth development advantages of being the top player on a team?

The internet givith.

-Leadership & Responsibility: Top players often naturally become leaders, learning to guide by example, take accountability, and motivate others, which builds character and essential management skills.
-Enhanced Decision-Making: They face pressure to make split-second strategic choices, improving their ability to think critically and solve problems in real-time.
-Deeper Skill Mastery: Teaching fundamentals to less experienced teammates reinforces their own understanding of the game and develops their basketball IQ (or sport-specific knowledge).
-Increased Playing Time & Freedom: On development-focused teams, top players get more minutes, allowing them to experiment with new moves and strategies in a lower-pressure setting.
-Boosted Confidence & Self-Esteem: Recognition and responsibility as the best player significantly enhance a young athlete's belief in themselves.
Mentorship Opportunities: They can form "big brother/sister" bonds, learning from older players while also guiding younger ones, fostering personal growth.

Theoretical and needs to be in context.

Being the top player on a top team in the top league is one thing
Training with and playing against the best

Top player on lower team in lesser league is a different thing

Boomer talk. Everyone has an opinion, some are backed by proof, others, not so much.

The best player on the C team in NCSL at U10 is on the same development track as the best player on the U10 A team at Bethesda in ECNL?
Same conditions opportunities and challenges?

Don't try to use logic. The person youre responding to will just fall back to rae if challenged.

Not seeing the RAE connection here

Conversation is about being best player on team versus not being best player in regards to individual development

Not seeing RAE connection either. Players often have to decide what they want, stay being a top player on a neighborhood team with friends they grew up with or move to a better team where they might be an afterthought. Each player is different.

What's a neighborhood team in the dmv area?

Why would a good disciplined dedicated player be an afterthought to his/her coach and club?

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No way. They will gladly take the August kid on the SY A team if they are good enough to make it. Clubs care about winning far more than grade alignment.

Not when it causes drama and issues for the club.

Allowing kids to play up in bulk numbers is the drama leagues and clubs are avoiding at all costs.

That makes no sense

It does if you run a club. Many parents don't get it for sure, they think their DC deserves special treatment, that's the drama, that's the problem.

Kids wanting to play on teams.with other kids in their grade in school is normal. The fact that you cant see that is problematic.

It's also normal for kids to play with different grades, now in BY and before in SY, especially in travel when you typically don't play with actual classmates. Both should happen where appropriate.

No, playing on teams with players that are all a grade younger than your kid is not normal. In fact the entire switch back from BY to SY was done to allow more players to play on teams with other kids in their grade.

Why would kids who are grouped by birth year/month need to be pushed into manufactured school grade groupings when school has nothing to do with travel soccer?

Because College Coaches recruit by graduating year or grade in school.

I thought they recruited by talent and potential

College coaches do both. They recruit by graduating year (grade in school) and talent and potential. Most reviewing by coaches who they want on their roster is done during players sophomore year. Official signed offers happen midway through junior year. This gives coaches one year of buffer to address any issues.

Sophmores are compared against all other sophmores and maybe Juniors and Seniors. What this means is if you're a Sophmore Aug birthday playing down on a Freshman team playing at a Freshman level in club you are at a SERIOUS disadvantage for being recruited.

Looney tunes is trying to convince people that playing down doesn't matter if you have a really video on Instagram. This is not true as soon as a coach finds out that the player is playing down they'll either move on or require then to attend a camp to see how they play against players their age and older. Which they'll fail at because they're not used to higher levels of play.

Sophomores of all ages are compared against other current and potential college recruits. Potential recruits play on other college teams, over seas, some sophomores on good teams and some sophomores on bad teams. The ages of teammates for a recruit is irrelevant but college coaches will take into account the overall level of play. A main part of college coaches job is to evaluate talent, they know what they are doing regardless of the circumstances, they do recruit from bad teams also. To suggest otherwise is uninformed and illogical and is clearly being done to mislead a specific August girl to be self serving.

How do you not see that Aug birthdays playing a level down against younger players will not prepare them for playing against players your grade and older?

The way you practice is the way you play in games.

Because they are not actually playing down. That is your invention.

Research shows that kids being a top player on a team is advantageous while being towards the bottom of the team leads to increased probability of quitting. Beyond puberty, ages don't matter, like the college coaches say.

You don't have to believe the research but you lose the discussion ever time without receipts.

What exactly are the youth development advantages of being the top player on a team?

The internet givith.

-Leadership & Responsibility: Top players often naturally become leaders, learning to guide by example, take accountability, and motivate others, which builds character and essential management skills.
-Enhanced Decision-Making: They face pressure to make split-second strategic choices, improving their ability to think critically and solve problems in real-time.
-Deeper Skill Mastery: Teaching fundamentals to less experienced teammates reinforces their own understanding of the game and develops their basketball IQ (or sport-specific knowledge).
-Increased Playing Time & Freedom: On development-focused teams, top players get more minutes, allowing them to experiment with new moves and strategies in a lower-pressure setting.
-Boosted Confidence & Self-Esteem: Recognition and responsibility as the best player significantly enhance a young athlete's belief in themselves.
Mentorship Opportunities: They can form "big brother/sister" bonds, learning from older players while also guiding younger ones, fostering personal growth.

Theoretical and needs to be in context.

Being the top player on a top team in the top league is one thing
Training with and playing against the best

Top player on lower team in lesser league is a different thing

Boomer talk. Everyone has an opinion, some are backed by proof, others, not so much.

The best player on the C team in NCSL at U10 is on the same development track as the best player on the U10 A team at Bethesda in ECNL?
Same conditions opportunities and challenges?

Don't try to use logic. The person youre responding to will just fall back to rae if challenged.

Not seeing the RAE connection here

Conversation is about being best player on team versus not being best player in regards to individual development

Not seeing RAE connection either. Players often have to decide what they want, stay being a top player on a neighborhood team with friends they grew up with or move to a better team where they might be an afterthought. Each player is different.

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No way. They will gladly take the August kid on the SY A team if they are good enough to make it. Clubs care about winning far more than grade alignment.

Not when it causes drama and issues for the club.

Allowing kids to play up in bulk numbers is the drama leagues and clubs are avoiding at all costs.

That makes no sense

It does if you run a club. Many parents don't get it for sure, they think their DC deserves special treatment, that's the drama, that's the problem.

Kids wanting to play on teams.with other kids in their grade in school is normal. The fact that you cant see that is problematic.

It's also normal for kids to play with different grades, now in BY and before in SY, especially in travel when you typically don't play with actual classmates. Both should happen where appropriate.

No, playing on teams with players that are all a grade younger than your kid is not normal. In fact the entire switch back from BY to SY was done to allow more players to play on teams with other kids in their grade.

Why would kids who are grouped by birth year/month need to be pushed into manufactured school grade groupings when school has nothing to do with travel soccer?

Because College Coaches recruit by graduating year or grade in school.

I thought they recruited by talent and potential

College coaches do both. They recruit by graduating year (grade in school) and talent and potential. Most reviewing by coaches who they want on their roster is done during players sophomore year. Official signed offers happen midway through junior year. This gives coaches one year of buffer to address any issues.

Sophmores are compared against all other sophmores and maybe Juniors and Seniors. What this means is if you're a Sophmore Aug birthday playing down on a Freshman team playing at a Freshman level in club you are at a SERIOUS disadvantage for being recruited.

Looney tunes is trying to convince people that playing down doesn't matter if you have a really video on Instagram. This is not true as soon as a coach finds out that the player is playing down they'll either move on or require then to attend a camp to see how they play against players their age and older. Which they'll fail at because they're not used to higher levels of play.

Sophomores of all ages are compared against other current and potential college recruits. Potential recruits play on other college teams, over seas, some sophomores on good teams and some sophomores on bad teams. The ages of teammates for a recruit is irrelevant but college coaches will take into account the overall level of play. A main part of college coaches job is to evaluate talent, they know what they are doing regardless of the circumstances, they do recruit from bad teams also. To suggest otherwise is uninformed and illogical and is clearly being done to mislead a specific August girl to be self serving.

How do you not see that Aug birthdays playing a level down against younger players will not prepare them for playing against players your grade and older?

The way you practice is the way you play in games.

Because they are not actually playing down. That is your invention.

Research shows that kids being a top player on a team is advantageous while being towards the bottom of the team leads to increased probability of quitting. Beyond puberty, ages don't matter, like the college coaches say.

You don't have to believe the research but you lose the discussion ever time without receipts.

What exactly are the youth development advantages of being the top player on a team?

The internet givith.

-Leadership & Responsibility: Top players often naturally become leaders, learning to guide by example, take accountability, and motivate others, which builds character and essential management skills.
-Enhanced Decision-Making: They face pressure to make split-second strategic choices, improving their ability to think critically and solve problems in real-time.
-Deeper Skill Mastery: Teaching fundamentals to less experienced teammates reinforces their own understanding of the game and develops their basketball IQ (or sport-specific knowledge).
-Increased Playing Time & Freedom: On development-focused teams, top players get more minutes, allowing them to experiment with new moves and strategies in a lower-pressure setting.
-Boosted Confidence & Self-Esteem: Recognition and responsibility as the best player significantly enhance a young athlete's belief in themselves.
Mentorship Opportunities: They can form "big brother/sister" bonds, learning from older players while also guiding younger ones, fostering personal growth.

Theoretical and needs to be in context.

Being the top player on a top team in the top league is one thing
Training with and playing against the best

Top player on lower team in lesser league is a different thing

Boomer talk. Everyone has an opinion, some are backed by proof, others, not so much.

The best player on the C team in NCSL at U10 is on the same development track as the best player on the U10 A team at Bethesda in ECNL?
Same conditions opportunities and challenges?

Don't try to use logic. The person youre responding to will just fall back to rae if challenged.

Not seeing the RAE connection here

Conversation is about being best player on team versus not being best player in regards to individual development

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No way. They will gladly take the August kid on the SY A team if they are good enough to make it. Clubs care about winning far more than grade alignment.

Not when it causes drama and issues for the club.

Allowing kids to play up in bulk numbers is the drama leagues and clubs are avoiding at all costs.

That makes no sense

It does if you run a club. Many parents don't get it for sure, they think their DC deserves special treatment, that's the drama, that's the problem.

Kids wanting to play on teams.with other kids in their grade in school is normal. The fact that you cant see that is problematic.

It's also normal for kids to play with different grades, now in BY and before in SY, especially in travel when you typically don't play with actual classmates. Both should happen where appropriate.

No, playing on teams with players that are all a grade younger than your kid is not normal. In fact the entire switch back from BY to SY was done to allow more players to play on teams with other kids in their grade.

Why would kids who are grouped by birth year/month need to be pushed into manufactured school grade groupings when school has nothing to do with travel soccer?

Because College Coaches recruit by graduating year or grade in school.

I thought they recruited by talent and potential

College coaches do both. They recruit by graduating year (grade in school) and talent and potential. Most reviewing by coaches who they want on their roster is done during players sophomore year. Official signed offers happen midway through junior year. This gives coaches one year of buffer to address any issues.

Sophmores are compared against all other sophmores and maybe Juniors and Seniors. What this means is if you're a Sophmore Aug birthday playing down on a Freshman team playing at a Freshman level in club you are at a SERIOUS disadvantage for being recruited.

Looney tunes is trying to convince people that playing down doesn't matter if you have a really video on Instagram. This is not true as soon as a coach finds out that the player is playing down they'll either move on or require then to attend a camp to see how they play against players their age and older. Which they'll fail at because they're not used to higher levels of play.

Sophomores of all ages are compared against other current and potential college recruits. Potential recruits play on other college teams, over seas, some sophomores on good teams and some sophomores on bad teams. The ages of teammates for a recruit is irrelevant but college coaches will take into account the overall level of play. A main part of college coaches job is to evaluate talent, they know what they are doing regardless of the circumstances, they do recruit from bad teams also. To suggest otherwise is uninformed and illogical and is clearly being done to mislead a specific August girl to be self serving.

How do you not see that Aug birthdays playing a level down against younger players will not prepare them for playing against players your grade and older?

The way you practice is the way you play in games.

Because they are not actually playing down. That is your invention.

Research shows that kids being a top player on a team is advantageous while being towards the bottom of the team leads to increased probability of quitting. Beyond puberty, ages don't matter, like the college coaches say.

You don't have to believe the research but you lose the discussion ever time without receipts.

What exactly are the youth development advantages of being the top player on a team?

The internet givith.

-Leadership & Responsibility: Top players often naturally become leaders, learning to guide by example, take accountability, and motivate others, which builds character and essential management skills.
-Enhanced Decision-Making: They face pressure to make split-second strategic choices, improving their ability to think critically and solve problems in real-time.
-Deeper Skill Mastery: Teaching fundamentals to less experienced teammates reinforces their own understanding of the game and develops their basketball IQ (or sport-specific knowledge).
-Increased Playing Time & Freedom: On development-focused teams, top players get more minutes, allowing them to experiment with new moves and strategies in a lower-pressure setting.
-Boosted Confidence & Self-Esteem: Recognition and responsibility as the best player significantly enhance a young athlete's belief in themselves.
Mentorship Opportunities: They can form "big brother/sister" bonds, learning from older players while also guiding younger ones, fostering personal growth.

Theoretical and needs to be in context.

Being the top player on a top team in the top league is one thing
Training with and playing against the best

Top player on lower team in lesser league is a different thing

Boomer talk. Everyone has an opinion, some are backed by proof, others, not so much.

The best player on the C team in NCSL at U10 is on the same development track as the best player on the U10 A team at Bethesda in ECNL?
Same conditions opportunities and challenges?

Don't try to use logic. The person youre responding to will just fall back to rae if challenged.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No way. They will gladly take the August kid on the SY A team if they are good enough to make it. Clubs care about winning far more than grade alignment.

Not when it causes drama and issues for the club.

Allowing kids to play up in bulk numbers is the drama leagues and clubs are avoiding at all costs.

That makes no sense

It does if you run a club. Many parents don't get it for sure, they think their DC deserves special treatment, that's the drama, that's the problem.

Kids wanting to play on teams.with other kids in their grade in school is normal. The fact that you cant see that is problematic.

It's also normal for kids to play with different grades, now in BY and before in SY, especially in travel when you typically don't play with actual classmates. Both should happen where appropriate.

No, playing on teams with players that are all a grade younger than your kid is not normal. In fact the entire switch back from BY to SY was done to allow more players to play on teams with other kids in their grade.

Why would kids who are grouped by birth year/month need to be pushed into manufactured school grade groupings when school has nothing to do with travel soccer?

Because College Coaches recruit by graduating year or grade in school.

I thought they recruited by talent and potential

College coaches do both. They recruit by graduating year (grade in school) and talent and potential. Most reviewing by coaches who they want on their roster is done during players sophomore year. Official signed offers happen midway through junior year. This gives coaches one year of buffer to address any issues.

Sophmores are compared against all other sophmores and maybe Juniors and Seniors. What this means is if you're a Sophmore Aug birthday playing down on a Freshman team playing at a Freshman level in club you are at a SERIOUS disadvantage for being recruited.

Looney tunes is trying to convince people that playing down doesn't matter if you have a really video on Instagram. This is not true as soon as a coach finds out that the player is playing down they'll either move on or require then to attend a camp to see how they play against players their age and older. Which they'll fail at because they're not used to higher levels of play.

Sophomores of all ages are compared against other current and potential college recruits. Potential recruits play on other college teams, over seas, some sophomores on good teams and some sophomores on bad teams. The ages of teammates for a recruit is irrelevant but college coaches will take into account the overall level of play. A main part of college coaches job is to evaluate talent, they know what they are doing regardless of the circumstances, they do recruit from bad teams also. To suggest otherwise is uninformed and illogical and is clearly being done to mislead a specific August girl to be self serving.

How do you not see that Aug birthdays playing a level down against younger players will not prepare them for playing against players your grade and older?

The way you practice is the way you play in games.

Because they are not actually playing down. That is your invention.

Research shows that kids being a top player on a team is advantageous while being towards the bottom of the team leads to increased probability of quitting. Beyond puberty, ages don't matter, like the college coaches say.

You don't have to believe the research but you lose the discussion ever time without receipts.

What exactly are the youth development advantages of being the top player on a team?

The internet givith.

-Leadership & Responsibility: Top players often naturally become leaders, learning to guide by example, take accountability, and motivate others, which builds character and essential management skills.
-Enhanced Decision-Making: They face pressure to make split-second strategic choices, improving their ability to think critically and solve problems in real-time.
-Deeper Skill Mastery: Teaching fundamentals to less experienced teammates reinforces their own understanding of the game and develops their basketball IQ (or sport-specific knowledge).
-Increased Playing Time & Freedom: On development-focused teams, top players get more minutes, allowing them to experiment with new moves and strategies in a lower-pressure setting.
-Boosted Confidence & Self-Esteem: Recognition and responsibility as the best player significantly enhance a young athlete's belief in themselves.
Mentorship Opportunities: They can form "big brother/sister" bonds, learning from older players while also guiding younger ones, fostering personal growth.

Theoretical and needs to be in context.

Being the top player on a top team in the top league is one thing
Training with and playing against the best

Top player on lower team in lesser league is a different thing

Boomer talk. Everyone has an opinion, some are backed by proof, others, not so much.

The best player on the C team in NCSL at U10 is on the same development track as the best player on the U10 A team at Bethesda in ECNL?
Same conditions opportunities and challenges?

Don't try to use logic. The person youre responding to will just fall back to rae if challenged.

Not seeing the RAE connection here

Conversation is about being best player on team versus not being best player in regards to individual development

I agree but watch. Everything is rae's fault in their eyes.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No way. They will gladly take the August kid on the SY A team if they are good enough to make it. Clubs care about winning far more than grade alignment.

Not when it causes drama and issues for the club.

Allowing kids to play up in bulk numbers is the drama leagues and clubs are avoiding at all costs.

That makes no sense

It does if you run a club. Many parents don't get it for sure, they think their DC deserves special treatment, that's the drama, that's the problem.

Kids wanting to play on teams.with other kids in their grade in school is normal. The fact that you cant see that is problematic.

It's also normal for kids to play with different grades, now in BY and before in SY, especially in travel when you typically don't play with actual classmates. Both should happen where appropriate.

No, playing on teams with players that are all a grade younger than your kid is not normal. In fact the entire switch back from BY to SY was done to allow more players to play on teams with other kids in their grade.

Why would kids who are grouped by birth year/month need to be pushed into manufactured school grade groupings when school has nothing to do with travel soccer?

Because College Coaches recruit by graduating year or grade in school.

I thought they recruited by talent and potential

College coaches do both. They recruit by graduating year (grade in school) and talent and potential. Most reviewing by coaches who they want on their roster is done during players sophomore year. Official signed offers happen midway through junior year. This gives coaches one year of buffer to address any issues.

Sophmores are compared against all other sophmores and maybe Juniors and Seniors. What this means is if you're a Sophmore Aug birthday playing down on a Freshman team playing at a Freshman level in club you are at a SERIOUS disadvantage for being recruited.

Looney tunes is trying to convince people that playing down doesn't matter if you have a really video on Instagram. This is not true as soon as a coach finds out that the player is playing down they'll either move on or require then to attend a camp to see how they play against players their age and older. Which they'll fail at because they're not used to higher levels of play.

Sophomores of all ages are compared against other current and potential college recruits. Potential recruits play on other college teams, over seas, some sophomores on good teams and some sophomores on bad teams. The ages of teammates for a recruit is irrelevant but college coaches will take into account the overall level of play. A main part of college coaches job is to evaluate talent, they know what they are doing regardless of the circumstances, they do recruit from bad teams also. To suggest otherwise is uninformed and illogical and is clearly being done to mislead a specific August girl to be self serving.

How do you not see that Aug birthdays playing a level down against younger players will not prepare them for playing against players your grade and older?

The way you practice is the way you play in games.

Because they are not actually playing down. That is your invention.

Research shows that kids being a top player on a team is advantageous while being towards the bottom of the team leads to increased probability of quitting. Beyond puberty, ages don't matter, like the college coaches say.

You don't have to believe the research but you lose the discussion ever time without receipts.

What exactly are the youth development advantages of being the top player on a team?

The internet givith.

-Leadership & Responsibility: Top players often naturally become leaders, learning to guide by example, take accountability, and motivate others, which builds character and essential management skills.
-Enhanced Decision-Making: They face pressure to make split-second strategic choices, improving their ability to think critically and solve problems in real-time.
-Deeper Skill Mastery: Teaching fundamentals to less experienced teammates reinforces their own understanding of the game and develops their basketball IQ (or sport-specific knowledge).
-Increased Playing Time & Freedom: On development-focused teams, top players get more minutes, allowing them to experiment with new moves and strategies in a lower-pressure setting.
-Boosted Confidence & Self-Esteem: Recognition and responsibility as the best player significantly enhance a young athlete's belief in themselves.
Mentorship Opportunities: They can form "big brother/sister" bonds, learning from older players while also guiding younger ones, fostering personal growth.

Theoretical and needs to be in context.

Being the top player on a top team in the top league is one thing
Training with and playing against the best

Top player on lower team in lesser league is a different thing

Boomer talk. Everyone has an opinion, some are backed by proof, others, not so much.

The best player on the C team in NCSL at U10 is on the same development track as the best player on the U10 A team at Bethesda in ECNL?
Same conditions opportunities and challenges?

Don't try to use logic. The person youre responding to will just fall back to rae if challenged.

Not seeing the RAE connection here

Conversation is about being best player on team versus not being best player in regards to individual development

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Anonymous wrote:No way. They will gladly take the August kid on the SY A team if they are good enough to make it. Clubs care about winning far more than grade alignment.

Not when it causes drama and issues for the club.

Allowing kids to play up in bulk numbers is the drama leagues and clubs are avoiding at all costs.

That makes no sense

It does if you run a club. Many parents don't get it for sure, they think their DC deserves special treatment, that's the drama, that's the problem.

Kids wanting to play on teams.with other kids in their grade in school is normal. The fact that you cant see that is problematic.

It's also normal for kids to play with different grades, now in BY and before in SY, especially in travel when you typically don't play with actual classmates. Both should happen where appropriate.

No, playing on teams with players that are all a grade younger than your kid is not normal. In fact the entire switch back from BY to SY was done to allow more players to play on teams with other kids in their grade.

Why would kids who are grouped by birth year/month need to be pushed into manufactured school grade groupings when school has nothing to do with travel soccer?

Because College Coaches recruit by graduating year or grade in school.

I thought they recruited by talent and potential

College coaches do both. They recruit by graduating year (grade in school) and talent and potential. Most reviewing by coaches who they want on their roster is done during players sophomore year. Official signed offers happen midway through junior year. This gives coaches one year of buffer to address any issues.

Sophmores are compared against all other sophmores and maybe Juniors and Seniors. What this means is if you're a Sophmore Aug birthday playing down on a Freshman team playing at a Freshman level in club you are at a SERIOUS disadvantage for being recruited.

Looney tunes is trying to convince people that playing down doesn't matter if you have a really video on Instagram. This is not true as soon as a coach finds out that the player is playing down they'll either move on or require then to attend a camp to see how they play against players their age and older. Which they'll fail at because they're not used to higher levels of play.

Sophomores of all ages are compared against other current and potential college recruits. Potential recruits play on other college teams, over seas, some sophomores on good teams and some sophomores on bad teams. The ages of teammates for a recruit is irrelevant but college coaches will take into account the overall level of play. A main part of college coaches job is to evaluate talent, they know what they are doing regardless of the circumstances, they do recruit from bad teams also. To suggest otherwise is uninformed and illogical and is clearly being done to mislead a specific August girl to be self serving.

How do you not see that Aug birthdays playing a level down against younger players will not prepare them for playing against players your grade and older?

The way you practice is the way you play in games.

Because they are not actually playing down. That is your invention.

Research shows that kids being a top player on a team is advantageous while being towards the bottom of the team leads to increased probability of quitting. Beyond puberty, ages don't matter, like the college coaches say.

You don't have to believe the research but you lose the discussion ever time without receipts.

What exactly are the youth development advantages of being the top player on a team?

The internet givith.

-Leadership & Responsibility: Top players often naturally become leaders, learning to guide by example, take accountability, and motivate others, which builds character and essential management skills.
-Enhanced Decision-Making: They face pressure to make split-second strategic choices, improving their ability to think critically and solve problems in real-time.
-Deeper Skill Mastery: Teaching fundamentals to less experienced teammates reinforces their own understanding of the game and develops their basketball IQ (or sport-specific knowledge).
-Increased Playing Time & Freedom: On development-focused teams, top players get more minutes, allowing them to experiment with new moves and strategies in a lower-pressure setting.
-Boosted Confidence & Self-Esteem: Recognition and responsibility as the best player significantly enhance a young athlete's belief in themselves.
Mentorship Opportunities: They can form "big brother/sister" bonds, learning from older players while also guiding younger ones, fostering personal growth.

Theoretical and needs to be in context.

Being the top player on a top team in the top league is one thing
Training with and playing against the best

Top player on lower team in lesser league is a different thing

Boomer talk. Everyone has an opinion, some are backed by proof, others, not so much.

The best player on the C team in NCSL at U10 is on the same development track as the best player on the U10 A team at Bethesda in ECNL?
Same conditions opportunities and challenges?

Don't try to use logic. The person youre responding to will just fall back to rae if challenged.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No way. They will gladly take the August kid on the SY A team if they are good enough to make it. Clubs care about winning far more than grade alignment.

Not when it causes drama and issues for the club.

Allowing kids to play up in bulk numbers is the drama leagues and clubs are avoiding at all costs.

That makes no sense

It does if you run a club. Many parents don't get it for sure, they think their DC deserves special treatment, that's the drama, that's the problem.

Kids wanting to play on teams.with other kids in their grade in school is normal. The fact that you cant see that is problematic.

It's also normal for kids to play with different grades, now in BY and before in SY, especially in travel when you typically don't play with actual classmates. Both should happen where appropriate.

No, playing on teams with players that are all a grade younger than your kid is not normal. In fact the entire switch back from BY to SY was done to allow more players to play on teams with other kids in their grade.

Why would kids who are grouped by birth year/month need to be pushed into manufactured school grade groupings when school has nothing to do with travel soccer?

Because College Coaches recruit by graduating year or grade in school.

I thought they recruited by talent and potential

College coaches do both. They recruit by graduating year (grade in school) and talent and potential. Most reviewing by coaches who they want on their roster is done during players sophomore year. Official signed offers happen midway through junior year. This gives coaches one year of buffer to address any issues.

Sophmores are compared against all other sophmores and maybe Juniors and Seniors. What this means is if you're a Sophmore Aug birthday playing down on a Freshman team playing at a Freshman level in club you are at a SERIOUS disadvantage for being recruited.

Looney tunes is trying to convince people that playing down doesn't matter if you have a really video on Instagram. This is not true as soon as a coach finds out that the player is playing down they'll either move on or require then to attend a camp to see how they play against players their age and older. Which they'll fail at because they're not used to higher levels of play.

Sophomores of all ages are compared against other current and potential college recruits. Potential recruits play on other college teams, over seas, some sophomores on good teams and some sophomores on bad teams. The ages of teammates for a recruit is irrelevant but college coaches will take into account the overall level of play. A main part of college coaches job is to evaluate talent, they know what they are doing regardless of the circumstances, they do recruit from bad teams also. To suggest otherwise is uninformed and illogical and is clearly being done to mislead a specific August girl to be self serving.

How do you not see that Aug birthdays playing a level down against younger players will not prepare them for playing against players your grade and older?

The way you practice is the way you play in games.

Because they are not actually playing down. That is your invention.

Research shows that kids being a top player on a team is advantageous while being towards the bottom of the team leads to increased probability of quitting. Beyond puberty, ages don't matter, like the college coaches say.

You don't have to believe the research but you lose the discussion ever time without receipts.

What exactly are the youth development advantages of being the top player on a team?

The internet givith.

-Leadership & Responsibility: Top players often naturally become leaders, learning to guide by example, take accountability, and motivate others, which builds character and essential management skills.
-Enhanced Decision-Making: They face pressure to make split-second strategic choices, improving their ability to think critically and solve problems in real-time.
-Deeper Skill Mastery: Teaching fundamentals to less experienced teammates reinforces their own understanding of the game and develops their basketball IQ (or sport-specific knowledge).
-Increased Playing Time & Freedom: On development-focused teams, top players get more minutes, allowing them to experiment with new moves and strategies in a lower-pressure setting.
-Boosted Confidence & Self-Esteem: Recognition and responsibility as the best player significantly enhance a young athlete's belief in themselves.
Mentorship Opportunities: They can form "big brother/sister" bonds, learning from older players while also guiding younger ones, fostering personal growth.

Theoretical and needs to be in context.

Being the top player on a top team in the top league is one thing
Training with and playing against the best

Top player on lower team in lesser league is a different thing

Boomer talk. Everyone has an opinion, some are backed by proof, others, not so much.

The best player on the C team in NCSL at U10 is on the same development track as the best player on the U10 A team at Bethesda in ECNL?
Same conditions opportunities and challenges?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No way. They will gladly take the August kid on the SY A team if they are good enough to make it. Clubs care about winning far more than grade alignment.

Not when it causes drama and issues for the club.

Allowing kids to play up in bulk numbers is the drama leagues and clubs are avoiding at all costs.

That makes no sense

It does if you run a club. Many parents don't get it for sure, they think their DC deserves special treatment, that's the drama, that's the problem.

Kids wanting to play on teams.with other kids in their grade in school is normal. The fact that you cant see that is problematic.

It's also normal for kids to play with different grades, now in BY and before in SY, especially in travel when you typically don't play with actual classmates. Both should happen where appropriate.

No, playing on teams with players that are all a grade younger than your kid is not normal. In fact the entire switch back from BY to SY was done to allow more players to play on teams with other kids in their grade.

Why would kids who are grouped by birth year/month need to be pushed into manufactured school grade groupings when school has nothing to do with travel soccer?

Because College Coaches recruit by graduating year or grade in school.

I thought they recruited by talent and potential

College coaches do both. They recruit by graduating year (grade in school) and talent and potential. Most reviewing by coaches who they want on their roster is done during players sophomore year. Official signed offers happen midway through junior year. This gives coaches one year of buffer to address any issues.

Sophmores are compared against all other sophmores and maybe Juniors and Seniors. What this means is if you're a Sophmore Aug birthday playing down on a Freshman team playing at a Freshman level in club you are at a SERIOUS disadvantage for being recruited.

Looney tunes is trying to convince people that playing down doesn't matter if you have a really video on Instagram. This is not true as soon as a coach finds out that the player is playing down they'll either move on or require then to attend a camp to see how they play against players their age and older. Which they'll fail at because they're not used to higher levels of play.

Sophomores of all ages are compared against other current and potential college recruits. Potential recruits play on other college teams, over seas, some sophomores on good teams and some sophomores on bad teams. The ages of teammates for a recruit is irrelevant but college coaches will take into account the overall level of play. A main part of college coaches job is to evaluate talent, they know what they are doing regardless of the circumstances, they do recruit from bad teams also. To suggest otherwise is uninformed and illogical and is clearly being done to mislead a specific August girl to be self serving.

How do you not see that Aug birthdays playing a level down against younger players will not prepare them for playing against players your grade and older?

The way you practice is the way you play in games.

Because they are not actually playing down. That is your invention.

Research shows that kids being a top player on a team is advantageous while being towards the bottom of the team leads to increased probability of quitting. Beyond puberty, ages don't matter, like the college coaches say.

You don't have to believe the research but you lose the discussion ever time without receipts.

What exactly are the youth development advantages of being the top player on a team?

The internet givith.

-Leadership & Responsibility: Top players often naturally become leaders, learning to guide by example, take accountability, and motivate others, which builds character and essential management skills.
-Enhanced Decision-Making: They face pressure to make split-second strategic choices, improving their ability to think critically and solve problems in real-time.
-Deeper Skill Mastery: Teaching fundamentals to less experienced teammates reinforces their own understanding of the game and develops their basketball IQ (or sport-specific knowledge).
-Increased Playing Time & Freedom: On development-focused teams, top players get more minutes, allowing them to experiment with new moves and strategies in a lower-pressure setting.
-Boosted Confidence & Self-Esteem: Recognition and responsibility as the best player significantly enhance a young athlete's belief in themselves.
Mentorship Opportunities: They can form "big brother/sister" bonds, learning from older players while also guiding younger ones, fostering personal growth.

Theoretical and needs to be in context.

Being the top player on a top team in the top league is one thing
Training with and playing against the best

Top player on lower team in lesser league is a different thing

Boomer talk. Everyone has an opinion, some are backed by proof, others, not so much.

The best player on the C team in NCSL at U10 is on the same development track as the best player on the U10 A team at Bethesda in ECNL?
Same conditions opportunities and challenges?