Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No one is going to be forced to play up. Clubs are going to let good enough kids play up like they always have. The alleged recruiting disadvantage is blown out of proportion. Even if true, the benefit of being the oldest in the cohort will outweigh any such disadvantage. You can work a little harder to get on a coaches radar for recruitment if you’re misaligned. You can’t change where you were born and what the cutoff is.

Why would anyone want to put their kid on a team that's a grade younger and into a position where they just have to "work a little harder" to get recruited? Its ridiculous. I'm glad that clubs are aligning August birthdays with their grade in school team. Allowing misaligned players to exist is a HUGE waste of everyone's time.

If the option is to work a little harder to get recruited vs not being good enough because of RAE an being the youngest, taking the little harder recruiting path is obvious. And college coaches said they don't care your age group so not even sure recruiting is tougher .

Finally, like no viable teams are forcing grade year.

If i had an August kid who was about to be miss aligned id still make them "play down" to stay inside the correct age band and then in their junior or Senior season move them up to Grad year team.

The advantages are clear and not to be given up.

Anonymous wrote:No one is going to be forced to play up. Clubs are going to let good enough kids play up like they always have. The alleged recruiting disadvantage is blown out of proportion. Even if true, the benefit of being the oldest in the cohort will outweigh any such disadvantage. You can work a little harder to get on a coaches radar for recruitment if you’re misaligned. You can’t change where you were born and what the cutoff is.

Why would anyone want to put their kid on a team that's a grade younger and into a position where they just have to "work a little harder" to get recruited? Its ridiculous. I'm glad that clubs are aligning August birthdays with their grade in school team. Allowing misaligned players to exist is a HUGE waste of everyone's time.

No one is going to be forced to play up. Clubs are going to let good enough kids play up like they always have. The alleged recruiting disadvantage is blown out of proportion. Even if true, the benefit of being the oldest in the cohort will outweigh any such disadvantage. You can work a little harder to get on a coaches radar for recruitment if you’re misaligned. You can’t change where you were born and what the cutoff is.

Yes, play on age seems to be set in stone in the DMV. All these coaches claiming high recruiting better figure something out for the Aug-Sept kids now being forced to play down a grade (yes, I know, new rules, playing on age, but based on where they were playing successfully for years, down a grade, and down a grade for when the college coaches should be looking at them). Less showcases, less coaches at the showcases they are in, lesser age group competition, I.e., less development, and begging coaches to look at U15 kids playing on age to look at them like they are U16. The U15 kids this year, who are on grade to play U16 next year but need to play U15 again next year will be killing their coaches next year if the college looks aren’t the same…. We are resigned, but beware if you are a coach that forced kids out of school year, and recruiting tanks for these unfortunate kids, expect your threads to look like Rev threads for the next couple of years.

Reality could not be more clearer now, play on age by default.

Anonymous wrote:Reality is coming your way.

Reality is here in DMV. Play on age, best play up. You can voluntarily play up with friends for rec. It has been set in stone.

Reality is coming your way.

Kudos to the Aug kids who are doing well in school though being the youngest in their academic grade.

there is no play ‘down’. No club is even using this condescending word. There is only play on age or play up.

Anonymous wrote:Keep trying, parents know that Aug birthdays should play on their grade in school team.

The grade thing is your thing, if you want your kid playing on grade, go for it. Grade thing is for older folks that are stuck on grades being the end all be all. Club soccer is a 12 month window.

These two August parents disagree with you btw and have received the most positive input, "I have an August kid as well. To be honest, it's an advantage. Studies have repeatedly shown, across sports, that kids born at the upper end of an age group, tend to have a disproportionate advantage over the years, especially when young but it carries over as they grow older. It's an option between playing with friends and playing successfully at a high level at soccer. If it's performing at a high level, dropping down makes sense."

"I have an 8/1 kid myself and am actually excited for him to get a whole other year to develop. This last year was just a freebie IMO. I love this for them."

Keep trying, parents know that Aug birthdays should play on their grade in school team.

Anonymous wrote:Its not going to work, the more you argue for playing down the more people will see that its a trap and not what they want their kids participating in.

Stubborn and doesnt even realize that he's rhe reason more and more parents are becoming aware of why you want your kid playing on the correct grade in school team.

Hahaha 😆 😂 😆 😂

Nobody is arguing to play down (it's not even allowed in ECNL), they are just pointing out that playing up is unnecessary and has to be earned unless you want to play on a lower level team with friends. It's what your Facebook posts are saying.

The top 2 most liked posts from your Facebook convo is what the main consensus is. Most likes, 14 likes for "I have an August kid as well. To be honest, it's an advantage. Studies have repeatedly shown, across sports, that kids born at the upper end of an age group, tend to have a disproportionate advantage over the years, especially when young but it carries over as they grow older. It's an option between playing with friends and playing successfully at a high level at soccer. If it's performing at a high level, dropping down makes sense." Followed by 8 likes for someone excited their kid gets an extra year to develop.

Its not going to work, the more you argue for playing down the more people will see that its a trap and not what they want their kids participating in.

Stubborn and doesnt even realize that he's rhe reason more and more parents are becoming aware of why you want your kid playing on the correct grade in school team.

Hahaha 😆 😂 😆 😂

Anonymous wrote:Soccer is a very competitive sport. To win a spot on a very top team is not easy for most kids.most Kids are working their ass off to win that. You have to use whatever advantage you have to get in. Of course within the rules. Rule is Aug 1st as cutoff. I don’t think Aug kids should give up this advantage unless they are stars even playing up.

Aug is a big advantage not to be thrown in the trash by trying to play up as the youngest when not ready. June and July kids are at the true disadvantage.