Anonymous
05/13/2025 10:49
Subject: Top team offers are already out—how’s your team shaping up?
You soccer parents are cray cray. That’s all.
What’s going to happen when your kid is 22 and their entire identity is wrapped up in being a soccer player, and then suddenly they don’t get to be one anymore?
What happens to Olympians and pro NFL or NBA or MLB players who retire before age 30, often, is that they have issues with substance abuse and never find their way again, once their entire identity is taken from them.
You’re setting your kids up for this same scenario, but without the money or prestige that comes with the other examples.
They’re children, playing a game. It’s not life. Remember that!!!
What’s going to happen when your kid is 22 and their entire identity is wrapped up in being a soccer player, and then suddenly they don’t get to be one anymore?
What happens to Olympians and pro NFL or NBA or MLB players who retire before age 30, often, is that they have issues with substance abuse and never find their way again, once their entire identity is taken from them.
You’re setting your kids up for this same scenario, but without the money or prestige that comes with the other examples.
They’re children, playing a game. It’s not life. Remember that!!!
Anonymous
05/13/2025 10:47
Subject: Top team offers are already out—how’s your team shaping up?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:You know what’s funny about the drop-in sessions before tryouts?
Most of the players who show up are the ones who already know they’re about to get cut from their current club.
So they show up wearing the “top team” label to get ID’d by another top team, and most coaches fall for it!
I guess one team’s trash really is another team’s treasure!
There is never a team’s trash. You are talking about other people kids here. I am sure you don’t want someone to call your kid “trash”. The other thing is youth soccer is a marathon. So unless the kid reaches the college level with the same skill, work ethic and discipline it is tooo early to call someone a Messi or trash. So many players were Messi’s at U little then disappeared by high school and so many kids were “trash” an U littles but they have persistence and work hard and guess where they end up ? Playing D1. Trust me, it is all about persistence and discipline. Two things a kid can easily lose when they are in middle school and that is the difference between a success and trash.
Well said, couldn't agree more... so many here act like things are decided at u11 etc...
Ahhh you'll give the poor parents of top team u8 players heart attacks!
Anonymous
05/13/2025 10:42
Subject: Top team offers are already out—how’s your team shaping up?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:All these tryouts and jumping around
What are the top 2 or 3 things everyone is looking for in a youth club for their child that can help in positive development?
Coaching and good training sessions
At least some high level players for the age
A few parents who understand the sport
I view it kind of like a job. There's always some bs you have to deal with and negatives. I ask what kind of bs can I tolerate. Different people have a higher tolerance for different bs. Just depends.
Anonymous
05/13/2025 10:27
Subject: Top team offers are already out—how’s your team shaping up?
Anonymous wrote:All these tryouts and jumping around
What are the top 2 or 3 things everyone is looking for in a youth club for their child that can help in positive development?
Coaching and good training sessions
At least some high level players for the age
A few parents who understand the sport
Anonymous
05/13/2025 10:14
Subject: Top team offers are already out—how’s your team shaping up?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:You know what’s funny about the drop-in sessions before tryouts?
Most of the players who show up are the ones who already know they’re about to get cut from their current club.
So they show up wearing the “top team” label to get ID’d by another top team, and most coaches fall for it!
I guess one team’s trash really is another team’s treasure!
There is never a team’s trash. You are talking about other people kids here. I am sure you don’t want someone to call your kid “trash”. The other thing is youth soccer is a marathon. So unless the kid reaches the college level with the same skill, work ethic and discipline it is tooo early to call someone a Messi or trash. So many players were Messi’s at U little then disappeared by high school and so many kids were “trash” an U littles but they have persistence and work hard and guess where they end up ? Playing D1. Trust me, it is all about persistence and discipline. Two things a kid can easily lose when they are in middle school and that is the difference between a success and trash.
Well said, couldn't agree more... so many here act like things are decided at u11 etc...
Anonymous
05/13/2025 10:04
Subject: Top team offers are already out—how’s your team shaping up?
Anonymous wrote:All these tryouts and jumping around
What are the top 2 or 3 things everyone is looking for in a youth club for their child that can help in positive development?
Coaching.
Anonymous
05/13/2025 09:56
Subject: Top team offers are already out—how’s your team shaping up?
All these tryouts and jumping around
What are the top 2 or 3 things everyone is looking for in a youth club for their child that can help in positive development?
What are the top 2 or 3 things everyone is looking for in a youth club for their child that can help in positive development?
Anonymous
05/13/2025 08:38
Subject: Top team offers are already out—how’s your team shaping up?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Our top team for 2014 and 2015 held tryouts (U12 & U11), but it was a sham. The coaches pre-picked kids to come join the team in practices ahead of tryouts. A few kids who got offers for the top team never even came to tryouts.
That was some shady back-door stuff.
I have a question for ECNL and GA @ U13. Are the ID sessions a sham too and do kids essentially get on those team ahead of time at secret practices also?
There are no secret practices. You just reach out to the coaches and ask to join a practice. And that’s a primary way to get on top teams. Obviously, your child has to be pretty good for a coach to say yes, please come practice with us.
For a few players, ID sessions are a formality or u don’t even need to show up, but there have definitely been kids selected from ID sessions.
This is an open tactic that’s written about all over this forum.
This is the PP. I need you in my parent friend circle! Thanks for giving it to me straight...I have been a bit too naive up to this point. I will work hard to get my kid out to the target team practice sessions before hand next year.
Anonymous
05/13/2025 08:33
Subject: Top team offers are already out—how’s your team shaping up?
To be clear not a soul in the US should be compared to Messi, certainly not in reference to youth players.
Try out for different teams every year, if you always do it no one should be surprised. Lots of haters on here. Most people I see are just being proactive becuase they know tryouts are a waste of time cattle call more for the ignorant newbies to be impressed by turnout numbers.
Try out for different teams every year, if you always do it no one should be surprised. Lots of haters on here. Most people I see are just being proactive becuase they know tryouts are a waste of time cattle call more for the ignorant newbies to be impressed by turnout numbers.
Anonymous
05/13/2025 06:27
Subject: Top team offers are already out—how’s your team shaping up?
Anonymous wrote:You know what’s funny about the drop-in sessions before tryouts?
Most of the players who show up are the ones who already know they’re about to get cut from their current club.
So they show up wearing the “top team” label to get ID’d by another top team, and most coaches fall for it!
I guess one team’s trash really is another team’s treasure!
There is never a team’s trash. You are talking about other people kids here. I am sure you don’t want someone to call your kid “trash”. The other thing is youth soccer is a marathon. So unless the kid reaches the college level with the same skill, work ethic and discipline it is tooo early to call someone a Messi or trash. So many players were Messi’s at U little then disappeared by high school and so many kids were “trash” an U littles but they have persistence and work hard and guess where they end up ? Playing D1. Trust me, it is all about persistence and discipline. Two things a kid can easily lose when they are in middle school and that is the difference between a success and trash.
Anonymous
05/13/2025 06:20
Subject: Top team offers are already out—how’s your team shaping up?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:You know what’s funny about the drop-in sessions before tryouts?
Most of the players who show up are the ones who already know they’re about to get cut from their current club.
So they show up wearing the “top team” label to get ID’d by another top team, and most coaches fall for it!
I guess one team’s trash really is another team’s treasure!
There are a lot of players who come from small clubs and are now trying out for the bigger clubs. You sound insecure to talk about other players like that.
Agree. Bitter B team player parent needs to get over themselves. We tried out at different clubs this year because we are not happy with the coaching at our club. Unless injured or sick the kid is always a starter and we were definitely not worried about getting cut.
Anonymous
05/12/2025 23:52
Subject: Top team offers are already out—how’s your team shaping up?
Anonymous wrote:You know what’s funny about the drop-in sessions before tryouts?
Most of the players who show up are the ones who already know they’re about to get cut from their current club.
So they show up wearing the “top team” label to get ID’d by another top team, and most coaches fall for it!
I guess one team’s trash really is another team’s treasure!
There are a lot of players who come from small clubs and are now trying out for the bigger clubs. You sound insecure to talk about other players like that.
Anonymous
05/12/2025 22:55
Subject: Top team offers are already out—how’s your team shaping up?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Not looking good for 2nd team kids to move up at u12. Rumor is, our top team took 3 outsiders over 2nd team players. Will follow up. But it’s messed up to take outsiders over 2nd team players.
How is it messed up? My U12 kid is an outsider going to a top team. They are coming from a different top team and not the only one. I have no clue whether anyone on the second team “should” have been moved up. I’m sure some were hoping. Why not take someone who is already used to the competition level/speed of play and can hang with current top team players?
This is the PP. You do have a point. But it is also point that if you are on the 2nd team, and the club says stay with us you will be developed, then they never pull 2nd team players up and take better players from outside the club. Then the club does not value 2nd team players and does not develop them. In our case, we have 3-4 2nd team players who have improved drastically, did very well in tryouts, but the top team took outside players who did not even attend tryouts. The whole thing smells like a big back-door deal.
Arlington.
Anonymous
05/12/2025 22:53
Subject: Top team offers are already out—how’s your team shaping up?
You know what’s funny about the drop-in sessions before tryouts?
Most of the players who show up are the ones who already know they’re about to get cut from their current club.
So they show up wearing the “top team” label to get ID’d by another top team, and most coaches fall for it!
I guess one team’s trash really is another team’s treasure!
Most of the players who show up are the ones who already know they’re about to get cut from their current club.
So they show up wearing the “top team” label to get ID’d by another top team, and most coaches fall for it!
I guess one team’s trash really is another team’s treasure!
Anonymous
05/12/2025 22:45
Subject: Top team offers are already out—how’s your team shaping up?
Anonymous wrote:Our top team for 2014 and 2015 held tryouts (U12 & U11), but it was a sham. The coaches pre-picked kids to come join the team in practices ahead of tryouts. A few kids who got offers for the top team never even came to tryouts.
That was some shady back-door stuff.
I have a question for ECNL and GA @ U13. Are the ID sessions a sham too and do kids essentially get on those team ahead of time at secret practices also?
There are no secret practices. You just reach out to the coaches and ask to join a practice. And that’s a primary way to get on top teams. Obviously, your child has to be pretty good for a coach to say yes, please come practice with us.
For a few players, ID sessions are a formality or u don’t even need to show up, but there have definitely been kids selected from ID sessions.
This is an open tactic that’s written about all over this forum.