Labor Shortage and Older Teams

timbuck

timbuck

It's nothing new that a lot of players drop soccer their Junior and Senior years.
I've noticed a little bit of a trend this year though. Players are still interested in playing, but they've taken a part time job. In years past, it seemed that employers were sensitive to teenage schedules and would work around them when possible.
I've heard the following stories lately:
1. I would love to play. But my job says if I take off more than 1 weekend per month, they'll fire me.
2. I would love to play, but at my job we only staff (the ice cream store/retail store) with 1 person. We don't have enough employees to let me start late/end early/take a 2 hour break for a game.
3. I have to be at a mandatory training for the next 3 Sunday's and I won't be able to play those days.
4. I'm scheduled to work on Monday and Wednesday for the next 2 months. I won't ever be able to make it to practice.
5. Somewhat unrelated to work, but speaks to the overscheduling of hs kids- "I am meeting with my college guidance counselor every Saturday to write essays. So I can't play."

Couple these with many games being played that require a 1 hour + drive- There's a lot of girls that should still be playing.

Soccer sure isn't everything and work experience is valuable. But my feeling is that these kids will have the rest of their lives to work. (And I realize not everyone can afford the cost of a teenager not having a job- My parents made me work, but the places I worked were always able to work around my schedule)

Back in my day (100 years ago)- I worked, played 3 sports, had decent grades and a pretty fun social life.
 
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timbuck said:
It's nothing new that a lot of players drop soccer their Junior and Senior years.
I've noticed a little bit of a trend this year though. Players are still interested in playing, but they've taken a part time job. In years past, it seemed that employers were sensitive to teenage schedules and would work around them when possible.
I've heard the following stories lately:
1. I would love to play. But my job says if I take off more than 1 weekend per month, they'll fire me.
2. I would love to play, but at my job we only staff (the ice cream store/retail store) with 1 person. We don't have enough employees to let me start late/end early/take a 2 hour break for a game.
3. I have to be at a mandatory training for the next 3 Sunday's and I won't be able to play those days.
4. I'm scheduled to work on Monday and Wednesday for the next 2 months. I won't ever be able to make it to practice.
5. Somewhat unrelated to work, but speaks to the overscheduling of hs kids- "I am meeting with my college guidance counselor every Saturday write essays. So I can't play."

Couple these with many games being played that require a 1 hour + drive- There's a lot of girls that should still be playing.

Soccer sure isn't everything and work experience is valuable. But my feeling is that these kids will have the rest of their lives to work. (And I realize not everyone can afford the cost of a teenager not having a job- My parents made me work, but the places I worked were always able to work around my schedule)

Back in my day (100 years ago)- I worked, played 3 sports, had decent grades and a pretty fun social life.
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Increase your roster size if you can, 18-20 players to get 14-16 to games for the olders is not uncommon. Missing 4-6 per game happens.

Yeah the multiple threats of trying to work say 20hr or more a week, school, sports, social life is harder to pull off with all the extra travel youth are doing nowadays.

While in high school we only had a hr+ bus ride in the post season, everything else was local. Very few people had transportation, $ to spend five six hours to drive to a single League game back in those days. Disneyland was about that once in a year treat when families drove far or spent.
 
lafalafa said:
Increase your roster size if you can, 18-20 players to get 14-16 to games for the olders is not uncommon. Missing 4-6 per game happens.

Yeah the multiple threats of trying to work say 20hr or more a week, school, sports, social life is harder to pull off with all the extra travel youth are doing nowadays.

While in high school we only had a hr+ bus ride in the post season, everything else was local. Very few people had transportation, $ to spend five six hours to drive to a single League game back in those days. Disneyland was about that once in a year treat when families drove far or spent.
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"If I can"-- that's the dilemma. We'd have at least 20 but 5 girls that want to play aren't able to due to work commitment.
 
We have 3 girls working. One hasn't missed any practices or games, one misses 1 practice per week plus doesn't play Sundays, and the 3rd misses 1 practice and may miss a game depending on their work schedule on weekends.

The employee shortage at almost every company has kids being hired and being told one thing to get them working then another once they are working. Throw in the lure of money and it is a difficult situation. I mentioned to my daughter and one of the girls working that they have 40+ years to work, they might only have 2 years of soccer left if they don't play in college.

Actually told my daughter she can't work. She has AP classes, team and keeper training, college trips, camps, plus needs to work on emails and recruiting forms. Just means I'll pay for a few more snacks, maybe a gift she would have paid for but now I get to pay for, gas for her car once she gets her license.
 
outside! said:
The players that want to work should get a reffing job. Better pay and hours and would help solve the ref shortage.
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Yeah - but then they have to drive so Oceanside, Silverlakes or Del Mar if they want to do more than 1 game in a row.
 
Senior or Junior in HS in the end of the road for many players so they move on other things.

Soccer is simply not a priority if they dont intent to play past High School. College preparation and jobs are more important to fill college applications.

Other kids need to work because their parents cant or wont pay their bills. Cars, seniors HS events,trips, college prep all cost money.

I was offered a soccer scholarship to a D1 school but decided not to play past senior in HS and went the academic route. Stopped playing, got a job, and moved on.
 
Hey coach Buck, this is a great time for teens to get a job. My dd walked into one place two months ago and was hired as hostess on the spot. $15 an hour plus about $50 cash in tips every time she works. I am in no position to help her besides a place to live, food, clothes, allowance and soccer. That's all I can help with. I told both my kids no car from dad and please dont tell me about all your friends who have new cars because their parents are super rich. You can work and buy your own car I told them pops will cover insurance for you. My dd has blown me away with her hustle. I went into her place of work yesterday to order some chow and asked the manager how my kid was doing. Basically, she wants to train her to be assistant manager, I kid you not. She has saved up over $2,000 so far and that I told her I will match $1 for $1 up to $4,000. These little things will go a long way to teach kids the value of hard work.
 
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timbuck said:
Yeah - but then they have to drive so Oceanside, Silverlakes or Del Mar if they want to do more than 1 game in a row.
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Or Robb field, or Cleator or other fields. My referee son gets plenty of games. I sat next to a high level referee evaluator at a college game and they told me that any ref 18 years or older can ref 7 days a week if they want.
 
outside! said:
Or Robb field, or Cleator or other fields. My referee son gets plenty of games. I sat next to a high level referee evaluator at a college game and they told me that any ref 18 years or older can ref 7 days a week if they want.
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Most clubs have multiple games in a row at parks and elementary schools. I saw one ref work 3 games in a row before I left and I assume he worked the games before I got there. Per SoCal, the number of refs are at 50% of pre-pandemic levels. Lots of games to work, if you can deal with the parents on the sidelines.
 
They beg my kid to come into work. Very short staffed. So they work around the DD schedule without issues.

The other kids I have? Their work is short staffed as well. Occasionally they are asked to work at another location for their normal hourly, but the company tosses them $75 pre paid visa cards.

That is the reality in the Phx. area. Kids can absolutely work and do soccer and many of these companies are bending over backwards to adapt to their school/sport schedules.
 
Desert Hound said:
They beg my kid to come into work. Very short staffed. So they work around the DD schedule without issues.

The other kids I have? Their work is short staffed as well. Occasionally they are asked to work at another location for their normal hourly, but the company tosses them $75 pre paid visa cards.

That is the reality in the Phx. area. Kids can absolutely work and do soccer and many of these companies are bending over backwards to adapt to their school/sport schedules.
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Great stuff Hound
 
What you need to do is be more opportunistic. Rename your club to "Temp Agency SC" and tell the kids that practices are now Mon-Fri 9-5.
 
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