PDI Update

[AFC]

Cal South Player Development Policy for players younger than 8 years:

Following requests from several Gaming Leagues to obtain further clarification regarding the compulsory USSF Player Development Initiatives (PDI) Standards with respect to the Classification of players younger than eight(8) years old, Cal South has amended the Policy for “Minimum Age for Competitive Players”.

The amendment applies to the Registration Classification of the players, allowing both the Recreational and Competitive classification of the players younger than eight(8) years. However, it maintains the support of the USSF PDI standards for the younger ages as listed below.

This policy is consistent with the USSF PDI for participating players in the youngest age groups, and supports the Federation’s reduced emphasis on competitive play during the early stages of development.

Cal South Policy for players younger than eight (8) years.

1. Any Cal South player may be classified as a Cal South Recreational or Competitive player. However, regardless of the Registration Classification, the compulsory USSF PDI Policy for these age groups as shown below shall be respected and adhered:

Note: Players with a birth year of 2011, and who were registered as Competitive players on a 2010 “Competitive” team as of December 26, 2017 in the Cal South Affinity System for the Fall 2017-18 season, are authorized an exemption to this policy for the 2018-19 season and may play 7v7 with the 2010 Age group. Contact the Cal South State Office for any questions related to this provision.

PDI Standards for 7-Year-Old and Younger: (USSF PDI Presentation 4v4 pages 13 – 16):

1. Coaches should have the age appropriate license issued by U.S. Soccer.
2. Formal games are not needed so playing with and against teammates at the end of each training session (1-2 per week) should be sufficient.
3. Formal rosters and teams are not needed so having a flexible and fluid approach to training and playing is recommended.

• a. While playing, everyone should participate a minimum of 50% of the time.
• b. With 4 players on the field, having 6 players on each “team” when the “game” is played helps maximize participation and engagement.

4. Here are some examples of having a flexible and fluid approach to training and playing

• a. Utilize “in-house” programs that have everyone train and play as a pool of players rather than as distinct teams.
• b. This approach allows players to train and play with a variety of other kids based on numbers, ability, age, height, weight, etc.
• c. If using teams with a set roster of players, players can be mixed up during the game at the end of the training session to provide variety.

5. Results and standings should not be recorded.
6. Travel should be limited as much as possible.
7. Players should not be participating in events (tournaments, showcases, etc.).
8. Remember that safety and fun are the top priorities so make adjustments as needed to ensure both are being promoted.

2. TOURNAMENTS

• 2.1 Class I and II Competitive Tournaments may have age groups or flights of competition for teams registered younger than eight (8) years of age, provided the Tournament adheres to the compulsory USSF PDI standards for these age groups and does not record standings and does not provide for advancement rounds.

3. LEAGUE AND GAMING LEAGUES

• 3.1. Cal South Sanctioned Affiliate Leagues (Gaming Leagues) may allow or authorize Competitive play, competition, age groups, or flights for teams classified younger than eight (8) years old provided the League adheres to the compulsory USSF PDI standards for these Age groups and does not record standings and does not provide for advancement rounds.

Effective Date: This policy is effective January 2017. Compliance is compulsory and required for the 2018-19 playing season, which includes all preseason processes associated with tryouts, forming, and/or rostering of players to teams in preparation for the season, regardless of when they occur. Waivers to the requirements set forth in this policy shall not be considered.

 

[timbuck]

At least it's not confusing.

Translation - Nobody thinks that kids that young should be playing competitive soccer or paying $1,500+ to play soccer.
But if parents want to pay the money, we'll let clubs accept these player$.

 

[coachsamy]

At least it's not confusing.

Translation - Nobody thinks that kids that young should be playing competitive soccer or paying $1,500+ to play soccer.
But if parents want to pay the money, we'll let clubs accept these player$.

I wonder how many bogus leagues will be created for 2011 and 2012 age groups.

Shoot this could be a very profitable local league with "guarantee" 12 league games in the fall and 10 league games in the spring and a championship tournament in the summer.

 

[Grace T.]

I wonder how many bogus leagues will be created for 2011 and 2012 age groups.

Shoot this could be a very profitable local league with "guarantee" 12 league games in the fall and 10 league games in the spring and a championship tournament in the summer.

Well, those leagues actually exist like the feeder league into Real SoCal-- West Valley Soccer. Not sure how they could have a championship tournament if standings and playoff aren't allowed, but the language is flexible enough ("recommends no teams") that it shouldn't have too much of an impact on the feeder leagues. Where it does seem to draw a bright line (except for the grandfathered kids), is the 11's playing up with the 10s in club soccer. If they stuck to the letter of the recommendations ("no teams"), my guess is that most people would abandon the feeder leagues in favor of AYSO (which also doesn't keep standings [usually] at that age group).

 

[Sunil Illuminati]

If they stuck to the letter of the recommendations ("no teams"), my guess is that most people would abandon the feeder leagues in favor of AYSO (which also doesn't keep standings [usually] at that age group).

....Worth noting that Most AYSO regions don't play 4 v 4 though in these age groups.

 

[Grace T.]

....Worth noting that Most AYSO regions don't play 4 v 4 though in these age groups.

AYSO national also made revisions this year. It's now 4 a side no goalkeepers to U8 and 7 a side no goalkeepers to U10 (that last one has been received with push back from the local groups)...when my kids played a few years back it was 7 a side with keepers U10, 6 a side with keepers U9, 5 a side with keeper/defender U8, 5 a side no keepers U7. Local groups, of course, have considerable more flexibility to vary from the standards (at least so far....who knows when AYSO cracks down). For the U10s though, if AYSO means it, I'd think it would hasten the jump to club. The big problem for AYSO will be they'll need even more qualified volunteers, which for many regions was already a problem.

 

[Chalklines]

I wonder how many bogus leagues will be created for 2011 and 2012 age groups.

Shoot this could be a very profitable local league with "guarantee" 12 league games in the fall and 10 league games in the spring and a championship tournament in the summer.

Modern day AYSO's a joke. It brain washes parents and kids into thinking sports are "fair" and everyone's a winner.

At least with alternatives the kids who need to be pushed or the ones being taught doing good is bad will have other options now.

 

[carla hinkle]

On the Presidio League website, application timeline section, it specifies applications for U8-U10 (2011-2009). So I guess they are having a 2011 division? But will they be running it as 4 v 4, no goalie?? I am trying to follow what is specified in the rules for that age level...

 

[rainbow_unicorn]

While it seems that U8 has become a gray area this year in regards to whether it is considered competitive or not, I just noticed that that Surf Cup just dropped their lowest age group from U10 (from previous years) to U9 starting this summer. Go figure.

 

[Grace T.]

Passing on a little blurb I received in the AYSO newsletter for how AYSO is defining player success this year. It's directed at "young players" but doesn't really say what that means. I always had difficulties with the second one because the players would have varying interest in soccer (before EXTRAS tryouts asked two of my sons teammates' parents if they'd be interested before tryouts getting the boys together to just play pickups...one had Disneyland passes and was busy on the weekends since the soccer season had inconvenienced their Disneyland visits, another was focusing on basketball during the off season), and the parents didn't really see it as an opportunity to pickup friends but more as something to get the kids out of the house for a while and then move on. Since teams don't stay together, everyone knows next year it's going to be a new scramble of people so why keep them together. Only ones I really made a connection with were the referee directors and staff since I was reffing, but they got upset when we drank the club koolaid and left EXTRAs.

Passing it on without any further commentary:

Preventing the Madness
This week’s “Preventing the Madness” tip is defining success for your little ones.

Sometimes young players just focus on wins and losses as a measurement of success, but it’s important to remind them that there are other ways to evaluate how a soccer season went, too. Check out some of those methods below!

Skills
During the beginning of the season, consider helping your kids do a skill assessment for themselves. For example, one thing you can focus on is how well they handle the ball when they’re running. Once the end of the season comes around, you and your kids can do a second assessment to compare it to the first one.

Friends/Connections
Did your kids make new friends or feel more connected with the team by the end of the season? Checking to see if your kids have a stronger relationship with their teammates can be a good way to assess the season.

Enjoyment
Although striving to be the best is a common goal players have, it can be good to have your kids step back to see if they’re having a blast playing soccer. This is arguably one of the best ways to measure if a soccer season was successful because if they’re not enjoying the game, then they can just see it as work that has to get done.

“Preventing the Madness” is a month-long series aimed at delivering tips and reminders to AYSO parents. The purpose is to make the transition into the soccer season an easy process.

 

[LASTMAN14]

Modern day AYSO's a joke. It brain washes parents and kids into thinking sports are "fair" and everyone's a winner.

At least with alternatives the kids who need to be pushed or the ones being taught doing good is bad will have other options now.

AYSO has its place. Yes those players that need more than AYSO can offer should move on to club. And there are those players who only want to play without full time commitment and so many other reasons. You might argue that AYSO is at a times a reflection of our society. You can also argue that club is no different. So to say AYSO brain washes is a linear thought. Because then you can accuse club of the same.

 

[ItsCalledSoccer]

AYSO has its place. Yes those players that need more than AYSO can offer should move on to club. And there are those players who only want to play without full time commitment and so many other reasons. You might argue that AYSO is at a times a reflection of our society. You can also argue that club is no different. So to say AYSO brain washes is a linear thought. Because then you can accuse club of the same.

For those AYSO players who need more, there is AYSO United now.

 

[Grace T.]

For those AYSO players who need more, there is AYSO United now.

As came out in our prior discussions, some United coaches are drawing salaries and fees are in the ball park with entry level clubs (since they only really save on field rentals). The only real difference seems to be the guarantee of equal playtime, which at the younger club levels club should be doing anyways (if not equal, at least some). It's also a question given the playtime rule whether united teams will be able to advance beyond silver (since "impact" players may jump ship for more competitive experiences). But at least when it comes to the d and e teams of the mega clubs, there will be some competition out there which is a positive

 

[Stip21]

At least it's not confusing.

Translation - Nobody thinks that kids that young should be playing competitive soccer or paying $1,500+ to play soccer.
But if parents want to pay the money, we'll let clubs accept these player$.

200 Hours of training from a professional coach Divided by $1500 = $7.50 an hour for your kid to be properly developed VS a parent??? This is not a good deal?

 

[Eagle33]

200 Hours of training from a professional coach Divided by $1500 = $7.50 an hour for your kid to be properly developed VS a parent??? This is not a good deal?

Who said it's NOT by a parent? Who said PROPERLY DEVELOPED?

 

[Stip21]

Who said it's NOT by a parent? Who said PROPERLY DEVELOPED?

REC soccer and AYSO are volunteer parents coaching/training and most have zero clue!!!! If you have a talented 6 or 7 year old who loves to play, is athletic and competitive; paying $1500 for proper training and a higher level of teammates and competition is a fantastic deal if you ask me! Some of these kids that come into club at 8 or 9 years old are so far behind it is incredible. Takes 6 months to a year just to break bad habits that were never addressed.

 

[Grace T.]

REC soccer and AYSO are volunteer parents coaching/training and most have zero clue!!!! If you have a talented 6 or 7 year old who loves to play, is athletic and competitive; paying $1500 for proper training and a higher level of teammates and competition is a fantastic deal if you ask me! Some of these kids that come into club at 8 or 9 years old are so far behind it is incredible. Takes 6 months to a year just to break bad habits that were never addressed.

Isn't the truth somewhere in the middle? It's definitely true not all AYSO volunteers know what they are doing and that kid can come into club at 8 or 9 years old with some bad habits (BTW, when did jumping to club at 8 or 9 become a thing...a few years back with my older most players would jump at 11 or 12). It's also true that out there, particularly for the youngers, there are some club coaches for which labeling them "proper developers" would be a stretch.

But the problem with 4 v 4 and club, if they really mean it, is economics. It's not sustainable. Either the coach has to have multiple 4 v 4 games running at once (which is not what's intended by the rules, and probably wouldn't be tolerated by parents for long given the mad house it would create and everyone wanting the coach's attention for their little Billy or Suzie), the squad would have to be 8-10 kids with them spending most of their time on the bench, or the fees would have to be really really high if the squad is limited to 6 kids. Which means you are limited to volunteers if you want proper teams (instead of just class type settings like Little Soccer Stars)....which is what the feeder leagues like West Valley Soccer or Simi Valley Soccer do....they rely on parent volunteers. It's also what the Europeans do at this level BTW....it's just that they know what they are doing while non-player American parents try to coach soccer like they would football or basketball. The long term fix to this is that as more kids play, we'll have more volunteer coaches when they begin to have kids. But in the meantime, if they mean the 4 v 4 things, finding enough volunteers that are even minimally competent, let alone getting paid coaches, is going to be very hard.

You can have your soccer cheap and accessible to all, developmental, or competitive. Pick 2.

 

[ItsCalledSoccer]

Isn't the truth somewhere in the middle? It's definitely true not all AYSO volunteers know what they are doing and that kid can come into club at 8 or 9 years old with some bad habits (BTW, when did jumping to club at 8 or 9 become a thing...a few years back with my older most players would jump at 11 or 12). It's also true that out there, particularly for the youngers, there are some club coaches for which labeling them "proper developers" would be a stretch.

But the problem with 4 v 4 and club, if they really mean it, is economics. It's not sustainable. Either the coach has to have multiple 4 v 4 games running at once (which is not what's intended by the rules, and probably wouldn't be tolerated by parents for long given the mad house it would create and everyone wanting the coach's attention for their little Billy or Suzie), the squad would have to be 8-10 kids with them spending most of their time on the bench, or the fees would have to be really really high if the squad is limited to 6 kids. Which means you are limited to volunteers if you want proper teams (instead of just class type settings like Little Soccer Stars)....which is what the feeder leagues like West Valley Soccer or Simi Valley Soccer do....they rely on parent volunteers. It's also what the Europeans do at this level BTW....it's just that they know what they are doing while non-player American parents try to coach soccer like they would football or basketball. The long term fix to this is that as more kids play, we'll have more volunteer coaches when they begin to have kids. But in the meantime, if they mean the 4 v 4 things, finding enough volunteers that are even minimally competent, let alone getting paid coaches, is going to be very hard.

You can have your soccer cheap and accessible to all, developmental, or competitive. Pick 2.

Yes this is going to be a tough transition. Although I know in academies in England, they have multiple games going at once, I don't know if this model would work here. It's also worth noting that as the game grows here, more and more volunteers are of a higher standard than in previous years, this will only get better as the game continues to grow here and more kids who used to play have their own kids and become coaches. Yes everyone is racing to get into clubs earlier and earlier these days, many of whom have yet to develop a passion for the game, which should always come first in my opinion.

 

[Chalklines]

AYSO has its place. Yes those players that need more than AYSO can offer should move on to club. And there are those players who only want to play without full time commitment and so many other reasons. You might argue that AYSO is at a times a reflection of our society. You can also argue that club is no different. So to say AYSO brain washes is a linear thought. Because then you can accuse club of the same.

AYSO culture for U5-U7 has no place for a child who can play and when I mean play I'm talking about those kids who have skills early and can score at will every time they get the ball. When that's the case:

Scoring is discouraged

Agressive play is discouraged

Everyone needs to be a winner


(yes every ayso district is different)

These new leagues actually give these kids an opportunity to flourish with out committing to year round soccer in a more competitive environment at a young age. I don't understand how this can be bad?

Yes. From my own experience AYSO culture is a direct representation of how soft societys become. Hopefully these new leagues act as the middle ground moving forward.

 

[Grace T.]

AYSO culture for U5-U7 has no place for a child who can play and when I mean play I'm talking about those kids who have skills early and can score at will every time they get the ball. When that's the case:

Scoring is discouraged

Agressive play is discouraged

Everyone needs to be a winner


(yes every ayso district is different)

These new leagues actually give these kids an opportunity to flourish with out committing to year round soccer in a more competitive environment at a young age. I don't understand how this can be bad?

Yes. From my own experience AYSO culture is a direct representation of how soft societys become. Hopefully these new leagues act as the middle ground moving forward.

Yes it's true lots of ayso regions at that age don't want 1 kid scoring 10 when the other team hasn't scored any. As a ref I often had to mediate this between teams usually first by moving the player into goal if they hadn't done their turn there and also making sure they sat their quarter which everyone did. But the feeder leagues mostly aren't different...teams can be punished subsequent seasons if they run up the score too much. It happened to a friend who was a d1 player who was just a great coach with great kids and who did everything she could not to run it up

That's not what the pdi envisions. It seems to want getting rid of teams and instead doing an academy where kids end with informal scrimmages without organized teams. Sort of what little soccer stars does in their classes only with coaches paid by the club instead of parks and rec or like they do in England in the early ages. Developmental for power forward Susie, costs not a lot of money but not competitive.