One of my favorite coaches who coached/trained both of my kids: https://coachjoel.wordpress.com/2015/11/23/thats-a-wrap/
Perspective
- Thread starter Dominic
- Start date
Perspective is a tough thing, but it's a reminder everyone (especially me) can take to heart (and one I needed to hear right now). My GK kid's away on a once-in-a-life trip to Italy for spring break with his uncle (who was off on the trip himself and offered to take with if I covered his airfare). His team's cool about it, but he'll miss a couple games, uniform fitting and a week of practice. Yes, he's doing a little soccer sight seeing out there (like going to a Juventus game), but seeing all the emails go by from the team and for camps, particularly since he's a GK, make me sometimes second guess myself on whether it was a good idea to go (even though I know of course he should go...how could he miss it?). This year is worse because the different school districts and private schools all seem to have different spring breaks, so there really wasn't a downtime where everyone was away for.
Youth sports (in part because college admissions have become so competitive, to the point where people feel they need to commit crimes to get their kids in) have become really high pressure. For the kids, there's the pressure to move up in the standings and tiers, the pressure to get play time and not get cut (or to get promoted to the next level team), and the pressure to get better with their skills and competence. For the coaches, the pressure to win, because that's where they'll be judged by. For the DOCs, in an era where competition is coming from every corner (whether the mega clubs or challengers like United) to keep the club going, and thus their jobs. For the parents, the fear of having their kids fail (and for the snowplowers among us the fear that we'll have to bail them out), given that everything is so hypercompetitive. For the refs, it's the pressure to get a call right in an era where you may not have the tools to get the call right (with no ARs) and where the sidelines are ready to explode because of the pressure those sidelines are under and where the rules are shifting year to year.
So I, for one, am thankful for the reminder to keep it all in perspective.
Youth sports (in part because college admissions have become so competitive, to the point where people feel they need to commit crimes to get their kids in) have become really high pressure. For the kids, there's the pressure to move up in the standings and tiers, the pressure to get play time and not get cut (or to get promoted to the next level team), and the pressure to get better with their skills and competence. For the coaches, the pressure to win, because that's where they'll be judged by. For the DOCs, in an era where competition is coming from every corner (whether the mega clubs or challengers like United) to keep the club going, and thus their jobs. For the parents, the fear of having their kids fail (and for the snowplowers among us the fear that we'll have to bail them out), given that everything is so hypercompetitive. For the refs, it's the pressure to get a call right in an era where you may not have the tools to get the call right (with no ARs) and where the sidelines are ready to explode because of the pressure those sidelines are under and where the rules are shifting year to year.
So I, for one, am thankful for the reminder to keep it all in perspective.
Paul Spacey
SILVER ELITE
Fantastic article by a clearly experienced (and reflective) coach. More like him please.
Great lil poem.
electrichead72
SILVER ELITE
I agree that sometimes you have to make a decision to do one thing or another, and sometimes picking soccer isn't the right choice.
My kids deal with this more often as they get older and get other interests. They never want to miss a game or a practice, but sometimes they have to, as the other choice is more important.
My son had this decision to make last week. He just joined a new team and he's fighting for a starting position. No problem he says, he's ready to work hard.
Thing is, last week he had to go on a school missions trip, to Belize. Not the glamour part of Belize, but the part that has limited electricity and no warm water, or real plumbing.
He set himself back on the team maybe, missing a week of training and maybe three games, but I know when he gets older he's going to remember the week he spent working with the kids and working on getting a little church repaired more than he will remember a week of training and a few games.
I'm with Grace T on this, I'd send my kid on that trip that could be once in a lifetime. Soccer will be here when they get back.
My kids deal with this more often as they get older and get other interests. They never want to miss a game or a practice, but sometimes they have to, as the other choice is more important.
My son had this decision to make last week. He just joined a new team and he's fighting for a starting position. No problem he says, he's ready to work hard.
Thing is, last week he had to go on a school missions trip, to Belize. Not the glamour part of Belize, but the part that has limited electricity and no warm water, or real plumbing.
He set himself back on the team maybe, missing a week of training and maybe three games, but I know when he gets older he's going to remember the week he spent working with the kids and working on getting a little church repaired more than he will remember a week of training and a few games.
I'm with Grace T on this, I'd send my kid on that trip that could be once in a lifetime. Soccer will be here when they get back.
Messi>CR7
GOLD
On the average my kid played about 35+ games a year. Let's say your kid will have played a total of at least six years which would add up to at least 210 games. Missing two games would be about 1% of the total.
I don't ever question other people's parenting decision on what's best for their kids.........BUT had you asked your kid to skip the chance to see Juve in person so he didn't have to miss two club games, that would be child abuse IMO
.I'm sorry he didn't get a chance to see Ronaldo since he is out on injury. That really would've been an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to catch CR7 before he retires.
Plenty of chances when he lands a 500m deal with a US club...
Kidding aside, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to get someone of his stature.
Zlatan and the like is great but doesn’t have the name recognition Ronaldo or Messi would have
outside!
DA
But he said BEFORE he retires.