So my 08 GK son just announced he's likely calling it quits. He still might change his mind, but things seem different this time.
He's had a great season including 4 earned shutouts including against some silver teams. For many of the games, his team just tore through their bronze bracket and he sometimes didn't have anything to do (not counting those as shutouts if no SOGs). Team is being promoted next year. At League Cup is where things started to go south. They got through to the higher level silver and silver elite rounds. Coach had indicated this was DS's tryout for next year...started him the first game...he let in 3...nothing he could do about 1 of them (high to the corner), a 1 v 1 which he botched and got chipped on, and a low shot he got a hand on. He wasn't used to the speed of the game, or the fact these teams played the ball so high into the air. Coach pulled him second half for the understudy who did about the same...maybe a little better but the teams defense was also more organized and got challenged less and understudy didn't have the sun. After the tournie, coach and I talked and coach had indicated he's looking for an upgrade and that DS is not ready for silver. To be honest, I agree with the assessment. He's a solid bronze level keeper...he's got some good skills and is quick...but he's not big and beefy like most of the kids his age in the silver bracket, and he is a youngish 08 with the year shift. On the other hand, his coach while he does really care about the development of the kids, also just likes to win...DS's and his understudy's goalkicks are decent, for example, but sometimes he just has the biggest kid on the team boot it all the way.
So after his last negative club experience, the bad taste in our mouths of tryouts, and his disappointment this year, he's decided to hang it up. It's possible the club forms a new bronze team which would be a good fit for him, but he doesn't want to leave his friends, doesn't want to put himself through it, and is disappointed in his lack of progress. Could try to find another bronze club, but most of the local bronze clubs are in bad shape after the season (having gotten wrecked by our team and another) and none of them really know goalkeeping. He's been offered some slots before from other teams, but those would involve now substantial drives of at least 45 minutes to practice each way. Things might have been different if he was a really good field player and had that option, but he never really liked playing the field anyways....even if he were to focus on it a year in Extras and improve, it's not where his passion is. Things might have been different if we had been lucky to find a coach who knew goalkeeping and was interested in long term development (since it really does take a long time to develop a goalkeeper...Tackett is also on this point and how he then gets coaches in high school and college who want him to fix things but by then it's too late).
So I'm inclined to let him drop it. Maybe he'll come back to it later, but I doubt it...the entire experience left a bad taste in his mouth. I'm sort of relieved in part...his school work was beginning to get demanding and it was like training for 2 sports so it was so time consuming. I won't miss this roller coaster of emotions...from great highs to really low low...you have to have a thick skin to do the club thing (or be the 5%) and we are just both so darn sensitive. I'll miss the conversations most of all on the drive to games, as well as the smile he gave after doing a good job in a game. When he was at his best, he was his best self.
Any advice? Am I doing the right thing?
He's had a great season including 4 earned shutouts including against some silver teams. For many of the games, his team just tore through their bronze bracket and he sometimes didn't have anything to do (not counting those as shutouts if no SOGs). Team is being promoted next year. At League Cup is where things started to go south. They got through to the higher level silver and silver elite rounds. Coach had indicated this was DS's tryout for next year...started him the first game...he let in 3...nothing he could do about 1 of them (high to the corner), a 1 v 1 which he botched and got chipped on, and a low shot he got a hand on. He wasn't used to the speed of the game, or the fact these teams played the ball so high into the air. Coach pulled him second half for the understudy who did about the same...maybe a little better but the teams defense was also more organized and got challenged less and understudy didn't have the sun. After the tournie, coach and I talked and coach had indicated he's looking for an upgrade and that DS is not ready for silver. To be honest, I agree with the assessment. He's a solid bronze level keeper...he's got some good skills and is quick...but he's not big and beefy like most of the kids his age in the silver bracket, and he is a youngish 08 with the year shift. On the other hand, his coach while he does really care about the development of the kids, also just likes to win...DS's and his understudy's goalkicks are decent, for example, but sometimes he just has the biggest kid on the team boot it all the way.
So after his last negative club experience, the bad taste in our mouths of tryouts, and his disappointment this year, he's decided to hang it up. It's possible the club forms a new bronze team which would be a good fit for him, but he doesn't want to leave his friends, doesn't want to put himself through it, and is disappointed in his lack of progress. Could try to find another bronze club, but most of the local bronze clubs are in bad shape after the season (having gotten wrecked by our team and another) and none of them really know goalkeeping. He's been offered some slots before from other teams, but those would involve now substantial drives of at least 45 minutes to practice each way. Things might have been different if he was a really good field player and had that option, but he never really liked playing the field anyways....even if he were to focus on it a year in Extras and improve, it's not where his passion is. Things might have been different if we had been lucky to find a coach who knew goalkeeping and was interested in long term development (since it really does take a long time to develop a goalkeeper...Tackett is also on this point and how he then gets coaches in high school and college who want him to fix things but by then it's too late).
So I'm inclined to let him drop it. Maybe he'll come back to it later, but I doubt it...the entire experience left a bad taste in his mouth. I'm sort of relieved in part...his school work was beginning to get demanding and it was like training for 2 sports so it was so time consuming. I won't miss this roller coaster of emotions...from great highs to really low low...you have to have a thick skin to do the club thing (or be the 5%) and we are just both so darn sensitive. I'll miss the conversations most of all on the drive to games, as well as the smile he gave after doing a good job in a game. When he was at his best, he was his best self.
Any advice? Am I doing the right thing?