When should a player look for a new club?

I'm amazed at the amount of movement in California clubs. Back home you would see a majority of kids grow up together on the same team till around U12 but the club options were more limited.

For those who have switched clubs, other then the obvious (terrible coaching), why did you move?

Did your player out grown the team?

Did your player want to switch on their own?

Was it to simply win more hardware?
 
There is a lot of movement and will continue to be large amounts of movement due to the change to birth year from school year and the establishment of girls DA.

In response to your question as to why my kid moved? We were caught off guard 1 year during tryouts. We had certain expectations that were not met. She played with the same club after the surprise with us both believing they were going to make a change, didn’t happen. My daughter decided to look around and see what else was out there. Best decision she ever made. Lots of different styles of soccer, types of coaching and leagues to play in. She plays for a team that has to play possession soccer as we aren’t the biggest, strongest and fastest.

I have given this a lot of thought this year as I have heard of many girls being disappointed as they were dropped to lower level teams at her old club. It isn’t in the club’s best interest to tell you were they see your kid fitting in, unless you ask. And I think a lot of kids and parents either don’t think their kid will ever be dropped or don’t ask out of fear of what they will hear. Ask the club where they see your kid; the better run clubs will be: professional, prompt and honest with you. Even if you do my like what they have to say.
 
We moved a couple years ago. In simplest terms we moved from a club first, "smoke and mirrors"club to what we feel is a player first club with much better coaching and opportunities overall. We didn't do if for the hardware (in fact, we were told by the old club we were moving to an inferior club). My son approved the move but it was driven more by me, I just couldn't continue to justify paying the money for the level of BS that we had to deal with and the low quality of services we were provided, particularly from the coach. In hindsight, we should have left a year earlier.

We are all very happy with the move. Great coaching, great parents and great kids. My son is challenged and is developing. Most importantly he has developed a passion for the game that was never cultivated at the previous club.
 
We moved a couple years ago. In simplest terms we moved from a club first, "smoke and mirrors"club to what we feel is a player first club with much better coaching and opportunities overall. We didn't do if for the hardware (in fact, we were told by the old club we were moving to an inferior club). My son approved the move but it was driven more by me, I just couldn't continue to justify paying the money for the level of BS that we had to deal with and the low quality of services we were provided, particularly from the coach. In hindsight, we should have left a year earlier.

We are all very happy with the move. Great coaching, great parents and great kids. My son is challenged and is developing. Most importantly he has developed a passion for the game that was never cultivated at the previous club.
In other words, anytime your old club starts with an "A" for a@#hole and ends in a "N" for narcissistic tracksuit wearing used car salesmen.
 
I'm one of those parents who lets my kid choose where she wants to play. I knew she should be playing on a higher level team previously, but she wanted to stay at her old club. After a few years, said she wanted to explore options, so we ended up moving clubs.

Unless its an unhealthy environment where you are now, let your kid decide where to play. Is your kid happy where they are? If your kid isn't happy or is driven to play at a higher level they will let you know. I've seen too many kids be pushed by their parents because they have to play on a flight 1 team, or a better team, "better"club, etc. Many of those kids ended up quitting when they got older. I also think its kinda silly for these parents to be driving their U-little kids long distances to practices several days a week because they are playing for a "top" team or club. There's plenty of time for that when they are older if its something they really want.
 
In other words, anytime your old club starts with an "A" for a@#hole and ends in a "N" for narcissistic tracksuit wearing used car salesmen.
I have seen parts of what you both describe from this club but there are specific coaches and teams that are good situations for players there. For me the coach makes all the difference. Some coaches are worth putting up with BS at the club level.
 
Right now ALBION 03 and 04 has Andre Schmidt. I would take him any day over any other coach at 04 on the girls side period end of story. There is not one coach on the girls side who comes close to his intensity, training and pace.
Follow the Coach.
 
Right now ALBION 03 and 04 has Andre Schmidt. I would take him any day over any other coach at 04 on the girls side period end of story. There is not one coach on the girls side who comes close to his intensity, training and pace.
Follow the Coach.
I agree with most of this but feel that for some reason his older boys teams have underperformed. For the individual, a great coach.
 
I agree with most of this but feel that for some reason his older boys teams have underperformed. For the individual, a great coach.

Agree with that as well. I know the boys side took a hammer when they had the exodus to Surf but honestly if you get a chance to have Andre and Wayne on the girls side you have to admit it's a nice little set up.
 
Follow the Coach.

This. If your coach is hard working, cares, knowledgeable, strong with the kids but not mean, plus the team shows development and results then I would not jump ship no matter the promises. The grass is very rarely greener on the other side if your kid's already happy.
 
I have seen parts of what you both describe from this club but there are specific coaches and teams that are good situations for players there. For me the coach makes all the difference. Some coaches are worth putting up with BS at the club level.
I agree that you look for a coach that is a good fit and Albion has some good coaches. The problem is that they operate under the direction of NG. The coaches do not always have the freedom to pick players, positions and playing time. And when you try to leave on good terms, having NG first tell you that your new club/team sucks and when that does not working, calling your new club in an effort to blackball you is crap.
 
Coach helps a lot. Not just in the training, but in working with your family if you might have some specific needs. Mine wants to play basketball and soccer all the time. Being a keeper makes playing basketball a no brainer in my book.

The coach and team understand that allowing her to play both and working with our schedule is in the best interest of both the team and my daughter. I believe it will make her a better keeper in the long run, and keeps her interested in both sports and not being shoe horned into one or the other, our head coach believes the same.
 
I agree that you look for a coach that is a good fit and Albion has some good coaches. The problem is that they operate under the direction of NG. The coaches do not always have the freedom to pick players, positions and playing time. And when you try to leave on good terms, having NG first tell you that your new club/team sucks and when that does not working, calling your new club in an effort to blackball you is crap.
Sounds like an ass kicking might be in order.
 
I agree that you look for a coach that is a good fit and Albion has some good coaches. The problem is that they operate under the direction of NG. The coaches do not always have the freedom to pick players, positions and playing time. And when you try to leave on good terms, having NG first tell you that your new club/team sucks and when that does not working, calling your new club in an effort to blackball you is crap.

If this is happening obviously we all agree with you. Unfortunately though this is a global issue, not specific to this club.
Special favors, play time arrangements, donor families, etc are at every single club and i know you know this.
Blackballing is also common- there have been many a family told "about the small soccer world" lol
 
If this is happening obviously we all agree with you. Unfortunately though this is a global issue, not specific to this club.
Special favors, play time arrangements, donor families, etc are at every single club and i know you know this.
Blackballing is also common- there have been many a family told "about the small soccer world" lol
At least from personal experience, the more senior the coach, the more independence they have from control by the DOC. That is why if I had a ulittle, I would never let them have a young coach no matter what their ability level.
 
So then what do you think of all the Doc announcements lately ?
I can honestly say that CC was the only DoC I ever heard making a difference
 
I have seen parts of what you both describe from this club but there are specific coaches and teams that are good situations for players there. For me the coach makes all the difference. Some coaches are worth putting up with BS at the club level.

I don't disagree. I know a few parents on the girls side that love their coach and do their best to tolerate the club. Although, some I know (mostly on the boys side) are just afraid to leave the club for fear of retribution or "missing an opportunity" that has been promised but never delivered.

We made the decision to find both good coaches and a good club. Why compromise? I think the parents that are tolerating the BS don't realize what they're missing out on. It is honestly night and day difference. (Now granted we had a crappy coach too, so the situations are different to some extent)

At the end of the day everyone has to make the decision that is best suited for them as a family. Even though he is the most adaptable kid I know, he initially says "no" to anything that involves something new. As the parent I believe its my responsibility to put my child in the best position to succeed in life. I put a lot of weight in what my kids' input is, but at the end of the day as the adults in the family, my wife and I make the final decision.
 
I'm one of those parents who lets my kid choose where she wants to play. I knew she should be playing on a higher level team previously, but she wanted to stay at her old club. After a few years, said she wanted to explore options, so we ended up moving clubs.

Unless its an unhealthy environment where you are now, let your kid decide where to play. Is your kid happy where they are? If your kid isn't happy or is driven to play at a higher level they will let you know. I've seen too many kids be pushed by their parents because they have to play on a flight 1 team, or a better team, "better"club, etc. Many of those kids ended up quitting when they got older. I also think its kinda silly for these parents to be driving their U-little kids long distances to practices several days a week because they are playing for a "top" team or club. There's plenty of time for that when they are older if its something they really want.

This. I keep hearing more and more parents trying to insist on "guarantees" for kids. Get parents wanting to go from rec to flight 1 or academy. You get kids who where on losing flight 2 teams wanting to go to flight 1. Kids on bad flight 1 teams wanting to move over to winning flight 1 teams. Etcetera. Let the kids play. Now, if the kids arent developing, then you need to go somewhere else. If coaches are abusive or flakey, same thing. Talking to coaches (from all levels) who played overseas and/or their national teams all this has lead to the issues we see all the way up to the national team. Different topic but it starts from the parents. This is why you get these "reserve academy" , flight 1 and lower teams getting hammered in league play- which in turn continues this endless club bouncing cycle. You know its always the other kids who made the team weak and shouldnt have been playing at that flight level, right? This is also why some clubs keep making money, always enough kids to replace the ones going out.
 
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