# Raise Game-Changers!



## oh canada (Feb 2, 2021)

Your kids have the potential to do great things, and I don't mean on the pitch.  The time we now live in is ripe for innovation and disruption.  And our kids are coming of age at the best time to learn about it and do something about it in the future.  Green tech, Nano tech, medical research, decentralized finance, AI, robotics, global initiatives, social change, etc. etc. etc.  Spend more time in the car rides and at the dinner table discussing these topics, the future, their learning, their views vs. how to get better at soccer.  Send them Youtube clips that spark their curiosity about current events -- now would be a great time to discuss trading in the financial markets or how vaccines are developed and tested or how a recall petition works or the difference between a franchise business and a family-owned.  

Keep them seeing themselves as something more than a soccer player.  As a parent of 3 olders, I know, it can be difficult because time and money commitments are at an all time high just to participate in club sports.  It's easy to get sucked into the rabbit hole of eat-sleep-breathe-talk-type soccer.  But you owe it to your kids to help them see ALL the potential in their future.  Soccer is just a small part of it.  YOLO!


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## crush (Feb 2, 2021)

oh canada said:


> Your kids have the potential to do great things, and I don't mean on the pitch.  T


It's all about the pitch bro.  This is a soccer forum and my goat wants to play soccer.


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## Footy30 (Feb 2, 2021)

crush said:


> It's all about the pitch bro.  This is a soccer forum and my goat wants to play soccer.


Sadly, this stopped being a soccer forum a long time ago. Hope you and the fam are doing well @crush


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## Grace T. (Feb 2, 2021)

Footy30 said:


> Sadly, this stopped being a soccer forum a long time ago. Hope you and the fam are doing well @crush


There's soccer somewhere in California?  Please point me to this mythical land.  I will be there ASAP.


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## Desert Hound (Feb 2, 2021)

Footy30 said:


> Sadly, this stopped being a soccer forum a long time ago. Hope you and the fam are doing well @crush


I wish there was some soccer to talk about.


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## Lavey29 (Feb 2, 2021)

Although,  I love watching mine play the game, soccer will always be second to academics and a good college degree applicable to today's career field. Mine has her sights on a medical career and her focused commitment to her academics will get her there. If she is fortunate enough to play soccer in college that is a fun bonus for her but defining a career path is far more important.


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## Eagle33 (Feb 2, 2021)

Grace T. said:


> There's soccer somewhere in California?  Please point me to this mythical land.  I will be there ASAP.


Actually soccer is everywhere in CA. You just need some inside scoop on where it is first


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## Grace T. (Feb 2, 2021)

Eagle33 said:


> Actually soccer is everywhere in CA. You just need some inside scoop on where it is first


Soccer speak-eezies.    What has California come to.


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## watfly (Feb 2, 2021)

Eagle33 said:


> Actually soccer is everywhere in CA. You just need some inside scoop on where it is first


"The first rule of fight club is you don't talk about fight club".  My son plays in an underground futsal league that I honestly thought was the soccer version of fight club when we first attended.  Let's just say you'd never guess this building is holding futsal games.  In fact it operates as an entirely different business during the week.  Apparently its fully booked 8am-8pm for futsal games on the weekends.  No advertising just word of mouth.


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## MacDre (Feb 2, 2021)

Lavey29 said:


> Although,  I love watching mine play the game, soccer will always be second to academics and a good college degree applicable to today's career field. Mine has her sights on a medical career and her focused commitment to her academics will get her there. If she is fortunate enough to play soccer in college that is a fun bonus for her but defining a career path is far more important.


If your kid wants to pursue an MD, Pharm.D, or DO, I think your kid playing soccer in college is as important as organic chemistry and will help distinguish her application from others.  Too many in the medical profession are socially inept and don’t work well as part of a team.  She will gain several skills transferable to the medical profession by playing college soccer such as fortitude, discipline, and teamwork. I think it may actually help to look at soccer as another academic class and a prerequisite to a medical career in your kids unique situation.


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## Footy30 (Feb 2, 2021)

oh canada said:


> Your kids have the potential to do great things, and I don't mean on the pitch.  The time we now live in is ripe for innovation and disruption.  And our kids are coming of age at the best time to learn about it and do something about it in the future.  Green tech, Nano tech, medical research, decentralized finance, AI, robotics, global initiatives, social change, etc. etc. etc.  Spend more time in the car rides and at the dinner table discussing these topics, the future, their learning, their views vs. how to get better at soccer.  Send them Youtube clips that spark their curiosity about current events -- now would be a great time to discuss trading in the financial markets or how vaccines are developed and tested or how a recall petition works or the difference between a franchise business and a family-owned.
> 
> Keep them seeing themselves as something more than a soccer player.  As a parent of 3 olders, I know, it can be difficult because time and money commitments are at an all time high just to participate in club sports.  It's easy to get sucked into the rabbit hole of eat-sleep-breathe-talk-type soccer.  But you owe it to your kids to help them see ALL the potential in their future.  Soccer is just a small part of it.  YOLO!


Thanks @oh canada completely agree


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## happy9 (Feb 2, 2021)

Grace T. said:


> There's soccer somewhere in California?  Please point me to this mythical land.  I will be there ASAP.


Casa Grande, Arizona - that's your huckleberry....Californians were there by the vanload this past weekend.


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## Lavey29 (Feb 2, 2021)

MacDre said:


> If your kid wants to pursue an MD, Pharm.D, or DO, I think your kid playing soccer in college is as important as organic chemistry and will help distinguish her application from others.  Too many in the medical profession are socially inept and don’t work well as part of a team.  She will gain several skills transferable to the medical profession by playing college soccer such as fortitude, discipline, and teamwork. I think it may actually help to look at soccer as another academic class and a prerequisite to a medical career in your kids unique situation.


Interesting,  she is very much an introvert and has been slowly becoming more outgoing as she has gotten older so there may be some correlation there. I always thought that she has become more focused and competitive on her school grades because of soccer. Athletes in general seem to have that drive to succeed not only in their sport but in life too.


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## crush (Feb 2, 2021)

Lavey29 said:


> Although,  I love watching mine play the game, soccer will always be second to academics and a good college degree applicable to today's career field. Mine has her sights on a medical career and her focused commitment to her academics will get her there. If she is fortunate enough to play soccer in college that is a fun bonus for her but defining a career path is far more important.


What I like about humans, we all have a brain and we can disagree.  I love seeing my dd happy.  She loves to play in soccer games, surfing, social fun, going shopping, dancing and so much more.  My goat has her sites set on what makes her happy


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## crush (Feb 2, 2021)

watfly said:


> "The first rule of fight club is you don't talk about fight club".  My son plays in an underground futsal league that I honestly thought was the soccer version of fight club when we first attended.  Let's just say you'd never guess this building is holding futsal games.  In fact it operates as an entirely different business during the week.  Apparently its fully booked 8am-8pm for futsal games on the weekends.  No advertising just word of mouth.


Word of mouth is the best kind of advertising.  However, make sure to keep spending on marketing, so you can find those new customers, so they can help get even more, word of mouth business.  Great stuff, to hear.  My dd is turning up the heat in her training.  Weight lifting, soccer, shooting, running and more weight training.  All on her own too, never have to tell her to get ready.  Game on!!!


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## youthsportsugghhh (Feb 2, 2021)

Lavey29 said:


> Interesting,  she is very much an introvert and has been slowly becoming more outgoing as she has gotten older so there may be some correlation there. I always thought that she has become more focused and competitive on her school grades because of soccer. Athletes in general seem to have that drive to succeed not only in their sport but in life too.


They become more adept at prioritizing and time management. Helps them decide what is important and how to get it -- I love the game and playing and practicing, but I love my non soccer friends too, but I also know soccer won't be a profession so I need to hit the books.  Go Get 'em!


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## SoccerFan4Life (Feb 2, 2021)

watfly said:


> "The first rule of fight club is you don't talk about fight club".  My son plays in an underground futsal league that I honestly thought was the soccer version of fight club when we first attended.  Let's just say you'd never guess this building is holding futsal games.  In fact it operates as an entirely different business during the week.  Apparently its fully booked 8am-8pm for futsal games on the weekends.  No advertising just word of mouth.


Small sided games are everywhere. If the season gets canceled, I am just having my kid just play pickup indoor games 3 times a week.  Our school district just announced masks wearing at all time during practices.  We are taking one step forward and two steps backwards.


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## Lavey29 (Feb 2, 2021)

youthsportsugghhh said:


> They become more adept at prioritizing and time management. Helps them decide what is important and how to get it -- I love the game and playing and practicing, but I love my non soccer friends too, but I also know soccer won't be a profession so I need to hit the books.  Go Get 'em!


Very true, mine has gotten much better with time management and prioritizing her work and it certainly paralleled her soccer development too.


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## happy9 (Feb 2, 2021)

SoccerFan4Life said:


> Small sided games are everywhere. If the season gets canceled, I am just having my kid just play pickup indoor games 3 times a week.  Our school district just announced masks wearing at all time during practices.  We are taking one step forward and two steps backwards.


Winter sports in AZ are being played with masks on - every sport.  Doesn't pass the common sense test since the masks tend to stay on less than 50% of the time..


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## SoccerFan4Life (Feb 3, 2021)

oh canada said:


> Keep them seeing themselves as something more than a soccer player.  But you owe it to your kids to help them see ALL the potential in their future.  Soccer is just a small part of it.  YOLO!


 Great message.   The fact is most kids play soccer for just 5 to 6 years.  I always kept my boys busy with club soccer until they quit and moved on to other sports and now they are working and getting ready to go to college.    The discipline that they learned in managing school work and club soccer helped them a lot when they moved to cross country and wrestling.  They never missed a practice and always tried their very best at the other sports.  Now they have a part time job and they are already moving up due to their work ethic.   Youth sports along with strong academic work  ethics can be a great foundation for our future leaders.   Managing schedules, home work, trainings,  and stress at a young age can go a long way.  

I now have my 11 year old that will be reaching a time when she will move on from soccer but I know that she will be great at whatever she decides to do next.    
we need to keep our kids busy and constantly learning.


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## crush (Feb 3, 2021)

My message to all kids and adults.  Do what makes you happy and what makes you feel good.  The fact is my dd has been playing for 11 years now and she's only beginning her soccer journey.


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## MacDre (Feb 3, 2021)

crush said:


> My message to all kids and adults.  Do what makes you happy and what makes you feel good.  The fact is my dd has been playing for 11 years now and she's only beginning her soccer journey.


Yeah, but the same thing that makes you laugh will also make you cry.  I have personally witnessed several successful pro athletes struggle with depression when their careers were over.  If a person only sees themselves as an athlete it makes moving on to other endeavors very difficult when the time comes.  Balance is key.  Professional sporting careers are short so it’s beneficial to have a few extra tools in the toolbox.


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## dad4 (Feb 3, 2021)

crush said:


> My message to all kids and adults.  Do what makes you happy and what makes you feel good.  The fact is my dd has been playing for 11 years now and she's only beginning her soccer journey.


Unless you count neighborhood pickup games and old man leagues, how do you see 11 years as only the beginning?  The odds of her playing pro at 27 are mighty small.

Now, if you see neighborhood soccer as part of a full life and are throwing some love at the pickup game, then we're on the same page.


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## Scott m Shurson (Feb 3, 2021)

Comp soccer is a great example of real life.  Hard work pays off.  It may not get you exactly what you want, but in the day and age of cell phones and social media, mine... as well as yours... has learned life lessons about teamwork, nutrition, exercise, preparation, sacrifice, disappointment, power, some-people-are-just-assholes, opportunity, failure, victory, luck, commitment, politics, euphoria, etc.

Most of all, that life isn’t fair but shooting for a goal has value and merit, even if you don’t quite get there.  I’m proud of our kids.  They made a choice that many of us probably wouldn’t have when we were kids.  

(Unless you’re EOTL.  Then you’re just a sad sack douche.)


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## outside! (Feb 3, 2021)

Eagle33 said:


> Actually soccer is everywhere in CA. You just need some inside scoop on where it is first


Sort of like volleyball and basketball.


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