# Low on cash but high on soccer



## Tank (Oct 30, 2017)

My son (born 2004) is playing club at the bronze level, playing about 85% of the time. He has really gotten into it and wants to move up to the next tier. He’s only been playing soccer for about two years so he definitely has room to grow. In addition to club he practices on his own at least 3 days a week but wants private lessons because he can see how other kids who have them really benefit from the extra attention. I can’t afford that, so I’m trying to problem solve.
I have seen Facebook posts about low club dues for certain small clubs. Is this real? Seems odd to me. 
Is the ayso extra program a good option?
Should I keep him out of club next year and have him just do private lessons and pick up soccer games or ayso?
I know he has the work ethic but don’t think he’s developed enough for a scholarship to a well known club.
Please keep in mind that I’m new to all of this and just trying to support my kid as best I can. Thanks in advance!


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## espola (Oct 30, 2017)

Tank said:


> My son (born 2004) is playing club at the bronze level, playing about 85% of the time. He has really gotten into it and wants to move up to the next tier. He’s only been playing soccer for about two years so he definitely has room to grow. In addition to club he practices on his own at least 3 days a week but wants private lessons because he can see how other kids who have them really benefit from the extra attention. I can’t afford that, so I’m trying to problem solve.
> I have seen Facebook posts about low club dues for certain small clubs. Is this real? Seems odd to me.
> Is the ayso extra program a good option?
> Should I keep him out of club next year and have him just do private lessons and pick up soccer games or ayso?
> ...


AYSO is a good option.  There are also some clubs in San Diego County (you didn't say where you were)  that have inhouse rec programs that at about your son's age start to compete with other clubs rec teams, essentially rec all-stars that have grown up little.  Some players in those groups are pretty good athletes, but just don't have the time, money or inclination to spend on soccer, or who are concentrating on a different sport (I have seen baseball, tennis, volleyball, wresting, and karate suck players away from club teams).  You may also have a chance to play futsal or indoor soccer in your area, which usually have short seasons at lower cost.

Just keep playing.


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## 46n2 (Oct 30, 2017)

AYSO is a great place for him let him find his game , passion doesnt have a pricetag, and with the money your saving you could do extra training.  I started there and so did my kids, club ball came when THEY were ready...


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## rainbow_unicorn (Oct 30, 2017)

Tank said:


> My son (born 2004) is playing club at the bronze level, playing about 85% of the time. He has really gotten into it and wants to move up to the next tier. He’s only been playing soccer for about two years so he definitely has room to grow. In addition to club he practices on his own at least 3 days a week but wants private lessons because he can see how other kids who have them really benefit from the extra attention. I can’t afford that, so I’m trying to problem solve.
> I have seen Facebook posts about low club dues for certain small clubs. Is this real? Seems odd to me.
> Is the ayso extra program a good option?
> Should I keep him out of club next year and have him just do private lessons and pick up soccer games or ayso?
> ...


If he loves soccer and wants to get better he should always push to play the best competition possible.  Private lessons are not necessary if he is self-motivated and works on his game multiple times per week.  As mentioned above, just play play play.  Practice practice practice.  I only pay for privates because my kid is too lazy to do drills on their own (and refuses to work with me).


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## El Clasico (Oct 30, 2017)

Yes, those clubs are real.  There are plenty of options out there playing at the club level for only a few hundred bucks. Not much more than rec. Stay away from the big clubs.  If your son is 04 and is playing at the bronze level, he is seen as a meal ticket for the boys playing at the Gold level, not the other way around.

In short, you can do both.


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## hattrick3 (Oct 30, 2017)

If your son is passionate about soccer and wants to get better,  you can find a way for him without paying for expenisve private lessons!

Some clubs offer free skills clinics that are open to anyone, so you may want to check with your local clubs. My son used to go to one of those free clinics, and learnt some skills, and practiced them in our driveway everyday for hours.  I know those clubs use their free clinics for recruiting purposes, but you don’t have to join the club if you can’t afford to/don’t want to.  If they really like your son, they may offer him a scholarship.  

Also, if you want to save money on clubs, playing in Mexican leagues is much cheaper.  I know some kids who were playing in Mexican leagues, and got scouted to play in well known clubs with scholarships.  

Hope you can find something costless for your son to keep playimg soccer.  Good luck!


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## Tank (Oct 30, 2017)

46n2 said:


> AYSO is a great place for him let him find his game , passion doesnt have a pricetag, and with the money your saving you could do extra training.  I started there and so did my kids, club ball came when THEY were ready...


Yeah he started in ayso as well then got scouted at a pick up game. He’s an athletic kid


rainbow_unicorn said:


> If he loves soccer and wants to get better he should always push to play the best competition possible.  Private lessons are not necessary if he is self-motivated and works on his game multiple times per week.  As mentioned above, just play play play.  Practice practice practice.  I only pay for privates because my kid is too lazy to do drills on their own (and refuses to work with me).


I'm asking because the situation is reversed with me. He is drilling on his own but I'm concerned that he will pick up bad habits as he goes since there won't be a knowledgeable person watching and correcting him. I'm no coach.


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## Tank (Oct 30, 2017)

El Clasico said:


> Yes, those clubs are real.  There are plenty of options out there playing at the club level for only a few hundred bucks. Not much more than rec. Stay away from the big clubs.  If your son is 04 and is playing at the bronze level, he is seen as a meal ticket for the boys playing at the Gold level, not the other way around.
> 
> In short, you can do both.


Do you have any clubs that you could recommend in the northern OC southern LA county area?


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## SBFDad (Oct 30, 2017)

Excellent advice here. I also recommend finding short-sided games...futsal and spring leagues. Most are fairly affordable. The LA Galaxy Soccer Center in Torrance has weekend futsal pick up games for $5-$8/hr. Way more touches than 11v11 and tons of fun. In the end, if he’s having a good time and getting a lot of experience on the ball, he will improve.

What area do you live in?


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## Tank (Oct 30, 2017)

SBFDad said:


> Excellent advice here. I also recommend finding short-sided games...futsal and spring leagues. Most are fairly affordable. The LA Galaxy Soccer Center in Torrance has weekend futsal pick up games for $5-$8/hr. Way more touches than 11v11 and tons of fun. In the end, if he’s having a good time and getting a lot of experience on the ball, he will improve.
> 
> What area do you live in?


Cerritos, Los Alamitos area.


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## jrcaesar (Oct 30, 2017)

He could sign up for AYSO 154, 177, 159 or even 59s U14 teams in the spring ... that would give him some inexpensive training and game play while you figure out next steps. See Area E on Matchtrak: http://www.matchtrak.com/


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## Mystery Train (Oct 30, 2017)

Tank said:


> My son (born 2004) is playing club at the bronze level, playing about 85% of the time. He has really gotten into it and wants to move up to the next tier. He’s only been playing soccer for about two years so he definitely has room to grow. In addition to club he practices on his own at least 3 days a week but wants private lessons because he can see how other kids who have them really benefit from the extra attention. I can’t afford that, so I’m trying to problem solve.
> I have seen Facebook posts about low club dues for certain small clubs. Is this real? Seems odd to me.
> Is the ayso extra program a good option?
> Should I keep him out of club next year and have him just do private lessons and pick up soccer games or ayso?
> ...


There are some coaches (usually at smaller clubs) that will let your player practice with the team regularly for free, but not play in the league games.  They do this sometimes to develop the player with the goal of eventually getting them signed up to the club, but also sometimes just to have a reserve player who can join them for tournaments, etc.   You could do this to supplement the AYSO experience, and get (maybe) some better coaching.  Spending your limited $ on training is a better investment than paying thousands per year to be on a club team.  I wouldn't worry too much about him picking up "bad habits" practicing alone, btw.  It's those hours of practicing by himself that will help him develop his own style and keep his interest high.


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## timbuck (Oct 30, 2017)

Find a club that allows you to do fundraising activities to help pay for the player cost.  They are out there, you just gotta ask.  
There are e-scrip programs that will give money back to 503(c) organizations.  You buy gift cards through them for your everday purchases (starbucks, target, etc) and they cut a payment back to the organization.  The OC register runs a promotion that for every Sunday paper that you sell (for $1.00 for the whole year), they will give your organization back $15.  So if you sell 100 subscriptions for $100, you wind up getting $1,500 back. (There are some stipulations).  And if he is 13 years old, he can get referee certified and get paid about $30 per hour to referee games on the weekend.  His parents can also do the same.


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## Not_that_Serious (Oct 30, 2017)

get into what you can afford. whether its a signature/plus program or a small club with low fees. seen a bunch of matrix teams lately and some arent bad. hell some are coming in and killing the teams just put together to make $. In the summer saw a matrix team put up like 10 on a galaxy team - so doesnt matter what the jersey says if the instruction and motivation is there.

your kid sounds motivated so buy him cones, hurdles, ladder and have him watch youtube vids. my kids isnt to self-motivated and works better in a group or with instruction. your kid doesnt look like he has that problem. if he has some basic equipment and access to youtube, youll be amazed how much info he can get - and how much hell improve over time. half the bottle is getting a kid to touch a ball. My son's group training is very reasonable, very good coach but isnt in North County.


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## mirage (Oct 30, 2017)

Tank said:


> My son (born 2004) is playing club at the bronze level......... He’s only been playing soccer for about two years so he definitely has room to grow..........
> 
> I have seen Facebook posts about low club dues for certain small clubs. Is this real? Seems odd to me.
> Is the ayso extra program a good option?
> ...


It seems to me that he'll be HS age next year so perhaps the way to look at your situation is much more near-term focused than a long term, unless he is so focused on soccer only.  The reason being that once he starts HS, not only soccer but whole lots of other sports will open up for him to tryout.

Obviously you can take him to do AYSO Extra/Signature or any other rec-based club like environment but I don't recommend it at his age.  These teams are still mostly daddy-coached teams and not an ideal situation.  There are lots of very qualified dads/moms out there coaching but there is a built in bias of them having their own kid on the team.  Its just another thing you really don't want to deal with.

As for scholarships, most clubs I know, the scholarship is not based on how good the player is but if the kid is wanted on the team, then its a function of needs based.  So don't rule out any club just because of that.  Give it a go and see what they offer.

Smaller community clubs with low fee exists but you need to compare apples to apples.  One in particular I know, they charge $750/yr for club fee but everything about the operating the team was extra on the top of the club fee (e.g., ref fees, tournament fees, uniforms and so on).  So make sure you compare the total cost for the year.  But that said, they do generally run less than most clubs, albeit not greatly less.

Good luck.


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## jrcaesar (Oct 30, 2017)

mirage said:


> Obviously you can take him to do AYSO Extra/Signature or any other rec-based club like environment but I don't recommend it at his age. These teams are still mostly daddy-coached teams and not an ideal situation.


While it's true that there will likely be a parent coaching, by U14 (2004s) and U16 the coaches must have completed AYSO's Advanced Coach Training at minimum, roughly the same as a "C" license (give or take). I referee games at this level, and, yes, some of these coaches are the ones I saw at Extra or All-Stars 3-4 years ago, moving up with one child and a few of his/her teammates.


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## Toch (Oct 30, 2017)

Tank said:


> Do you have any clubs that you could recommend in the northern OC southern LA county area?


Don’t concern yourself with the club & pay particular attention to the coach. Find a coach that is a good match for your kid. Even if you just pay training fees for him to train with that coach and his team. Private training is as good as the trainer is at teaching. Be patient and don’t rush.


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## Deadpoolscores! (Oct 31, 2017)

jrcaesar said:


> While it's true that there will likely be a parent coaching, by U14 (2004s) and U16 the coaches must have completed AYSO's Advanced Coach Training at minimum, roughly the same as a "C" license (give or take). I referee games at this level, and, yes, some of these coaches are the ones I saw at Extra or All-Stars 3-4 years ago, moving up with one child and a few of his/her teammates.


Equivalent to a C license? Not even close I have National from AYSO and my B license they are nowhere near each other. The advance training from AYSO anyone can take it and pass it in a weekend. The only good part is that the region pays for it and it's quicker to obtain.


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## espola (Oct 31, 2017)

Deadpoolscores! said:


> Equivalent to a C license? Not even close I have National from AYSO and my B license they are nowhere near each other. The advance training from AYSO anyone can take it and pass it in a weekend. The only good part is that the region pays for it and it's quicker to obtain.


What did you learn in the B license course?


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