The Demise of Youth Team Sports?

[Desert Hound]

Interesting. And I get the family joint participation angle, but individual sports (like tennis and golf and swimming / diving) have a ton of travel as well and can be hugely competitive.

Individual sports teach quite a bit as well. You cannot blame a teammate for costing you a game. Tennis, golf, etc., win or lose the result is a result of your effort or lack there of. And that teaches an important life lesson I think.

 

[SoccerFan4Life]

A different take than backwoodsmama. A friend of mine was telling me his son recently quit soccer to focus on wrestling. His reason "In socccer, a coach decides if you are any good. In wrestling, I am good if I win. No one else's opinion matters."

Your son is very smart. My son did the same thing, he quit soccer to go to wrestling.


I have one more child left in soccer but I am pretty much tired of all the bs related to youth soccer. It’s exhausting compared to individual sport participation.

 

[blam]

Brings up a good point.

Some soccer high school coaches also are club coaches or has child that play the sport. How does the school deal with conflict of interest which will happen?

 

[Supermodel56]

Your son is very smart. My son did the same thing, he quit soccer to go to wrestling.


I have one more child left in soccer but I am pretty much tired of all the bs related to youth soccer. It’s exhausting compared to individual sport participation.

We’ve felt this way multiple times too - individual sports would really help eliminate a lot of the drama. But then, I think team sports is more similar to real life and learning to navigate that and emerge somehow as a better person than when you went in will help you be successful in all your other pursuits. Learning how to confidently deal with politics, difficult people, unfair situations, ambiguity, bullies, situations beyond your control, etc... may be unpleasant, but i think prepares you for the real world where there are no referees.

they spend so much time in schools today trying to teach kids not to bully, when the reality is they should be teaching how to deal with them so they have no power over you.

 

[Chalklines]

We’ve felt this way multiple times too - individual sports would really help eliminate a lot of the drama. But then, I think team sports is more similar to real life and learning to navigate that and emerge somehow as a better person than when you went in will help you be successful in all your other pursuits. Learning how to confidently deal with politics, difficult people, unfair situations, ambiguity, bullies, situations beyond your control, etc... may be unpleasant, but i think prepares you for the real world where there are no referees.

they spend so much time in schools today trying to teach kids not to bully, when the reality is they should be teaching how to deal with them so they have no power over you.

But politics shouldn't be involved in youth sports. Kids shouldn't have to deal with slimy parents behind the scenes when they should be primarily focused on improving and having fun.

Let's face it. The youth sport scene is disgusting and it's caused 100% from parents who just can't face the facts about their kids.

Instead of bitching and politicking why not use that wasted time in making your child a better individual?

 

[Justus]

We’ve felt this way multiple times too - individual sports would really help eliminate a lot of the drama. But then, I think team sports is more similar to real life and learning to navigate that and emerge somehow as a better person than when you went in will help you be successful in all your other pursuits. Learning how to confidently deal with politics, difficult people, unfair situations, ambiguity, bullies, situations beyond your control, etc... may be unpleasant, but i think prepares you for the real world where there are no referees.

they spend so much time in schools today trying to teach kids not to bully, when the reality is they should be teaching how to deal with them so they have no power over you.

In my real world we do have referees. The problem with Youth Soccer, many parents are afraid to speak up because of the college deal and the threat of being labeled a club hopper, being blacklisted or being labeled one crazy ass, upset PaPa. Let me tell you @Supermodel56, my dd has experienced the worse of the worse of all the sewer that comes with youth soccer and also, all the best that comes with it. Two extremes to analyze and look at to see how little girls should be treated in this sport. I agree with you this will prepare little girls for the nonsense they will have to deal when they get older. so lets keep real for reals. Now at 15 she can smell a rat a mile away and have empathy to other little girls with moms and dads who get sold ketchup popsicles from Docs from another country I actually hear they have new flavors to sell now too

 

[Supermodel56]

But politics shouldn't be involved in youth sports. Kids shouldn't have to deal with slimy parents behind the scenes when they should be primarily focused on improving and having fun.

Let's face it. The youth sport scene is disgusting and it's caused 100% from parents who just can't face the facts about their kids.

Instead of bitching and politicking why not use that wasted time in making your child a better individual?

i agree, politics shouldn’t be a part of youth sports, but it is, it always will be. It’s no difference at school with the crazy parents who get upset because their kids didn’t pass a test and the parent blames the teacher or god forbid some other kids project got chosen over theirs. Frankly, it’s not just youth sports that have become disgusting at times, people in general are.

but that’s my point - we talk about how great team sports are for preparing you for life, and it is, but just as life has so much to offer, there are some really shitty aspects that people to deal with too. Learning to navigate that, stay out of the drama, stand up to bullies and become confident in your skills to move forward regardless of what is going on around you - will have a tremendous impact on your general happiness and ability succeed later on in life. Unfortunately, as with anything else, getting good at that doesn’t come without practice and experience.

 

[Justus]

But politics shouldn't be involved in youth sports. Kids shouldn't have to deal with slimy parents behind the scenes when they should be primarily focused on improving and having fun.

Let's face it. The youth sport scene is disgusting and it's caused 100% from parents who just can't face the facts about their kids.

Instead of bitching and politicking why not use that wasted time in making your child a better individual?

Unfortunately, politics and money are the gas that makes the youth soccer engine go. The parents are 100% to blame!!! Every week coaches from all over the world come to America looking for work and the pursuit of the American Dream. According to former Surf Soccer Club’s Director of Coaching, Colin Chester, "I see a lot of people and receive a be-zillion emails a year with coaches looking for a job." Freaking a Be-zillion coaches looking for work....wow!!! That's just one club too. Coach Woodcock has 2500+ customers. I know other coaches with a large following too. Heck, that De Anza coach took everyone over to Earthquakes....

Potential New future Coaches arriving to Interview to coach club soccer

 

[Chalklines]

Unfortunately, politics and money are the gas that makes the youth soccer engine go. The parents are 100% to blame!!! Every week coaches from all over the world come to America looking for work and the pursuit of the American Dream. According to former Surf Soccer Club’s Director of Coaching, Colin Chester, "I see a lot of people and receive a be-zillion emails a year with coaches looking for a job." Freaking a Be-zillion coaches looking for work....wow!!! That's just one club too. Coach Woodcock has 2500+ customers. I know other coaches with a large following too. Heck, that De Anza coach took everyone over to Earthquakes....

Potential New future Coaches arriving to Interview to coach club soccer
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I can't deal with the politics.

This is why I have stuck to smaller clubs. Larger clubs you run into the most poeblems with parents of multiple players in the club. They leverage their kids and threaten to walk when the wind doesn't blow in their favor so it's a double hit on the club and weak minded coaches especially at the younger levels will bend to stay employed.

With tryouts on the horizon I would also run for the hills from a team with more then 2 familys with multiples playing and their oldest went through the same coach you'll end up with. These parents put the most pressure on the coach and will play the favorite card when necessary. Everyone involved in sports has experienced this in some capacity and it's just a damn shame.

 

[SoccerFan4Life]

The other issue is that club soccer is now none stop 11 months a year. It shouldn’t be this way. Kids and parents get burned out with so much soccer year after year. Make it a mandatory 3 month break. Let the kids try other sports or just take a break.

 

[Poconos]

The other issue is that club soccer is now none stop 11 months a year. It shouldn’t be this way. Kids and parents get burned out with so much soccer year after year. Make it a mandatory 3 month break. Let the kids try other sports or just take a break.

theoretically, that would mean club dues reduction by 1/4.