How’s the 2023-24 season going?

Bells said:
Not saying a kid has to play multiple positions if they love GK, but it is generally going to help them to play other positions so they understand the game better…and work on their weaknesses. Generally the reason stuck in one position isn’t due to the child wanting to play center defense..but because that is what wins games today.

You are fixating on a minor issue.The question was in regards to development. My problem is playing to win at young ages…and the lack of a development program in the clubs.
Click to expand...

Agree 100% Bells. Considering how many games these girls play, it's utterly insane to think that some girls have only played 1 or 2 as center forward or at center back or center mid, etc. I don't know the solution, because us parents are probably worse than the coaches though when it comes to winning.

I'm totally open to even playing in a different level for more options to play different positions with my kid, but she is very picky about where she plays. I know where she would develop best, but have to massage the option to gain her acceptance. She is starting to take the wheel now, but she will pick out of comfort rather than what's best for her future. With girls, the #1 trait I want to keep is ganas, so it is what it is I guess.

Just agree that maybe this could be different if youth soccer was different and better developed them for general skills/iq everywhere on the field. Then they would have comfort/ability different positions as they age.
 
SuperSoccerStar said:
Anything learned from the 2010 group after the Battle of the Southwest? The weather didn't really help things.
Click to expand...
Not from Surf. They were without their 4 players who were at National camp. The still beat the Blues, which was impressive (although the game wasn’t anything special). Speaks to the depth of the team.
 
Surfer_dad said:
Not from Surf. They were without their 4 players who were at National camp. The still beat the Blues, which was impressive (although the game wasn’t anything special). Speaks to the depth of the team.
Click to expand...
4 YNT players is fascinating and amazing. Surf is a club that knows how to develop players to become YNT players. Nice win Surfer Dad.
 
crush said:
4 YNT players is fascinating and amazing. Surf is a club that knows how to develop players to become YNT players. Nice win Surfer Dad.
Click to expand...
Thanks. Surf, for all of its shortcomings, is a great soccer club. A national team head coach once told me that you can’t control winning, so focus on competing for the trophy. In a sense, that is also true about players. If you have a program that is always competing for the trophy, it will attract the players, but without quality coaching, etc. you won’t keep them. I have been around a long time and it has irritated me, sometimes even infuriating me, but it has kept me, and there aren’t may soccer clubs that I think could do that. Ultimately it’s about bringing value to kids and their parents while being sustainable. Surf needs to make money to be sustainable which is probably the rub for most people, but I haven’t yet found a way around that. PS, this 2010 team is pretty amazing and not the norm. Several other players didn’t make the cut that were under consideration!
 
Surfer_dad said:
Thanks. Surf, for all of its shortcomings, is a great soccer club. A national team head coach once told me that you can’t control winning, so focus on competing for the trophy. In a sense, that is also true about players. If you have a program that is always competing for the trophy, it will attract the players, but without quality coaching, etc. you won’t keep them. I have been around a long time and it has irritated me, sometimes even infuriating me, but it has kept me, and there aren’t may soccer clubs that I think could do that. Ultimately it’s about bringing value to kids and their parents while being sustainable. Surf needs to make money to be sustainable which is probably the rub for most people, but I haven’t yet found a way around that. PS, this 2010 team is pretty amazing and not the norm. Several other players didn’t make the cut that were under consideration!
Click to expand...
I have a curious question brother. How many of these 2010s are local to San Diego?
 
crush said:
I have a curious question brother. How many of these 2010s are local to San Diego?
Click to expand...
All of them, in fact the entire team is from SD county. They aren't yet old enough to drive, which is when they kind of come out of the woodwork to join the club. Although, there are a few crazy parents out there that will move to the area just for their kids to play at Surf. Crossing over from Southern Orange County is no big deal, but a few years ago, we had 4-5 girls on the U-17 National team and all but 1 were not from out of town, but out of state. That is crazy unless you are that good and need the competition and exposure trying to play at the highest level. Exposure is a big deal at that level, and also the politics unfortunately are also crazy.
 
Surfer_dad said:
All of them, in fact the entire team is from SD county. They aren't yet old enough to drive, which is when they kind of come out of the woodwork to join the club. Although, there are a few crazy parents out there that will move to the area just for their kids to play at Surf. Crossing over from Southern Orange County is no big deal, but a few years ago, we had 4-5 girls on the U-17 National team and all but 1 were not from out of town, but out of state. That is crazy unless you are that good and need the competition and exposure trying to play at the highest level. Exposure is a big deal at that level, and also the politics unfortunately are also crazy.
Click to expand...
:)
 
Last edited:
crush said:
Is this a full scholarship team or a mix bag of parents paying for write off and some kids getting a full ride? Also, I think it's amazing to have the Wave practicing at the fields. Our top team in 2017 got #10 Natty for the club but lots of OC players and a couple IE. What sucked was no lights and it made each week a nightmare fo those of us driving far away. Everyone that was playing on this team wanted to make the list for the first ever U14 National Team. Thanks for sharing. Go Surf, Go Blues, Go Legends, Go Strikes (RIP) and go youth soccer. I miss the action; I wrote lie bro. 2010 is 13-14 is a great time for the girls without all the distractions and soon the dreaded high school years are coming. One of the Blues top Guru told me this why you should hold off on YNT Camps at this age and wait until after high school weeds out those who are interested in other things and the real cream rises to the top. I think this is an excellent time age wise, but some disagree. Thoughts? What he ws trying to say was girls burn out, boys come out of freaking nowhere and then all the school dances and all the fun that comes with it. You almost have to home school to keep up with the best of the best. Peace Bru
Click to expand...
Majority paying, some scholarships. Having Wave at the polo fields is awesome. The '14 boys RL team is used as cannon fodder (although they can be very competitive depending who is on the field) and just a couple of weeks ago, some of the WAVE players did some training for the 2010 girls that could be there.

My take on the national team is to do it. It is incredibly exciting and can boost a kids confidence. And the experience may not be there later in life. I was never cursed with parent goggles which was a blessing in my assessment of my kids, but a curse to them in that I could be rather blunt on their performance (and harder on them than I would be today). So, since I see the world as I am, my advice to parents is to be objective of your child's current capability and future capabilities. In other words "get real". If they have great athletic genes, live to play soccer, hate losing, have a high level of soccer IQ, have real speed and quickness, and a tremendous work and learning ethic, that is one thing. However, I watch players that are highly trained girls, but are a 3 out of 10 in terms of athleticism. Yet the parents see them on the national team. Stating the obvious, those different players have incredibly different paths. Ultimately my advice is "know your kid". Girls do burn out, so manage them so they don't! Make them have other activities, take the right amount of time off. Eventually, they will either transition from playing for Mom and Dad, to playing for themselves, or as a player I knew well, who after a very successful college career said she wanted to get married and be a mom, even as Dad had visions of the national team.

Know your kid and take off the parent goggles!
 
Surfer_dad said:
Majority paying, some scholarships. Having Wave at the polo fields is awesome. The '14 boys RL team is used as cannon fodder (although they can be very competitive depending who is on the field) and just a couple of weeks ago, some of the WAVE players did some training for the 2010 girls that could be there.

My take on the national team is to do it. It is incredibly exciting and can boost a kids confidence. And the experience may not be there later in life. I was never cursed with parent goggles which was a blessing in my assessment of my kids, but a curse to them in that I could be rather blunt on their performance (and harder on them than I would be today). So, since I see the world as I am, my advice to parents is to be objective of your child's current capability and future capabilities. In other words "get real". If they have great athletic genes, live to play soccer, hate losing, have a high level of soccer IQ, have real speed and quickness, and a tremendous work and learning ethic, that is one thing. However, I watch players that are highly trained girls, but are a 3 out of 10 in terms of athleticism. Yet the parents see them on the national team. Stating the obvious, those different players have incredibly different paths. Ultimately my advice is "know your kid". Girls do burn out, so manage them so they don't! Make them have other activities, take the right amount of time off. Eventually, they will either transition from playing for Mom and Dad, to playing for themselves, or as a player I knew well, who after a very successful college career said she wanted to get married and be a mom, even as Dad had visions of the national team.

Know your kid and take off the parent goggles!
Click to expand...
Excellent takes and great advice.
 
crush said:
I have a curious question brother. How many of these 2010s are local to San Diego?
Click to expand...

Fun fact. 3 of them are from the 2010 team that formed at SDSC during the 7v7 days that you may remember being talked about around here back then. The 4th stared on the 2nd team at SDSC and was held off the 1st team when she probably deserved a call up when the team moved to 9v9 so she moved to Surf. All 9 of those original SDSC players are on an ECNL team currently, and 8 of 9 are now at Surf. Goes to show how significant that little team was back then.
 
Last edited:
Goforgoal said:
Fun fact. 3 of them are from the 2010 team that formed at SDSC during the 7v7 days that you may remember being talked about around here back then. The 4th stared on the 2nd team at SDSC and was held off the 1st team when she probably deserved a call up when the team moved to 9v9 so she moved to Surf. All 9 of those original SDSC players are on an ECNL team currently, and 8 of 9 are now at Surf. Goes to show how significant that little team was back then.
Click to expand...
That is a large haul and some mighty talent from one team. It's usually how champion teams are formed. Poach or in some cases buy the top teams best players and then make a combo team and soon National Champion. I do remember the SDSC players. That team was a tough out with Ulittles when my dd team played them in State Cup.
 
Goforgoal said:
The same thing that usually happens at Eagles? Great u-little players disperse to other clubs around SoCal as they get older. No clue why it happens, but it seems to. I ran into an old Eagles dad I sort of knew at a Slammers Koge game not long ago, for example.
Click to expand...
Eagles was #1 back in 2014 Ulittles. Crazy Ray was a legend. They were underfeated 26-0 and wanted a test. Legends put a combo team together and we beat them. They should stay good but they lose their top players all the time.
 
Goforgoal said:
The same thing that usually happens at Eagles? Great u-little players disperse to other clubs around SoCal as they get older. No clue why it happens, but it seems to. I ran into an old Eagles dad I sort of knew at a Slammers Koge game not long ago, for example.
Click to expand...
Was interested in having my daughter join this team for the start of 24-25. Saw them play this past weekend and it was not the same team.
Injuries?
Players Left?
Coaching Change?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top