We are towards the tail end of tryout season and a lot of kids and parents are looking at tough decisions. There are plenty of obvious benefits to simply choosing the most competitive team. But I thought it would be helpful to put down some reasons to choose less competitive teams for younger players. Please share your own thoughts and experiences.
1. Let your child be the leader and the teacher. - There are more than just 11 positions on the field. There's the captain, the heart of the team, the key player, and the social glue. Being the most experienced or skilled player on the team can give your child the opportunity to grow in new ways.
2. Your kid can have space to learn an offensive position. - You know what America needs? Creative players and goal scorers. You know why they aren't being developed? Because they are stuck at right back or on the bench on Flight one teams at early ages as utility players, pigeon holed before they have the chance to be a ball hog and to take creative risks.
3. Playing time, if used by coaches as teaching opportunity, is equally as important as practice time. - If you watch professional soccer regularly, you'll notice young players being loaned out, sent to far away tournaments or exhibitions, or given time on second tier teams to get playing time. There is no substitute for experience in real time conditions.
4. Maybe playing on a top team is more about your ego than the kid's. - Always good to step back and keep this in check.
5. Letting your kid stay with friends. - Your kid not the next Mia Hamm?
Maybe he or she can be the next Ross or Rachel. I am seeing a lot of parents with average kids out there break off their kid's relationships for the sake of development. As someone who still has his friends from youth sports and didn't play sports professionally, these priorities seem a bit wacky.
1. Let your child be the leader and the teacher. - There are more than just 11 positions on the field. There's the captain, the heart of the team, the key player, and the social glue. Being the most experienced or skilled player on the team can give your child the opportunity to grow in new ways.
2. Your kid can have space to learn an offensive position. - You know what America needs? Creative players and goal scorers. You know why they aren't being developed? Because they are stuck at right back or on the bench on Flight one teams at early ages as utility players, pigeon holed before they have the chance to be a ball hog and to take creative risks.
3. Playing time, if used by coaches as teaching opportunity, is equally as important as practice time. - If you watch professional soccer regularly, you'll notice young players being loaned out, sent to far away tournaments or exhibitions, or given time on second tier teams to get playing time. There is no substitute for experience in real time conditions.
4. Maybe playing on a top team is more about your ego than the kid's. - Always good to step back and keep this in check.
5. Letting your kid stay with friends. - Your kid not the next Mia Hamm?
Maybe he or she can be the next Ross or Rachel. I am seeing a lot of parents with average kids out there break off their kid's relationships for the sake of development. As someone who still has his friends from youth sports and didn't play sports professionally, these priorities seem a bit wacky.