I would argue make mistakes in your pickup games with your friends and in practice, and make no mistakes in the club game. Risk taking is overrated when failed attempts have no consequences.
SoCal Schedule
- Thread starter sandiegofutbolguy
- Start date
The goal and the humiliation are a reasonable consequences. Soccer is so low scoring that it becomes a game of mistakes esp on a full field: if someone doesn’t make a mistake it should be a 0-0 game. If you don’t learn from it the academy (or team) will next season drop you. The parents coming for your head blaming you for a loss in a meaningless game (except possible promotion for their kid) is not a good consequence. The coach berating you for trying something is not a good consequences. The doc berating the coach for not winning the game and costing them promotion is not a good consequence. The only thing the latter teaches you is to play it safe and not take chances next time. Conversely making mistakes during practice or pickup when there aren’t some stakes on the line doesn’t develop anyone. The key isn’t no stakes: it’s proportional stakes to allow risk taking and learning without becoming risk adverse or reckless
Scrub It Kook
SILVER ELITE
Don't think we can assume players would even stick around for the relegation game. Even today, losing teams implode all the time. I think Pro/Rel would amplify this. Not to mention clubs cleaning house for teams with losing records.
Also, what is the incentive for the club to participate in a pro/rel system in a pay to play environment?
Exactly. Pro players stick around because they don’t have a choice. They are under contract, tied to the team.if they perform poorly in a rel situation someone else won’t trade for them. Youth players just move on. Clubs clear house. Unless you tie them both it doesn’t work.
You give too little credit to soccer parents. People don’t just hop to the best teams. If the coach is good and treats everyone fairly, players will stick around for the team to get better.
“Coach is good” is a fantasy that takes us back to p2p environment. My son had only 2 good coaches…left the first because the team always missed out on promotion by 1 so best teammates left until it was his turn…reality in pro rel is you advance only if you have a group of players playing under the level they should play at. He had 1 ok coach. Rest were all fers ranging from people who had no business being with children, daddy ballers or bad human beings in for themselves. “Coach is good” is elusive in p2p and if you get one there are factors that conspire to lose him behind your control
Also a huge chunk of “good” is winning. It’s what American parents care about. Not fairness. I’ve seen them argue players like alternate gks shouldn’t get playtime because it costs them games and that only starters should play because we need to win the tournament. If anything I give too much credit to soccer parents. Here’s a test: best player on a team…scores goals but surly attitude and doesn’t work hard in practice and argues with the coach…does he start let alone play.
Last edited: