Is this a stroke to shake you out of money, or is this coach giving him legit feedback without the goal of stringing him along for more and more sessions? These coaches smell the thirst. I'd take him to a few other coaches that offer privates that don't have teams. Maybe take him to APFC in San Diego for one of their clinics. Put him up against some higher level kids and see how he does.
Yeah, that seems quite shady
But the notion that you have to do privates to be on his team, even if it's unsaid, is a problem.
Top Doc in OC with a girls' team had it a little differently. You can be on his team if you pay. However, if you want to play, you best better pay for his privates because that's where Doc and Dad can have those private conversations about how pay for play really works in this great game we call soccer in America.
It's Shady as hell. I have lived it up close and personal. Lying Doc lies and then tells me, "I can develop your child even more if you pay more at my private sessions, where I teach daddy how to pay more so kid gets a deal." Slim Shady Surf Futbol (EOTL) can explain how this game is really played.
No one said that. We came to him initially for privates. That was the main goal. We didn’t really think my son had an opening for his team. We found out later that many kids are moving up to even a higher level. And he needed to fill some spots
You guys are taking off in a direction that isn’t in this situation. I already stated above this guy rarely does privates. He’s doing a private for a very, very good friend of ours so I reached out asking if we could just go after that person. He doesn’t really do a lot of privates at all. It’s my son and another boy that’s ECNL that’s not on his team. So This post is taking off in a different direction. No one said privates are necessary to be on his team. He’s not doing privates with anyone on his team.
Sometimes I can take a post in different directions. I will do better....
Forgive us. Youth soccer trauma is a mofo.
It's a trip that youth soccer caused us so much trauma. Little did I know signing my little baby girl in AYSO at 5 would start a trip down the youth soccer circuit and severe trauma mixed in with threats and retaliation, all for calling out a Doc(s) who lie when they speak. I sure hope parents are treated better and their kids are not lied to so much.
I feel this, despite not having nearly as much trauma (maybe "yet") as some of the other parents here.
The struggle is real.
Jamisfoes above has provided the best answer above.
This seems accurate in my experience as well, fwiw, and aligns with the previous observation that the teams are more/less set by the time tryouts actually happen. Yes, the clubs can (and will be happy to) pick up outliers who are clearly skilled enough to play for a team there, and/or offer spots with the club for players who are reasonable (in order to get more money), etc., but it also seems to me that tryouts are more about "sell you on our club", rather than "carefully evaluate your kid".
Admittedly, I did a lot of it to myself. I also created a tense and anxious environment for my kid, too, that didn't help. The kids feed off us. Things are much better now with the perspective of more than a decade in club. But I was no saint, believe me.
I was just too honest, believe me. The Doc took advantage of my honesty and openness, and he was fired later. I was no Saint with my kid. I 100% could have done better in some of the car rides home from traveling to AZ and back for a game.
Thanks all! I really appreciate the advice. I know have received a 4th email from the lower team coach again asking him to come to his practice! It’s still a great team also. So I needed to reach out to coach A and ask him straight up! Both coaches saw him during a scrimmage but not all the players were there. He did well and coach B is definitely trying to poach him. I just don’t know how to respond to him when I don’t have clear thoughts on what coach A is thinking yet.
Coach B just told you what Coach A is thinking, MOO!
