Club Hoppers

I think if you are unhappy you should leave! At the end of the day, you are a paying customer. I have seen one too many parents stay in a bad situation because they are in fear of being labeled a "club hopper" or not getting playing the whole game on a new team.
 
Daniel Miller said:
Let's take a more rational view of this dynamic. The term "club-hopper" is pejorative, and intended to create bias against those who change clubs. Then the conversation drifts into issues of "loyalty," another loaded term intended to make "club-hoppers" seem ungrateful for everything their prior club(s) may have provided. Finally, the conversation second-guesses the motives of parents who move their daughters to different clubs, presuming that they do so for their own reasons, rather than being motivated by the best interests of their children.

Starting from last to first, you shouldn't second-guess a parent's motives. There are legitimate reasons to move frequently from club to club. Different club objectives, different coaches and different teammates can broaden and enrich a player's training and soccer experience. And if a player is moving from less competitive teams to more competitive teams, then there is a pretty good argument that the player is benefitting by competing against better players every practice and game.

As far as "loyalty" to a club, team or coach goes, that is just stupid. Players and their families are consumers paying for a product. They should choose whatever they believe is best for them at the time; not for somebody else. Just because you started with Verizon doesn't mean you have to stay with it forever.

Finally, if your club or coach doesn't like "club-hoppers," then they should stop taking them on their teams. The "club-hopping" families are well-known. Bashing the "club-hopper" is like blaming the prostitute without ever blaming the John.
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At least on this we are on the same page...

My DD played for 5 clubs.

Club 1 she was cut.

Club 2 she played on a boys team.

Club 3, 2 years, she out grew.

Club 4 was for NC, then the coach left.

Club 5, 3 years.. but after second year the coach left and she moved to another team within the club.

Oh yea, the coach that cut her from her first team was her final coach. He cut girls to make room for her.

Don't burn bridges, stay classy, do what's best for your kid. Things have a way of working out.
 
Find the right spot (coach) for your kid. Who cares what other parents think. Honor your commitments to the team he/she is on, but when the season is over move to wherever he/she will be happiest and grow the most. There is no loyalty from a club; your kid is replaceable no matter how good they are if a better player comes along. Would you stay at a job because of loyalty if you could get a job that paid more & had more opportunity elsewhere?
 
watchnsilence said:
Anyone else annoyed with the rents who feel the need to hop around from club 2 club all in the name of doing what they claim is "in the best interest of their kid". Seems to me like its more about the rents living vicariously through their kid. Is it really in a kids best interest to have them bond with a team over the season only to take flight prior to the end of the season in most cases with the hopes of landing on a state cup winning team. You can spot the club hoppers a mile a way. You see them wearing one uniform one season and break out another before the season is even over. Is the goal to own a uniform from every team before your kid sees high school. Is stability important? Bonding? Fostering team comradery?
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There are lots of different situations that you seem to sweep under the rug. Back when my kid was playing, she started on a bronze team. She left for a higher level team because that particular team wasn't progressing. Because she moved to a few different teams she was able to grow. One of her coaches even told her that he understood why she was moving and that she was welcome to come back to his team if she saw fit, which she actually did for her last two years of club soccer. Kids don't get better by sitting on the sideline, kids don't get better waiting for the rest of their team to catch up to their level of play, kids don't get better by being faithful to a mediocre program. I often wonder what happened to that original bronze team. Lots of good kids, good families and coaches that wanted the best for the kids. I really don't think that any of those girls are going to be playing in college, which is not a bad thing. As for mine, well 21/22 will be playing for D1, D2 and D3 schools next year. Not sure if mine would be playing had she not moved clubs.
 
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