Double practices

Mic Nificent said:
How many star athletes kill themselves, loose their wealth, turn to drugs after the game is over for them? Plenty do. The always got a pass cause they we’re bigger, stronger, more skilled and helped win. Some were not help accountable on the personal side and once the lights go out and they are no being told yes and how great they are, they loose their shit too, not just the ones who always got a trophy and had fair play time. Let’s not kid ourselves. Each person is different and there is not a one size fits all to create a “strong mentality”. Many big bad athletes are weak minded and are only my strong minded when it comes to their sport but can’t function when they are no longer “the man or woman”.
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I agree. I just think when a kid gets benched it can be a teachable moment and a golden opportunity to help your kid deal with adversity and a opportunity to gain a little street cred with your kids and let them know that you are a reliable and dependable source for advice when things don’t go as planned.
 
My kids range from 12-22. Don’t think I ever remember having 5 kids out at once. Over training, over usage, not having enough off days and not being taught how to take care of their body on off days? Damn that is sad if having 5 injuries at the same time with 5 different players on the youth level is common.
 
I'm actually hearing and seeing some clubs be progressive and trimming down their training days to allow for their players to have a more balanced routine. For my oldest daughter, they've gone from 3 days mandatory to 2 days mandatory with 1 optional for club.

My daughter has been doing her part to outline her priorities with her Club and HS coaches:

Current Priority
1st - Club Soccer
2nd - Cross Country
3rd - HS Soccer

That priority takes into account games vs practices as well. Cross Country is wrapping up so it will be easier to manage in a couple of weeks.

One thing I commend her for was dissecting it even further and asking that her HS soccer coaches share their training plans for the week and asking them when they "really" need her to attend. So if she has to split / double time she can target to attend the HS training that will really be fruitful for her role on the team, i.e. Skill drills versus team drills / scrimmages. She plays holding / attacking mid so any work she can get in with the HS team holds the most value in the areas of setting the tone of style of play and how she communicates and sets up both the defense and offense. She plays at a private school when only a handful of club players, so the style of play changes drastically based on who is on the pitch. On a side note my youngest daughter will be joining her as she is stepping back on the pitch for HS play after a year of calling it quits with club and will be setting the tone in goal with a brand new pair of gloves. She transitioned quite well to Club Volleyball, but there's nothing like seeing her in goal again.
 
MacDre said:
I agree. I just think when a kid gets benched it can be a teachable moment and a golden opportunity to help your kid deal with adversity and a opportunity to gain a little street cred with your kids and let them know that you are a reliable and dependable source for advice when things don’t go as planned.
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Most def. The life lessons I teach my kids go beyond the pitch. You can teach that same lesson when u play in the first half and get no play time in the 2nd half because of your actions. I’m all about accountability. I’d rather them be the best person, the best academic student they can be, responsible, accountable, compassionate, passionate, emphathetic, knowing when to flex and knowing when to scale it back, knowing how to deal with different people and all those things can help create a strong person....not just a strong athlete
 
Mic Nificent said:
Most def. The life lessons I teach my kids go beyond the pitch. You can teach that same lesson when u play in the first half and get no play time in the 2nd half because of your actions. I’m all about accountability. I’d rather them be the best person, the best academic student they can be, responsible, accountable, compassionate, passionate, emphathetic, knowing when to flex and knowing when to scale it back, knowing how to deal with different people and all those things can help create a strong person....not just a strong athlete
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What I am talking about has nothing to do with being an athlete. I don’t think we live in a meritocracy. I think many folks do everything right and still get screwed. So how do you teach a kid that you can do everything right and still get screwed? I think the answer is sports.
 
MacDre said:
What I am talking about has nothing to do with being an athlete. I don’t think we live in a meritocracy. I think many folks do everything right and still get screwed. So how do you teach a kid that you can do everything right and still get screwed? I think the answer is sports.
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My kid once went for the lead in a school play. Rehearsed her lines, practiced the dance sequences, watched movies that related to the part she was practicing every damn day for hours to the point my wife and I, our other kids new the damn lines and were annoyed . She didn’t get the part and didn’t understand why. I explained to her it’s not always about who’s better, who put in the most work. Sometimes the person in charge may have a specific look in mind, may have a specific person in mind, could be cronyism or nepotism. The person who got the part could have had a better audition that day regardless of who worked harder. Explained sometimes you only have one shot to make an impression and if you keep working you may have to take a lesser role to earn trust and hope it leads to bigger role and maybe eventually the role you wanted. Also told her she may have not been ready and has to be honest with herself and keep auditioning
 
Mic Nificent said:
My kid once went for the lead in a school play. Rehearsed her lines, practiced the dance sequences, watched movies that related to the part she was practicing every damn day for hours to the point my wife and I, our other kids new the damn lines and were annoyed . She didn’t get the part and didn’t understand why. I explained to her it’s not always about who’s better, who put in the most work. Sometimes the person in charge may have a specific look in mind, may have a specific person in mind, could be cronyism or nepotism. The person who got the part could have had a better audition that day regardless of who worked harder. Explained sometimes you only have one shot to make an impression and if you keep working you may have to take a lesser role to earn trust and hope it leads to bigger role and maybe eventually the role you wanted. Also told her she may have not been ready and has to be honest with herself and keep auditioning
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My dd tried out for a lead role and killed it. She was top soccer player at school and was popular. The play director also had a child going for the same role. Guess who got the start? Yup, the directors dd. Life is not fair I told her.
 
Mac Dre: just wanted to say I’ve seen your past post and love your content bro. I believe we want the same things for our kids but just have a different way on conveying that message. I love the back and forth, the dialogue and hearing different perspectives and seeing how people from different walks of life handle similar situations. Respect
 
crush said:
My dd tried out for a lead role and killed it. She was top soccer player at school and was popular. The play director also had a child going for the same role. Guess who got the start? Yup, the directors dd. Life is not fair I told her.
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Given all your drama over the years, no doubt your daughter’s an expert and deserved the role. If it isn’t all those fat cat soccer club directors conspiring to ruin your child’s life, it’s drama school teachers. When will it stop?
 
OliveGroveHarrier said:
Hi. With HS and Club about to start simultaneously, does anyone have experience with double sessions? My 05 midfielder is facing HS practices on M/Tu and games W/F. Meanwhile, club is Tu/Th with games Sat. And then tournaments? Travel? Cross-country runners and swimmers can train 7d/week no problem, but they don't get kicked quite as much. I'm not too worried about motivation, but I am concerned about the physical toll such as overuse injury. Is a double workout on Tue reasonable if his grades and attitude are kept up and Sun is rest day? What can a parent or coach look for as a warning sign? Thank you.
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Here's my somewhat biased opinion. The spring club season is basically going to be a throwaway, especially for your (sophomore?). The real action is going to be happening in summer/fall as you would expect. Your kid has a limited number of high school games remaining. Do the HS practice on Mon/Tue, play the game on Wednesday and go into full recovery mode Wednesday night / Thursday morning. Thursday night go to club practice and instruct your son to take it easy, don't go in hard for 50-50s, etc, and play the club game on Saturday. Your club coach understands the environment right now. Nobody is expecting anything out of a spring club season and getting to see high school friends that they've missed over the past year is more important imo.
 
Mic Nificent said:
My kids range from 12-22. Don’t think I ever remember having 5 kids out at once. Over training, over usage, not having enough off days and not being taught how to take care of their body on off days? Damn that is sad if having 5 injuries at the same time with 5 different players on the youth level is common.
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LOL, my son's team lost 7 players in the first tournament of the season once ... parents thought a roster of 18 was big ... they finished a couple of other tournaments with a bare 11 also.
 
notintheface said:
Here's my somewhat biased opinion. The spring club season is basically going to be a throwaway, especially for your (sophomore?). The real action is going to be happening in summer/fall as you would expect. Your kid has a limited number of high school games remaining. Do the HS practice on Mon/Tue, play the game on Wednesday and go into full recovery mode Wednesday night / Thursday morning. Thursday night go to club practice and instruct your son to take it easy, don't go in hard for 50-50s, etc, and play the club game on Saturday. Your club coach understands the environment right now. Nobody is expecting anything out of a spring club season and getting to see high school friends that they've missed over the past year is more important imo.
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Thank you, notintheface. 70 replies before I found one on the topic! But it was worth it. I'd love to hear more opinions on the OP, if any. The gist of it is, "are 7 sessions a week with one double too much for a 15y"? He wants to, so what should I look for as a warning sign? I can tell if he's not motivated (he is), but I'm worried about an accumulation of knocks, overuse injuries, or other issues? He isn't a superstar but will probably start for both club and HS teams. Thanks, all!
 
OliveGroveHarrier said:
Thank you, notintheface. 70 replies before I found one on the topic! But it was worth it. I'd love to hear more opinions on the OP, if any. The gist of it is, "are 7 sessions a week with one double too much for a 15y"? He wants to, so what should I look for as a warning sign? I can tell if he's not motivated (he is), but I'm worried about an accumulation of knocks, overuse injuries, or other issues? He isn't a superstar but will probably start for both club and HS teams. Thanks, all!
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So your question is: 8 sessions a week plus games on the weekend is too much?

If current work load is 3 + weekend games and you're considering doubling that right away yes that is risky. Gradually ramping up from 3 to 4,5,6,7,8 is a better approach. Physical and mental fatigue is what to watch for that a quality of work and play.
 
lafalafa said:
So your question is: 8 sessions a week plus games on the weekend is too much?

If current work load is 3 + weekend games and you're considering doubling that right away yes that is risky. Gradually ramping up from 3 to 4,5,6,7,8 is a better approach. Physical and mental fatigue is what to watch for that a quality of work and play.
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April will have two games a week in HS. No ECNL so no worries. Practices should be light for all top goats looking to play in all the games. Then May kicks in with ECNL. If hs team makes playoffs, this will be very tough on goats who will want and demand to play in the games. Again, practice is rest time and heal the body time, not hard core practices. I would honestly just play in the games. No one who plays in the games will be practicing during the week. No way!!! Save body for ganas matches only. I see in late April and early May, five games in 7 freaking days for my goat. I'm going to ask ECNL to push their games back a week. Question. Does anyone know of a 17 year old playing in 5 games in 7 days?
 
crush said:
April will have two games a week in HS. No ECNL so no worries. Practices should be light for all top goats looking to play in all the games. Then May kicks in with ECNL. If hs team makes playoffs, this will be very tough on goats who will want and demand to play in the games. Again, practice is rest time and heal the body time, not hard core practices. I would honestly just play in the games. No one who plays in the games will be practicing during the week. No way!!! Save body for ganas matches only. I see in late April and early May, five games in 7 freaking days for my goat. I'm going to ask ECNL to push their games back a week. Question. Does anyone know of a 17 year old playing in 5 games in 7 days?
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It will be up to an individual goat - some can do it and some can't.
 
crush said:
April will have two games a week in HS. No ECNL so no worries. Practices should be light for all top goats looking to play in all the games. Then May kicks in with ECNL. If hs team makes playoffs, this will be very tough on goats who will want and demand to play in the games. Again, practice is rest time and heal the body time, not hard core practices. I would honestly just play in the games. No one who plays in the games will be practicing during the week. No way!!! Save body for ganas matches only. I see in late April and early May, five games in 7 freaking days for my goat. I'm going to ask ECNL to push their games back a week. Question. Does anyone know of a 17 year old playing in 5 games in 7 days?
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My 17 year old will most likely have a few weeks of playing 4 games plus a track meet each week. Not ideal. But it’s her senior year and she wants to do her last season of HS sports with her friends. She’ll definitely pull back when her body tells her it’s too much. Her club teammates will all be in the same boat (well, minus the track meet for most, but add in softball and lacrosse games for a few of them).
 
Own Goal said:
My 17 year old will most likely have a few weeks of playing 4 games plus a track meet each week. Not ideal. But it’s her senior year and she wants to do her last season of HS sports with her friends. She’ll definitely pull back when her body tells her it’s too much. Her club teammates will all be in the same boat (well, minus the track meet for most, but add in softball and lacrosse games for a few of them).
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Plus track? Please tell me she only has to show up for the race and then she can leave. I say go for it because you only live once. My dd wants to run in the 400 relay and that's it. I believe she will do Volleyball, Soccer and then track her senior year. Go out as tri sport athlete senior year is what makes legends, just like so many did in the old days. It's not ideal but it's fun for some and that's why they do sport :)
 
crush said:
Plus track? Please tell me she only has to show up for the race and then she can leave. I say go for it because you only live once. My dd wants to run in the 400 relay and that's it. I believe she will do Volleyball, Soccer and then track her senior year. Go out as tri sport athlete senior year is what makes legends, just like so many did in the old days. It's not ideal but it's fun for some and that's why they do sport :)
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She’s done soccer, XC, and track all 4 years of high school, so she’s used to the double practices. It hasn’t always been easy, but now that she’s in the home stretch of her high school years she just wants to have fun. Good luck to your dd - 4x400 is my dd’s favorite event! And enjoy it all - it sure goes by fast!
 
Own Goal said:
She’s done soccer, XC, and track all 4 years of high school, so she’s used to the double practices. It hasn’t always been easy, but now that she’s in the home stretch of her high school years she just wants to have fun. Good luck to your dd - 4x400 is my dd’s favorite event! And enjoy it all - it sure goes by fast!
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What is XC?
 
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