Dreamers are always cut down at the dream stage. If a kid has a dream to be a pro anything, help the kid with dream
I personally believe having the choice of Pro Soccer or College Soccer or No Soccer is good choice. I help dreamers make their dreams come true. 99% of the parents I have met the last 11 years in this sport agree with you Carlsbad and I get that 100%. I told everyone I was going Pro baseball when I was a kid. Money does not buy anyone happiness, let me tell you.
Crazy Parent + Crazy kid + Crazy Coach= Crazy Pro Soccer Player
My dd had a crazy ass Doc who was pushed by his English father when he was a boy to be pro and wanted him in EPL academies. However, dude was not fast enough. He was pushed so hard by his dad that he took it out on the crazy parents like me when he became Doc and head Training Center Guru. I know, dumb me for believing that my kid even had even a slight chance at pro. He was the one who said she can be Pro, not me. I just blushed with pride. Hey Highlander, when my dd told another Guru Doc in 8th grade she wasn't sure she wanted to go to college, he laughed at her and ghosted her and she went from starter to bench in one week. Go figure.
Just to add (my edit time ran out - LOL) - My dd is a very good student and I want her to pick a school for academics...and then if she wants and is able to, walk on and play. If not, no big deal. Honestly, I don't think college athletics is healthy...too many stories about abuse, etc...and guessing what I hear I just the tip of the iceberg. The story of the Stanford Goalkeeper should resonate with all.
I (she) had big expectations in 6th and 7th grade with club soccer because she had a few dreams she wanted to come true and I love people with dreams. These were her dreams, not mind by the way. She is my pea to my pod so when she wins, I win. When she loses, I lose. When laughs, I laugh. When she cries, I cry. When she has pain, I have pain. She's happy, I am happy
I love her so much bro. Anyway, her first dream in soccer was to win a State Cup. Her first year of club and State Cup was at 7 years old. Her team was bounced early, no wins. The coach's husband hated me because I told him to "stop coaching the girls from the side line bro" at State Cup and he got all pissed off and told me to STFU and let's take it to the parking lot for a dual! I kid you not. We ((the other dads)) were all afraid to speak up during the season because his wife held the cards for play time and he was 6 4'. My dd tried two more State Cups with another club, only to lose in Quarter Finals. She wanted that State Cup so bad and lost in OT to Carlsbad. A fun team to lose to and with cool parents. Surf poached some of them later......lol. SoCal Blues Coach Tad ((Founder of ODP and first ever U15 Girls YNT coach)) came by around this time scouting players from other clubs for his new U11 team. This was going to be his last team in 40 years of coaching females in soccer. He only coached 7 teams Highlander, that's it. He was honest about his purpose for the girls and what he was all about. He never sold YNT, The List, the Training Center or ODP, never once. Just be a good person and work hard at your craft and try to win. He never sold ODP but he started it, go figure. He never brought up his connections but had plenty. It was only soccer on the field, not soccer politics and working the room in the back. He did sell ECNL for the future if my kid makes his team each year after tryouts, but that flew over my head. I told him I was looking for winning at the highest level and so was my dd. I asked him if my kid had IT, like was she all that and "do you see her making the YNT" some day or having a chance some day? "What's the process coach?" "Tell me coach" I asked the guru himself. He said no way to really know in America until the female develops her true body and shape, which is around 17 and if they still love the game. Many girls quit for many reasons he said. My dd was 10 when I asked so he was not going to sugar coat nothing. He told me the truth, "I don;t know." He was all about winning now as a team and not about the individual and preparing to win every game no matter what. My kid loved that and signed with him for two years and they never lost a league game and won it all. Never take opponent lightly and show no mercy she was taught and they won Cal South State Cup first year and her first soccer dream came true. Only one team won. Second dream was win Surf Cup ((won three)). Third dream was win a Far West Regional ((won one)) and fourth dream was win USYS Nattty ((won one)). Her 5th dream was win a D3 CIF Championship. Fell short but got moved up to D1 her last year and not her fault. She had a few personal dreams when she was 13, like make the U14 YNT. This was billed as a "must make" and "first ever of it's kind" and something that was presented as a possibility because the "scouts" said so and they all loved her I was told. The only problem with this dream is I got in the way. I see that clearly today. I pissed off three Docs with all the power in less than 12 months. Long story and I wont bore you but it goes to say what you said, that the Docs have the sway and pull at the younger ages. Like many have said before me, you will always have the top top can't miss or your fired players. Its the rest that need help and that is where a Doc with connections comes in. My kid was 100% committed when she was 12 and 13 and gave up 16 months ((two summers)) to train in the heat for the "First Of It's Kind U14 Girls National Team" and that team will go to England for some matches I was sold. Tell a kid to give up her life and then you find out it was just a list and no play at all was disheartening to say the least. Enough with my sour grapes.College students aren't getting paid in $$$ instead in "scholarship opportunities" because of this they get trapped in bad situations.
Does this show up in things you can know in advance? Might even be as simple as “stay away from any school with twice as many seniors as freshmen.”
True story bro. A top Doc told me about one of his former stars. YNT player and a nice deal to Big U with all the big pressures that come with playing big time college soccer, that is crammed into three months of play. This player verbally committed in early 9th grade. Her first day of college practice was also her last one. I guess they have this running test and this player did not come into camp ready and puked. Coach grabbed her by the ponytail and told her to quit before she get's her deal taken a way. She told her dad that the coach was mean and not how she was on the phone when they last talked. It's a rude awakening for most of the girls. Again, maybe 10% can handle this kind of pressure at the highest levels of the girls game after club.
If you're getting paid to play a sport expecting a certain level of fitness is reasonable. Also this is where agents come in + represent their player.
That's what I thought as well. If I were a basketball coach and had one of my studs come in to camp out of shape and some pukes on the first day, I would keep an eye on them and make sure their ok and maybe a little smack laugh and tell them they better eat better and come back ready for more running tomorrow. That's it. It is soccer and you should come to camp in shape. The point the Doc was making was why the rule was changed in the first place and college soccer is hard and most quit before they finish all four years. This is why I held my child back in 7th and 8th grade. I already heard two horror stories from parents I knew who had players playing college ball. I got hammered for it but I'm sure glad I stepped in because my dd was not up to the pressure of all the school work that came with soccer and all the games in three months and maybe playoffs.
where do you get your material?
