How much is it these days to play soccer at this age? I bet cost, inflation and just the time commitment to play soccer is just too much for the middle class, if we even have a middle class. Plus, I know many people who have moved out of the State. I like AYSO Select. Is that around anymore or is it only club or bust? My son was approached to tryout for Select but didn't make the final cut. He just played AYSO and some middle school co-ed.
G2010 - How’s the 2022 season going?
- Thread starter TeamDadJokes
- Start date
ECNL is 4k to 5k club fees, but there are occasional extras and hotels, gas, time, extra trainings probably add another 5k to 8k a year. You are 100% correct about the divide. 60% of Adult Americans have less than $1k of savings for an emergency in America. I know a lot of people who put their kids in club soccer and don't own homes. Housing is very expensive, but to me that's your first investment to raise a family. I would never put my kids in club soccer if I didn't own a home. There is tremendous wealth disparity in America and there will be a reckoning in a few years as inflation is driving up interest rates which will eventually force deleveraging of debt. We have over 82 trillion dollars of total debt in America. I am kind of wondering how big of a hit is coming to club soccer when this massive crash hits in a few years???? There will be decent employment I think as the workforce is small compared to demand as most of the wealth is in the hands of older generations, but people will be working very hard and saving very little. Working poor will be the majority.
All I know is there is a demand for a better system and you have an immediate market here. The latin leagues are not a bad start actually for cheaper decent competition, but you have to know how to navigate through them. One of my biggest fears is something happens to my baby girl in her teens or twentys and I look back at how much she missed out on life, because she was sooooo wrapped up in soccer for that massive eventual reward of $50k per year which may even rob some of what they could have been if they stuck to education and learned computer programming, medicine, or pharmaceutical sales, etc. Gotta go before I slap myself in the face again for letting myself encourage her down this drama club rabbit hole!
Should our kids tolerate bad behavior from coaches? As we the parents write the checks for this process, do you think a 12 year old girl should learn to obey all of the coaches commands without having a voice?
Great question: I relly took the time to gather my thoughts and give you my best argument and pov...
Your question poses a pertinent issue: Should our children endure inappropriate behavior from their soccer coaches? While your argument is indeed compelling, I would assert a resounding NO as the answer. Even though we, as parents, are the ones financially supporting these coaches, the fear of our child being sidelined or replaced often dissuades us from raising objections to such behavior.
This fear is heightened by the fact that we aren't powerful entities like individual car buyers in the market, where a single customer can influence the seller's behavior. The situation is complicated further by the queue of eager substitutes ready to fill any vacancy that arises on the team, making our position precarious.
This leaves us with a challenging decision: Do we turn a blind eye to the coach's behavior, or do we risk our child being cut from the team?
One could argue that a child's value to the team might grant the parents more sway over the coach, but this is a double-edged sword, particularly for those whose children may not be in the spotlight. Speaking up could potentially backfire if other parents choose to remain silent.
To effect any substantial change, a concerted effort is required from a majority of the parents. However, the competitive nature of the sport extends to the parents and children alike, often hampering any collective action.
In an ideal world, we would prefer Docs who not only possess excellent developmental skills but also boast exceptional communication skills. However, with less than a handful of so called top team choices available in Southern California, we're often left to select from a pool that is less than ideal. Thus, we often find ourselves forced to choose the lesser of several evils among Docs.
If a coach called my daughter a loser while he missed games and training and never really improved my daughter's position and game skills, would she be gaining mental strength for being submissive to this piss poor behavior? Would you the parent be mentally strong for tolerating that behavior from a coach by encouraging your child to suck it up?
This indeed is a thought-provoking issue. While the scenario is admittedly more extreme, my answer is an emphatic NO. If a coach lacks the ability to build up a player's morale, especially after criticism, they fail to fulfill a crucial part of their role.
While I acknowledge the potential value in 'tough love', there should always be boundaries. We have been fortunate not to experience such extreme cases of baseless insults like being called a 'loser', but it is plausible such situations exist.
The degree of tolerance for such behavior varies from family to family. The key here is to evaluate the situation as a family, weighing the pros and cons, and assessing whether the coach's methods align with your values. If the benefits still outweigh the negatives, then perhaps endurance could be considered. However, this is a deeply personal decision and one that may differ for every family and player.
Nope, don't really care. I do appreciate that some are starting to see that XYZ league isnt the only end of the rainbow.
What you want is a club that's close to your house, has a good coach, the club backs the coach, + the team is winning / having fun.
All the rest will work itself out over time.
I dont even hate the club hoppers. As long as it's the kid pressing to play at a higher level or with a different team. (Not the parents pushing for it.)
Great honest answer! I agree, but most parents will tolerate it and call it tough love. We're all in this mouse trap and I just noticed some very unsavory behavior, arrogance, and lack of professionalism this year. I like you love tough love and am all for pressure, expectations, and responsibility, but hypocrisy and arrogance while seeing some girls not improve much makes me steer clear of some coaches.
I love Rabbit holes way up. 99.99% of our dd playing high level ECNL or GAL, will not go pro to get that $50K a year. The parents are in this to win a few bucks for a partial scholarship. No full rides, it's a myth. The truth is acceptance, door opener, and maybe 50% off into a great college, if your lucky and have a 4.6 and 1400 SAT. I do marketing. Many clubs and coaches plaster their Insta and FB with, "we have over x amount of scholarships" or "Our club is #1 with scholarships." For a sucker like me, I thought that meant a full ride. Not even close. After a parent pays $75K over 5-6 years chasing the dream of college for their kid, their dd gets 25% offer to Chico State or 75% offer to Nazarene Christian College of the Dunes in AZ. Pops is in debt SHFH wondering how he got scammed. DD ends up falling in love with a boy Fr year in college and quits altogether. My buddy dd is now on her second college and third coach after a few nightmares. I'm not here to mention names but the first coach, who loved her play, resigned right before season. The new guy made Prime Time seem like a Saint. She struggled all year and never played and was never on road trips. She transferred to a new college and that coach got fired and a new one came. She is a good player and great kid but all this is taking a toll. I know a few success stories but not many. Latin leagues are awesome. My wife's side did the Latin Leagues and we actually played co-ed leagues with Grandpa. Gramps was a ref for club and HS for over 30 years. I would see girls playing that could play soccer real good. This was in El Monte. Most families worked their asses off and did not have $10K-$15K a year extra spend towards soccer. I have a war story about "Fully Funded GDA" that was actually fully full of shit. It was a big lie to chase the top goats and get them over to their goat pin. You see, we have Judas Goats in our mist. I'm trying to change this so poor kids can play and maybe my grand kids can have a chance. My son told me no way will he ever allow his kids to play soccer and he thinks I spent too much on my dd dream and he's right. Lastly, Veritas makes great points about talking to coach who calls his players losers. That's nothing. I tried to keep my big mouth shut but I just felt someone needed to take a stand against harsh abuse and manipulation and control. I got punished and so did my dd. I have no regrets.
So, did you lose the $50k per year pro soccer opportunity for your daughter? I am weighing these things out now. I feel like I am putting a lot of resources into my daughter making next years ecnl team for close to nothing!???
I'm not sure I interstand your Q?????
RedDevil24
BRONZE
I’m not familiar with the application process, is the period supply really until June?
I see the point that you’re making, but in order to appease its members and create more competitive divisions I believe SOCAL would have more interest in showing a little more concern for its flight one teams rather than what’s best flight 2.
Last Fall I counted 34 Flight one teams not counting SD. It will be hard to believe that you can’t find at least 10 competitive teams that make me want to do NPL ( 11 are in 09 at the moment)
we live in Central South OC and in speaking with people I am aware that the following teams have at least indicted they wouldbe applying
Blues x 2
Laguna utd
Mission Viejo - would assume
TFA — I have heard probably-Finished 2nd Fall
From casually looking upcoming and recent tourneys (labeling as NPL)— Chula Vista and Sand and Surf
Newport Slammers is listing an NPL team on its site
That’s already 7 to 8
I would think about the bigger clubs, like Liverpool, Albion, etc. that already have A teams committed to one of the other ABC leagues could produce a strong B team
At some point they need to establish the league before they can create the promotion and relegation.
who knows….
I was joking along with how you said 99% of us would not make pro. All I can say is that with such poor odds, I'm fighting for good looking to CRUSH deuchebag coaches! I love the competition, but I'd rather fight the top than be part of it.
Gotcha. Learning more about you bro. The best thing we can do for the kids sake is to play local and stop this travel. That is the biggest cost. I'm all for paying a coach to teach the game and provide a after school type program but without harsh words and abuse. When the GDA came out, we had our top teams traveling to Florida and killing teams 12-1, 13-2 and 10-0. Forget the Hat Tricks. We had our top players going for the Cinco Tricks left and right. In the old days, everyone stayed here and the scores were close and the battles were real and no one scored five goals in games. Their was a very honest avatar named MAPS that taught me the truth.It was hard to hear but he set me straight and told me what I needed to hear. No sugar coated fluffy stuff, just the hard truth. The GDA came in Socal and changed everything. They sold the top players fully funded so soccer would be free. Free everything. It was true at first but then the clubs told the DA that they would go out of business if they didn't charge. Some clubs still offerred everything free like Pats, Galaxy, Surf, Legends and Slammers. I went on a tour to meet each club and Doc and heard their sells pitch on the future of soccer and why the Blues style of kickball and smash ball is going to be a thing of the past and we will now be playing real futbol and be taught by the English and folks from the Netherlands. They told us the world is watching and they have to stop the madness of high school soccer and the college game. I was sold on it big time and was the first in line to get my kool aide. I share later just for you my dd next adventure at 7:30pm when "War Stories With Crush" is on.
Last War Story. DM me if you want more. I'm tired fellas. The war has taken a toll on my soul. You win and I lose Daddy. The threats are back again and this time their more serious. These Dads got their hand on soccer cookie cash jar and they won't let go. They hire abusive coaches and find Doc's who cheat. The last season with the Blues was amazing. We went for the two peat State Cup but fell short in the QFs to a very good Beach team in PKs. My dd missed her first PK in two years as did two others in her last game as a Blue. She felt horrible and cried and also cried saying goodbye to very nice and honest men in TB & RR who never lied or yelled at my dd and for that, I am thankful. I saw TB at the fields and he was always so gracious, unlike parents who threaten me to fights at the fields. Anyway, the last of my war stories because I've just had enough of the hate mail, is simple. The Girls Development Academy was horrible and filled with horrible coaches, all wearing US Soccer logos. Not all but many were abusive. They lied when they moved their lips and mislead little girls with dreams. A coach said that the more he yelled at his players, the more he loved them. If he didn't yell at your child it means he did not believe in her anymore. The Training Centers were set up as recruiting centers really. ODP was switched to Training Centers, which I think was more about grooming them. I spoke up and got blacklisted. Docs were also sleeping with Miss Gump to help little Sally Gump find minutes on the fields. I called that out as well and got even more black listed and told to STFU and buzz off and keep my mouth shut. It was like living in hell on earth. My dd was snubbed because of me, her old man for speaking up. Way Up, she did win the Natty before the GDA started so that was cool. The assholes also said no High School allowed. My dd followed the rules but then the rich kids, who also wanted to play HS Soccer got special rich people's waivers to do both. That really pissed me off and I came on here in 2018. I was not posting on the forum for 4 years and obeyed by not posting. I came back asking questions like you Way Up and got attacked like no other. The Elites let me have it and were so mean to me. They made fun of my righting skilz and that was knot write two doo to a gooder father. I'm a good man, not perfect. Anyway, I told everyone in 2018 that the GDA will fail and I got laughed at and told I was crazy and on meds. I will finish with this. Karma is a bitch. I want soccer to stay local in Socal and no more travel soccer. I'm here to help because I'm helping kids that would like to play as well but the price point is to freaking high. I'm here to answer any questions and if your afraid of retaliation, it's real and it will happen. PM me if you feel safer. Thank you to all those who have sent me well wishes o=to my inbox. To the haters, Karma is coming for you. Pay for play is over, it will just take time to clean this mess up. Good luck 2010s.
Why did we leave TB and RR you ask? The age changed to birth year and my dd was 04. TB took the 03's and they had a very strong 03s and my dd was still 4 10'. My dd learned life lessons early in life and she is better for it today. So proud of her toughness. It was a big plan from the Man upstairs. This is her in black. God bless you all.
So, we have a very low odds chance of winning the opportunity to make $50k a year as a womens pro soccer player! Well thank G_d I can continue to pay over 5k a year for her to develop mental toughness then. LOL. It just amazes me that some girls in high school would choose to focus on other hobbies that might actually help them make money in life instead of being treated like cattle 5 days a week and sprint back and forth after 1.5 hours of constant running. Face smack!
I'll be nice about one of these coaches by not mentioning some things. We had a few games against him and I never ran to a shower faster!
The GDA made the cattle players where these vest that let the Doc and Coach know how many miles you ran that week. It's called work rate for a reason. They would have practice 4 days a week and you were held to account. One of those days were video days and what I would call being called out in front of your peers. It was a roast for some of the weaker players. They had you by the neck. "Sally, you only ran 10 miles during practice the last week and a top player does 20 miles." I am embellishing this because I can't remember what a good cow is supposed to do each week but if it was below the average, then your got yelled at. I hated those things and so did my dd, She was always up to par but they bugged her because she is ADHD and didn't like the feel of them and how they were used against her friends. One time the coach yelled at her and she told him, "why are you yelling at me? Why is your face so red coach." Oh my, that was a big no no. I will confess, I also yelled at her sometimes and she would say, "Papa, why are you yelling at me? Can't you tell me what's on your mind without the yelling." Oh, that stung and after that, I stopped. My dd is amazing and has taught me so much about how women want to be treated.
So true Crush! My dd and I are soooo different. I want to get pumped up before a game and she takes naps. It works for her, but I do need to learn how to get in her lane! Girls are very different.
Hey Way Up, I do have good news about how she's doing after being blacklisted. She bailed on 24/7 soccer and just focused on High School. She played on the Volleyball team and ran Track a couple years. She walked away from the yellers and liars. She did play a half year with Strikers before the Rona hit our shores and half year after the Rona to play in one Showcase. She played Varsity High School soccer for four years and had so much fun, plus it was free minus the fund raising. She actually got recruited a little off her video and was open to playing soccer in college after all. She got full ride soccer only offers from two mid level D1 schools and a few P5s should some interest but she was not interested in East Coast soccer. However, the schools that did offer the full rides also mandated the jabs to enroll and be on the team and my dd was a big fat no and she was blocked entry and given no opportunity. It's crazy to look back and think they would do that to a teenager, you know, force them to take that BS. She is now studying Spanish abroad in Spain and playing soccer. She is having the time of her life meeting new girls from all over the world. She worked part time and saved some money to help pay for it and she also got some sponsor dollars from family and friends. Not sure what her next move is. She comes back next week. Pro is on the table after all so we shall see. I love watching her maneuver and live life the way she wants. She does all her own negotiations and has pro teams in Spain asking about her so we shall see. Most leagues only allow 3 non EU players so its not easy and she's in no rush. The cool thing is she can speak Spanish now and carry a conversation. Their is a light at the end of tunnel in life. A wise Spiritual man once said, "do not worry about tomorrow because each day has it's own trouble."