Get ready folks
- Thread starter soccer4us
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I keep hearing that as a basis for SY is that kids will play with the kids they go to school with. How so? It's rare (at least in MLS Next) that teammates come from the same school, and kids couldn't care less whether their teammate is in a matching school grade at a different school. No one is suffering from isolation from a BY cutoff as the article claims. Personally, I think its a benefit to have a different peer group from soccer vs school. Is it fun to play with your school mates? 100%. That's why I think we should make HS more relevant. Clubs shouldn't have ownership of your kids for 12 months of the year. That's one of the things that leads to burnout.Interesting article on this topic.
US Soccer plots massive change that would affect youth system
The fractured youth system in US Soccer is subject to yet another change with the risk of breaking up existing teams. On Nov. 22, US Soccer will put a new ruling into effect that changes the age groups for soccer. Currently, the cutoff for each year is Jan. 1. In other words, those born from […]worldsoccertalk.com
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Maybe Club's should encourage more high school soccer, instead of changing to SY. (Ha, ha, that will never happen $$$)
You're right...most kids who have been playing for a few years at a competitive level will be playing with kids outside their school. But for kids new to the sport, especially the youngers ones, I do think it matters for some. How many? Maybe there's research on it. Anecdotally, a few classmates of my kids chose not to play soccer because they couldn't play with classmates. I also know kids who decided as a group to play a different sport just so they can play together. Exceptions? Maybe. But for a sport competing against basketball, baseball/softball, football, etc., for hearts and minds, I think it will help attract more kids at the early ages.
Agreed, but I was thinking more within the context of ECNL aged kids, since it appears ECNL is behind the push for the change. I seriously doubt that ECNL is doing this for altruistic reasons to get more youngers to participate.
Are rec leagues using BY or SY cutoffs?
Haha, agreed. But when championing for a cause, you use any/all reasons that would appeal to others.
Good question about rec. But it's getting more and more common for kids to get funneled into club at age 7-8 in our area. Even though these are "club" players, I would bet decent money if you ask these kids what they care about most, #1 would be playing with friends.
True that. 90% of club is rec soccer.
Rollonyoubears
BRONZE
Here's an article that provides some information https://dpleague.org/birth-year/
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www.ussoccer.com
whatithink
GOLD
For ECNL it basically aligns with college coaches I'd assume, and allows them to get in an extra team, i.e. no more U18/19, but now you have U18 (Juniors) and U19 (Seniors). It "cleans up" the recruiting process.
Given the overwhelming minority of players are on ECNL/MLSN teams though, providing a platform where kids can naturally play with their school friends seems a reasonable goal.
whatithink
GOLD
Way higher than 90% I'd say, assuming everything that is not ECNL/GA for girls and MLSN for boys is basically rec. (with both of the aforementioned not necessary elite either).
"Beginning on Aug. 1, 2017, the way in which youth players in the United States register for youth soccer teams will be based on their year of birth. This new standard will help create clarity, improve understanding about developmental progress and enhance playing environments as a part of the U.S. Soccer Player Development Initiatives (PDI’s). "
This didn't happen?
Even for ECNL, I'd imagine they would have short and long-term growth strategies. While short-term likely drives most of their near-term tactics, I'd imagine increasing youth soccer participation would be part of their long-term strategy as that would mean a larger pool of customers.
And wouldn't most soccer organizations (whether they profit or not), as well as fans/supporters of soccer be in favor of more participation in the long-run? So big picture, I think increasing participation rate in soccer is the most compelling reason for the change. Is it guaranteed to drive significant increase in participation? Probably not. But can one argue that it won't impact some kids/parents' decisions to chose soccer vs another sport?
Rollonyoubears
BRONZE
That's when they went to the current system, now it will go back. I think?"Beginning on Aug. 1, 2017, the way in which youth players in the United States register for youth soccer teams will be based on their year of birth. This new standard will help create clarity, improve understanding about developmental progress and enhance playing environments as a part of the U.S. Soccer Player Development Initiatives (PDI’s). "
This didn't happen?
I'm hearing it all over, "Oh our team will stay together either way!" No, your team will blow up, just like all of the others! If you like your kid's team, let US Soccer know, because what they are considering will destroy the existing teams.
I was being sarcastic about it how it was supposed to "create clarity, improve understanding about developmental progress and enhance playing environments". We were in the middle of our soccer journey when the 2017 US Soccer PDI's were supposed to revolutionize player development in the US.
What do you expect them to say?
“We moved to birth year to make life easier for YNT scouts. Now we’re moving back to school year to make life easier for college scouts.”
No, it isn’t a revolutionary change to improve player development. But school year is better for the vast majority who are in rec soccer, so I like it.
It was more than just a cutoff date change, PDI's also included small-sided age groups, buildout line etc. No I didn't expect them to tell the truth and say it's going to be equivalent to "rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic". However, US Soccer and club soccer organizations keep making meaningless, and often disruptive, changes to make it look like their doing something while ignoring the major problems with youth soccer like horrific coaching. If anyone thinks ECNL is pushing this change to improve soccer in the US overall and not purely for their own self-interest than I have a brand new Rolex I will sell you for $100.
You may be right about that. As I mentioned before, I don't have a dog in this fight, and my opinion is based more on my cynicism about US youth soccer organizations, than anything else.
I'm still waiting for a good explanation on why its changing. The trapped thing doesn't sell. Sorry.