How to do two tryouts simultaneously?

[outside!]

It's my policy not to call out coaches or clubs by name, but for DR I will make an exception...consider it a PSA.

I can respect that, but after years in club soccer I just got fed up with all of the BS. This forum is one of the few ways we parents have of sharing information. I will call out coaches that treat players poorly anytime.

 

[watfly]

First off, none of my kids have been on DR's team. DR treats the players he needs with respect. It is the way he treats players that he doesn't think meet his standards of play that is the problem. DR has been disrespectful and demeaning to many players over the years which is why several people warned me about him (including ex-players that are now adults) when my son played at Albion. I don't think learning to be a man involves letting people in positions of authority be disrespectful to children. My son is no longer at Albion, but I have great respect for his old coach (LS) and have recommend him to people.

That's pretty spot on, although I would argue that his selective treatment of kids wasn't tied to their abilities. In our two years it was more tied to the kids and parents that wouldn't stand up for themselves (like the lion attacking the gimpy gazelle). I watched him completely destroy the confidence of a very quiet kid on our team that was a arguably the best player our 1st year.

 

[sandshark]

I can respect that, but after years in club soccer I just got fed up with all of the BS. This forum is one of the few ways we parents have of sharing information. I will call out coaches that treat players poorly anytime.

That is the biggest problem in youth soccer is all of us not wanting to call out the wrongs these clubs and coaches are doing to the children and their families!
If we keep on not talking and warning each other of these wrongs nothing will ever change. Expose the jerks and clubs they work for.

 

[watfly]

I can respect that, but after years in club soccer I just got fed up with all of the BS. This forum is one of the few ways we parents have of sharing information. I will call out coaches that treat players poorly anytime.

That is the biggest problem in youth soccer is all of us not wanting to call out the wrongs these clubs and coaches are doing to the children and their families!
If we keep on not talking and warning each other of these wrongs nothing will ever change. Expose the jerks and clubs they work for.

I totally understand your points and can't say I disagree, I'm just generally uncomfortable naming names in a public forum. I have no problems naming names privately. Trust me I discussed with him his inappropriate behavior a few times and finally reported him to the club after a particularly troubling incident he had with another player on the team. Despite a promise that he would be removed, it never happened. The following year, he did have a youngers first team or two taken away and was given a more qualified co-coach, allegedly a baby sitter, for another team.

To the poster's original question, honesty with the coach is generally the best advice. However, some coaches/clubs, typically the bad ones, don't take too kindly to having kids club shop and there can be reprecussions. Know your audience.

 

[Monkey]

Now for another perspective... We have had DR as a coach for the last two years and I would have to disagree with you. His teams are not for the weak. He instills discipline and does not let the inmates run the asylum (parents or players). Has he sat players for running their mouth and not doing what they were told, yes. Does he do things like not starting someone because they missed practice or were late, yes. Do all of his players shake his hand after practice and say thanks, sure. Its called learning to be a man. Oh yeah, he has cut several players who couldn't cut it. In my experience he has taken weak teams and progressed them through the flights quite successfully. If your a snowflake or raising your sons to be, then yes get out. If your interested in your sons learning discipline and responsibility then you will have no problem. As for youngers, I believe he is the director and has been for many years. If there really was a problem don't you think that something would be done about it. Considering the amount and extent of the entitlement mentality that exists in club soccer.
It sounds like your a snowflake or your kid didn't make it. Its not for everyone.

He was made Director of the younger program 5 years ago so he could quit his day job. This was an award for being a good little puppet of Gins. Trust me, everyone was shaking their heads on that one. My wife's friend had a kid on his team and something like 15 out of 17 players did not come back the next year. His teams progress because they quit and he replaces them with kids he scouts, mostly from the Mexican league. Any given day he is not coaching you will find him in central SD or the water tower without Albion gear on, recruiting. He does not develop. And he will tolerate BS from certain parents if they have Gins' ear.

 

[seesnake]

Ok, back to the topic at hand... and thanks btw for the PSA's, some bad coaches really do need to be outed.

Agree on the whole reaching out to the coach and joining one of their practices. That is certainly a good option and you're more likely to standout vs a normal tryout anyway (just my limited experience) and this is what I recommend if you're looking at two new clubs. But - if it is conflicting with your current club tryouts, I think it does say something about your satisfaction with how things are going and your gut is telling you it's time to move on to a different club, coach, or team... so given the choice, go to the new club/team tryouts. Your current coach already knows what your kid is capable of and has probably already made an assessment, if you're getting a new coach, most likely they've already assessed your kid as well or gotten the lowdown so if you really want to go back, then they'll either want you or won't.

The flip side to this is also realize that every team has its issues. It's easy to get into the whole grass is greener mentality and at the end of the day, unless you really think through your priorities (or your kids) and are aware of the trade offs, you're likely to wind up just as frustrated as you began. No club is perfect, no coach is perfect, and no team nor player is perfect. If you can surround yourself with good people, good kids who share the same goals as yours (and you really need to think through what your ultimate goals are), and good coaches, you've done pretty damn well - likely better than most.

Very thoughtful response. Thanks. This would be the third year with a kickball yeller on an "A" team and everyone in my family is over it. Change is coming one way or another for us. Just trying to figure out the best methods.