I agree. Each club is different and some coaches have a few scholarships available. The top youth boys never pay a dime.
I noticed not even a Pandemic could take down Pay to Play...
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46n2
SILVER ELITE
on my dear , homework to 1-2 am is a normal thing, please don't blame soccer there.....there is plenty of hours to burn after school.
1-2 am for middle school homework? That's not normal.
Middle school homework shouldn't take more than 2 hours, even at a highly academic school.
46n2
SILVER ELITE
Girls and boys doesn't matter , but thats a slippery slope.
Some clubs make you pay for just the shorts , they they own you, no extra outside activities, if coach hears you playing in a indoor league or pickup over the weekend, you don't get to play next game. You see very quickly have fast they drop your kid. Please .....they feel this overwhelming urge to make your kids feel like they did something bad.
Theres plenty of parent that are glad to pay with top seeded kids on a team, just so they can have the liberty to do what they want.
Granted, Messi had gifts of foot speed, agility, probably had a soccer ball with him in his crib...
the real discussion (i think) is whether there are awesome raw talented kids who get drowned out by richer kids who can afford to go on with their club careers without having to apply for financial aid. No doubt that happens, maybe even more frequently in affluent OC.
That’s why I’ve said before that the right path might be to chuck all the club gear, prestige, expensive trips across the country, and instead gather a few like minded families to pay a trainer/coach to focus on the fundamental skills. Cheap compared to the club route and player comes out of it ready to rumble.
the real discussion (i think) is whether there are awesome raw talented kids who get drowned out by richer kids who can afford to go on with their club careers without having to apply for financial aid. No doubt that happens, maybe even more frequently in affluent OC.
That’s why I’ve said before that the right path might be to chuck all the club gear, prestige, expensive trips across the country, and instead gather a few like minded families to pay a trainer/coach to focus on the fundamental skills. Cheap compared to the club route and player comes out of it ready to rumble.
46n2
SILVER ELITE
High school with social life, work, sports, homework is done late late at night, quite normal in my city.
Granted, Messi had gifts of foot speed, agility, probably had a soccer ball with him in his crib...
the real discussion (i think) is whether there are awesome raw talented kids who get drowned out by richer kids who can afford to go on with their club careers without having to apply for financial aid. No doubt that happens, maybe even more frequently in affluent OC.
That’s why I’ve said before that the right path might be to chuck all the club gear, prestige, expensive trips across the country, and instead gather a few like minded families to pay a trainer/coach to focus on the fundamental skills. Cheap compared to the club route and player comes out of it ready to rumble.
the real discussion (i think) is whether there are awesome raw talented kids who get drowned out by richer kids who can afford to go on with their club careers without having to apply for financial aid. No doubt that happens, maybe even more frequently in affluent OC.
That’s why I’ve said before that the right path might be to chuck all the club gear, prestige, expensive trips across the country, and instead gather a few like minded families to pay a trainer/coach to focus on the fundamental skills. Cheap compared to the club route and player comes out of it ready to rumble.
notintheface
GOLD
Ok, it only took 6 pages to start comparing kids to Messi, that's an improvement over the last time this discussion came around.
Your kid is not Messi. Your kid is not going to be Messi. Your kid is going to be unbelievably lucky to be Johan Gomez or Madison Perez. Do not pressure your kid into a work ethic that will only serve to burn him or her out. Let them train, definitely, but also let them experience life. Anyone here who hasn't read the story of Todd Marinovich should read up on what a parent can mistakenly wind up creating.
Your kid is not Messi. Your kid is not going to be Messi. Your kid is going to be unbelievably lucky to be Johan Gomez or Madison Perez. Do not pressure your kid into a work ethic that will only serve to burn him or her out. Let them train, definitely, but also let them experience life. Anyone here who hasn't read the story of Todd Marinovich should read up on what a parent can mistakenly wind up creating.
Or read Cristiano Ronaldo’s story and how he trained 25 hours a week.
Messi>CR7
GOLD
Messi would not have turned into the GOAT if he were born in the US. No club would have paid for his HGH treatment when he was young. Imagine that, a soccer world without Messi.
I live in OC, the bubble inside the bubble as far as club soccer goes. But I know enough people to know it's a real struggle for some to meet the financial/time commitment of club soccer. A friend's U11 or U12 team in LA never had enough money for tournaments. In a few instances, my friend and one other parent paid for the tournament for the entire team just so all the kids can play. The best player on my DD's U11 team always had to leave the practice 25 minutes earlier so her mom could go to her night shift.
Regarding your last comment, I'm 100% sure my kids would lose interest very quickly if they have to train for a year without the possibility of playing in a real 11v11 match.
You don’t understand sports very well. To get to the top in basketball you need physical size and skills. The skills are taught for free every time you step on the court. Doesn’t cost money to find a game and good competition. Soccer in this country is organized and the only good competition is behind a locked gate: the pay to play system.
Basketball in cities includes a lot of free pickup games. NJB is far cheaper than club soccer. Even AAU in low income cities costs less than half what ECNL does. ( You can pay big money for AAU if you want, but there are plenty of Oakland or LA teams that play local and cost less.)
Football is done through the schools. It is awful for school budgets, but free or near free to the families.
In short, those sports charge less per kid for access to top level games.
SoccerEnvy
BRONZE
I get it...but in your scenario, who do you think should be paying for the talented but low resource player? As it is, the clubs that we have been a part of have all had financial programs that for at least half of the fees, sometimes another fund for travel.
$350 a month is a significant amount especially for families who are just making ends meet. But it’s pricing is not unreasonable when you consider 3 practices a week, 1-2 games a weekend (preCovid), field rental, professional coaching and all the other expenses.
And don’t MLS teams fund their “academy” teams? So there is a “no pay to play” option but it is for such a small group of players.
Depends on where you are. I’m up in Nor Cal. There are no top level soccer clubs in Oakland/ east bay. None.
The closest is in Danville, 20 miles away through a tunnel. Or Pleasanton, over a pass. Or Marin, over a toll bridge.
If your family has no car or one car, you are not getting to practice.
It doesn’t matter that any of thise three clubs would be happy to open the door to you. You can’t get to the door.
Basketball is another story. Pickup games after school all over the place, and they are free. AAU is closer, and those teams are just as willing to make it work for a top basketball player. So top athletes in Oakland play hoops.
Chalklines
GOLD
But Todd made. Formula worked until the drungs
SoccerFan4Life
PREMIER
High school basketball is huge and scours will find the best players. That’s not the same for soccer because the market has created these academy programs so scouts don’t go to high school games.
AYSO expanded to AZ last year. This year they are fielding quality teams in the advanced leagues. They are doing great things in communities that will never participate in our esteemed letter leagues. They are certainly focused on rec league but have teams that are competitive within the higher levels of state league.
It's called Nike and Adidas sponsored teams for AAU basketball. No/low cost, very competitive and targeted recruiting in known areas of basketball talent. Not every AAU team is fully sponsored, most aren't. AAU is like the wild wild west. Pay a ton of money at times with zero exposure to anyone. The fully sponsored clubs have a longer reach and get the pick of the litter within their region. AAU is not a loved organization. Football isn't a high cost sport. College coaches are regionally focused and know where to look and are tied to the local HS coaching network. Apples to oranges when comparing how Basketball/Football players are recruited VS soccer players in this country.
Eagle33
PREMIER
On the surface this is 100% true. I think it's naive to think that there aren't large pockets of kids who play soccer (especially in socal) who have no idea that there are these leagues that sprinkle fairy dust on you and send you off to college. Let's be honest, the family down the street who has the "goat" but is unable to play in _____ league because they are a family of 6 with other expenses is different from the family outside of the bubble where the parents are busting their collective ass just to get food on the table. Most coaches aren't going to these areas to recruit, some will, most won't.
There is a club in AZ named Tuzos. They are affiliated with the Mexican League, play in the state league and have teams in what's called the Bimbolito League. Every year they are one of the best, if not the best boys club in the valley. Every year their players are poached, or entire teams are poached, with their coaches. The next year they again field some of the best boys teams in the valley. They have an endless supply of U littles. Their costs are very low to play.
Paul Spacey
SILVER ELITE
Financial restriction arguments will always be there in a pay-to-play sport but like many posters have said; if you are a good player you will usually find opportunities, whether or not you have the financial means.
The key to being a good young player has very little to do with coaching or money. It is about early engagement with a soccer ball from a young age. Notice I didn’t say specialization, that’s a different thing; early engagement just means being exposed to a soccer ball and basic fundamentals at a young age. Tom Byer (many of you likely have heard of him) talks about it at length and is the biggest proponent of early technical development via engagement with the ball. This is down to parents, not coaches.
If you have a young kid and want them to enjoy the game and be competent, have them learn the fundamentals. If you want to learn more about how to do this, look up Tom Byer or buy his ‘Football starts at home’ book.
I talked to my twin brother back in England about this when my nephew was born. He’s now 7 and for the past 2 years he’s worked on the basics of dribbling, passing and shooting (he does other sports but enjoys soccer so plays it more often). Because of this engagement at an early age, he passes, dribbles and strikes the ball with power, precision and the kind of technique you would expect from a much older kid. This now gives him an advantage entering competitive play with other kids; it’s just about having that base.
You pick up the technical skills and fundamentals from early engagement and repetition; this gives you a very strong foundation and then you can learn the game as you get older with the help of a coach (and of course by playing pickup soccer).
I’ve ranted long enough. Hopefully you get the point. Money doesn’t have to be a limiting factor.
The key to being a good young player has very little to do with coaching or money. It is about early engagement with a soccer ball from a young age. Notice I didn’t say specialization, that’s a different thing; early engagement just means being exposed to a soccer ball and basic fundamentals at a young age. Tom Byer (many of you likely have heard of him) talks about it at length and is the biggest proponent of early technical development via engagement with the ball. This is down to parents, not coaches.
If you have a young kid and want them to enjoy the game and be competent, have them learn the fundamentals. If you want to learn more about how to do this, look up Tom Byer or buy his ‘Football starts at home’ book.
I talked to my twin brother back in England about this when my nephew was born. He’s now 7 and for the past 2 years he’s worked on the basics of dribbling, passing and shooting (he does other sports but enjoys soccer so plays it more often). Because of this engagement at an early age, he passes, dribbles and strikes the ball with power, precision and the kind of technique you would expect from a much older kid. This now gives him an advantage entering competitive play with other kids; it’s just about having that base.
You pick up the technical skills and fundamentals from early engagement and repetition; this gives you a very strong foundation and then you can learn the game as you get older with the help of a coach (and of course by playing pickup soccer).
I’ve ranted long enough. Hopefully you get the point. Money doesn’t have to be a limiting factor.