SoccerFan4Life
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Blues!!!! all the way.
Is club soccer a waste of time/money for youngers (under 10 yo)?
- Thread starter Socal-Soccer-Dad
- Start date
Blues!!!! all the way.
At that age? It’s a kid that can outrun all the other kids and score. You only need one. And you need one to earn the promotion and keep the parents from leaving for higher level pastures.
hats off for your coach and team being able to do that. It’s the exception rather than the rule. First you need a coach that wants and can develop players and which sticks (doesn’t change jobs and club doesn’t move them) with the team for several years. Second you need families that are all dedicated and willing to put in the work, that don’t scapegoat players learning during the painful part and the more physically and technically advanced players don’t move on to higher level teams.
the best teams my sons played for with the best development focused coaches are still puttering around in the lower levels. The more advanced players eventually got bored and looked for greener pastures so team has to start over. Rinse repeat every year.
It was called kickball in my dd younger years. Kick the ball over the top and have the fastest one run it down for the goal and the victory and the glory. Boring and not how soccer should be played. Direct has some passing, kickball does not. Possession that's starts from the back is how soccer should be played always. No GK punts allowed until last 5 minutes of a match. Everything needs to be played from the back. No rushing on the first pass inside the goal box so defender can have time to collect and turn and look to pass to next player.
Ps this isn’t even the worst thing because it has a grain of truth to it. You really do need just that 1 impact player at that age that can outrun the defenders in order to keep parents happy and earn any required promotions
the bigger sin is the teams that think the goalkeeper can actually make a difference at that age. On the girls end fortunately there’s less of it because many of the lower level teams just want a goalkeeper due to the shortage. But on the boys end it can be brutal and the goalkeepers can be scapegoated if the team performs badly but at that age their responsibility really should be just balls shot straight at them.
Some of the best athletes my kids played with eventually decided they were better (or had better opportunities available) in other sports. Really good soccer players at age 10 wandered off to baseball, football, basketball, distance running, and karate. The biggest and best player on their first competitive team at the U8 level is still making a living playing pro tennis - his mom put him in a summer tennis program at age 11 and he never played soccer again.
So true. Also, if the impact players parent(s) are poor or just have no extra money, the team of parents can pick up the impact players fees and pay for all travel costs. That is an impact player Grace T. How's this for an ad looking for one "Impact" player:
Attention all soccer parent(s) with an impact* player. Our Elite team is in need of one impact* player. We have the defenders that can knock other players down and then kick it over the top for your impact* player to score and get all the glory. Is your child the next IMPACT* player?
*Faster then anyone else on the team.
That was me Espola. I played AYSO up until 8th grade as did all the great athletes in Laguna. High school came and it came down to Hoops vs Soccer for me. It was a no brainer. Magic and showtime had my heart and I fell in love with basketball. I knew in 8th grade I had no real chance at baseball. I went to a Norm Sherry & Del Crandall baseball camp and I saw 100 mph up close and personal, plus Charlie Hough did bating practice and I saw his knuckleball up close and just enough to tell me no chance to go pro. @Multi Sport took Guidry deep on 0-2 pitch so he knew what he was doing. Bro, why no MLB? Minors? I tried once when I was 19 in Semi Pro but that failed.
This is why I think it's crazy how insane some parents get over this stuff for the younger kids. Competing attention and puberty have massive impacts on kids. It really makes no sense getting all whacko over all of this stuff. That said, there's nothing wrong with seeking out the best environment for you kid.
Puberty has a huge impact. I have seen kids who were far and away the superstars at 12 years old. Same core team as seniors in high school, and those top 12 years olds were average at best on the team. The kids on the bench at 12 years old were some of the best players as seniors in HS, and went on to play college soccer. The reason the stars at 12 years old were so successful then is because they hit their peak growth before everyone else. They were bigger and stronger than their peers. The others hit their growth spurts later, and surpassed those players.
Puberty can also take away a players pace. A once fast player, sometimes loses that speed when puberty hits.
Puberty can also take away a players pace. A once fast player, sometimes loses that speed when puberty hits.
My U15 son has played club soccer since U7. Dabbled in a few other sports when he was younger, but otherwise was full time competitive soccer with DA and MLS Next. He was a starter on his MLS Next team and just quit. Would have liked him to finish out the season but given the circumstances with the 3rd new coach this season there was no point in staying. He was likely on a trajectory where he could have played college soccer on a scholarship, but we were never planning that as an outcome. The DOC of the club and an old coach who is now at another club are trying hard to convince him to not quit soccer as they claim he has a bright future. He's not persuaded at all. He was never passionate about soccer and played because he was good. He handles pressure just fine, but doesn't like it. He felt a lot of pressure from his coaches. It stopped being fun.
I think in some ways the term "burnout" is overused. As you mention, I think other opportunities and interests play a roll in that as well, particularly as kids go to high school. He will be going next year and plans to play football, basketball and golf, when he is not skating, surfing, snowboarding or hanging with friends. It takes a different sort of kid to stick with soccer. I was super bummed when he quit, but just I few weeks later I can say I'm enjoying having my weekends back and I have a new buddy for the slopes.
One thing I will say about club coaches. Most are very knowledgeable about soccer, but very few know how to teach, communicate and motivate kids.
I was told by the guru himself that from the beginning of puberty for girls through the end of high school many things will happen to the female and their body. My kid was always the smallest on the team and grew 6 inches in two years to finish 5 5' Maybe she has a late growth and adds one more inch, but could be all done. Not bad way to finsih for how she started in soccer. The big girls that were fast and coordinated put her on the grass way too much. You can't score if your on the ground all the time. Today's game is super physical in college. I also think confidence hit females hard going into middle school. Looks, insecurities, boys, peer pressure, home work and being introduced to other sports and other things to do play a big roll in why some girls get more confident and better and the other great 12 year old quits in middle school because it's too hard. It happens to boys as well. I was one of the best baseball players in little league in 6th grade. All stars and I was super fast and could steal a base at will. Basically, if I got to 1st base, I was scoring
The boys were still boys and just a few man Childs in 6th grade. I was late to the game to become a real man in middle school and I was super small and super fast. Middle school the boys who became men before me destroyed me in everything. My size killed me and I just became a good baseball and basketball player the rest of my life. I played varsity hoops in 10th grade against the Call brothers and DeCases Bros and I was only 5 5' and under 150 lbs. I got destroyed and humbled all in that year. I look back and I'm shocked my little school had to play in the South Coast League but it taught me to be tough and how to lose. I had no business playing against D1 talent week after week. I went to Troy my Sr year that helped me be more confident. I grew 5 inches as well in two years and finished 5 10' and first team all league in Freeway league. Boys do not lose speed, but girls do. I was told if your dd keeps her speed, be happy
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Thanks for sharing. It's all or nothing for these types of kids and it's good to have choices at this age. My wife's brother David played club for his dad and a big time club that also had Jim Edmonds on it. David was the best player on the team and when a goal was needed, David's name was yelled all the time, "get it to David" was called to save the day. Grandpa was from Guatemala and soccer is King and he loved to win and he coached to win. It was highest level of club and winning was the only goal. David was quiet and to himself but was so crafty and fast and well built and could score. His dad was out going and yelled a lot in Spanish. Well, after winning it all and being a hero, David told his dad, "futbol no mas Papi." Dad was sad but told his son do want you have passion for son. He enrolled at Walnut High School and played football all four years. Was all-league nose guard and had offers to play JC at MT Sac. My wife say's David could have been soccer pro but hated the yelling and all the pressure. He lives in Japan with his wife and three kids. Great guy and a calm soul
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youthsportsuggghhhhgghh
BRONZE
I would say yes -- even up to 12, unless you get a group of kids that all understand moving without the ball and not play kick ball or group ball. Get some private lessons and play rec with some like minded friends. Then when the kid has had lots of touches and comfortable with the ball start the search of where to pay to play
and not play kick ball or group ball. Get some private lessons and play rec with some like minded friends. Then when the kid has had lots of touches and comfortable with the ball start the search of where to pay to playa kid with considerable talent, and based on your comment, most likely out of your "price" range
Here's my guess. Strikers will be cheaper on the girls side and more on the boys side. I spoke to a little stud MLS kid and asked him straight up, "hey bro, ECNL or MLS for boys. He said said MLS 100% and smiled. Great kid. Liverpool is slightly more next season and Blues will charge more. I used to get a can of beans for $.99 and now a can of beans is $1.49. Prices will go up like anything and club soccer will go up to play in socal.
Multi Sport
DA
Easy answer..I started my own company at 20 and haven't looked back.