SCDSL - playing same teams 3 times in one season?

[Not_that_Serious]

I think my kid's team plays a couple of the same teams twice.
Personally, I'd rather do that than drive 3 hours to play a new team.
With all the tournament play, there is plenty of opportunity to play against other teams.
IMHO, it can be good to play a team multiple times. I think it gives an opportunity to focus on different things than perhaps playing against a complete unknown. Maybe the defender is strong or weak that is going up against your kid. Maybe they have a really talented offensive player going against your kid-- it maybe allows them to focus on something more specific.
I think it also allows one to learn the local landscape better. What coaches you may like/dislike. What players your kid may end up potentially playing with.
At the end of the day, we all get a little more weekend. That is a good thing.

yep small divisions are better. got my oldest's schedule that has only 2 divisions where teams only play each other once and that gets some far away games. 2hrs to drive, 2 hours in between and 2 hours back already kills 6hrs. almost okay if the games are 8am on a Sat, but they arent. Almost noon on a Sunday - bogus. Its worse for the team we are visiting as they have to travel further more often for their away games. #silverlining

 

[broshark]

The beast has already been created. There’s really no need, and not enough talent, to have more than 2 teams per age group within a club.

Kids who love soccer but may not be good enough to play on the top 2 teams don't "need" a place to play? I see.

 

[Josep]

Kids who love soccer but may not be good enough to play on the top 2 teams don't "need" a place to play? I see.

Yeah. Im not good to play in the EPL or the MLS. I play in a Sunday AM beer league.

If you aren’t on a top 2 team within a single age group at a club, you either need a new club or rethink paying for club soccer period. But as long as mommy and daddy can write the check, there will always be a home for kids.

And I get it; it doesn’t look as good on wifey’s Facebook to say that Lil Johnny or Lil Debbie play AYSO. So parents keep paying way too much to win bogus trophies, and play bad soccer, and not develop, because they can afford it. But they can post those photos of third and fourth tier tourney “championship wins.”

I saw a popular club’s post on Instagram recently that its 4th team at a specific age group won its 4th? summer tourney and was the “Best Team yagain” at the West Coast tournament.

What that club failed to mention was that it was competing in either the 2nd or third flight of the tourney, and that team would have been destroyed by any of the other teams in the higher flight.

It’s not just bad marketing, it’s borderline fraud.

But those parents on the team probably believe it, and the uninformed parents at other clubs who are looking for a good home will believe it.

That’s a problem in my eyes.

 

[FourFourTwo]

Kids who love soccer but may not be good enough to play on the top 2 teams don't "need" a place to play? I see.

AYSO.....

 

[RedCard]

I saw a popular club’s post on Instagram recently that its 4th team at a specific age group won its 4th? summer tourney and was the “Best Team yagain” at the West Coast tournament.

What that club failed to mention was that it was competing in either the 2nd or third flight of the tourney, and that team would have been destroyed by any of the other teams in the higher flight.

It’s not just bad marketing, it’s borderline fraud.

But those parents on the team probably believe it, and the uninformed parents at other clubs who are looking for a good home will believe it.

That’s a problem in my eyes.

Well said. This quote is on point.

 

[timbuck]

Yeah. Im not good to play in the EPL or the MLS. I play in a Sunday AM beer league.

If you aren’t on a top 2 team within a single age group at a club, you either need a new club or rethink paying for club soccer period. But as long as mommy and daddy can write the check, there will always be a home for kids.

And I get it; it doesn’t look as good on wifey’s Facebook to say that Lil Johnny or Lil Debbie play AYSO. So parents keep paying way too much to win bogus trophies, and play bad soccer, and not develop, because they can afford it. But they can post those photos of third and fourth tier tourney “championship wins.”

I saw a popular club’s post on Instagram recently that its 4th team at a specific age group won its 4th? summer tourney and was the “Best Team yagain” at the West Coast tournament.

What that club failed to mention was that it was competing in either the 2nd or third flight of the tourney, and that team would have been destroyed by any of the other teams in the higher flight.

It’s not just bad marketing, it’s borderline fraud.

But those parents on the team probably believe it, and the uninformed parents at other clubs who are looking for a good home will believe it.

That’s a problem in my eyes.

As long as the team is playing in the proper flight, then I've got no issue with them posting they won the tournament.
What I do have issue with is when a team plays down a level to win a trophy. IE - Team is playing Flight 1 in the Fall season, but plays in the 2nd or 3rd flight of a tournament. Or if a F2 team wins the 2nd flight of a tournament, but brought along half of the team from their F1/ECNL team to help them win.

 

[Josep]

As long as the team is playing in the proper flight, then I've got no issue with them posting they won the tournament.
What I do have issue with is when a team plays down a level to win a trophy. IE - Team is playing Flight 1 in the Fall season, but plays in the 2nd or 3rd flight of a tournament. Or if a F2 team wins the 2nd flight of a tournament, but brought along half of the team from their F1/ECNL team to help them win.

I think you miss the point. It’s not that they won’t the tourney. It’s that they represent winning an age group.

As for bringing guest players, again, you play to win. Don’t whine about the players in your way to that trophy. Defeat them. I have no problem with guest players regardless of where they come from.

ECNL or DA players aren’t unicorns. They may be better trained or have a better IQ, but they alone may not shine being a guest on a team of 15. Typically you need a roster of those kids to reap the benefits.

I think people forget what winning a trophy or a championship is about outcompeting
the other teams, who have good players and are giving their best.

These same people who complaint about guests are often the same ones who brag about the “rankings” - which is a complete joke in and of itself.

 

[broshark]

AYSO.....

For sure. Why should kids who just play for fun and not national titles be allowed to play all year?

 

[broshark]

I think you miss the point. It’s not that they won’t the tourney. It’s that they represent winning an age group.

As for bringing guest players, again, you play to win. Don’t whine about the players in your way to that trophy. Defeat them. I have no problem with guest players regardless of where they come from.

ECNL or DA players aren’t unicorns. They may be better trained or have a better IQ, but they alone may not shine being a guest on a team of 15. Typically you need a roster of those kids to reap the benefits.

I think people forget what winning a trophy or a championship is about outcompeting
the other teams, who have good players and are giving their best.

These same people who complaint about guests are often the same ones who brag about the “rankings” - which is a complete joke in and of itself.

What's the point of a team winning if they're always pulling kids not on the team in to do it? And while parents may think it's great, kids playing in easier brackets don't get any big thrill out of beating lesser competition. What kids should want - and the best usually DO want - is to beat the best competition around. Parents who think beating lesser players/teams is what it's all about should be smacked.

 

[Josep]

What's the point of a team winning if they're always pulling kids not on the team in to do it? And while parents may think it's great, kids playing in easier brackets don't get any big thrill out of beating lesser competition. What kids should want - and the best usually DO want - is to beat the best competition around. Parents who think beating lesser players/teams is what it's all about should be smacked.

That’s an easy answer: marketing. Clubs use those tourney wins as a lure for the uneducated. I’ve seen it for more than a decade. Coaches tell new parents they won X the year before and that they will enter lots of tourneys leading up to state cup. What they neglect to tell is how training works, and what the development process is. They also don’t talk about pathways for kids to elevate teams within a club. Now you see OC Blammersaxy preaching pathway to DA, and we all know nobody there in being considered for a DA spot in either of the Galaxy programs.

The same argument used against guest players (which i agree with) counters the whining of the teams playing against guest players.

Why not eliminate brackets altogether and just throw every age group team into a tourney? Luck of the draw.

This is hilarious. I also saw on social recently a parent saying their team did well in the second of a flight 2 of a tourney and they lost to a really good DPL team. LOL. What does that even mean? DPL teams have reputations? They are second or third string at some clubs.

The insanity continues.

 

[broshark]

That’s an easy answer: marketing. Clubs use those tourney wins as a lure for the uneducated. I’ve seen it for more than a decade. Coaches tell new parents they won X the year before and that they will enter lots of tourneys leading up to state cup. What they neglect to tell is how training works, and what the development process is. They also don’t talk about pathways for kids to elevate teams within a club. Now you see OC Blammersaxy preaching pathway to DA, and we all know nobody there in being considered for a DA spot in either of the Galaxy programs.

The same argument used against guest players (which i agree with) counters the whining of the teams playing against guest players.

Why not eliminate brackets altogether and just throw every age group team into a tourney? Luck of the draw.

This is hilarious. I also saw on social recently a parent saying their team did well in the second of a flight 2 of a tourney and they lost to a really good DPL team. LOL. What does that even mean? DPL teams have reputations? They are second or third string at some clubs.

The insanity continues.

Are you serious? Do you think there are tons of parents out there being "tricked" into playing for a club because their 4th team won a tier 2 tournament and they put it on facebook? Lulz.

 

[timbuck]

I started following a lot of the local clubs on Instagram recently. I wonder how many people that don't play for those clubs are following their pages. You can tell which one's have put somebody in charge of social media recently.

 

[Messi>CR7]

I saw a popular club’s post on Instagram recently that its 4th team at a specific age group won its 4th? summer tourney and was the “Best Team yagain” at the West Coast tournament.

What that club failed to mention was that it was competing in either the 2nd or third flight of the tourney, and that team would have been destroyed by any of the other teams in the higher flight.

It’s not just bad marketing, it’s borderline fraud.

But those parents on the team probably believe it, and the uninformed parents at other clubs who are looking for a good home will believe it.

That’s a problem in my eyes.

You're being overly dramatic and creating something out of nothing. Every single parent on a flight 3 team knows there are better flight 2 and flight 1 teams. Every parent on a flight 2 team knows there are better flight 1 teams. Most of us do club soccer because our kids love to play, and we have disposable income. We're not stupid enough to think some XYZ team is the best in an age group because they won some XYZ tournament in the summer.

Who cares what these clubs post on their FB or Instagram anyway? Do you really think they should add a disclaimer to the photo so people know they did not win the most difficult flight? I'm pretty sure if you go to UC-Irvine's website, it probably claims it's a world-class university. Should they add a disclaimer to let people know "but Berkely and UCLA are generally considered superior to UC-Irvine within the UC system"?

 

[Josep]

Are you serious? Do you think there are tons of parents out there being "tricked" into playing for a club because their 4th team won a tier 2 tournament and they put it on facebook? Lulz.

Yes. I hear coaches laugh about it somewhat frequently. 90% of the coaches at club at very good used car salesmen.

 

[Josep]

You're being overly dramatic and creating something out of nothing. Every single parent on a flight 3 team knows there are better flight 2 and flight 1 teams. Every parent on a flight 2 team knows there are better flight 1 teams. Most of us do club soccer because our kids love to play, and we have disposable income. We're not stupid enough to think some XYZ team is the best in an age group because they won some XYZ tournament in the summer.

Who cares what these clubs post on their FB or Instagram anyway? Do you really think they should add a disclaimer to the photo so people know they did not win the most difficult flight? I'm pretty sure if you go to UC-Irvine's website, it probably claims it's a world-class university. Should they add a disclaimer to let people know "but Berkely and UCLA are generally considered superior to UC-Irvine within the UC system"?

If you are honest about your approach, great. Yes, you have disposable income. I think I said that in my response.

As for UCI, they are going to tout numbers that they possess that are better than Berkeley. They can’t compete in all areas with Cal. It’s not even close. But I’m sure there are some fields where the compete or excel over Cal. It’s being creative with the stasticts or using third party articles to support the claims.

I’ve heard a lot of parents talk about or ask questions about claims made by coaches. I’ve heard many B team coaches swear they are better than their club’s A team.

I’ve gained a lot of value out of this board in the last dozen or so years. I offer my opinion based in my experiences and conversations with parents of kids at all levels.

Nobody has to agree with it.