IMO. It should be clearly obvious that a player should play up. If you have to think about it or get sold why she should play up then she shouldn't. And if you do play up she must be on a flight 1 team, playing up on a bronze or flight 2 team will not be the best option unless the trainer/coach is unbelievably good and if they are that good why don't they have the top team. Speed of play and decision making at a flight 1 level is just that much higher regardless of age group.
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- Thread starter Barca1408
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All great opinions and just the kind of dialogue I was hoping to get from my post. My DD played EGSL with the '07 Eagles which was a very good team that just recently won Surf Cup. For me, being a former player who loves technical development as well as a club, high school, and college coach for the last 20 years, it came down to the contrast of the two styles of the coaches between the two teams. I think both have their values. One coach believes that playing in unstructured environments with other great players will elicit development organically. The other runs completely structured functional sessions that emphasize technical development within the framework of the team and will bring in great little nuances(that as a coach I love). So at the end of EGSL I choose the latter coach. When we first went back to the '08 she was head and shoulders above everyone. Over the last several months I have noticed that she has lost a bit of the intensity that the '07 team required and that the other teammates have either been brought up to her standard...or that she has dropped? Just not sure since we play against mostly bad teams in coast and have not played many tough games. Like I said..she can stay in 2nd or 3rd gear and still net 5-10 goals a game. I do see this and think this is the most important aspect. She continues to develop the love of the sport and more and more often when we are sitting around the house she is kicking the ball around and talking more and asking questions about her practice etc. So if not making the jump to the higher age group hurts her in the long run, but somehow inadvertently ignited her love of the sport just a little bit more because of all the positive(albeit easy) outcomes....worth it?
Thanks again for the posts...I really appreciate it.
Papa Teran
BRONZE
This is a great take as to your experience and your thoughts on the subject. I do have a question for you though.. ?
I have 2 kids (son and daughter) in competitive soccer both playing on flight 1 competitive teams. I am a realist and not expecting either of them to become professional athletes, but simply want to provide them the opportunity to learn what it takes to excel and succeed. In my opinion, this is more than just for the sport, but more so by putting in the work ethic, commitment and dedication to progress as a person, player and teammate. For example; We also bring this effort to their school work by using the same premise (homework drills, commitment and focus), which I hope will help them in anything they strive to achieve.
My question is what is your take on your DD overall objective for her soccer future and what are the options? I have only 'leveled' to the U10 realm and know somewhat about the Academy opportunities, but that is only for my son. However, with EGSL and other upcoming leagues, what are the options for girls in the later years? I tend to look ahead to help determine the path I hope for my daughter and I decide on, since as she ages, the choice will be more on her. Here is a great link as to the different zones explained by US Soccer Player Development: http://www.usyouthsoccer.org/assets/1/3/US_Youth_Soccer_Player_Development_Model.pdf.
-Papa
Hi "Papa"...it is a great open ended question because the dialogue could go anywhere. My immediate thoughts go to the evolution of the sporting landscape in terms of year round specialization and what it does in the long term for kids that show a particular aptitude whether it be sport or academics. I have been a high school teacher for 20 years. I taught Math and Science for the first 10 years of my career along with coaching the boys soccer team here. I always saw a direct connection between my student athletes ability to have discipline in the classroom as well as the field of play. So the visceral qualities that sport provides(discipline, teamwork, following directions, working for a greater cause then self etc.) cannot be overstated. Along with being a pretty good little soccer player, my daughter was one of the top gymnasts in southern California competing at level 5 when she just turned 8...there were only seven kids in all of socal who were that young at that level. There is no greater sport in my opinion that elicits the qualities of work ethic, commitment and dedication that you speak of then gymnastics. But those were the qualities that I wanted her to get out of it to help her deal with adversity later in life. Unfortunately, she got too good at to young of an age and the time required(22hours/week) hindered her time for school and soccer. She(we) decided just a few weeks ago to quit gymnastics to focus a bit more time on soccer. Its to bad that we had to make a choice for a girl at 8 years old...but that is the world we are living in.
To answer your question a little more directly about the opportunities for your daughter. I believe there are going to be just as many if not more opportunities for your daughter then your son. With the incorporation of the DAcademy along with ECNL there are going to be plenty of opportunities for our DD's to refine the skills in a competitive environment. This is what I tell all my players who have ambitions of playing professional(and its a lot cause I work in a low income school): Its great if they have ambitions to play pro...I did...but can they use their qualities on the field to parlay that into a higher education....I did. If they are great and have these intangible qualities that both you and I hold important...then that is a great path for our children. I think that path comes in 4 year planned chunks starting right about now. Have a four year plan with both sport and academics layered into the direction of the goals. Have the short terms goals been met along the way? Reevaluate and recalculate if not.
I totally agree with you about the direction that we think is in their best interest and what we can do as parents along the way to help facilitate our children's eventual transition to autonomous good decision making...on and off the field!
Kind of wordy...but I clearly have a lot to say and enjoy it. I look forward to more conversations with everyone.
Papa Teran
BRONZE
Hi "Jake"... It is great to hear the perspective of other parents and coincidentally we also had to choose between gymnastics and soccer when she was a bit younger. By the age of 6 my son was already fully engaged with sport of soccer and trying out other sport, but for my little girl who was 4 going on 5 she was excelling at gymnastics. She was being asked to enter level 3 gymnastics, but as you mentioned the level of commitment was 3 times a week, with weekend events and she wanted to play soccer just like her brother and other sports as well. We chose the soccer path and have been steadily following the same path as her older brother. She has also been able to experience jujitsu, basketball and volleyball, but soccer seems to be her passion and is focused to improve.
However, as you mentioned the girls seem to have a different path as they get older. At this point, I take it week by week with her practices and additional elements (privates, clinics, speed training, etc..) to help improve her game. I believe I found the coach to improve her development at her current age and feel confident I know the path for the next couple years. As any parent does, we just want to provide the opportunity but also make the proper choices to allow her success in the long run.
Thanks again for the reply and apologies also if I got to wordy.
However, as you mentioned the girls seem to have a different path as they get older. At this point, I take it week by week with her practices and additional elements (privates, clinics, speed training, etc..) to help improve her game. I believe I found the coach to improve her development at her current age and feel confident I know the path for the next couple years. As any parent does, we just want to provide the opportunity but also make the proper choices to allow her success in the long run.
Thanks again for the reply and apologies also if I got to wordy.
Cda Slammers - woke
SILVER
Funny how you kept talking about Strikers now your coach and your players are going to Slammers
Pitch Perfect
BRONZE
Funny how you're bringing up a comment from 6 weeks ago, and somehow tying it to a coaching change that's happening now...how exactly are those 2 things connected?! And, you can't seem to quite grasp the fact that "Soccer" is NOT a Strikers parent.
Lastly, if you're trying to imply that the Strikers coaches & players are coming over to "your" club, you're crazy. As "Soccer" mentioned previously, Slammers FC in Newport is completely different from your affiliate up in Cerritos. Plus, you have no idea what's going to happen with the teams for next year. Let's just focus on having a great State Cup and keeping it classy...remember, they're only 8!
Cda Slammers - woke
SILVER
I swear I seen at least half of your team in Newport today with Pete today
Cda Slammers - woke
SILVER
And just because we are CDA don't get confused that we are not affiliated with Newport, I was in petes practice today and I think I saw you today
Pitch Perfect
BRONZE
What are you even talking about?! We're on the '08 forum, I guarantee half of the "our team" was NOT out there tonight. Again...how does this have any relevance on a comment by "Soccer" 6 weeks ago about you & your parents' poor sidelines behavior.
I can 100% tell you I was not there tonight...remember, this is the '08 forum, not '09 or '10. Way to continue to try and stir the pot.
Cda Slammers - woke
SILVER
Just tell me this and we will leave it as is....Pete is a great coach , tell me that you are not going to fallow him to Slammers?
It seems like someone is sore for losing to the Strikers at SurfCup, which I'm not sure why you would be. Your team, CDA Slammers, is a good team, aggressive, but a good team. However, Strikers in the end is the better team, no matter how you calculate it. To come here and try to "downtalk" Strikers about a coaching change is pretty immature. Check yourself.
I'm curious, how does Strikers coaches or teammates moving to a different club concern or affect you? You make it seem like it's a win on your part, as if the Strikers team and coach succumbed to your CDA club. Newport Slammers and CDA Slammers are at two different ends of the spectrum. Comparing your club to Newport is like Anaheim Surf claiming to be as good as San Diego Surf. Nice try there, buddy.
As other members have mentioned previously it seems that your only agenda here is to talk smack about the Strikers. Quit being a bad sport, grow the hell up and move on. This forum is to discuss soccer and our girls, not to hold grudges and throw tantrums when you lose to a better team. Keep it Classy Woke.