High school soccer is garbage. From my personal experience in a CIF-LA league, the teams are never built to full potential. You have talented kids who get grade cut (which in my opinion is the dumbest thing ever), you have coaches who show favoritism to players who are sometimes absolutely terrible but because they were in JV the years before they get an automatic spot. Nobody watches the games, sometimes not even the players families because it’s on a school day where they might be at work. And last but not least you have coaches who keep their jobs every year even though they have terrible results because of seniority. I compare HS Soccer to playing CSL Bronze maybe Silver if we’re being generous.
In my opinion it sounds like the OP is just trying to stir something up because this is Surfs choice. If a kid wants to play HS soccer then leave Surf simple as that. But don’t go saying “oh I thought ECNL said HS soccer is okay so why is surf saying to not do it” because like I said that’s the clubs personal choice.
Maybe your kid had a bad experience, but it's hardly typical. HS allows many elite players, who spend years working hard in club but get zero recognition from their peers, to be finally recognized which can be a big deal. HS soccer can also help elite players develop leadership and individual skills since they get to be the undisputed alpha for a change, whereas they're just one of many on a top club team. If you're upset HS soccer isn't helping kids reach their full potential, you're missing the point because it isn't about that. Of course HS won't help anyone reach their full potential as soccer players but, honestly, that's highly overrated and usually a stupid priority. HS can help many kids reach their potential as well rounded people during some hugely important formative years, however.
Kids also don't get grade cut if they're actually good, with the exception that freshmen playing varsity often presents concerns about physical or emotional maturity. If a kid is cut from HS, or not getting PT due to perceived favoritism, the inescapable reality is they just aren't very good even if reasonable minds differ whether they're better than the crappy kid who barely made the team over them or the worst of the other 10 or more field players who are getting more PT. Almost always, the parent who is angry about these things had ridiculously inflated opinions about their kid's ability, because truly good players are never, ever at risk for those problems. Bad players might be but, if so, it also means they're part of the problem with the sometimes low quality of HS play that you are complaining about.
And if you're upset a coach selected a player for varsity because they worked hard, put in their dues, and showed loyalty over the course of multiple years, I highly recommend you take a step back and re-evaluate, because you are missing a very important life lesson that is so obvious it doesn't need explaining. You are also missing an important lesson if you're upset about HS coaches keeping their job despite poor results, namely that HS soccer is not important to a HS administration compared to pretty much anything. In fact, good for any HS coach who rewards good kids who work hard and show commitment over prima donnas who have bitter angry parents with delusional opinions about their kids' ability and who expect to be given whatever they want just by rolling in and without having to put in any work.
And your assertion that no one watches HS games is wrong. My kid's team had better attendance at every HS game she ever played than any ECNL, GDA or even YNT game, and at least 3 with more than 1,000 fans. I'm sure there are schools where no one watches because they team is shit but, really, if a team is so bad it can't beat other "garbage" opposition, that's the real problem, not HS soccer generally.
P.S. If your a ref, please call quick fouls early on and please hand out yellow and reds. If my kid needs a card, give it to her. I'm really grateful to watch this last season. I'm not happy about being called up to Division 1 but oh well. Safety first refs!!!
