Team selection advice needed for 7yr girl

[TrailBraking]

Hi everyone, a dad of a 7yr old girl here. Seeking some advice on club selection and AYSO extra. My daughter has been doing AYSO rec for two seasons, one Spring this year and fall this year. She has been doing very well so I am looking for more challenge for her. She just finished the tryout week and got 2 SoCal League flight2 team offers. She is also contacted by the to-be AYSO Extra coach before tryout. This is my only child so no prior experience on club soccer or even sports teams before. My daughter is shy, and also a December kid. Physically she is one of the smallest, even though she is very fast. So debating between those three teams:

1. A very well known, one of the best if not the best clubs locally. It is a flight2 team offer and the 3rd team in the club. The 1st and 2nd team of the club both play in flight 1. We need to make a decision this weekend. My daughter loves the club as she has been playing in several camps there but the team itself is completely new. The coach has good credential and previously a 1st & 2nd team coach in another club. Just joined this club recently. Our concern is it will be a full 1-yr commitment, and more likely my daughter will be the weaker if not the weakest player in the team even though she might have good potential. We are worried she loses joy and confidence there because of the competition.
2. The other flight2 team is from a newer and smaller club. That team is an existing team playing in U8 flight3 now. The coach might not be as experienced as the option 1 but I heard the youth director for girls has pretty good reputation previously from a top club. The team my daughter is joining is the top team in that club. The best thing about this choice is the coach and director mentioned my daughter is invited to participate in the training with the team from now to say Feb and then decide. No need to rush after I expressed my concern that whether my daughter will like it and commit for a full year. Just by observing the tryout and two tournament games, I feel my daughter might be around the middle or maybe even upper-mid in the team.
3. Finally is AYSO Extra team. My daughter loved her time in AYSO Rec both seasons. There will be her friends in the Extra team as well. The concern I have is she likely to be one of the top players there. Every time when I sent her to the camp host by option 1's club, she improved so much. So she might not develop as fast. Price is definitely cheaper (~500 vs. ~3000), can be a factor but I can afford the club no problem.

Many thanks for the help in advance!

 

[crush]

Hi everyone, a dad of a 7yr old girl here. Seeking some advice on club selection and AYSO extra. My daughter has been doing AYSO rec for two seasons, one Spring this year and fall this year. She has been doing very well so I am looking for more challenge for her. She just finished the tryout week and got 2 SoCal League flight2 team offers. She is also contacted by the to-be AYSO Extra coach before tryout. This is my only child so no prior experience on club soccer or even sports teams before. My daughter is shy, and also a December kid. Physically she is one of the smallest, even though she is very fast. So debating between those three teams:

1. A very well known, one of the best if not the best clubs locally. It is a flight2 team offer and the 3rd team in the club. The 1st and 2nd team of the club both play in flight 1. We need to make a decision this weekend. My daughter loves the club as she has been playing in several camps there but the team itself is completely new. The coach has good credential and previously a 1st & 2nd team coach in another club. Just joined this club recently. Our concern is it will be a full 1-yr commitment, and more likely my daughter will be the weaker if not the weakest player in the team even though she might have good potential. We are worried she loses joy and confidence there because of the competition.
2. The other flight2 team is from a newer and smaller club. That team is an existing team playing in U8 flight3 now. The coach might not be as experienced as the option 1 but I heard the youth director for girls has pretty good reputation previously from a top club. The team my daughter is joining is the top team in that club. The best thing about this choice is the coach and director mentioned my daughter is invited to participate in the training with the team from now to say Feb and then decide. No need to rush after I expressed my concern that whether my daughter will like it and commit for a full year. Just by observing the tryout and two tournament games, I feel my daughter might be around the middle or maybe even upper-mid in the team.
3. Finally is AYSO Extra team. My daughter loved her time in AYSO Rec both seasons. There will be her friends in the Extra team as well. The concern I have is she likely to be one of the top players there. Every time when I sent her to the camp host by option 1's club, she improved so much. So she might not develop as fast. Price is definitely cheaper (~500 vs. ~3000), can be a factor but I can afford the club no problem.

Many thanks for the help in advance!

Welcome to the forum. We're all here to help anyway we can. This is a very loving group who cares about each child on here. My son was selected for AYSO Select as well when he was 8. However, one of the top coaches in all of Temecula saw how fast he was and asked me to take him to tryouts. Well, he was fast, but the other players had skill and speed and he offered my boy a spot on his B team for $1500 + the hidden fees you find out about later. This was in 2009. Plus, full time travel soccer. We chose AYSO Select but then the Select Coach quit, and it was a big mess. I kept him in AYSO until 8th grade and he had fun. My dear daughter (DD) on the other hand had the speed and the skills and was offered a spot an hour and half away to the #1 club in the country at the time and the best coach ever so we jumped at it. It was good and bad and if I could do it over, I would have stayed local in Temecula and built a winner with coach Jenny. Good luck friend and way to be a good dad asking for advice.

 

[#girldad]

At 7-years old, I would definitely keep her in AYSO or other local neighborhood league. This will allow her to do other 7-year-old things since the season is short and not as time consuming and demanding as a club team. Introduce her to everything and see what she enjoys the most. Don't be like most parents and only put her in the sport that they know and like. My daughter started at 6, doing Tae Kwon Do, Soccer, softball and flag football. At 10, her AYSO Extra team went to the Western States Championships in Nevada. She decided at 12-years old to strictly play soccer and that's when she started club soccer. Playing other sports and activities will develop athletic skills which she can apply to soccer. Many people were commenting that 12 is too late to put in club, but luckily for us she received a D1 scholarship. In short, introduce her to everything and let her and her abilities determine which route to go.

 

[Carlsbad7]

Ask yourself if you and your daughter want to do year round soccer. If yes look for the best club and more specifically best coach that practices closest to your house.

Something interesting I got from what you wrote is that you think your daughter is small compared to other players. But coaches are reaching out and offering your kids spots on their teams. Either this means your daughter is good or the coaches are just looking for bodies.

Also at 7 look into Futsal. You might discover that she likes futsal more than regular soccer.

 

[Grace T.]

Hi everyone, a dad of a 7yr old girl here. Seeking some advice on club selection and AYSO extra. My daughter has been doing AYSO rec for two seasons, one Spring this year and fall this year. She has been doing very well so I am looking for more challenge for her. She just finished the tryout week and got 2 SoCal League flight2 team offers. She is also contacted by the to-be AYSO Extra coach before tryout. This is my only child so no prior experience on club soccer or even sports teams before. My daughter is shy, and also a December kid. Physically she is one of the smallest, even though she is very fast. So debating between those three teams:

1. A very well known, one of the best if not the best clubs locally. It is a flight2 team offer and the 3rd team in the club. The 1st and 2nd team of the club both play in flight 1. We need to make a decision this weekend. My daughter loves the club as she has been playing in several camps there but the team itself is completely new. The coach has good credential and previously a 1st & 2nd team coach in another club. Just joined this club recently. Our concern is it will be a full 1-yr commitment, and more likely my daughter will be the weaker if not the weakest player in the team even though she might have good potential. We are worried she loses joy and confidence there because of the competition.
2. The other flight2 team is from a newer and smaller club. That team is an existing team playing in U8 flight3 now. The coach might not be as experienced as the option 1 but I heard the youth director for girls has pretty good reputation previously from a top club. The team my daughter is joining is the top team in that club. The best thing about this choice is the coach and director mentioned my daughter is invited to participate in the training with the team from now to say Feb and then decide. No need to rush after I expressed my concern that whether my daughter will like it and commit for a full year. Just by observing the tryout and two tournament games, I feel my daughter might be around the middle or maybe even upper-mid in the team.
3. Finally is AYSO Extra team. My daughter loved her time in AYSO Rec both seasons. There will be her friends in the Extra team as well. The concern I have is she likely to be one of the top players there. Every time when I sent her to the camp host by option 1's club, she improved so much. So she might not develop as fast. Price is definitely cheaper (~500 vs. ~3000), can be a factor but I can afford the club no problem.

Many thanks for the help in advance!

Agree with girl dad’s advice. The key words you wrote were December birthday, shy and she’d likely to be on the weaker side of the first team. A huge ton of success at the early years is just how close to the age line they are. Being on the weaker end of the team is just going to set her up for frustration. She’s also very young and you have a lot of time still to move her up.

For the extras slot you will have to take it quickly if offered. They need to fill the team and will move on quickly if given. Extras has downsized a lot post Covid but I believe the system still works the same that they need to hold open try outs.

The other great developers at this age is you can find her a group session with a private trainer (many run like mini camps) or put together a group on your own, futsal (which is great for speed of play) or in the case of extras it leaves some time for cross training in another sport (much harder with club due to the year long commitments and heavy game/tournament schedule)

 

[crush]

Something interesting I got from what you wrote is that you think your daughter is small compared to other players. But coaches are reaching out and offering your kids spots on their teams. Either this means your daughter is good or the coaches are just looking for bodies.

Bodies that have parents that can pay for play

 

[sigmabody]

It really depends on what you think is best for her, at that age, imho.

If you want to optimize for her soccer potential, and can afford it (without impacting other areas/concerns at all), then the lower-tier team on the higher tier club is probably the best option. That gives the best potential for improvement, constant challenge, and the ability to move up over time if she improves significantly. This is better for improvement than being a higher level player in a smaller club, imho (where you might not be challenged as much, and/or might be limited by the other players).

If you want less expensive, some improvement, and less chance of burnout (along with some less time commitment, depending on the team), then AYSO Extra is probably your best bet. The quality of coaching there will vary, though, and AYSO has effectively pushed out a lot of players post Covid, so don't expect a really high quality talent pool there.

The smaller club sounds like it might be good if you want more input and consideration in the overall process; often you can have more impactful feedback and good communication and considerations in a smaller club. That might have some outsized benefits to you as a parent. It also might make for a better overall experience than a larger club environment (this is heavily dependent on the specifics of the clubs).

Overall, I'd consider the above, and what other members here said, and consider what's best for your daughter. 7 is young; don't feel like you need to commit to soccer now or anything to potentially be good later. Cross training, exposure, and fun are the most important qualities at that age, imho. Good luck.

 

[sockma]

Hi everyone, a dad of a 7yr old girl here. Seeking some advice on club selection and AYSO extra. My daughter has been doing AYSO rec for two seasons, one Spring this year and fall this year. She has been doing very well so I am looking for more challenge for her. She just finished the tryout week and got 2 SoCal League flight2 team offers. She is also contacted by the to-be AYSO Extra coach before tryout. This is my only child so no prior experience on club soccer or even sports teams before. My daughter is shy, and also a December kid. Physically she is one of the smallest, even though she is very fast. So debating between those three teams:

1. A very well known, one of the best if not the best clubs locally. It is a flight2 team offer and the 3rd team in the club. The 1st and 2nd team of the club both play in flight 1. We need to make a decision this weekend. My daughter loves the club as she has been playing in several camps there but the team itself is completely new. The coach has good credential and previously a 1st & 2nd team coach in another club. Just joined this club recently. Our concern is it will be a full 1-yr commitment, and more likely my daughter will be the weaker if not the weakest player in the team even though she might have good potential. We are worried she loses joy and confidence there because of the competition.
2. The other flight2 team is from a newer and smaller club. That team is an existing team playing in U8 flight3 now. The coach might not be as experienced as the option 1 but I heard the youth director for girls has pretty good reputation previously from a top club. The team my daughter is joining is the top team in that club. The best thing about this choice is the coach and director mentioned my daughter is invited to participate in the training with the team from now to say Feb and then decide. No need to rush after I expressed my concern that whether my daughter will like it and commit for a full year. Just by observing the tryout and two tournament games, I feel my daughter might be around the middle or maybe even upper-mid in the team.
3. Finally is AYSO Extra team. My daughter loved her time in AYSO Rec both seasons. There will be her friends in the Extra team as well. The concern I have is she likely to be one of the top players there. Every time when I sent her to the camp host by option 1's club, she improved so much. So she might not develop as fast. Price is definitely cheaper (~500 vs. ~3000), can be a factor but I can afford the club no problem.

Many thanks for the help in advance!

At her age, choose the best coach (one that is dedicated to the team, motivates and can develop skills). A coach from a big club means nothing more than that. Your entire resource should be asking the parents on the team about the coach or parents of previous players on his/her team and go observe the team and coach. Sidelines during games, especially tough games, will tell you a lot about the team dynamics, but maybe nothing about the coach.

Make sure she will get plenty of playing time because nothing kills a 7 year old's desire to play more than warming a bench.

Do not worry about big/small club or level she is playing at. DO NOT choose a big club because there is potential to move up (bs) and do not choose a big club bc you think the coaches are better (bc that's not true).

Everything you do up until u12/13, should be based entirely on the coach and your child's personality/desires.

 

[soccermax2]

Hi everyone, a dad of a 7yr old girl here. Seeking some advice on club selection and AYSO extra. My daughter has been doing AYSO rec for two seasons, one Spring this year and fall this year. She has been doing very well so I am looking for more challenge for her. She just finished the tryout week and got 2 SoCal League flight2 team offers. She is also contacted by the to-be AYSO Extra coach before tryout. This is my only child so no prior experience on club soccer or even sports teams before. My daughter is shy, and also a December kid. Physically she is one of the smallest, even though she is very fast. So debating between those three teams:

1. A very well known, one of the best if not the best clubs locally. It is a flight2 team offer and the 3rd team in the club. The 1st and 2nd team of the club both play in flight 1. We need to make a decision this weekend. My daughter loves the club as she has been playing in several camps there but the team itself is completely new. The coach has good credential and previously a 1st & 2nd team coach in another club. Just joined this club recently. Our concern is it will be a full 1-yr commitment, and more likely my daughter will be the weaker if not the weakest player in the team even though she might have good potential. We are worried she loses joy and confidence there because of the competition.
2. The other flight2 team is from a newer and smaller club. That team is an existing team playing in U8 flight3 now. The coach might not be as experienced as the option 1 but I heard the youth director for girls has pretty good reputation previously from a top club. The team my daughter is joining is the top team in that club. The best thing about this choice is the coach and director mentioned my daughter is invited to participate in the training with the team from now to say Feb and then decide. No need to rush after I expressed my concern that whether my daughter will like it and commit for a full year. Just by observing the tryout and two tournament games, I feel my daughter might be around the middle or maybe even upper-mid in the team.
3. Finally is AYSO Extra team. My daughter loved her time in AYSO Rec both seasons. There will be her friends in the Extra team as well. The concern I have is she likely to be one of the top players there. Every time when I sent her to the camp host by option 1's club, she improved so much. So she might not develop as fast. Price is definitely cheaper (~500 vs. ~3000), can be a factor but I can afford the club no problem.

Many thanks for the help in advance!

Welcome & good luck on your journey. You have already gotten some good advice from the other parents. I have 2 girls, one went through the journey and played college soccer and got her education paid for. She was strong, fast & extroverted (which means cocky ).

My current daughter is fast, better skilled & has a better work ethic but introverted. The wrong coach killed her confidence. Through growth, maturity and a MUCH better coach she is back at the top. But it took a bit of work.

IMO if she is shy & smaller don’t be so fast to make the jump to club, especially the BIG club. BIG clubs are about business at any age, if your kid ain’t getting the “W” you will see 7 and 8 yr. olds riding a bench. Plus it’s REALLY expensive & time consuming!

At 7, I’d stick with AYSO select or extra as long as you can. Playing and having fun should be the priority at this age. There are some small community clubs that have reasonable schedules and pricing too. But both my girls stuck with AYSO until they absolutely couldn’t. Then small community clubs then the big clubs if you really looking to compete but you have a long way to go!

Good luck to you & your family!

 

[rainbow_unicorn]

Always pick club over AYSO Extra...will get more/better training. Some AYSO Extra coaches have no business coaching soccer. Regarding which club to pick, go with your daughter's and your own gut instinct after playing with the teams. Just a one-year commitment so can always change after the season is over.

 

[wiseoldsoccerdad]

May be late for your decision as you mentioned this weekend, but if I could do this over again, I would have kept my girls out of club soccer for as long as possible. Let them do many different sports and just play and be a kid. The youth sports structure we have in southern california is ridiculous. Once you get trapped in it it might be difficult to get out, and your kid will start identifying themself as a soccer player and comparing themselves to others in that light. I think it is probably healthier (physically and mentally) to put them in environments where they can try new things. If they want to keep doing soccer look at futsal programs or a good private trainer to supplement training over a club environment. Everyone always says "find a good coach" but we have had so many "good coaches" fired by the club we joined for that coach. The parents in club soccer (sorry!!) can be incredibly toxic as well. And know that in many clubs the flight 2 and 3 are just there for the money. They put the best coaches with the flight 1 kids and more or less blackball the kids who weren't originally selected for that higher flight. They will not move kids around because they want to keep the teams together because each team is a bucket of money and the more buckets the more money. There are obviously exceptions to everything. Good luck!

 

[crush]

May be late for your decision as you mentioned this weekend, but if I could do this over again, I would have kept my girls out of club soccer for as long as possible. Let them do many different sports and just play and be a kid. The youth sports structure we have in southern california is ridiculous. Once you get trapped in it it might be difficult to get out, and your kid will start identifying themself as a soccer player and comparing themselves to others in that light. I think it is probably healthier (physically and mentally) to put them in environments where they can try new things. If they want to keep doing soccer look at futsal programs or a good private trainer to supplement training over a club environment. Everyone always says "find a good coach" but we have had so many "good coaches" fired by the club we joined for that coach. The parents in club soccer (sorry!!) can be incredibly toxic as well. And know that in many clubs the flight 2 and 3 are just there for the money. They put the best coaches with the flight 1 kids and more or less blackball the kids who weren't originally selected for that higher flight. They will not move kids around because they want to keep the teams together because each team is a bucket of money and the more buckets the more money. There are obviously exceptions to everything. Good luck!

Sage advice

 

[aong cangkol]

Hi everyone, a dad of a 7yr old girl here. Seeking some advice on club selection and AYSO extra. My daughter has been doing AYSO rec for two seasons, one Spring this year and fall this year. She has been doing very well so I am looking for more challenge for her. She just finished the tryout week and got 2 SoCal League flight2 team offers. She is also contacted by the to-be AYSO Extra coach before tryout. This is my only child so no prior experience on club soccer or even sports teams before. My daughter is shy, and also a December kid. Physically she is one of the smallest, even though she is very fast. So debating between those three teams:

1. A very well known, one of the best if not the best clubs locally. It is a flight2 team offer and the 3rd team in the club. The 1st and 2nd team of the club both play in flight 1. We need to make a decision this weekend. My daughter loves the club as she has been playing in several camps there but the team itself is completely new. The coach has good credential and previously a 1st & 2nd team coach in another club. Just joined this club recently. Our concern is it will be a full 1-yr commitment, and more likely my daughter will be the weaker if not the weakest player in the team even though she might have good potential. We are worried she loses joy and confidence there because of the competition.
2. The other flight2 team is from a newer and smaller club. That team is an existing team playing in U8 flight3 now. The coach might not be as experienced as the option 1 but I heard the youth director for girls has pretty good reputation previously from a top club. The team my daughter is joining is the top team in that club. The best thing about this choice is the coach and director mentioned my daughter is invited to participate in the training with the team from now to say Feb and then decide. No need to rush after I expressed my concern that whether my daughter will like it and commit for a full year. Just by observing the tryout and two tournament games, I feel my daughter might be around the middle or maybe even upper-mid in the team.
3. Finally is AYSO Extra team. My daughter loved her time in AYSO Rec both seasons. There will be her friends in the Extra team as well. The concern I have is she likely to be one of the top players there. Every time when I sent her to the camp host by option 1's club, she improved so much. So she might not develop as fast. Price is definitely cheaper (~500 vs. ~3000), can be a factor but I can afford the club no problem.

Many thanks for the help in advance!

Definitely put her to AYSO Extra, don't even consider club at 7 yr old and Dec birthday. If coaching is really bad, you can spend money for private coaching and still save some $$ plus she would be happier.
You can quit AYSO Extra Next year or even after 6 months if she is really miserable.

 

[Mystery Train]

Hi everyone, a dad of a 7yr old girl here. Seeking some advice on club selection and AYSO extra. My daughter has been doing AYSO rec for two seasons, one Spring this year and fall this year. She has been doing very well so I am looking for more challenge for her. She just finished the tryout week and got 2 SoCal League flight2 team offers. She is also contacted by the to-be AYSO Extra coach before tryout. This is my only child so no prior experience on club soccer or even sports teams before. My daughter is shy, and also a December kid. Physically she is one of the smallest, even though she is very fast. So debating between those three teams:

1. A very well known, one of the best if not the best clubs locally. It is a flight2 team offer and the 3rd team in the club. The 1st and 2nd team of the club both play in flight 1. We need to make a decision this weekend. My daughter loves the club as she has been playing in several camps there but the team itself is completely new. The coach has good credential and previously a 1st & 2nd team coach in another club. Just joined this club recently. Our concern is it will be a full 1-yr commitment, and more likely my daughter will be the weaker if not the weakest player in the team even though she might have good potential. We are worried she loses joy and confidence there because of the competition.
2. The other flight2 team is from a newer and smaller club. That team is an existing team playing in U8 flight3 now. The coach might not be as experienced as the option 1 but I heard the youth director for girls has pretty good reputation previously from a top club. The team my daughter is joining is the top team in that club. The best thing about this choice is the coach and director mentioned my daughter is invited to participate in the training with the team from now to say Feb and then decide. No need to rush after I expressed my concern that whether my daughter will like it and commit for a full year. Just by observing the tryout and two tournament games, I feel my daughter might be around the middle or maybe even upper-mid in the team.
3. Finally is AYSO Extra team. My daughter loved her time in AYSO Rec both seasons. There will be her friends in the Extra team as well. The concern I have is she likely to be one of the top players there. Every time when I sent her to the camp host by option 1's club, she improved so much. So she might not develop as fast. Price is definitely cheaper (~500 vs. ~3000), can be a factor but I can afford the club no problem.

Many thanks for the help in advance!

Welcome. You'll get a lot of varying opinions on here, but stick around long enough, you'll be able to spot the members on the forum who have been through it all and can give you the best feeback.

My daughter loved her time in AYSO Rec both seasons. There will be her friends in the Extra team as well. The concern I have is she likely to be one of the top players there. Every time when I sent her to the camp host by option 1's club, she improved so much. So she might not develop as fast. Price is definitely cheaper (~500 vs. ~3000), can be a factor but I can afford the club no problem.

This is the key right here. Your concern is valid, but more so if she was 10, 11, or 12. At 7, it's all about the joy and the love and you want to feed that first. If love and joy come at the expense of improvement in the short term, so be it! If you foster the love, the improvement will continue. If you focus on improvement and lose the love, you'll get zero improvement eventually when she quits the game. There's no right answer for when to transition to club, but my DD did it at 10, and I personally think we could have waited 2-3 more years and it might have been better. We certainly would have saved money. Here's a hot tip: Have her continue with AYSO as her main thing. BUT, use some of that money to pay for some private lessons. Go to the best coach out of the bunch that you've visited with and tell him you're not ready to put her in club, but you want to know if he'll do private lessons for her. It will be cheaper than the club costs and she'll gain skill without all the club politics and parent nonsense. Eventualy, if she keeps it up, she'll have to transition to club, but when she does, the transition will be much smoother and she and you will know she's more prepared. Hope that helps!

 

[outside!]

Some final words of advise. Find a reason to STFU during games. She does not need to hear anything from you other than cheers. Not advice, no coaching, no complaining (and the same goes for her teammates). Before the game tell her to have fun and that you love her. After the game only talk about the game if she brings it up, and if she does, only make positive comments. If she likes to go to the park with you and kick the ball around, great, but again, be positive (and a bit silly). Your job is to give her moral support and run interference between the toxic adults in youth soccer and her. If she ever feels like quitting, ask her if she can finish the season and then walk away and don't look back. Attend all of her practices and watch from a distance to make sure nothing toxic is going on. Never show loyalty to a team, coach or club for more than a season. Your job is to protect her interests.

My DD was always big, strong and fast for her age. Small players are disadvantaged at the high levels unless they are fast and skilled.

If you do private training, try to find a good female trainer. Female role models matter for girls (and are a good idea for boys also).

Always cheer a good save by a goalkeeper, whatever team they are on (and my DD was a forward most of her career).

Finally, think long and hard if the opportunity for college soccer comes up. Most college players do not like their coaches.

 

[Socal-Soccer-Dad]

Hi everyone, a dad of a 7yr old girl here. Seeking some advice on club selection and AYSO extra. My daughter has been doing AYSO rec for two seasons, one Spring this year and fall this year. She has been doing very well so I am looking for more challenge for her. She just finished the tryout week and got 2 SoCal League flight2 team offers. She is also contacted by the to-be AYSO Extra coach before tryout. This is my only child so no prior experience on club soccer or even sports teams before. My daughter is shy, and also a December kid. Physically she is one of the smallest, even though she is very fast. So debating between those three teams:

1. A very well known, one of the best if not the best clubs locally. It is a flight2 team offer and the 3rd team in the club. The 1st and 2nd team of the club both play in flight 1. We need to make a decision this weekend. My daughter loves the club as she has been playing in several camps there but the team itself is completely new. The coach has good credential and previously a 1st & 2nd team coach in another club. Just joined this club recently. Our concern is it will be a full 1-yr commitment, and more likely my daughter will be the weaker if not the weakest player in the team even though she might have good potential. We are worried she loses joy and confidence there because of the competition.
2. The other flight2 team is from a newer and smaller club. That team is an existing team playing in U8 flight3 now. The coach might not be as experienced as the option 1 but I heard the youth director for girls has pretty good reputation previously from a top club. The team my daughter is joining is the top team in that club. The best thing about this choice is the coach and director mentioned my daughter is invited to participate in the training with the team from now to say Feb and then decide. No need to rush after I expressed my concern that whether my daughter will like it and commit for a full year. Just by observing the tryout and two tournament games, I feel my daughter might be around the middle or maybe even upper-mid in the team.
3. Finally is AYSO Extra team. My daughter loved her time in AYSO Rec both seasons. There will be her friends in the Extra team as well. The concern I have is she likely to be one of the top players there. Every time when I sent her to the camp host by option 1's club, she improved so much. So she might not develop as fast. Price is definitely cheaper (~500 vs. ~3000), can be a factor but I can afford the club no problem.

Many thanks for the help in advance!

1. I would usually not recommend joining the 3rd team of an age group at the club. Some clubs promise they'll move kids up and down 1st, 2nd, 3rd teams but in practice, it rarely happens and I get this is 7 yo so it probably doesn't matter too much but I would try to be on the 1st team of an age group... they're given priority for better tournaments, better fields, better coaching... on my kid's team... if there aren't enough fields, they'll cancel practice so 2nd and 3rd teams but they'll keep them for 1st teams...

2. I like that it would be the top team. I would definitely not join a flight 3 team as that's basically rec. But a top team for an age group at a club and flight 2 sounds okay. Middle to upper mid is good for development. You don't want to be the best... and you don't want to be the worst... mid to upper mid gives something to shoot for.... but you're always involved and starting.

3. AYSO Extra from the sound of it might too too easy for her, which might be fine now to be honest but could in a year or two make her lose interest.

If I had to choose, it'd be a toss up between option 2 or 3. In a year or two, if she's really enjoying club soccer and making strides, I would try to move her to option 1 but on their top team...
I would lean slightly to option 2. If she loves soccer now, she would enjoy being part of a club team and making friends and seeing them throughout the year.

 

[Jamisfoes]

1. I would usually not recommend joining the 3rd team of an age group at the club. Some clubs promise they'll move kids up and down 1st, 2nd, 3rd teams but in practice, it rarely happens and I get this is 7 yo so it probably doesn't matter too much but I would try to be on the 1st team of an age group... they're given priority for better tournaments, better fields, better coaching... on my kid's team... if there aren't enough fields, they'll cancel practice so 2nd and 3rd teams but they'll keep them for 1st teams...

2. I like that it would be the top team. I would definitely not join a flight 3 team as that's basically rec. But a top team for an age group at a club and flight 2 sounds okay. Middle to upper mid is good for development. You don't want to be the best... and you don't want to be the worst... mid to upper mid gives something to shoot for.... but you're always involved and starting.

3. AYSO Extra from the sound of it might too too easy for her, which might be fine now to be honest but could in a year or two make her lose interest.

If I had to choose, it'd be a toss up between option 2 or 3. In a year or two, if she's really enjoying club soccer and making strides, I would try to move her to option 1 but on their top team...
I would lean slightly to option 2. If she loves soccer now, she would enjoy being part of a club team and making friends and seeing them throughout the year.

Yes completely agree. Always look to join the top team of a club. The top team gets better of everything. My son started club with the top team of a small club and in flight 3. We beat everybody in flight 3 that season. At the young age of 7, often times the club sand bags the team in lower flights to build the kids’ confidence.

 

[Grace T.]

1. I would usually not recommend joining the 3rd team of an age group at the club. Some clubs promise they'll move kids up and down 1st, 2nd, 3rd teams but in practice, it rarely happens and I get this is 7 yo so it probably doesn't matter too much but I would try to be on the 1st team of an age group... they're given priority for better tournaments, better fields, better coaching... on my kid's team... if there aren't enough fields, they'll cancel practice so 2nd and 3rd teams but they'll keep them for 1st teams...

2. I like that it would be the top team. I would definitely not join a flight 3 team as that's basically rec. But a top team for an age group at a club and flight 2 sounds okay. Middle to upper mid is good for development. You don't want to be the best... and you don't want to be the worst... mid to upper mid gives something to shoot for.... but you're always involved and starting.

3. AYSO Extra from the sound of it might too too easy for her, which might be fine now to be honest but could in a year or two make her lose interest.

If I had to choose, it'd be a toss up between option 2 or 3. In a year or two, if she's really enjoying club soccer and making strides, I would try to move her to option 1 but on their top team...
I would lean slightly to option 2. If she loves soccer now, she would enjoy being part of a club team and making friends and seeing them throughout the year.

You have to tailor the advice for the kid. “Join the 1st team” is all fine and good but in this case the girl, per the op, is a dec birthday, shy, and would be a weaker player on the 3rd team of the marquee club. You know the first teams at the younger ages tend to big the older/early bloomers. Statistically there’s a lot of data on this. The only way she therefore makes it to the top team of that club is if the stars align and a handful of the following happens: she becomes an early bloomer, she comes into her own and opens up out of her shell, her parents put her in intensive privates and futsal daily, she turns out to have a very innate gifted soccer iq, she gets to be very and unusually fast for her age. Don’t feed him the keeping up with the joneses parent hysteria. It’s (at least not yet) that type of kid and you’d only burn her out on the sport from frustration. Puberty reshuffles everything.

 

[TheMountie]

My son was a late birthday as well, joining Ayso at 5. He quickly excelled, dominating his teams for three years. We decided to move him to a top-tier club team, but it turned out to be a mistake.

While his skills were top-notch, his smaller size made it tough to compete physically with older, more developed players. As a result, he spent most games on the bench, which significantly impacted his confidence.

Looking back, I wish I'd chosen a less competitive team where he could've gained valuable playing time and maintained his passion for the game. It's a tough lesson learned: sometimes, the best team isn't always the right team.

 

[Jamisfoes]

You have to tailor the advice for the kid. “Join the 1st team” is all fine and good but in this case the girl, per the op, is a dec birthday, shy, and would be a weaker player on the 3rd team of the marquee club. You know the first teams at the younger ages tend to big the older/early bloomers. Statistically there’s a lot of data on this. The only way she therefore makes it to the top team of that club is if the stars align and a handful of the following happens: she becomes an early bloomer, she comes into her own and opens up out of her shell, her parents put her in intensive privates and futsal daily, she turns out to have a very innate gifted soccer iq, she gets to be very and unusually fast for her age. Don’t feed him the keeping up with the joneses parent hysteria. It’s (at least not yet) that type of kid and you’d only burn her out on the sport from frustration. Puberty reshuffles everything.

He says Option 2 is the top team of a small club playing in flight 2.