The Aug–Dec Soccer Disadvantage For MLS next

[Lou789]

I am not as well well versed as a lot of people in this group so please bare with me. My son’s club is forcing kids to go down to SY.

Am I missing something or does this not put these Aug-Dec kids at a disadvantage for MLS next? Because when these kids are playing U11 and the 6th graders are playing U12, the following school year it’s tryouts for MLS next at U13. The U11 kids will have to skip playing U12 to tryout and potentially make a team. They have one less competitive year of play than the U12 kids. And if a kid can’t play up with BY kids, how are these kids going to make a U13 MLS next team unless they’re phenomenal? These younger BY players that are now in the lower SY are at a disadvantage no? What the solution?

 

[Grace T.]

I am not as well well versed as a lot of people in this group so please bare with me. My son’s club is forcing kids to go down to SY.

Am I missing something or does this not put these Aug-Dec kids at a disadvantage for MLS next? Because when these kids are playing U11 and the 6th graders are playing U12, the following school year it’s tryouts for MLS next at U13. The U11 kids will have to skip playing U12 to tryout and potentially make a team. They have one less competitive year of play than the U12 kids. And if a kid can’t play up with BY kids, how are these kids going to make a U13 MLS next team unless they’re phenomenal? These younger BY players that are now in the lower SY are at a disadvantage no? What the solution?

Yup esp as you point out because of tryouts. But the April-July players are the ones at the biggest disadvantage. Theyll be the youngest on the sy teams and therefore it will be really hard for them to make a high level of play unless they are very tall early bloomers so they’ll naturally be behind by the time mls trials roll around, and they don’t have the big advantage of being closest to the age line in by teams.

I esp don’t know how the mls ad tryouts are suppose to work in two tiered clubs since tryouts are usually mixed and the weaker players get offered the ad slots. My guess is that clubs will increasingly default to birthday month as the tiebreak. Also makes bio banding a nightmare and I suspect it will be increasingly used to cheat to bring down the high performing Oct-Dec players who kill it on the ad teams.

 

[Carlsbad7]

Yup esp as you point out because of tryouts. But the April-July players are the ones at the biggest disadvantage. Theyll be the youngest on the sy teams and therefore it will be really hard for them to make a high level of play unless they are very tall early bloomers so they’ll naturally be behind by the time mls trials roll around, and they don’t have the big advantage of being closest to the age line in by teams.

I esp don’t know how the mls ad tryouts are suppose to work in two tiered clubs since tryouts are usually mixed and the weaker players get offered the ad slots. My guess is that clubs will increasingly default to birthday month as the tiebreak. Also makes bio banding a nightmare and I suspect it will be increasingly used to cheat to bring down the high performing Oct-Dec players who kill it on the ad teams.

I dont know about that. It's going to be interesting to see what clubs do. Essentially there is going to be August and January as the oldest a player can be if you don't count biobanding.

Will clubs favor Jan birthdays even in SY with youngers because they're planning ahead for BY?

Also yes July is the worst month in SY but it's middle if the pack in BY.

It could end up that more players are given opportunities and exclusively birthmonth decisions for who plays on top teams gets thrown out the window.

 

[Grace T.]

I dont know about that. It's going to be interesting to see what clubs do. Essentially there is going to be August and January as the oldest a player can be if you don't count biobanding.

Will clubs favor Jan birthdays even in SY with youngers because they're planning ahead for BY?

Also yes July is the worst month in SY but it's middle if the pack in BY.

It could end up that more players are given opportunities and exclusively birthmonth decisions for who plays on top teams gets thrown out the window.

Coaching is evaluated at most clubs by results: meaning retention (bonuses paid) and wins (which in turn feeds retention). It leads to incredibly short term thinking just of year to year instead of long term (which is why so many people complain about a lack of developmental coaching and implement things like the build out line and youth development initiative). Your statement might be true if docs or a hypothetical development director could select and assign players, but only the academies are structured that way and in most clubs it’s the coach of the applicable team. I know of a few circumstances where such mlsn coaches actively recruited Oct-Dec players to bio them down to help their teams…that door is gonna burst wide open now. It’s economics.

 

[Carlsbad7]

I dont know about that. It's going to be interesting to see what clubs do. Essentially there is going to be August and January as the oldest a player can be if you don't count biobanding.

Will clubs favor Jan birthdays even in SY with youngers because they're planning ahead for BY?

Also yes July is the worst month in SY but it's middle if the pack in BY.

It could end up that more players are given opportunities and exclusively birthmonth decisions for who plays on top teams gets thrown out the window.

Just to throw a little gas on the fire if you include biobanding the oldest players in SY (Aug-Dec) become the youngest in BY. Also they'd be used to playing down a level. Biobanded players could be 3 levels above them. Ironically July birthdays in SY would be the youngest on their team but in a better position than Aug-Dec because biobanders would only be 2 levels above.

 

[Grace T.]

Just to throw a little gas on the fire if you include biobanding the oldest players in SY (Aug-Dec) become the youngest in BY. Also they'd be used to playing down a level. Biobanded players could be 3 levels above them. Ironically July birthdays in SY would be the youngest on their team but in a better position than Aug-Dec because biobanders would only be 2 levels above.

The issue with the April-July is unless they are tall or early bloomers they’ll be 6-7 years on lower level teams because it will be harder to get on the top teams due to their age. That’s a lot of runway to fall behind on. The push in club to 6 year olds means a lot of kids will just have the advantage of higher level training, not to mention getting in front of coaches that recruit.

The bio banded Oct-Dec (it’s really hard for an August birthday to get biobanded) kids are at the biggest advantage in the new system. They’ll play the top teams when younger and then can be brought down by coaches who have seen and want them. However, the number of bios is capped so that only helps the top few and you still have to be in height/weight parameters to qualify, even if bending rules.

 

[Carlsbad7]

The issue with the April-July is unless they are tall or early bloomers they’ll be 6-7 years on lower level teams because it will be harder to get on the top teams due to their age. That’s a lot of runway to fall behind on. The push in club to 6 year olds means a lot of kids will just have the advantage of higher level training, not to mention getting in front of coaches that recruit.

The bio banded Oct-Dec (it’s really hard for an August birthday to get biobanded) kids are at the biggest advantage in the new system. They’ll play the top teams when younger and then can be brought down by coaches who have seen and want them. However, the number of bios is capped so that only helps the top few and you still have to be in height/weight parameters to qualify, even if bending rules.

I dont think playing favorites is going to be as black and white as it used to be. Sure you can play the birthmonth game focusing on certain dates. But more talent with different birthdays will find its way. If you ignore it others will pick them up.

 

[Grace T.]

I dont think playing favorites is going to be as black and white as it used to be. Sure you can play the birthmonth game focusing on certain dates. But more talent with different birthdays will find its way. If you ignore it others will pick them up.

Sure but the effect will be marginal. Again coaches make the decision and they are only deciding for this year. Worst case next year they can make another decision down the road.

 

[CleatSniffer]

To the OP:
1. There should always be exceptions to the rules in terms of playing your SY/BY. Clubs will naturally play up certain kids that they feel need to be challenged. If not, its the wrong club and is going to be losing talent.

2. In terms of being at a disadvantage come MLS Next U13 for tryouts, if you are only looking to tryout within the same club the Coaches/Directors should have a good body of work of your kid over the past year so the one week of tryouts doesn't mean anything. If you are trying with a different club, then tryouts week is the worst time to get looked at. Need to approach prior to and do some trials at their practices. Tryouts are really just for show.

3. In terms of losing a year playing "down" and then having to play "up" the following year, I would say fundamentals do not change. If your kid is a head down dribbler just because he can against younger kids he will struggle against older kids. If he plays fundamentally sound and is technically and tactically knowledgeable I do not feel the gap is that large. May have to work on some speed work just to play at a faster pace.

Summary: I do not think any MLS Next Program is not monitoring both the older BY and younger BY - they may play on different teams until they get to U13 but they are constantly evaluating who are going to be those18-24 kids are going to be and that will require looking at all BY kids regardless of SY since any 9v9 team can only have 16 players and most do not have near that many.

 

[MochaRulz]

Also to add to the others, it appears that OP and others also fail to understand that their kids are not limited to just playing SY in their club. There are outside leagues, that if they are truly into soccer, they can form their own teams with friends and other clubs players and play recreationally. These can be against older opposition. From indoor soccer, futsal, weekday evening leagues, summer leagues, they are all available. For those in SoCal area you have a plethora of options from Touch n Go, TOCA, Futsal, PSSLU, SWSL, leagues run by city (irvine has a lot of options) and the list goes on.

I have several players across my teams and different clubs that play together on weekend leagues and tournaments when their clubs are not playing. We have 2016/17s playing indoor in the 2013/14 bracket, 2014/15s playing 2013/12s in 11 a side to start getting a feel for the change. I have seen u13s and older playing in city leagues on mixed teams with 17 to 25 year olds.

Stating any child is at a disadvantage when it comes to SY/BY is more likely an outcome of not giving the player/athlete alternatives. It is the same argument people use in BY that december born is disadvantaged compared to January born. While there are developmental changes that do occur there are alternatives to help the players adapt around them.

The options and solutions are available and abundant. Let the sport be fun and challenging but also let the kids be kids and just go play.

 

[Jamisfoes]

Also to add to the others, it appears that OP and others also fail to understand that their kids are not limited to just playing SY in their club. There are outside leagues, that if they are truly into soccer, they can form their own teams with friends and other clubs players and play recreationally. These can be against older opposition. From indoor soccer, futsal, weekday evening leagues, summer leagues, they are all available. For those in SoCal area you have a plethora of options from Touch n Go, TOCA, Futsal, PSSLU, SWSL, leagues run by city (irvine has a lot of options) and the list goes on.

I have several players across my teams and different clubs that play together on weekend leagues and tournaments when their clubs are not playing. We have 2016/17s playing indoor in the 2013/14 bracket, 2014/15s playing 2013/12s in 11 a side to start getting a feel for the change. I have seen u13s and older playing in city leagues on mixed teams with 17 to 25 year olds.

Stating any child is at a disadvantage when it comes to SY/BY is more likely an outcome of not giving the player/athlete alternatives. It is the same argument people use in BY that december born is disadvantaged compared to January born. While there are developmental changes that do occur there are alternatives to help the players adapt around them.

The options and solutions are available and abundant. Let the sport be fun and challenging but also let the kids be kids and just go play.

All these are opportunities for extra touches. You are right there are plenty of opportunities for development. But OP is talking about the MLS Next badge not a Sunday league. Let’s be honest, what’s the point of playing club soccer if not to play on the highest level team? OP is right to be concerned, once you are forced to play down to SY (EA/MLS next AD), it will be hard to get back into a BY MLS next team.

I am not as well well versed as a lot of people in this group so please bare with me. My son’s club is forcing kids to go down to SY.

Am I missing something or does this not put these Aug-Dec kids at a disadvantage for MLS next? Because when these kids are playing U11 and the 6th graders are playing U12, the following school year it’s tryouts for MLS next at U13. The U11 kids will have to skip playing U12 to tryout and potentially make a team. They have one less competitive year of play than the U12 kids. And if a kid can’t play up with BY kids, how are these kids going to make a U13 MLS next team unless they’re phenomenal? These younger BY players that are now in the lower SY are at a disadvantage no? What the solution?

The solution is to go to an ECNL club. If push comes to shove, you can convince yourself that ECNL is as good as MLS next. It doesn’t matter if others don’t believe it, as long as you believe it. AND you can play high school soccer.

 

[MochaRulz]

All these are opportunities for extra touches. You are right there are plenty of opportunities for development. But OP is talking about the MLS Next badge not a Sunday league. Let’s be honest, what’s the point of playing club soccer if not to play on the highest level team? OP is right to be concerned, once you are forced to play down to SY (EA/MLS next AD), it will be hard to get back into a BY MLS next team.

You completely missed the point. Yes these are opportunities for extra touches but they are also opportunities to play against other top opposition to prepare the child to play and tryout for the MLS Next badge. If the player is good enough the age wont matter and as others have pointed out, if the age is all that matters to the club, then that is probably not the right club.

Also it seems a lot of people forget that MLS Next / ECNL isnt the only option. If your child is good enough you can always do boarding school and scholarships across the world where the general level of coaching and play is significantly higher. I posted about this in the college/d1 chat as well. There is more to the world than just the US.

 

[Jamisfoes]

You completely missed the point. Yes these are opportunities for extra touches but they are also opportunities to play against other top opposition to prepare the child to play and tryout for the MLS Next badge. If the player is good enough the age wont matter and as others have pointed out, if the age is all that matters to the club, then that is probably not the right club.

Also it seems a lot of people forget that MLS Next / ECNL isnt the only option. If your child is good enough you can always do boarding school and scholarships across the world where the general level of coaching and play is significantly higher. I posted about this in the college/d1 chat as well. There is more to the world than just the US.

You will have to be really delusional to look for a boarding school option if your child can’t even make a mls next team.

 

[MochaRulz]

You will have to be really delusional to look for a boarding school option if your child can’t even make a mls next team.

wow no real substance so lets just call names. it would be prudent to read the messages in complete and comprehend the message before shooting off your retort. i would take the time to explain it to you but you are probably just going to read 1/3 of the message and come back with another useless response.

its very easy to complain and find reasons why someone is unable to do something and/or achieve it and those are more often than not called excuses.