100% agree. I played AYSO, Biddy Basketball at the YMCA, ran track and played Little League. HS was all about hoops and baseball. I also played beach Volleyball, tennis, golf and I surfed when the waves were good (I almost went Pro Surfer). I tried to get my dd to play all the sports but she was all about soccer. She did Track, soccer and volleyball in HS and she loved it. Yes, it knocked her out of the top soccer league. Everything today seems to be about specializing in one sport. The GDA was a full time commitment and had insane travel requirements around the country and you were not allowed to play public HS Soccer or other hs sports unless you went to private hs and got those waivers for the few and mighty.
I remember the old DA + them not allowing players to play HS soccer. ECNL allowed players to play HS + used it as a selling point.
California could have it's own National Team. I agree 100% that "they" should come here to play us. We have it all and we have more of the best players in the country. Weather, fields and players makes California the place to come to test your talent against the Nations Best. I'm telling you this from the horse mouth, the rich dads got their hands on the great game in SoCal and forced all of us to do travel ball to play pay to play soccer. If you complained because they forbid HS Soccer and other sports, plus complain about how expensive the fees are, plus travel around the country all year expense, privates with Doc to secure your play time and all the "other" extras thrown at you during the season like forced fundraising, you were blacklisted and made fun of on the forum. Oh ya, insane per diems for top Doc and his presidential suite in Scottsdale. The Docs had the picks in 2017, ran Training Centers and basically controlled everything. We need regulations and promotions and we need Dad and Mom to step aside and get their hands out of the decision making.
I played 8 years of AYSO and loved every minute of it. Saturday morning games, rain or shine. High school I picked hoops over soccer, although the head coach at the time told me I could just come to the games and be a back up to full time GK. No thanks coach. My sons Pony League Team also had a few of the top players on the same Travel Ball Team. A rich dad with a so so player but lot's of cash and toys fit right in. He basically bought the travel team through his sponsoring the team and paying the fees of a few of the poor kids who also happen to be the best players in the area. This dad later became board member.
I love these takes Grace T. We need something way better than AYSO. Each city shall hire a Doc and the Doc will find the coaches to teach the kids basic futbol. The Doc will only hire "Qualified Coaches" or QC. QC is anyone who knows how to coach soccer. You need to be qualified some how. That's the easy part, moo. The Doc will work a budget to pay a stipend to each QC or the QC can do it for free. I say do this through U14.
Berhalter-Reyna explained: Drama's roots in U.S.'s overbearing parents
U.S. Soccer's familial fiasco between the Berhalters and Reynas traces its lineage back to the growing trend of "snowplow" parents in youth sports.www.espn.com
DD done with the club scene. Tired of the politics, mean girls and all the training. Just gonna play high school and have fun. I am not sad.
Football + basketball work as HS sports because 90% of the skill required to play at a high level is to be bigger or taller than everyone else. HS works as a free way to introduce the big kids to a sport. If they like it the big kids can continue training.
It seems to me that ECNL recruits size and the vast majority lack skill, finesse, and basic fundamentals. Can you reconcile your skill/finesse assertion with the fact that most college teams play kickball because most of their players don’t have the requisite skillset to play possession soccer?
True but at least with soccer skill has a chance over size. Also a posession team with smaller players will usually beat a kickball team. The problem with posession is that it takes a lot of time to develop. Where as with kickball you can be competitive quickly with big and fast players.
No federation that I know bands the players from playing HS Sport. I will say after 4 years of watching HS Soccer, it needs a big overhaul. It's dangerous.
I watched a Neatherlands Div 1 team play some really good possession soccer. Tired the opponant out. 1-0 at the half and then 3 goals early second half and then lighys out. Quick collection, quick to pass and go and just quick and fast and move the ball from side to side, back to GK and look for the holes in the middle and then go look for shots on goal. Its beautiful to watch. No injuries either. Kickball/Direct Soccer is easier to teach and if refs let play on and allow rugby stylw hits, folks will get injured and not the best skilled team wins. Great stuff brother
