OT: Youth soccer advise

1966CUDA

Sorry about the off-topic subject but I am venting and looking for suggestions. My son plays youth soccer in our local league and has been playing recreational summer & fall soccer since he was 6 (now 11). He is a pretty good player and the coach for the travel team has been bugging him for 2 years to join the travel team so he did this year. Practices started in January and the season runs into early August. My son decided that he wanted to play soccer in the rec. league this summer in addition to being on the travel team. The past 2 summers he has had kids on his summer team that were also on the travel team and they would miss an occaisonal practice or game due to games with the travel team. Being that he has had these "travel" kids on his summer team I didn't think it was a problem signing my son up for the same thing this year. I also checked the website where you sign up and saw nothing about it being against any rules so I signed him up. He has now been on the summer league for THREE weeks, been to every practice, and played in all the games.....and YESTERDAY I get an email from someone on the soccer board of directors that says "it has come to our attention that your son is playing on two leagues" and now my son will be kicked off the team because playing on "travel" and "summer rec." isn't allowed. Now mind you, we have seen kids doing this for at least the last 2 years and also found nothing on the website that forbids it.

So now today, after 4 emails sent by me and a half hour phone call from the VP of the soccer league, I am left with his decision that my son can't play the summer league. My son is heartbroken....all he wants to do is play as much soccer as he can and now he is being told he can't. The guy on the phone today even went so far as to say that "maybe your son is too good and other parents don't like that". So this tells me a parent must have complained. I told him "what, now my son is being penalized because he is a good soccer player. He has 13 year olds on the team and he is only 11". Then he started back-pedaling on that statement and went back to the "playing on two leagues is prohibited". His travel coach also got involved and asked to see this ruling in writing and the guy could not provide it! Sooo.... what are your opinions on what, if anything I should do next. My son is devistated!!!

BobbyVCP

I hear you and it sucks...my 13 year old daughter last fall was actually playing on 4 different teams believe it or not.
Then the coach on the team that she liked the most found out and was not happy. The coach played at the highest
level of soccer and said she did not like her getting bad habits playing for other teams and coaches. She wanted total
control of her. I am from the old school and feel the more they play the better they get. Just doing 2 or 3 practices
a week is not enough.

edmundfitzgerald

Studies have shown that playing games does not make one better. It's really the training or practice sessions that makes one better.

They've done studies on how often players actually touch a ball during a game.
They followed Joe Sakic and Mario Lemieux in the Olympics and found that they each had the puck on their sticks for 1 minute during the entire game.
They followed soccer players and found that they had the ball on their foot for 3-4 minutes (soccer is a longer game and played with less players per team). Some players (defenders) only have the ball on their foot for 2 minutes a game.

There is lots wrong with youth sports, but I would say to follow the rules of the league. Nothing wrong with questioning the rules of a league, but if you're not happy with the rules, then just go find another league to play in. There are thousands of leagues for kids to play in.

Keep it fun.

EAsports

<< <i>Studies have shown that playing games does not make one better. It's really the training or practice sessions that makes one better. >>



I tend to disagree - as soccer is often a game that needs to be "unlocked." There's no repetitive drill that can help you figure many things out on a soccer field. Certainly, it can help with finishing and with fitness. Having the perfect first touch bringing a ball out of the air with someone charging at you, or slaloming through two players, or reading the defense and timing your diagonal run perfectly - there are drills to simulate that stuff. But nothing will help your mind process what you see on a soccer field (or have the confidence to do) many of those "touch and feel" things like having done it in a truly competitive situation.

It's not the same as running a pick and roll 500 times, or Peyton Manning working a slant route to perfection in practice.

To the OP - it's unfortunate that the league is intent on keeping kids from playing games. Isn't that what the league is there for? Anyway, maybe try to focus your son on the positive aspect of being able to put all of his energy into the travel team? He sounds like a good player, so maybe this is an opportunity for him to work on some things to make him even better - or if his travel team is good enough to win things, focus on what he can do to help THAT team get better.

bishop

Does the League say they have rules or a rule book or charter of some kind ? If so ask to see it. If not, how are decisions like this made and by who ? Is there an appeal process ?

mtcards

Having been involved in a lot of youth programs over the years, there are unfortunately enough parents and adults who go out of their way to create rules and restrictions for the most basic of activities for kids. Some for their own wicked pleasure and some because "they know better than you".

1966CUDA

<< <i>Does the League say they have rules or a rule book or charter of some kind ? >>



That is what the travel coach and myself asked....to see something in writing that states that playing both in travel and rec. is against the rules...and he could not come up with anything!! The travel coach had never heard of such a thing, and obviously in years past there were some of his kids playing on the rec. league because that is what I witnessed thr past several years.

Boopotts

<< <i>

<< <i>Studies have shown that playing games does not make one better. It's really the training or practice sessions that makes one better. >>



I tend to disagree - as soccer is often a game that needs to be "unlocked." There's no repetitive drill that can help you figure many things out on a soccer field. Certainly, it can help with finishing and with fitness. Having the perfect first touch bringing a ball out of the air with someone charging at you, or slaloming through two players, or reading the defense and timing your diagonal run perfectly - there are drills to simulate that stuff. But nothing will help your mind process what you see on a soccer field (or have the confidence to do) many of those "touch and feel" things like having done it in a truly competitive situation.

It's not the same as running a pick and roll 500 times, or Peyton Manning working a slant route to perfection in practice.

To the OP - it's unfortunate that the league is intent on keeping kids from playing games. Isn't that what the league is there for? Anyway, maybe try to focus your son on the positive aspect of being able to put all of his energy into the travel team? He sounds like a good player, so maybe this is an opportunity for him to work on some things to make him even better - or if his travel team is good enough to win things, focus on what he can do to help THAT team get better. >>



Everyone's entitled to their own opinion, but FWIW your opinion here runs almost completely at odds with the opinions of people whose job it is to maximize the talents of young soccer talents. From the Ajax Academy all the way to La Masia, just about everyone involved in youth player development seems to agree that having kids participate excessively in large sided, competitive matches is a poor use of training time.

Here's a great article from the NYT some time ago on how kids are trained in Holland, which speaks to this point. We generally do a really bad job of training young athletes in the U.S., if only because historically we haven't played sports where our players have been forced to compete on a global level. As a result, we haven't learned 'what works and what doesn't', since there are no other cultures to which we can compare our training methods.

How a Soccer Star is Made

vintagefun

If it's a rec league it's likely got city involvement and I would think would be inclusive of all.

Is your son the only one being affected by the "rule"or the only one it's be enforced upon?

Try a city official or mayor?

Good luck.

1954

While my son does not play soccer he does play select baseball. It is well known that once you sign a contract with a "showcase" or "travel" team you are not allowed to play recreational ball. These are two different levels of play- or should be. The travel team does not want you to get hurt by playing with another team and the rec ball league does not want your son playing down. Unfortunately you need to decide what level he needs to play and go only in that direction. Seeing that your son is only 11 years old, I can see how you would not know that you can't do that. He is lucky you guys are not being asked by your travel team to step off the team.

EAsports

<< <i>Everyone's entitled to their own opinion, but FWIW your opinion here runs almost completely at odds with the opinions of people whose job it is to maximize the talents of young soccer talents. From the Ajax Academy all the way to La Masia, just about everyone involved in youth player development seems to agree that having kids participate excessively in large sided, competitive matches is a poor use of training time.
>>



My early morning response is poorly phrased I'm sure.

I believe it to be more beneficial to "just play" (in whatever format that may come) than to have regimented practice time. (i.e. three 1 hour practices and one game per week with travel team, and 1 practice and 1 game with rec team) My opinion is that playing two "official" games per week, and 4 hours of 6v6 pickup soccer would be more beneficial. Practice is great for learning skills, but I really think application (particularly in soccer) is best learned in games.

I do agree that playing nothing but 11 v 11 is a poor choice for training. Not enough touches and decisions and too much positional rigidity.

coachnip13

Good for the league. In addition to the reasons offered by the baseball guy, I'll offer another: the league is tired of having kids sign up for teams and then missing games. It's not fair to the other kids on the rec team when they have to play short-handed or have to cancel games because the best players all took off to play in a tournament.

While we're on the subject, let's stop pretending that "travel ball" is anything special anymore. Everyone except the clumsiest kids plays in some version of watered down travel ball. In the 80's in baseball we had one elite American Legion team from each area. Now every single high school player plays travel ball. Whenever a dad gets mad that his kid isn't playing, he just starts a new team. Travel teams exist for one of two reasons: either someone is making money from it or it's a dad who wants to control the lineup. It is far from elite competition.

1954

Coach brings up some very good points. As a father you need to accurately access your childs level of play and then put them in that organization. There are far too many select teams at age 14. One of my good friends thinks his daughter is the next Pele. He is paying through the nose for her to play and travel. She is average at best but he enjoys the time and memories with his child. The travel teams from 16 and under in any sport is all about the money as coach said. Once they begin varsity level play you see a ton of kids drop out of playing altogether. The travel teams will not do any favors for your child if they can't play at a high level. Your kid will soon realize that his calling is in other places than soccer or baseball. Most of the high level teams that I know would not consider placing your son on the team regardless of the money. It is more of a headache to the team to be honest with you.

miwlvrn

<< <i>Studies have shown that playing games does not make one better. It's really the training or practice sessions that makes one better.

They've done studies on how often players actually touch a ball during a game.
They followed Joe Sakic and Mario Lemieux in the Olympics and found that they each had the puck on their sticks for 1 minute during the entire game.
They followed soccer players and found that they had the ball on their foot for 3-4 minutes (soccer is a longer game and played with less players per team). Some players (defenders) only have the ball on their foot for 2 minutes a game.

There is lots wrong with youth sports, but I would say to follow the rules of the league. Nothing wrong with questioning the rules of a league, but if you're not happy with the rules, then just go find another league to play in. There are thousands of leagues for kids to play in.

Keep it fun. >>



They've done studies on how often players actually touch a ball during a game.
They followed Joe Sakic and Mario Lemieux in the Olympics and found that they each had the puck on their sticks for 1 minute during the entire game.
They followed soccer players and found that they had the ball on their foot for 3-4 minutes (soccer is a longer game and played with less players per team). Some players (defenders) only have the ball on their foot for 2 minutes a game.

There is lots wrong with youth sports, but I would say to follow the rules of the league. Nothing wrong with questioning the rules of a league, but if you're not happy with the rules, then just go find another league to play in. There are thousands of leagues for kids to play in.

Keep it fun. >>



What you're describing here is the smoke-and-mirrors game of lies the CHL (i.e., combo of OHL/QMJHL/WHL) tries to use to sway kids against playing NCAA hockey instead. The CHL claims that their schedule and format better prepares kids for a professional hockey career by being similar to ECHL/AHL/NHL, while college hockey plays half the games. Truth is, most kids play maybe 10 minutes per game in the CHL, and like you say, not much time w/ puck. Compare that with a college hockey schedule that has tons more practices of 2 hours or so of skating.