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Post by footy on Dec 23, 2015 8:58:14 GMT -5
I know ATL kids who play in Birmingham (ECNL) or vice versa (Super Y) and people in metro Atlanta who drive 1 1/2 hours each way for club practice and often longer for ODP, depending on traffic. Someone on the other forum posted that Clint Dempsey's parents would drive him 6 hours round trip to practice. How long of a drive would you put up with for club vs. ODP vs. ECNL or DA etc.?
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Post by infoguy on Dec 23, 2015 9:06:21 GMT -5
We already drive 45 minutes to practice 2x or 3x per week - would do more if it's what my kid wanted (for example, they were good enough and wanted to play for DA).
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Post by spectator on Dec 23, 2015 9:30:37 GMT -5
You can be in traffic in Atlanta for 45 minutes for a 10 mile commute so distance isn't the issue around here as much as location. It would depend on the kid and the situation - example, is the child motivated enough to complete homework during the commute? Does a parent have a the ability to leave work or family for that long a time to get child to practices?
For us, no way. We did a long drive for a short time last year when my kid played at a club far away from us when her team imploded mid season. I told her that if she really really loved the club and team and wanted to play there this year, we'd make it work but it would mean doing homework in the car, meals on the go, and missing some after school events. Ultimately she decided on a different team/club and it still requires some juggling on my part to get home to get her there but it's way more do-able than leaving the state or being in a car for hours - whether for distance or metro traffic.
And no, I'm not that nice of a parent to sacrifice the entire family, my time and my sanity to drive her hours to play for any team. Work-Life balance is more important to me - and us as a family - than the 'prestige' of any club/team level.
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Post by hotspur1 on Dec 23, 2015 9:44:31 GMT -5
Good question, my answer is very similar to Spectator's...it depends on the child.
I'm in the fortunate work position that I can make my own hours, work remotely, etc. Lots of windshield time for me anyway so driving the little one around wouldn't be a big deal. But luckily we've typically only had to do a 30 - 45 minute drive depending on traffic. 20 mile max so far for her regular team... a little farther for some guest playing, super Y, training, etc.
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Post by spectator on Dec 23, 2015 12:23:44 GMT -5
Good question, my answer is very similar to Spectator's...it depends on the child. I'm in the fortunate work position that I can make my own hours, work remotely, etc. Lots of windshield time for me anyway so driving the little one around wouldn't be a big deal. But luckily we've typically only had to do a 30 - 45 minute drive depending on traffic. 20 mile max so far for her regular team... a little farther for some guest playing, super Y, training, etc. I have a flexible job too but I couldn't imaging driving 2-3 hours to a practice even with the ability to work remotely on those days. I remember back in our first year in Athena, some parents were losing their minds at the idea of driving to Savannah or South GA for one game. Such is life when you're in a division with teams outside your bubble. With all the rain, a lot of ODP practices have been moved from a location very close to my house to one - well, not close at all. You do what you do temporarily or on an occasional basis, but keep the overall perspective of what your time (and tire tread) is really worth in the long run. Although - I wouldn't trade these long car rides with my kid for anything. We've had some of our best conversations while trekking to somewhere or another for soccer. The trips to FL are priceless! I will miss it when she goes to college ( I'm staring that down sooner than I want - pass the tissues!)
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Post by RedDevil10 on Dec 23, 2015 14:30:01 GMT -5
45 min - 1 HR each way for me 3x's per week
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Post by rifle on Dec 23, 2015 18:00:29 GMT -5
30 minutes is too much. For my job or my kid's soccer. Convincing yourself it's worth it... Does not compute.
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Post by SoccerMom on Dec 23, 2015 23:33:25 GMT -5
I'm spoiled I guess. It's a 15 min drive for me
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leem
Jr. Academy
Posts: 21
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Post by leem on Dec 24, 2015 9:58:38 GMT -5
Practice is 30 minutes away without traffic issues. We did the ODP thing for two years with 4 hours drives each way, but that was exhausting for me and my son finally said he didn't want to keep riding that far for 2 hour practices.
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quest
Jr. Academy
Posts: 33
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Post by quest on Dec 31, 2015 12:22:01 GMT -5
We drive 1.25 hours one way for practice twice week and 2.5 hours one way for ODP. If our child has the desire and she willing to work to achieve her goals then it is our pleasure to help her. We also have the benefit of being a home school family so it allows us allot of flexibility.
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