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Post by soccergator on Oct 16, 2013 9:12:46 GMT -5
What's the better place to be top player on 2nd team or bottom 1/3 of top team?
i see a little bit of both, my daughter has a chance to thrive, be a leader, play in the center of the park, play 95% of games. she is playing some of the best soccer she has ever played.
however, her team doesn't have the depth to compete at athena B. Its gotten to the point she has nobody to play with. To be honest, we have girls that have ability, but no drive. 1/2 the kids just don't want it bad enough.
in summary, my preference would be for her to have made the top team. unfortunately she didn't, so currently stuck in this mess.
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Post by soccerenthusiast on Oct 16, 2013 9:38:36 GMT -5
There are good and bad points to both
Top player on a 2nd team is always an ego boost for player as well as parents. It also means they have the ability to lead and motivate which are life skills that help down the road. The downside is that they may not be challenged or able to use skills as the players around them may not possess the same skills and sometimes make the efforts made futile.
Being the bottom of the best team may result in less play time which may frustrate you and your child. On a positive note practicing and playing with top level players can make your child better as it becomes a sink or swim situation, if they want to survive on the team they have to work extra hard. Also a life lesson in the future as if you want something bad enough, you have to work hard to get it and maintain ability to keep it.
What age group is your kid? If it is a just U13, tell her to work her hard and it may just catch the attention of the top level coach and she may get moved up next year. It never hurts to inquire with the coaches as to what she needs to work on individually to move her to that top level.
If all else fails, I hate to say this but sometimes a club change is needed in order to move to a higher team as sometimes a player gets overlooked when they shouldn't but I would do that as a last resort.
I have two daughters. My oldest went to play for a coach that really believed in her and though she did not start at the top level, he took a vested interest in her and helped her to that level. My other daughter went to a highly ranked club on a high level team with a coach who did nothing but make her feel like she wasn't good enough and we ended leaving and taking her to a club and team that was not as high ranked as the other and she is the happiest she has been in years. Her new team has great potential and we look forward to seeing her and her team play.
It all comes down to what makes your child happy. If she is happy then I say stay and she may possibly rise above that team on her own and get noticed. If she is frustrated by herself w/o your input, then take some of the actions above.
Loyalty to a club is generally appreciated and if the coaches really have your child's interest at heart they will help her become a better player.
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Post by bpgbeieio on Oct 16, 2013 9:57:36 GMT -5
Depends on whether the child is a player with "great technical skills and limited athletic upside" or a player with "limited technical skills and great athletic upside." The former should be on the lower level team, while the latter could be on either, but would be better served by being on the top team.
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Post by soccerpapi on Oct 16, 2013 10:19:12 GMT -5
Our approach/decision differs based on age group & where player is getting most development & playing time.
At younger age group, I'd go with 2nd team (lots of playing time, different positions, development over winning).
If player is motivated enough, and wants to play college or pro beyond youth, Say at U14 and up...
It's typically best to balance development as well as being on top 2-3 team in age group (top team and top Coach regardless of club affiliations that will get you most visibility into the next level that player inspires, and work hard to be at - difficult decisions for girls since friends seems to factor into decision, more than they do boys).
Best of luck.
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Post by silverback on Oct 16, 2013 11:45:41 GMT -5
This is always a great discussion and posters above make excellent points. IMO, there are lots of factors that come into this discussion (many discussed above) and there are usually different answers based on individual scenarios with no right or wrong answer.
My advice is always to ask the question - where will your player get the best skill/technical training, regardless of playing time, especially at the younger age? The skill vs. athletic discussion is always good, but without skills, it's very hard to progress. You need a foundation from which to grow and progress. By skill, parents need to realistically evaluate your kids in terms of dribbling, juggling, heading, right/left foot, shooting, first touch, passing accuracy, etc. and factor in field vision, soccer acumen, etc. Each player needs to develop these skills first or it will be difficult to progress, especially against those players who have great skills and are great athletes.
So ask yourself- which coach provides better skills development, regardless of what team. Also, you might want to look at other clubs and coaches to see what they offer and style of play. Once skills are developed, I then recommend to play on the highest team possible as your kids will practice against better players and hopefully speed of play will be faster. You typically can't replicate speed of play on lower teams and you need to apply your skills where the speed of the game is fastest and I don't mean speed of players, but where the team plays fast tempo, quick passing, one/two touches, etc.
The other thing to consider, once you have sufficient skill, is your kid having fun? I've always stressed "play hard, have fun", because without the latter, kids will end up quitting this great sport. So if your kid is not happy sitting and wants to play, drop down or find another team. But realize, it's easy to move down, not as easy to move up, especially when higher teams have established rosters and cliques.
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Post by bpgbeieio on Oct 16, 2013 12:12:10 GMT -5
Silverback, respectfully, in a vacuum that is a good philosophy, but one must "factor in" the child's aspirations, potential, and enjoyment.
If the child does not have the physical tools to play at the top available level of competition why not enjoy ruling the roost on the 2nd team. If the child has the physical tools, development will likely be less on the 2nd team since the child can rely (and will default) to outsized physical prowess. If the child truly has the physical tools, most top team coaches will development.
I do agree with your suggestion to shop clubs for playing style and fit.
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Post by spectator on Oct 16, 2013 17:43:51 GMT -5
I could have written that OP last year.
This year it is what it is - it may suck but make the best of it. Get your daughter as many touches as possible when not at practice, consider private sessions with a separate coach at your own club or a club you may consider moving to later .
Were you given specific areas your player needed to improve for consideration for that top team? Is there opportunity to guest pass up to the top team or even an age group up? Take advantage of any opportunities this year ...
BUT. In all honesty, your player may need to leave the club to move up. If passed over once, it's likely to happen again and coaches seem to look harder and more favorably at new talent trying out than cultivating and harvesting talent within the club. Weigh your options for tryouts next year but remember that the game is the best teacher so if your player is getting that time on the field now, it will pay off later. It did for us!
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Post by lovethegame on Oct 25, 2013 7:40:08 GMT -5
My child has been in both situations. She was at the top of the second team and moved up mid season a few years back. She is now playing about half the game on a very good team. We have no question that she needs to stay where she is. She has verbally committed to a small D1 program, and the temptation to spend her senior year at with a team that travels less and is less intense was tempting. But, it wouldn't prepare her as well to play in college. Right now she has a good coach, and practices with strong players. The competition is better, and most every player on team wants to play in college, so their level of commitment is high.
If you child as aspirations of playing in college, have her play on the highest team she is capable of playing on, provided the coaching is good. If soccer is fun and she doesn't want to play past high school, I would go with the team that she is most comfortable with and that is the best social fit. Every team comes with its own set of issues, but some of those top teams can be rough. It's often not easy for the players on the bottom of a top team. So, that takes a player who is mentally strong and really wants to get better. Don't get me wrong. Every player on that team has value, and the best teams realize that they are only as strong as the weakest player. Sadly, the top players and even the coach don't always recognize that..
Good luck. It's a difficult decision. Try out for more than one club, and see if there isn't a better fit out there. At the same time, realize that a perfect fit seldom happens and one issue could be replaced with another.
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Post by soccergator on Oct 25, 2013 12:58:26 GMT -5
yea, getting more worried each week. i love our coach, he is phenomenal. But its clear, girls are not showing dedication to the team, and players are regressing from missing training sessions.
great advice from all, its seems obvious in this situation my daughter would be better off on the top team, shes not getting pushed enough in practice by her teammates and in games shes struggling to find players to create combinations with.
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Post by lovethegame on Oct 25, 2013 16:04:32 GMT -5
yea, getting more worried each week. i love our coach, he is phenomenal. But its clear, girls are not showing dedication to the team, and players are regressing from missing training sessions. great advice from all, its seems obvious in this situation my daughter would be better off on the top team, shes not getting pushed enough in practice by her teammates and in games shes struggling to find players to create combinations with. Can your daughter practice with the top team? Before my daughter moved up she went to extra practices with the top team. She was motivated and was tired of being passed by when it came to tryouts. At first she was a bit intimidated, but she had a goal. She practiced with her own team three times a week and with the top team once a week, and she never missed practicing with them once she started. When they needed a player a few months later, she was moved up. It was the team she belonged on, but it took those practices to show the coach that she could play with them. That was almost four years ago and within a short time she began starting on the team and has been a starter on the top team since. |
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