|
Post by coffeedude on Mar 23, 2016 11:04:56 GMT -5
Obviously they are a lot of opinions out there and I would love to know more of them on this question, what parental expectations do you believe exist for and what benefit do you see by having Select level soccer below 3(C) or possibly even 2(B)?
My background so you know where I am coming from, 10 yrs coaching CL2 level teams, most recently I have been reffing for the last 3 seasons. I have only refed CL3 and below and rec games. I will say for my experience and region, south of I-20, the CL4 and 5 games are atrocious! Rec is what it is, rec. Parents on the rec side are great, cheering on kids and having fun, parents on the Select side you would think the World Cup was on the line, a scholarship and a contract!
I have spoken with several parents who have kids that have graduated and are playing college ball, these boys were RPL, CL1 and National ODP. They are playing at Div II and III schools. I know these boys and am very excited for them. Speaking with HS coaches, parents about the recruiting process they experienced I was given the impression that if you are not DA you are not even getting looked at by Div I schools. (Feel free to give your thoughts on this as well.)
So with all that said if by U17, maybe U16? you are still playing CL4 ball what are the parents thinking the benefit is over rec? Why not just pay 1/3 of the cost and play with your HS buddies?
Just looking for others thoughts on the issue,
Thanks.
|
|
|
Post by spectator on Mar 23, 2016 11:22:16 GMT -5
Several topics within your post so I'll give my two cents
1. Parent 'expectations' for soccer are not relevant in my opinion. This is youth sports - operative word - YOUTH. If your kid wants to play -let him or her play regardless of the level. I do not believe youth soccer is a consumer product therefore my 'expectations' are not skewed to demanding 'customer service' a return on my 'investment' or anything other than my kid playing the game she loves, She's played at multiple levels over her years in Select soccer - the only difference is the speed of the play as the levels get higher. And even then - top of one division and the bottom of the one above it are strikingly similar so it's a wash.
2. Rec versus Select - any parental expectations are financially driven. If daddy is forking over a grand for kid to play, he's more likely to be the one on the sidelines yelling like it's life or death whereas if it's a rec game, it's much more like 'hey, it's a nice saturday, let's all head out and watch the kids play soccer'. See #1 above - let them play regardless of the level -it's not about what the parent wants or expects - this is about kids playing a game.
3. Playing in college - everyone gets so sucked into the 'D1 or bust' mentality. D2 schools have some strong programs and can contend at playoff time. Again back to #1 above - top of one division and bottom of the one above aren't that different. Not every D1 school is a powerhouse - not every D2 is crap. And - DA/RPL/ECNL aren't the only ways to a D1 school either. High School coaches don't know college recruiting because no college coaches are recruiting at high school games.
4. U15 and up - this when you will see the most drop off in kids playing - for various reasons - they need more time for school and activities, burnout, moved on to other sports, etc. It's their decision (again #1 above - it's about the kid playing)
Just my two cents - spend it as you wish!
|
|
|
Post by alacrity174 on Mar 23, 2016 11:40:01 GMT -5
I am in a similar situation to both the guys above, I coached mainly lower level select teams and now ref also, although I do a number of Cl1/ Ath A games along wit CL III and Ath C etc. Spectator makes some good points also, the one thing I would say is everyone gets caught up in DI and DII schools. Is everyone aware that the ONLY difference between DI and DII schools is the number of sports they sponsor, to be a DI school you need to sponsor 15 sports, if you only sponsor 14 sports then you are a DII school. There are plenty of DII schools that routinely beat DI schools so let's not get so hung up on this DI thing.
|
|
leem
Jr. Academy
Posts: 21
|
Post by leem on Mar 23, 2016 12:37:25 GMT -5
Another consideration is where you play from. I coached Academy and Select for 5 years before deciding that parents expectations just didn't match reality. Many of the non-metro clubs are only one or two teams deep at any age group. You have players who are CL1 caliber on the same team as those with less skill. My son played 3 years of ODP before we decided driving 9 hours round trip for a 2 hour practice wasn't worth the trip. His team started playing up in CL5 and moved up to CL2 in 3 seasons. Many games were ugly, but some showed well, especially the clubs from outside ATL.
|
|
|
Post by hotspur1 on Mar 23, 2016 12:49:22 GMT -5
Great topic! First comment is I think you underestimate some of the play in the lower levels of Select a little but understand your point.
Back to expectations. My u14 daughters' goals are to play high school soccer....that's it. While I'm super competitive (played baseball in college) my daughter isn't. Don't get me wrong, she wants to win, does extra work, guest plays on other teams, plays 3v3, but she also wants to enjoy being a goofy young girl too. She's a very good, not great player....and she's perfectly content with it. She gave up a potential RPL spot on a team to move to an Athena B squad that had a coach and style she loved. Several of her old teammates (and their parents) couldn't believe it and gave her some grief about it but I couldn't be more proud of the decision she made.
I agree with Spectator, parents have to temper their expectations and make sure they are aligned with what's important to the child. All kids do not want to be the next Alex Morgan or Clint Dempsey, or even play in college. Most just want to have fun and compete at some level whether it's Classic 4 or Athena A or rec leagues. And parents should let the kids make the call.
Final comment that I think is really appropriate to the topic. My daughter's coach made a comment to me that really resonated with us. She told my daughter that her goals as a coach would be to challenge her to become a better soccer player, try to keep her excited about the game, have fun, and would hopefully inspire her as a young woman. That's what youth sports should be about.
|
|
|
Post by infoguy on Mar 24, 2016 7:59:15 GMT -5
Good thread. Anyone competitive when it comes to sports is going to get lost in the moment of the game - meaning, people like me are not going to immediately consider what CL or Athena division it is. I have 2 kids on opposite ends of the division spectrum, and I want to see each player play to their potential and win. I am not going to fake cheer for something that's not good - and something that I consider good includes hustle even if the skill set isn't there. One child of mine that is on the lower division end of the spectrum wants to play HS ball - I love my child so I'm going to going to be a serious parent and fan - and will constructively offer up advice and help plan what they need to work on.
I have found that coaches and refs are spot on when they talk about the overall meaning and goals of youth soccer, offering up things like just take them out for ice cream after the game, etc... until it's their kid out there ...
|
|