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Post by gunner on Sept 23, 2019 7:15:35 GMT -5
Do any of you see favoritism at your club? I always thought it was about the game and playing the best players.
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Post by slickdaddy96 on Sept 23, 2019 7:31:18 GMT -5
My son's team not really though a coach will always have the players he thinks are the best that some parents might not see it the same way. That doesn't necessarily mean the coach or the parent is wrong, it is just a difference in opinion.
As far as club admin goes yes. The bigger club my kid plays in does show favoritism to their main branch and middle of Metro Atlanta branches rather than their further out branches when it comes to teams getting better leagues and placement (SCCL vs SCCL-p, NPL, etc...)
They try to raid the best players in these far away branches to come play on the higher teams at the main branch, but travel doing that keeps a lot of parents from going with their kid not to mention the few kids that do end up going end up usually not having any fun at all due to the majority of those teams being kids from the main branch that all go to school together and have been friends for years and those players are treated as outcasts, so they end up burning out and coming back to the branch location anyway.
In my opinion clubs should toward the end of the season invite teams from each age group to play a scrimmage weekend against each other from all branches to see where they truly need to place their NPL, ECNL, etc... type teams. It may not always be the main branch and sometimes parents just don't want to take their kids 2-2.5 hours worth of driving 3x or more a week for them to play on a higher team. If the team as a whole is better in a branch location and can beat the main branch team, then that team should be given the better spot instead of the big clubs trying to poach the best kids off that team. I know this is pie in the sky talk since the whole purpose of the mega-mergers were to pull the best kids off the branch teams, but I don't think that is the way it should be handled.
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Post by oraclesfriend on Sept 23, 2019 8:48:16 GMT -5
Sorry to hear that you are having this problem, but I will say that we have been on both sides of this with coaches. Sometimes it is purely about the coach's opinion about who is the best being different from yours and is a playing time issue only (which at the younger ages shouldn't be affecting them as much as long as they are getting the required half of the game). We have been on the bad end of this even at academy ages and not getting anywhere close to half of a game. We have been on the good end and been recommended to move up to a higher team.
From a club standpoint we have never been in the "favorites" or on the opposite side. We have always been in the middle, but I have seen favoritism in action MANY times. It is rampant in club soccer (and I am sure in other club sports too). Sometimes it is a money thing (donations). Sometimes it is because of friendships outside of soccer. Sometimes it is giving the benefit of a player's last name (because siblings are good so this one must be too).
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Post by Soccerhouse on Sept 23, 2019 10:08:45 GMT -5
Unfortunately it's very difficult to have multiple coaches truly knowledgeable about each single year of age player pool. coaches get so busy coaching their teams, they have little if any time at all often to watch other teams in the same age group. Often you have teams training at completely different locations as well. I personally think top teams should be exposed to multiple coaches throughout a season. Directors need to come in and run sessions and offer feedback to the staff on their opinions on players and the development of the team. Coaching by a committee is a good thing.
Favoritism is just real life and often its more about perception. - Sometimes it can be a simple as, that player might be the only one on the squad that can play a certain position and truly be successful. This is perceived as favoritism, but it instead is actually just common sense.
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Post by gunner on Sept 23, 2019 10:42:46 GMT -5
I agree with you that teams should be exposed to multiple coaches throughout a season. I also like how overseas teams combine their practices where the older players mentoring the young players on the field in practices.
As for the favoritism goes I see too much of it for my liking but it is what it is nothing is fare in life but with each player paying the same you would expect to at least receive that same coaching.
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Post by hattrick07 on Sept 23, 2019 11:33:22 GMT -5
Favoritism. Nepotism. Politics. Youth Soccer is filled with this, and I've seen it at various clubs at every level. What's worse is when players are given equal playing time – irrespective of attitude, effort or talent.
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Post by oraclesfriend on Sept 23, 2019 11:38:24 GMT -5
Favoritism. Nepotism. Politics. Youth Soccer is filled with this, and I've seen it at various clubs at every level. What's worse is when players are given equal playing time – irrespective of attitude, effort or talent. The playing time situation needs to be different in different age groups. At the younger age groups the playing time should be equal unless there is some sort of behavior problem. At the older age groups, especially high school age, I think that effort and attitude should play a HUGE role in playing time. Talent should play a big role as well, but if you are a jerk to your teammates, disrespectful of a coach and/or lazy (not trying your hardest), missing training sessions, etc your playing time should go down even if you are talented. Otherwise the behavior goes unchecked and starts to erode team chemistry and affect the individual players who are good kids, dedicated and working hard. |
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Post by hattrick07 on Sept 23, 2019 11:55:54 GMT -5
Agreed. As a parent, it's difficult and frustrating to watch a coach not only tolerate bad behavior, but reward it with playing time (ECNL level). The message it sends other players is that it doesn't matter how much effort you put it, how talented you are, how respectful you are to your teammates and coach - everyone still gets to play 17.5 minutes per half. I don't know if that's considered favoritism, or just not having a backbone, but I would think that coaches would enforce a player code of conduct, and if they didn't, players would sit on the bench. Every minute on the field should be earned.
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Post by 4theloveofsoccer on Sept 23, 2019 14:02:04 GMT -5
Favoritism. Nepotism. Politics. Youth Soccer is filled with this, and I've seen it at various clubs at every level. What's worse is when players are given equal playing time – irrespective of attitude, effort or talent. I agree, some clubs have more of it than others. Over the years, I've seen situations where the parents ran more than half the team out to change clubs by talking to coaches and directors to get their kid more time and playing position. |
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Post by slickdaddy96 on Sept 23, 2019 16:04:15 GMT -5
Favoritism. Nepotism. Politics. Youth Soccer is filled with this, and I've seen it at various clubs at every level. What's worse is when players are given equal playing time – irrespective of attitude, effort or talent. I agree, some clubs have more of it than others. Over the years, I've seen situations where the parents ran more than half the team out to change clubs by talking to coaches and directors to get their kid more time and playing position. That might backfire in some situations. I know a few players with loud parents that were cut by particular coaches the next year because their parent was complaining about the size of the team and playing time. I tell my son he has to earn his playing time at training each week and at the games and don't expect me to speak up for him unless something is grossly wrong. |
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Post by Keeper on Sept 23, 2019 16:08:52 GMT -5
Favoritism. Nepotism. Politics. Youth Soccer is filled with this, and I've seen it at various clubs at every level. What's worse is when players are given equal playing time – irrespective of attitude, effort or talent. It’s the American way!! |
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Post by soccermonster on Sept 23, 2019 17:31:03 GMT -5
Favoritism. Nepotism. Politics. Youth Soccer is filled with this, and I've seen it at various clubs at every level. What's worse is when players are given equal playing time – irrespective of attitude, effort or talent. My sentiments exactly. Don't get me started on this entitled BS that I see on the team. Work hard - you get to play. You slack off at practice - sit the bench. My coach doesn't necessarily play favorites (at least not in my eyes) but this whole equal playing time makes me crazy. |
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