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Post by BubbleDad on Aug 28, 2023 22:03:49 GMT -5
My daughter is now U19 and I've learned a lot from experience and advice. We've fought through injuries, good/bad/ugly coaches, great to cookie cutter trainers ... but above all ... this is the advice I've come up with for U12 and up parents: 1) trust no one with your kids ... don't allow coaches or trainers to have your kid's phone number ... maybe at U17 or U19 b/c those are recruiting times ... whatever they have to say to them ... they can say to you when your kid isn't at a game or practice 2) put a HUGE focus on your kid becoming technically better before school work starts to get hard and demanding ... clubs a lot of time are no help with this once you hit U13 ... let's be honest ... most kids aren't on the top teams ... focus on them being recruitable ... being technically savvy is the way to go ... have them pick 3 moves to master, perfect their 1st touch and charging into space 3) girls ... need to attend the UNC Chapel Hill College Bound camp ... BEST CAMP FOR YOUR BUCK ... THOROUGH evaluation and players from around the world attend 4) learn 12 point juggling ... UNC camp harped on it - 5) when picking a trainer, discuss a plan being created for your kid. Having footage of them playing helps with this ... pick someone who specializes in their position(s) too 6) make sure they are taking vitamins daily and eat 3-4 hours before games which helps to get their body fueled without weighing them down. On IG there is the soccer nutritionist who is great to follow 7) ALWAYS keep an ice pack in your car along with ice boots when taking your kid to practice ... trainers normally aren't on site during practices ... having this helped a teammate's injury from being worse. Also, ice boots or for knees to use for post practice or games ... I'll explain later: REVIX Ankle Ice Pack Wrap for... www.amazon.com/dp/B08NSTJZGD?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share8) Make sure games are being recorded and make time to watch the film with your kid to dissect it. Fiverr.com has plenty of affordable pros that can extract only when your kid is involved in the play. Trainers may give you a discount to just do a film review session with your kid 9) some of these coaches don't warmup their players good, so YOU need to make sure you get your kid to the field an hour before the game, then make sure they do some resistance band work, start jogging 45 minutes before the game and some light passing or juggling ... you would be surprised at how some coaches start warmup 20-30 minutes before game time 10) refreshing/restorative halftime snacks no matter the season: oranges, bananas ... if you watch tennis ... they snack between sets ... our kids should do the same ... my daughter's U13 coach did that to help with the transition from 9v9 field to 11v11 11) make sure your kid is warming up, before they sub out another player. I know you can't do anything during the game, but chat with your child and coach if it isn't happening ... I've never had to worry about this until this season ... daughter's coach is literally letting girls get up off the bench and go straight to the AR to sub a player out ... blew my mind ... no light jogging, calf stretching, scooping .... 12) post game PT I ... do not let your kid walk off the soccer field and get in your car without cooling down. This could be there doing their warm up again ... light jog, calf, quad, hip and groin stretch ... at least 10 minutes before getting in the car 13) post game PT II ... this is where the ice boots come in ... once they are on the bigger field ... this is where the injuries start showing their ugly heads ... ankles, knees, groins, calfs ... you want to simulate an ice bath. My daughter has ankle issues, so she puts on ice boots after every practice and game ... her ankles are fine now BUT we still ice them so she stays healthy 14) post game PT III ... have them drink either chocolate milk or some type of hydration drink post practice or games to help replenish the fluids they've loss 15) best trainer to follow on Youtube ... straight to the point and includes demonstrations - AllAttack ... 16) Watch English Premier League or MX League games ... the pace and creativity is crazy ... encourage your kid to entertain vs just playing 17) Do not trust your child to do the right thing. Make sure they take care of themselves whether it is high school team, club or indoor ... we need to protect our investment. Watch them do what you told them or have them confirm they practiced their moves, did 12pt juggling, ate right and stretched I hope this helps. 18) buy the camper chairs that you can pack in your suitcase for games where you have to fly: www.amazon.com/dp/B08ZSKS46Q?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share19) if you have a female player, find boys teams that allow girls to play on it ... it will increase their speed of play and creativity 20) U15 or U16 ... start to intro weight training ... Crunch is the best for your buck b/c they have all the weight, cardio + plyo equipment you'll need. They also offer affordable personal training programs |
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Post by rifle on Aug 29, 2023 5:54:16 GMT -5
A) Don’t criticize teammates. They’re kids.
B) If you decide you need to leave a team, just go. Don’t try to be the savior of a hand picked group of others along with your kid. No good will come from it.
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rotgg
Jr. Academy
Posts: 90
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Post by rotgg on Aug 29, 2023 7:29:22 GMT -5
This is a fabulous post mods need to pin this to top!!!
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Post by Futsal Gawdess on Aug 29, 2023 8:04:43 GMT -5
My daughter is now U19 and I've learned a lot from experience and advice. We've fought through injuries, good/bad/ugly coaches, great to cookie cutter trainers ... but above all ... this is the advice I've come up with for U12 and up parents: The act of sharing one's experiences so others do not make the same mistake, IMHO is what this forum needs more of. I would like to express my gratitude for your willingness to share this valuable resource. Yes we can read, research, watch videos, and ask a myriad of questions, but, there's nothing quite like gaining insights from your firsthand experiences, from someone who has navigated the same challenges many are going through. On behalf of our sons and daughters, I extend my heartfelt thanks to you for taking the time to collate all these and generosity sharing. Best of luck to your daughter in all her future endeavors. She's lucky to have you in her corner... |
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Post by BubbleDad on Aug 29, 2023 8:17:18 GMT -5
My daughter is now U19 and I've learned a lot from experience and advice. We've fought through injuries, good/bad/ugly coaches, great to cookie cutter trainers ... but above all ... this is the advice I've come up with for U12 and up parents: The act of sharing one's experiences so others do not make the same mistake, IMHO is what this forum needs more of. I would like to express my gratitude for your willingness to share this valuable resource. Yes we can read, research, watch videos, and ask a myriad of questions, but, there's nothing quite like gaining insights from your firsthand experiences, from someone who has navigated the same challenges many are going through. On behalf of our sons and daughters, I extend my heartfelt thanks to you for taking the time to collate all these and generosity sharing. Best of luck to your daughter in all her future endeavors. She's lucky to have you in her corner... Thank you. We are truly a village. You have provided some great insight which keeps me coming back. My biggest concern is the physical and mental health of our kids. Injuries are almost guaranteed in this game. Just try to reduce them and the time it'll keep them from training or playing. |
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Post by bolo on Aug 29, 2023 8:26:03 GMT -5
My daughter is now U19 and I've learned a lot from experience and advice. We've fought through injuries, good/bad/ugly coaches, great to cookie cutter trainers ... but above all ... this is the advice I've come up with for U12 and up parents: 1) trust no one with your kids ... don't allow coaches or trainers to have your kid's phone number ... maybe at U17 or U19 b/c those are recruiting times ... whatever they have to say to them ... they can say to you when your kid isn't at a game or practice 2) put a HUGE focus on your kid becoming technically better ... clubs a lot of time are no help with this once you hit U13 ... let's be honest ... most kids aren't on the top teams ... focus on them being recruitable ... being technically savvy is the way to go ... have them pick 3 moves to master, perfect their 1st touch and charging into space 3) girls ... need to attend the UNC Chapel Hill College Board camp ... BEST CAMP FOR YOUR BUCK ... THOROUGH evaluation and players from around the world attend 4) learn 12 point juggling ... UNC camp harped on it - 5) when picking a trainer, discuss a plan being created for your kid. Having footage of them playing helps with this ... pick someone who specializes in their position(s) too 6) make sure they taking vitamins daily and eat 3-4 hours before games which helps to get their body fueled without weighing them down. On IG there is the soccer nutritionist who is great to follow 7) ALWAYS keep an ice pack in your car along with ice boots when taking your kid to practice ... trainers normally aren't on site during practices ... having this helped a teammate's injury from being worse. Also, ice boots or for knees to use for post practice or games ... I'll explain later: REVIX Ankle Ice Pack Wrap for... www.amazon.com/dp/B08NSTJZGD?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share8) Make sure games are being recorded and make time to watch the film with your kid to dissect it. Fiverr.com has plenty of affordable pros that can extract only when your kid is involved in the play. Trainers may give you a discount to just do a film review session with your kid 9) some of these coaches don't warmup their players good, so YOU need to make sure you get your kid to the field an hour before the game, then make sure they do some resistance band work, start jogging 45 minutes before the game and some light passing or juggling ... you would be surprised at how some coaches start warmup 20-30 minutes before game time 10) refreshing/restorative halftime snacks no matter the season: oranges, bananas ... if you watch tennis ... they snack between sets ... our kids should do the same ... my daughter's U13 coach did that too help with the transition from 9v9 field to 11v11 11) make sure your kid is warming up, before they sub out another player. I know you can't do anything during the game, but chat with your child and coach if it isn't happening ... I've never had to worry about this until this season ... daughter's coach is literally letting girls get up off the bench and go straight to the AR to sub a player out ... blew my mind ... no light jogging, calf stretching, scooping .... 12) post game PT I ... do not let your kid walk off the soccer field and get in your car without cooling down. This could be there doing their warm up again ... light jog, calf, quad, hip and groin stretch ... at least 10 minutes before getting in the car 13) post game PT II ... this is where the ice boots come in ... once they are on the bigger field ... this is where the injuries start showing their ugly heads ... ankles, knees, groins, calfs ... you want to simulate an ice bath. My daughter has ankle issues, so she puts on ice boots after every practice and game ... her ankles are fine now BUT we still ice them so she stays healthy 14) post game PT III ... have them drink either chocolate milk or some type of hydration drink post practice or games to help replenish the fluids they've loss 15) best trainer to follow on Youtube ... straight to the point and includes demonstrations - AllAttack ... 16) Watch English Premier League or MX League games ... the pace and creativity is crazy ... encourage your kid to entertain vs just playing 17) Do not trust your child to do the right thing. Make sure they take care of themselves whether it is high school team, club or indoor ... we need to protect our investment. Watch them do what you told them or have them confirm they practiced their moves, did 12pt juggling, ate right and stretched I hope this helps. 18) buy the camper chairs that you can pack in your suitcase for games where you have to fly: www.amazon.com/dp/B08ZSKS46Q?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share19) if you have a female player, find boys teams that allow girls to play on it ... it will increase their speed of play and creativity 20) U15 or U16 ... start to intro weight training ... Crunch is the best for your buck b/c they have all the weight, cardio + plyo equipment you'll need. They also offer affordable personal training programs Wow, very thorough. I have to say though, after reading all that- and I'm sure I'm in the minority on this board- I'm glad my kids were/are never this into youth soccer! They both played/currently play for the enjoyment of the game and competition, personal development on & off the field, fun with teammates that have often become great friends, and exercise. Neither had/has any designs on playing in college (even though one could at a lower level), outside of maybe club or intramurals, and neither got/will get burned out on soccer because of over-involvement, too much time or training, etc. God bless those that want all that and go down that path, because many clearly do, and that's awesome. I'm personally just glad it wasn't the soccer path my kids chose to take. |
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Post by mochiburon on Aug 29, 2023 12:47:01 GMT -5
I'd be tempted to steal the ice boots on some days.  |
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Post by BubbleDad on Sept 2, 2023 17:18:40 GMT -5
One thing I forgot to mention when it comes to injuries, chose an ortho that specializes in your child's injury.
I want to rave about Resurgence out of St Joseph hospital. My daughter's ortho connected my daughter with one of the Athletic Therapists (they need more than a physical therapist) that was across the hall. Her ortho spoke face to face with the therapist about her progress ... she then had an MRI done through Resurgence as well and the athletic trainer had access to the results the next day! They have the anti-gravity treadmill and centralized cryotherapy after each session to reduce any inflammation acquired during the therapy session.
My message is chose a network with connected resources ... it helps in customizing what's necessary for your child to heal, play again and advice on what to do to stay healthy.
We found this out after going through 2 other orthos. Three times a charm I guess.
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Post by bogan on Sept 2, 2023 18:58:29 GMT -5
One thing I forgot to mention when it comes to injuries, chose an ortho that specializes in your child's injury. I want to rave about Resurgence out of St Joseph hospital. My daughter's ortho connected my daughter with one of the Athletic Therapists (they need more than a physical therapist) that was across the hall. Her ortho spoke face to face with the therapist about her progress ... she then had an MRI done through Resurgence as well and the athletic trainer had access to the results the next day! They have the anti-gravity treadmill and centralized cryotherapy after each session to reduce any inflammation acquired during the therapy session. My message is chose a network with connected resources ... it helps in customizing what's necessary for your child to heal, play again and advice on what to do to stay healthy. We found this out after going through 2 other orthos. Three times a charm I guess. Same here-went to a couple that weren’t specialists in sport’s injuries. Finding the right one made the difference when my son had to have surgery. |
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Post by oraclesfriend on Sept 2, 2023 21:05:59 GMT -5
One thing I forgot to mention when it comes to injuries, chose an ortho that specializes in your child's injury. I want to rave about Resurgence out of St Joseph hospital. My daughter's ortho connected my daughter with one of the Athletic Therapists (they need more than a physical therapist) that was across the hall. Her ortho spoke face to face with the therapist about her progress ... she then had an MRI done through Resurgence as well and the athletic trainer had access to the results the next day! They have the anti-gravity treadmill and centralized cryotherapy after each session to reduce any inflammation acquired during the therapy session. My message is chose a network with connected resources ... it helps in customizing what's necessary for your child to heal, play again and advice on what to do to stay healthy. We found this out after going through 2 other orthos. Three times a charm I guess. Same here-went to a couple that weren’t specialists in sport’s injuries. Finding the right one made the difference when my son had to have surgery. As an ortho sports med specialist I will echo the need for a sports surgeon. Also DO NOT choose someone to do ACL reconstruction who tells you that your kid will back on the field playing matches in 6 months or less especially if your child is a girl. The earlier they return to sport they greater their chance of retear. This also is true for basketball and pointy football. An earlier return to play does not mean they do a better job. Usually it is worse. For ankle injuries see if you can find a sports and ankle surgeon. Better yet go see Dominic Carreira. I trusted him to fix my child, the daughter of an ortho surgeon. He fixed her and she did great!!! I will echo much of what Bubble Dad said. I will add to make sure they are having fun still and if they aren’t find out why. Intervene by removing them from the club if you have to. Do not let anyone criticize your kid about things they can’t control (too short, too thin). Have your kid train on their own with programs like Beast mode or Captain Elite. Captain Elite is great because they teach your kid about grit too. Their daughter, who is in the videos, played at Penn and UNC Chapel Hill and has done some coaching at UNC. |
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Post by BubbleDad on Sept 3, 2023 7:15:29 GMT -5
Same here-went to a couple that weren’t specialists in sport’s injuries. Finding the right one made the difference when my son had to have surgery. As an ortho sports med specialist I will echo the need for a sports surgeon. Also DO NOT choose someone to do ACL reconstruction who tells you that your kid will back on the field playing matches in 6 months or less especially if your child is a girl. The earlier they return to sport they greater their chance of retear. This also is true for basketball and pointy football. An earlier return to play does not mean they do a better job. Usually it is worse. For ankle injuries see if you can find a sports and ankle surgeon. Better yet go see Dominic Carreira. I trusted him to fix my child, the daughter of an ortho surgeon. He fixed her and she did great!!! I will echo much of what Bubble Dad said. I will add to make sure they are having fun still and if they aren’t find out why. Intervene by removing them from the club if you have to. Do not let anyone criticize your kid about things they can’t control (too short, too thin). Have your kid train on their own with programs like Beast mode or Captain Elite. Captain Elite is great because they teach your kid about grit too. Their daughter, who is in the videos, played at Penn and UNC Chapel Hill and has done some coaching at UNC. Amen! Great point on the mental health aspect. I had to pull my daughter from a club, because her work rate and results weren't being valued. The move improved her spirit tremendously. |
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Post by katieatlsoccer on Sept 4, 2023 6:51:30 GMT -5
This is the most informative and helpful posts I’ve ever read on youth soccer. Thank you for so generously sharing your wisdom on this topic. If you happened to have heard of a similarly strong boys camp would you share?
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Post by Oceanready on Sept 4, 2023 9:54:10 GMT -5
bubbledad-this is such an excellent and informative post-thank you. oraclesfriend- I couldn’t agree with you more on “Do not let anyone criticize your kid about things they can’t control (too short, too thin)…and make sure they are having fun”.
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Post by atlbuster on Sept 4, 2023 13:18:36 GMT -5
Very thorough post, and many good nuggets of advice (many of which I have tried, to varying degrees of success). I offer not a counter to your post - but just something to keep in mind from my and my daughter's experience. What works for some doesn't work for all, and with some kids (like mine, also U19) you can't do certain of these things, or else you risk having your kid grow to dislike the sport. There are many talented, high-level players that play because they love their teammates, enjoy the competition and need a release from the rigors of school. For these kids, the more job-like it becomes, the more they grow to resent the sport. Above all, this sport is about joy - and we can't forget that. So I would add #21 to your list: Find out what it is that your kid enjoys about the sport, and never let them forget it - make it a focus of yours and his/hers, and support it, especially as they get older and the demands on their time increase.
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Post by oraclesfriend on Sept 4, 2023 15:23:13 GMT -5
Very thorough post, and many good nuggets of advice (many of which I have tried, to varying degrees of success). I offer not a counter to your post - but just something to keep in mind from my and my daughter's experience. What works for some doesn't work for all, and with some kids (like mine, also U19) you can't do certain of these things, or else you risk having your kid grow to dislike the sport. There are many talented, high-level players that play because they love their teammates, enjoy the competition and need a release from the rigors of school. For these kids, the more job-like it becomes, the more they grow to resent the sport. Above all, this sport is about joy - and we can't forget that. So I would add #21 to your list: Find out what it is that your kid enjoys about the sport, and never let them forget it - make it a focus of yours and his/hers, and support it, especially as they get older and the demands on their time increase. Totally agree. My older kid did almost all of the initial list on their own and loved the game. Ate, slept, breathed the game. Teammates and a few coaches killed the love. Fear of what would happen with recruiting caused us to stay beyond what we should have (that fear was there for the child who held back info that would have gotten the coach fired and for us parents who did not know all that was going on but knew the child was inches away from fulfilling their dream). Our child never played for the time spent with teammates, but the toxic teammates were part of the reason they are not playing in college right now. Keep an eye on the team dynamics even if they don’t play for the social aspect of it because it still matters. It is all about the love of the game. I am glad I managed to convince my child to play their senior year on a team with nicer kids and coach and they ended on a decent note. It still did not convince them to play in college despite the offer from the coach of the school they are attending, but I hope that final year allows them to look back on the sport they loved with some fondness instead of hatred and resentment. To see how environment affects players look at Messi. If the GOAT can have a hard year or two affect his playing and his mindset imagine how it can affect your kids. Messi chose to come to the USA and MLS to balance his life and make himself and his family happy. You can tell when you watch him that he is playing with joy again. That is the point of the game…fun/happiness🥰 |
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Post by BubbleDad on Sept 4, 2023 22:43:18 GMT -5
Yes. Believe me ... I agree that one size doesn't fit all. However, silence doesn't help anyone ... it's actually more hurtful. Each one, teach one.
I apologize if my initial message came across as all business and no pleasure, BUT all 20 of those tips were to assist in our kids having fun within the sports they love.
Whether you are playing rec or ECNL ... it's not fun if you are hurt. Not stretching, properly recovering and becoming stronger will cut off all play. Now that, isn't fun ... seeing everyone else play and your player can't.
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Post by BubbleDad on Sept 4, 2023 22:49:09 GMT -5
This is the most informative and helpful posts I’ve ever read on youth soccer. Thank you for so generously sharing your wisdom on this topic. If you happened to have heard of a similarly strong boys camp would you share? I would look at the top men's programs in the Southeast region ... get in contact with them and see if their camp provides a written or digital evaluation the child can take with them to share with coaches and trainers after the camp |
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Post by BubbleDad on Sept 5, 2023 17:43:18 GMT -5
Very thorough post, and many good nuggets of advice (many of which I have tried, to varying degrees of success). I offer not a counter to your post - but just something to keep in mind from my and my daughter's experience. What works for some doesn't work for all, and with some kids (like mine, also U19) you can't do certain of these things, or else you risk having your kid grow to dislike the sport. There are many talented, high-level players that play because they love their teammates, enjoy the competition and need a release from the rigors of school. For these kids, the more job-like it becomes, the more they grow to resent the sport. Above all, this sport is about joy - and we can't forget that. So I would add #21 to your list: Find out what it is that your kid enjoys about the sport, and never let them forget it - make it a focus of yours and his/hers, and support it, especially as they get older and the demands on their time increase. "21 to your list: Find out what it is that your kid enjoys about the sport, and never let them forget it - make it a focus of yours and his/hers, and support it, especially as they get older and the demands on their time increase." That could probably by #1 ... in elementary school ... my daughter did dance, softball (she was good b/c she played baseball all the time in our extended family's backyard), tennis, martial arts, cheerleading and soccer. Soccer took the cake though. Not to mention she's played piano since she was 4 years old. Once the smoke cleared lol ... she loves playing soccer plus upright and electric bass. She's hoping to do both in college. |
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dc
Jr. Academy
Posts: 52
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Post by dc on Sept 7, 2023 11:24:08 GMT -5
After having three kids in club soccer (one still playing lower level pro, one still in college and one still in club), my advice is that always remember it is just a game played by kids. If you're a good parent, everything else will follow.
My oldest has brought up a few times that he appreciated us simply "letting him play." He had friends where we lived always trying to find the best team/coach/trainer/cleats/ball/equipment. He said they were always stressed trying to keep up with the Joneses and fearing missing out. He just loved playing and the rest just followed naturally.
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