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Post by atlantagray on Sept 18, 2023 13:08:05 GMT -5
If you re read my post, it says they want to have fun and compete against other kids. Playing rec wouldn't be much competition. They do play "rec" in other sports and have a blast (basketball, flag football, etc.). The league doesn't matter as much, one of my kids does SCCL but that is the appropriate level. So they compete there. Time and money are separate questions, for me personally I don't mind either of those commitments, but I do not like nationals and many of the away tournaments that now seem so mandatory for teams. I guess the reason is they don't need to go to those tournaments typically to have fun and compete. I always love a good preseason tournament, if it is drivable, so the kids and parents on the the team can get to know one another. “The league doesn’t matter as much”? Huh? You sound like your kids may not be teenagers if they are playing Rec league in other sports. At some point if they are serious, they don’t want to play anything other than soccer. I didn’t need to re-read your post about being fun and compete. You also said they play SCCL, not to put SCCL down, but it’s definitely not MLS Next nor ECNL when it comes to competing. It is not Rec but it’s definitely not top level competition. When kids are young yes you put them in baseball, basketball, flag football, gymnastics etc to work on different motor skills. However as they get older, you have to pick your poison and stick with it. I still stand by my point of ECNL doesn’t do their players any favors by MANDATING you can’t play a full season & must take off to play high school. Unless you live in the northern suburbs or Dalton, it’s not worth your while it appears. Not to mention ECNL travel is ridiculous for regular matches. That’s sweet you like going to tournaments so the kids and parents can get to know each other. I have always believed there are no friends in the soccer world as it’s dog eat dog. Let’s see how friendly you are when your friend has taken your spot and you are on the bench. Even on the best teams, it's not uncommon at all for parents of *top players (and players themselves) to be friends with one another. This goes for parents with kids on the same club and with kids on different clubs. Some parents never experience that sort of relationship out of nothing more than fear and/or jealousy. I've found that parents of borderline starters (or bench players who may outright lose their spot to better players in the next season) are more hesitant about being open or friendly because they view the landscape as dog eat dog, and they view other parents/players as threats: not a strong look for the player or parent. It's highly advisable to be friendly and open to parents, players, coaches, and directors alike regardless of where your child is in the pecking order. It's a life lesson. |
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Post by soccerparent02 on Sept 18, 2023 14:49:22 GMT -5
Players and coaches know who the top players are across the league by u15. In many cases the players will recruit the player from another team go improve their team. This happens all the time.
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Post by missionimpossible on Sept 18, 2023 14:50:32 GMT -5
Any alternatives for high school soccer? Our school doesn't have much in terms of funding or even a proper trainer. The skill level isn't very high, and it feels like a recipe for potential injuries. We don't want to take that risk this year as we've been lucky the past few. We're thinking about going for track since it's better funded at our school, or maybe just sticking to private lessons. But before making a decision, I wanted to reach out to this forum and see if anyone has any suggestions or insights. The goal is to keep my kid fit, preferably something other than doing solo workouts. Thanks in advance! My son played ECNL and High School his Sophomore and Junior years and then played ECNL and MLS Next during his Senior year. Playing club year round was a better experience. He liked playing High School because he got to play with his HS friends. However, in HS he was constantly getting hurt as the refs didn’t control the game very well and good players are often targets. He is a tough kid but some of the games were pretty ridiculous. Also, the coaches were really, really bad. No other way to say it, just awful . Practices were pretty bad too and like 3-hours every night! There was also a lot of parent influence on the Math teacher suddenly turned soccer coach. LOL. So mixed experience but mostly, very bad from a soccer quality perspective. |
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Post by soccerrob on Dec 30, 2023 23:55:40 GMT -5
My kids play soccer to have to have fun and compete against other kids. They also like hanging out with friends. Well my kid wants to go professional, back up is to play college and ultimately still try to play professional. Everybody isn’t in this to have fun and hang out. I know people will quote the odds are against them but someone has to dream. If your kid just wants to hang out and have fun, why not play Rec and not waste your time and money playing ECNL? |
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Post by soccerrob on Dec 31, 2023 0:00:42 GMT -5
My kids play soccer to have to have fun and compete against other kids. They also like hanging out with friends. Well my kid wants to go professional, back up is to play college and ultimately still try to play professional. Everybody isn’t in this to have fun and hang out. I know people will quote the odds are against them but someone has to dream. If your kid just wants to hang out and have fun, why not play Rec and not waste your time and money playing ECNL? .8% of male Division 1 college soccer players are signed into American professional leagues according to the NCAA. Best of luck |
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Post by atlantasoccerdad2020 on Jan 1, 2024 10:17:54 GMT -5
Any alternatives for high school soccer? Our school doesn't have much in terms of funding or even a proper trainer. The skill level isn't very high, and it feels like a recipe for potential injuries. We don't want to take that risk this year as we've been lucky the past few. We're thinking about going for track since it's better funded at our school, or maybe just sticking to private lessons. But before making a decision, I wanted to reach out to this forum and see if anyone has any suggestions or insights. The goal is to keep my kid fit, preferably something other than doing solo workouts. Thanks in advance! Sometimes you will see players enter what’s known as the Mexican league. They play games out at cemetery field or at Silverbacks. You could also look at a UPSL or equivalent team. Probably don’t need club approval on the first one but you may on the second one. |
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Post by triffling on Jan 2, 2024 16:42:55 GMT -5
“The league doesn’t matter as much”? Huh? You sound like your kids may not be teenagers if they are playing Rec league in other sports. At some point if they are serious, they don’t want to play anything other than soccer. I didn’t need to re-read your post about being fun and compete. You also said they play SCCL, not to put SCCL down, but it’s definitely not MLS Next nor ECNL when it comes to competing. It is not Rec but it’s definitely not top level competition. When kids are young yes you put them in baseball, basketball, flag football, gymnastics etc to work on different motor skills. However as they get older, you have to pick your poison and stick with it. I still stand by my point of ECNL doesn’t do their players any favors by MANDATING you can’t play a full season & must take off to play high school. Unless you live in the northern suburbs or Dalton, it’s not worth your while it appears. Not to mention ECNL travel is ridiculous for regular matches. That’s sweet you like going to tournaments so the kids and parents can get to know each other. I have always believed there are no friends in the soccer world as it’s dog eat dog. Let’s see how friendly you are when your friend has taken your spot and you are on the bench. Lol, car rides home after the game with you must be a blast. I get it though, you are frustrated. You gave me some advice earlier that my kids should just play rec. Let me give you some, just have your kids focus on grades and keep plugging into that 529 is the best advice anyone can take. Just because you bought a lottery ticket doesn't mean you shouldn't show up for work on Monday. Not going to try to unpack your post. Am I reading this correctly to state that one of your kids plays SCCL but that you are referencing another kid playing higher (presumably older and ECNL) who wants an alternative to playing HS? If so, depending on where you are at, there are some clubs that have adult / UPSL teams that incorporate u17-19 players into their training / reserve squads. Might be some opportunities there. |
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Post by triffling on Jan 2, 2024 16:52:36 GMT -5
If you re read my post, it says they want to have fun and compete against other kids. Playing rec wouldn't be much competition. They do play "rec" in other sports and have a blast (basketball, flag football, etc.). The league doesn't matter as much, one of my kids does SCCL but that is the appropriate level. So they compete there. Time and money are separate questions, for me personally I don't mind either of those commitments, but I do not like nationals and many of the away tournaments that now seem so mandatory for teams. I guess the reason is they don't need to go to those tournaments typically to have fun and compete. I always love a good preseason tournament, if it is drivable, so the kids and parents on the the team can get to know one another. At some point if they are serious, they don’t want to play anything other than soccer. Ha. Tell that to Pulisic who is always shooting baskets and playing golf. It’s healthy to have sports activities outside of soccer. |
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Post by oraclesfriend on Jan 2, 2024 17:32:42 GMT -5
At some point if they are serious, they don’t want to play anything other than soccer. Ha. Tell that to Pulisic who is always shooting baskets and playing golf. It’s healthy to have sports activities outside of soccer. I agree that many high level athletes play multiple sports, but I think they mean competitive/organized sports. |
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Post by triffling on Jan 3, 2024 11:18:26 GMT -5
The one dad was saying his kid plays competitive soccer but rec basketball, which flix thought was bad.
Not sure if Pulisic played organized basketball as a kid or just pick up with friends, but either way, it’s healthy to play other sports and very beneficial to play pick up whether it’s your primary sport or another sport you do for fun.
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Post by flix on Jan 3, 2024 12:11:49 GMT -5
The one dad was saying his kid plays competitive soccer but rec basketball, which flix thought was bad. Not sure if Pulisic played organized basketball as a kid or just pick up with friends, but either way, it’s healthy to play other sports and very beneficial to play pick up whether it’s your primary sport or another sport you do for fun. I think everyone knows basketball is a great companion sport to soccer. You are missing the point. Shooting baskets with your buddies is different from playing AAU basketball. You cannot play two competitive sports simultaneously. I’m sure Christian wasn’t headed to Duke on a full ride for basketball. I don’t believe I said rec basketball was bad, I said that they should play rec soccer. |
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Post by flix on Jan 3, 2024 12:13:12 GMT -5
At some point if they are serious, they don’t want to play anything other than soccer. Ha. Tell that to Pulisic who is always shooting baskets and playing golf. It’s healthy to have sports activities outside of soccer. You really dropped a ton of knowledge with this post. Thanks for the insight. |
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Post by atlantagray on Jan 3, 2024 13:18:28 GMT -5
The one dad was saying his kid plays competitive soccer but rec basketball, which flix thought was bad. Not sure if Pulisic played organized basketball as a kid or just pick up with friends, but either way, it’s healthy to play other sports and very beneficial to play pick up whether it’s your primary sport or another sport you do for fun. I think everyone knows basketball is a great companion sport to soccer. You are missing the point. Shooting baskets with your buddies is different from playing AAU basketball. You cannot play two competitive sports simultaneously. I’m sure Christian wasn’t headed to Duke on a full ride for basketball. I don’t believe I said rec basketball was bad, I said that they should play rec soccer. Well my kid wants to go professional in two sports, back up is to play college in both and ultimately still try to play professional in both. Everybody isn’t in this to have fun and hang out being lazy just trying to play one sport professionally. I know people will quote the odds are against them but someone has to dream. |
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Post by oraclesfriend on Jan 6, 2024 13:46:57 GMT -5
The one dad was saying his kid plays competitive soccer but rec basketball, which flix thought was bad. Not sure if Pulisic played organized basketball as a kid or just pick up with friends, but either way, it’s healthy to play other sports and very beneficial to play pick up whether it’s your primary sport or another sport you do for fun. I think everyone knows basketball is a great companion sport to soccer. You are missing the point. Shooting baskets with your buddies is different from playing AAU basketball. You cannot play two competitive sports simultaneously. I’m sure Christian wasn’t headed to Duke on a full ride for basketball. I don’t believe I said rec basketball was bad, I said that they should play rec soccer. There are some people who can do two competitive sports simultaneously. Hard to do team sports due to crossover, but it happens. I know a number of kids that do both soccer and basketball in high school including club. But probably the most common for soccer players on the girls side is track. There are a number of girls that run the club track circuit and do club soccer. Club track is summer outdoor and winter indoor so it works reasonably well though ECNL and USYS keep creeping in with their national events as both have events in January and February in addition to the December ECNL, USYS and GA events. |
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Post by triffling on Jan 8, 2024 15:01:46 GMT -5
Ha. Tell that to Pulisic who is always shooting baskets and playing golf. It’s healthy to have sports activities outside of soccer. You really dropped a ton of knowledge with this post. Thanks for the insight. Ah, coming from you, that’s a compliment considering all you have offered are insults and smug opinions. |
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Post by flix on Jan 10, 2024 10:40:52 GMT -5
You really dropped a ton of knowledge with this post. Thanks for the insight. Ah, coming from you, that’s a compliment considering all you have offered are insults and smug opinions. Yes all I have ever offered are insults and smug opinions. You have all the knowledge, so I will just sit back and listen to you because I am sure your kids play at the highest level. |
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Post by rifle on Jan 10, 2024 22:50:39 GMT -5
Participate in an odd big d*** contest.. you just might look like one.
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Post by triffling on Jan 11, 2024 16:40:27 GMT -5
Ah, coming from you, that’s a compliment considering all you have offered are insults and smug opinions. Yes all I have ever offered are insults and smug opinions. You have all the knowledge, so I will just sit back and listen to you because I am sure your kids play at the highest level. Hilarious. You are so full of yourself bc one of your kids apparently plays for Atlanta United’s youth teams. What hubris 😂😂 |
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