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Post by soccertwins on Sept 26, 2013 21:15:07 GMT -5
I've had friends frown upon the thought of letting their club soccer players play middle school or high school soccer for fear of injury or developing bad habits etc.
Any experience with this situation? I'd like to hear pros and cons and whether or not your son or daughter went that route. If no school soccer, how do players maintain their proficiency during the spring offseason?
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Post by jash on Sept 26, 2013 21:26:37 GMT -5
My thought? Unless your son or daughter has a real shot at going pro, let them play for their school. It will be some of their best memories.
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Post by soccerpapi on Sept 26, 2013 21:47:14 GMT -5
Here is how we've approached it with our kids...
In the early years (below U15), the more touches with the ball the better (any opportunity) to touch the ball is a good..
I believe that some kids enjoy doing things with their friends/classmates that they would sometime otherwise not enjoy doing solo.
As long as it does not interfere with club practices:
- Missing or being late to practice because of middle school games
- Being too tired from middle school games to go 100% at practice
- Key position missing at practice - also not fair to your club teammates.
At the older ages (U15 and up), it is a risk-reward thing since (some say) you have a higher risk of injuries in HS than you do have in club, particularly if your player is being recruited by colleges or ID for national team, and that is their ultimate goal.
Agree with Jash on the memories - playing under the lights in a packed stadium full of classmates screaming your name is way more fun and memorable than your parents screaming at you from the sideline on a cold Saturday morning club game.
Have fun!
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Post by soccerpapi on Sept 26, 2013 21:53:16 GMT -5
Point of clarification - The decision-making (risk vs. reward) is different below U15 than it is U15 and up (not implying that more touches only good below U15). More touches is good all the way to U90 IMHO  |
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Post by pooldawg on Sept 26, 2013 22:01:28 GMT -5
Fortunately in Georgia, there's no conflict starting at U15 as club soccer is in the fall and HS soccer is in the spring. With that said, I guess some of the above points would suggest to not play HS in the spring. If that's the case, just do spring tournaments.
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Post by silverback on Sept 26, 2013 22:09:54 GMT -5
A few things to consider:
- If son plays DA, he will not be allowed to play HS.
- how good is your HS? Some schools play nice soccer, while many do not (IMO). You should go watch some games and meet coach if possible.
HS Pros - play for your school, wear school colors, memories, meet new friends, hopefully friends come to watch, news paper coverage, announcers at game. Also, season ending state tournament is fun (if team makes it). It's also fun to play against many club team mates who go to different HS.
HS Cons - club soccer is better, teams typically play direct and just kick the ball, club teams have more depth, coaching is usually not as good, refs are bad (based on what I have seen), lots of bad fouls (and potential injury).
As far as touches, should always be getting touches on the ball - juggling, dribbling in back yard, kicking against the wall, shooting against goal, etc.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 26, 2013 22:12:16 GMT -5
both can be phenomenal social experiences. a 6th grader hanging with the 8th graders, a sophomore kicking it with seniors. An opportunity to learn from the older kids, and then on the flip side, when you child is an 8th grader or senior and chance to be a leader or role model to others.
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eaglesweep87
Jr. Academy
Soccer doesn't build character, it reveals it!
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Post by eaglesweep87 on Sept 26, 2013 22:24:34 GMT -5
IMO I could not take any coach that said something like that as someone that had my childs interests as a priority. There is absolutely no evidence that could back up a statement like that. If we are talking about injuries, they could happen anytime they are on the field. It doesn't make any difference what level player they may be playing against. It is also an opportunity to develop techniques that help them avoid those injuries playing against that type of player, because they are at every level. It is an excellent opportunity for that player who is just the average payer for their club but has tons of potential to step in and practice much needed leadership skills. Figure out what it takes to motivate teamates, without the experience they have, to play with chemistry and as a team. The club players are looked up to by players that have not really played competitively giving them the opportunity to share their knowledge with the goal of making the whole team better. It may not be a soccer specific skill but it is a very important life skill that would seperate them from the average player throughout their soccer career to the highest level. IMO this skill is one of the most important skills a player can have because it can not be coached. So I say let them PLAY!
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Post by soccertwins on Sept 26, 2013 22:52:07 GMT -5
Good info all around. Thanks for offering your experiences.
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Post by mamampira on Sept 30, 2013 7:20:09 GMT -5
This article points out the somewhat punitive DA rule that requires players to make a choice. articles.latimes.com/2013/sep/17/sports/la-sp-0918-sondheimer-soccer-20130918"The U.S. Soccer Federation's academy program pulls promising players out of high school with the lure of a pro career. But few of the kids will make it as pros." Our son is eager to try out for his high school team in December. He wants the experience, despite the general consensus amongst his club soccer friends that HS is "not good." Those same friends also say they want to try out. Bragging rights, they say...even as they have motivated each other to try out for ODP, work hard to make Regionals, aspire towards the national team. His biggest concern vis a vis the potential upcoming high school experience is to avoid injuries, learn to elude hard tacklers, etc. All in all I would say that if the kids keeps raising the bar for themselves, if they have options, that is a good thing. And yes it helps if the HS has a decent team. I know of two boys who've played Middle and HS soccer and club successfully. One is currently on the U14 national team roster. As for me it's a bit irritating to learn this: that the money we pay for soccer and the fundraising we are going to be required to do, some of the funds will be shared with the football team. From the article: "The U.S. Soccer Federation believes they have to do this so we can win a World Cup and Olympic gold medal, which are great things, but the U.S. team is 30 people. They're telling thousands of high school kids they have to give up their high school careers. It's such a wrong message." Are they saying that these boys are not attending academic classes? If so that's crazy and shortsighted. |
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Post by silverback on Sept 30, 2013 8:05:03 GMT -5
DA might talk about the lure of a pro career, but the real value for most DA players is in college recruiting. There are obviously many options that a player can be recognized, but D1 colleges heavily recruit out of DA because it's easier and more cost effective for them based on budget constraints. Many people will argue/debate that you don't need DA to get a D1 scholarship and they are absolutely correct, but the onus falls more on the players and parents to get the word out. College coaches attend DA games, practices, and at DA showcase events - you easily have 50+ college coaches on the sidelines. Also, it's not uncommon for a DA players to get 100+ colleges letters, calls, coach requests, etc their junior year.
Regarding HS, DA players play a lot of games throughout the year (>30). USSF wants to limit the number of games these kids play as it takes a toll on their bodies and limits the risk of injury. The DA vs HS debate is always interesting on the other forum, but if you have not seen either a DA or HS game, you need to watch yourself and you can make your own decision. You should also talk to parents who have had kids who have played both and not listen to these forum posts - you and your kid need to do your own home work. As I have written in another post, there are absolutely advantages to playing HS, but IMO, you have to consider what YOUR kid wants to do after HS and if playing soccer at a D1 college (or above) is top of HIS wish list, you will need to make some tough choices.
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Post by dreaddy on Sept 30, 2013 8:48:24 GMT -5
As silverback says, the real lure of DA is the college scholarship. The irony here is that college soccer in itself is the exact opposite of what USSF needs to build the National team.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 30, 2013 9:05:35 GMT -5
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