Age-Pure Plans?

Coaches, managers, clubs and parents please impart your wisdom.  I stumbled through academy and starting select with the help of this forum.  Now, after finally thinking I have reached the relative zen having a steady plan - stay on based on team improvement relative to BB improvement. Now the squad faces a wholesale change over, losing 4 fellow starters and 2 quality subs - feels like a new team.  We tried the play up before and while positive in some ways not sure that is right going forward.

So, please share, PM, opine and advise what probable plans are for the upcoming July.  If I have learned anything need to start fretting nervously before the spring season and have every hour of June planned out for BB time .

Hammer families, sorry to hear about all of the issues - any parent, whether you envision your kid as next Messi or just happy if he can play in high school, would not that kind of dram for their kid.

I share all your questions and have few answers.  Our coach says it will all work out, but ----?

My son is a true 04 playing on a current 04 team.  He is fast but one of the smallest players on his team and of average skill at best.  We moved teams a year ago partly to play with friends.  Those friends both will be AP 03.  To further complicate, we live "out" and have limited choices that don't require long drives.  Finally, I understand that the league spot guarantees will go to the older faction of the team so even if we stay with the current club as an AP 04, we may be stuck as a "new" team playing the bottom division of PPL

If my son goes to AP 04, he will better match up skill and size wise.  On the other hand, he can't play with his friends any more.  If I got it right, the AP 04 will be playing 9 v 9 after playing 11 v 11 for years.  If he does try to play up, he will be playing in a league that now may include kids 7 months older, stronger, bigger, faster and better than he has ever played with.  That sounds dangerous to me as well as not being good for his confidence.

So all this is what I've been thinking but have no answers for any of this.  I know we don't need to have this all answered before June.  My hope is that NTS and / or the club office will start to put out information soon.  Thanks for starting the conversation!

alv3119 wrote:
Finally, I understand that the league spot guarantees will go to the older faction

Is this still the plan?

alv3119 wrote:I share all your questions and have few answers.  Our coach says it will all work out, but ----?

My son is a true 04 playing on a current 04 team.  He is fast but one of the smallest players on his team and of average skill at best.  We moved teams a year ago partly to play with friends.  Those friends both will be AP 03.  To further complicate, we live "out" and have limited choices that don't require long drives.  Finally, I understand that the league spot guarantees will go to the older faction of the team so even if we stay with the current club as an AP 04, we may be stuck as a "new" team playing the bottom division of PPL

If my son goes to AP 04, he will better match up skill and size wise.  On the other hand, he can't play with his friends any more.  If I got it right, the AP 04 will be playing 9 v 9 after playing 11 v 11 for years.  If he does try to play up, he will be playing in a league that now may include kids 7 months older, stronger, bigger, faster and better than he has ever played with.  That sounds dangerous to me as well as not being good for his confidence.

So all this is what I've been thinking but have no answers for any of this.  I know we don't need to have this all answered before June.  My hope is that NTS and / or the club office will start to put out information soon.  Thanks for starting the conversation!

Stay 04 or you might find that you aren't be big enough for the 03 players and will stunt your BB's development unnecessarily. Enjoy the advantage of your birth year and play your own age group.

may include kids 7 months older, stronger, bigger, faster and better than he has ever played with. That sounds dangerous to me

Dangerous? How tiny is he?

My 2 cents. Nothing can happen until June because of contracts so I wouldn't worry too much about this right now. I believe the bigger clubs will be better off when AP begins. Yes, the landscape of most teams will change and it sucks for the coach and kids. However, don't assume you will be getting crappy players. Many 03 teams have 04 players on them and they can play down now. July is going to be like any other tryouts but the teams will probably try to fill a few more spots than in the past. The only teams that could suffer are the smaller clubs with one or two 04 teams. I think June will be more active than usual in 2016.

04Soccerdad wrote:My 2 cents.  Nothing can happen until June because of contracts so I wouldn't worry too much about this right now.  I believe the bigger clubs will be better off when AP begins.  Yes, the landscape of most teams will change and it sucks for the coach and kids.  However, don't assume you will be getting crappy players.  Many 03 teams have 04 players on them and they can play down now.  July is going to be like any other tryouts but the teams will probably try to fill a few more spots than in the past.  The only teams that could suffer are the smaller clubs with one or two 04 teams.  I think June will be more active than usual in 2016.

Agree. It will definitely by more challenging for the smaller organizations that consider themselves "clubs" with only 1 or 2 teams.  This is why commitment to growth is so important for independent clubs if they desire to compete at the higher levels. An independent coach that has worked hard to recruit quality players and develop them over the last couple of seasons is basically going to have to have his entire team play up, or give up the team's CL bye and re-qualify for a league in a lower age group.  Both options are tough, but the 2nd is the toughest I think be cause it could mean that the coach has to cut quality players from his roster that are simply too old to play with the new team.  And there is no guarantee that the new team will have enough age pure players to even form.  Does anyone see it differently?

04Soccerdad wrote:My 2 cents.  Nothing can happen until June because of contracts so I wouldn't worry too much about this right now.  I believe the bigger clubs will be better off when AP begins.  Yes, the landscape of most teams will change and it sucks for the coach and kids.  However, don't assume you will be getting crappy players.  Many 03 teams have 04 players on them and they can play down now.  July is going to be like any other tryouts but the teams will probably try to fill a few more spots than in the past.  The only teams that could suffer are the smaller clubs with one or two 04 teams.  I think June will be more active than usual in 2016.

I agree that a big shakeup in player movement is coming for next season, but once that is completed, everything will be good. I would suggest being on the lookout out for new opportunities by finding out who is going to coach your BB's Age Pure teams.

Some early team formation is in the works within the bigger clubs already. It could be a mixed bag since people are generally going to be misinformed so the coaches don't have to rebuild their rosters, but my suggestion is that you stay AP and don't get suckered into moving up no matter how "AWESOME" your coach says your BB is.

PremierLeagueFan wrote:

04Soccerdad wrote:My 2 cents.  Nothing can happen until June because of contracts so I wouldn't worry too much about this right now.  I believe the bigger clubs will be better off when AP begins.  Yes, the landscape of most teams will change and it sucks for the coach and kids.  However, don't assume you will be getting crappy players.  Many 03 teams have 04 players on them and they can play down now.  July is going to be like any other tryouts but the teams will probably try to fill a few more spots than in the past.  The only teams that could suffer are the smaller clubs with one or two 04 teams.  I think June will be more active than usual in 2016.

I agree that a big shakeup in player movement is coming for next season, but once that is completed, everything will be good. I would suggest being on the lookout out for new opportunities by finding out who is going to coach your BB's Age Pure teams.

Some early team formation is in the works within the bigger clubs already. It could be a mixed bag since people are generally going to be misinformed so the coaches don't have to rebuild their rosters, but my suggestion is that you stay AP and don't get suckered into moving up no matter how "AWESOME" your coach says your BB is.

If it's even a question as to whether your son is a truly "special" player, he isn't. And if he isn't, playing up probably isn't the best route for him. Given he's smaller than average (something my son deals with as well, though my son is an Aug bday), take advantage of this opportunity and let him play on age, some of that size disadvantage should disappear with the younger average age of the age group he'll be in and that just might help with his development.

For now, BB's staying put with the majority of his team-mates moving to '01.

Put your hands together for Mr Randy Watson! Love the pic!!!

Soccer_Cynic wrote:

alv3119 wrote:
Finally, I understand that the league spot guarantees will go to the older faction

Is this still the plan?

Based on a few rumors I have heard, this seems to be a quite relevant question. Or maybe not.

hanallalone wrote:Put your hands together for Mr Randy Watson!  Love the pic!!!

"That boys good"

"Good and Terrible"

OP05 wrote:

Soccer_Cynic wrote:

alv3119 wrote:
Finally, I understand that the league spot guarantees will go to the older faction

Is this still the plan?

Based on a few rumors I have heard, this seems to be a quite relevant  question.  Or maybe not.  

Dear lord, if it doesn't go with the older faction you might as well just have a QT for every age group and start over.   Giant tire fire.

And I swear that picture looks more like Joe the Policeman from the "What's Going Down" episode of "That's My Momma".

Brilliant "1 and only Randy Watson episode" reference from Coming To America!!! Reverend Brown KNOWS how to announce talent! Well said good Sir Knight!

No that photo is undeniably Jackson Height's own Mr. Randy Watson. Good call H.

Looks more like the lead singer of "Sexual Choclate".

Mr. McDowell says : Lisa and I affirm your suspicion; he WAS the singer of Sexual Chocolate! Now Randy is moonlighting as a Celebrity spokesman for Soul Glo!

LOL!!!

Relative to this topic, I for one believe the Children are our future....teach them well, and let them lead the way.... show them all the beauty they possess inside.

You guys made my day!!!!

So at what point should a good (TBD) soccer parent start to be concerned that the club has not specifically spelled out their plans for the 04B team?  We KNOW the 03's will true up, but no confirmation of the true 04s on the 05 moving to the 04...  

If you have an 04 on an 05 team then your team will probably move up to 04. If you have mostly 05 Birth Year players on your team then look for a different team.

Don't be foolish waiting for the quiet coach to inform you since every coach who knows what's up will already be making adjustments and will tell their players so.

Don't wait till the last minute or you will be frustrated when your BB finds out the hard way that many teams have already filled their rosters.

If you are on time you're late....