Does your team suddenly have a bunch playing football?

Without any notice, it seems that my son's team has a lot of football players. I couldn't care less about what they do in their free time, but they're missing lots of practices, and (starting to) get hurt. Why am I paying all this money to be on a team with families that don't take it very seriously?

They are not forced into football, so why do it? If you want to 'experience' lots of sports, play rec soccer.

Maybe every team has this going on. It just seems odd.

Thoughts?

Kids play multiple sports, nothing new. I was on a team where 10 out of 14 kids played both spring and fall baseball, they didnt miss games though.

mookieblaylock wrote:Without any notice, it seems that my son's team has a lot of football players.  I couldn't care less about what they do in their free time, but they're missing lots of practices, and (starting to) get hurt.  Why am I paying all this money to be on a team with families that don't take it very seriously?

They are not forced into football, so why do it?  If you want to 'experience' lots of sports, play rec soccer.  

Maybe every team has this going on.  It just seems odd.

Thoughts?

Happened to my bb team's during the middle school years. We changed the teams practice days to accomodate middle school football. Yes, we lost key players to injury during those years.

seen this happen before. football is an injury machine. wait til your star is out 3 weeks from some stupid middle school football injury. sucks

rdeal486 wrote:Kids play multiple sports, nothing new.  I was on a team where 10 out of 14 kids played both spring and fall baseball, they didnt miss games though.

True--it's not that they're doing something in addition to soccer, it's just the injury factor with football. They could have at least let the coach know before it all started--then the practice schedules would have been easier to adjust, but the coach has (like most do) multiple teams. arrrrggghh.

According to my wife, at my stepsons' middle school, all 7th grade boys interested in playing any school sport are required to play football (or be a team manager for the football team) in the Fall.  

Ah, the joys of smalltown school districts.

coachdom, my son's MS in Lewisville ISD (which is a very big school district),they have the same policy. Don't know why, but that's the rule.

heyyouguys wrote:coachdom, my son's MS in Lewisville ISD (which is a very big school district),they have the same policy. Don't know why, but that's the rule.

Usually they have cross-country or 'off season' as options. They usually 'choose' football for social reasons--which also seems absurd to me.

If it really was the only option, I can't see a legal reason that it could possibly be enforced. . .but then again you have the social stigma of being the kid whose parents sued for making you play football.

mookieblaylock wrote:Without any notice, it seems that my son's team has a lot of football players.  I couldn't care less about what they do in their free time, but they're missing lots of practices, and (starting to) get hurt.  Why am I paying all this money to be on a team with families that don't take it very seriously?

They are not forced into football, so why do it?  If you want to 'experience' lots of sports, play rec soccer.  

Maybe every team has this going on.  It just seems odd.

Thoughts?

every team has this going on. it's not "odd" that boys are drawn to middle school sports and the "cheerleaders"  it is extremely frustrating for me because my son only plays soccer. football is however a "right of passage" for some AND THEIR PARENTS. having said that, hopefully you are paying for good coaching and now there is more coach to go around..

heyyouguys wrote:coachdom, my son's MS in Lewisville ISD (which is a very big school district),they have the same policy. Don't know why, but that's the rule.

Good to know. We assumed it was a rural-thing.

mookieblaylock wrote:

heyyouguys wrote:coachdom, my son's MS in Lewisville ISD (which is a very big school district),they have the same policy. Don't know why, but that's the rule.

Usually they have cross-country or 'off season' as options.  They usually 'choose' football for social reasons--which also seems absurd to me.

If it really was the only option, I can't see a legal reason that it could possibly be enforced. . .but then again you have the social stigma of being the kid whose parents sued for making you play football.

My son is in the LISD and last year we had him skip the football season and then try out for the basketball team. He got in and then he did track and soccer. In between seasons, they still trained for football. During the off season, he was selected to be in the A team for football (with his speed he was one of the best of the school) and was very upset when we told him that with the amount of money we pay for club soccer and his talent for the sport, there is no way we ever let him play football! So, yes, there is plenty of social pressure to be in the football team both from the coaches and the other kids, but as parents we need to be strict with our kids if they are serious about club soccer.

if i had my way, people missing practice for football would ride the bench...

Laroja_2012 wrote:

mookieblaylock wrote:

heyyouguys wrote:coachdom, my son's MS in Lewisville ISD (which is a very big school district),they have the same policy. Don't know why, but that's the rule.

Usually they have cross-country or 'off season' as options.  They usually 'choose' football for social reasons--which also seems absurd to me.

If it really was the only option, I can't see a legal reason that it could possibly be enforced. . .but then again you have the social stigma of being the kid whose parents sued for making you play football.

My son is in the LISD and last year we had him skip the football season and then try out for the basketball team. He got in and then he did track and soccer. In between seasons, they still trained for football. During the off season, he was selected to be in the A team for football (with his speed he was one of the best of the school) and was very upset when we told him that with the amount of money we pay for club soccer and his talent for the sport, there is no way we ever let him play football! So, yes, there is plenty of social pressure to be in the football team both from the coaches and the other kids, but as parents we need to be strict with our kids if they are serious about club soccer.

we had something similar, the coach was just flabbergasted that we wanted no part of football and told him to stop asking...

soccerisgood123 wrote:if i had my way, people missing practice for football would ride the bench...

I agree. Once you sign for a team, you should keep up with the training and the games. Missing practice for other sport activities is not acceptable! However soccer club coaches seem to be very understanding as they move practices to favor the attendance of football games or let the football kids practice with one of their other teams once a week.

soccerisgood123 wrote:

Laroja_2012 wrote:

mookieblaylock wrote:

heyyouguys wrote:coachdom, my son's MS in Lewisville ISD (which is a very big school district),they have the same policy. Don't know why, but that's the rule.

Usually they have cross-country or 'off season' as options.  They usually 'choose' football for social reasons--which also seems absurd to me.

If it really was the only option, I can't see a legal reason that it could possibly be enforced. . .but then again you have the social stigma of being the kid whose parents sued for making you play football.

My son is in the LISD and last year we had him skip the football season and then try out for the basketball team. He got in and then he did track and soccer. In between seasons, they still trained for football. During the off season, he was selected to be in the A team for football (with his speed he was one of the best of the school) and was very upset when we told him that with the amount of money we pay for club soccer and his talent for the sport, there is no way we ever let him play football! So, yes, there is plenty of social pressure to be in the football team both from the coaches and the other kids, but as parents we need to be strict with our kids if they are serious about club soccer.

we had something similar, the coach was just flabbergasted that we wanted no part of football and told him to stop asking...

oh sure! MS coaches would never get that! parents who refuse to let an athletic kid play football! things are probably even worst in HS, with the big stadium, cheerleaders, homecoming mums etc.

Laroja_2012 wrote:

soccerisgood123 wrote:

Laroja_2012 wrote:

mookieblaylock wrote:

heyyouguys wrote:coachdom, my son's MS in Lewisville ISD (which is a very big school district),they have the same policy. Don't know why, but that's the rule.

Usually they have cross-country or 'off season' as options.  They usually 'choose' football for social reasons--which also seems absurd to me.

If it really was the only option, I can't see a legal reason that it could possibly be enforced. . .but then again you have the social stigma of being the kid whose parents sued for making you play football.

My son is in the LISD and last year we had him skip the football season and then try out for the basketball team. He got in and then he did track and soccer. In between seasons, they still trained for football. During the off season, he was selected to be in the A team for football (with his speed he was one of the best of the school) and was very upset when we told him that with the amount of money we pay for club soccer and his talent for the sport, there is no way we ever let him play football! So, yes, there is plenty of social pressure to be in the football team both from the coaches and the other kids, but as parents we need to be strict with our kids if they are serious about club soccer.

we had something similar, the coach was just flabbergasted that we wanted no part of football and told him to stop asking...

oh sure! MS coaches would never get that! parents who refuse to let an athletic kid play football! things are probably even worst in HS, with the big stadium, cheerleaders, homecoming mums etc.

not sure if you agree or disagree but some coaches think football is gods gift to man and can't understand that others would rather play the beautiful game and not want to sign up for football....

soccerisgood123 wrote:
not sure if you agree or disagree but some coaches think football is gods gift to man and can't understand that others would rather play the beautiful game and not want to sign up for football....

I see, so god was generous only with the Americans as in other countries barely anyone plays football!

Laroja_2012 wrote:

soccerisgood123 wrote:
not sure if you agree or disagree but some coaches think football is gods gift to man and can't understand that others would rather play the beautiful game and not want to sign up for football....

I see, so god was generous only with the Americans as in other countries barely anyone plays football!

you obviously need to cut down on your caffeine intake...

I think it's best for BB's who want to play American Tackle Football (ATF) to make their choice this year so that other BB's who want to play Football (soccer) will have an opportunity to pass play and get evaluated by the coaches who will be adding players after the ATF players commit to their preferred sport.

It is difficult to play these two sports and be equally competitive at both and some players are more geared for ATF (physically, socially, etc.) so I think that early detection and team adjustments including the coach acknowledging the potential for player turnover to ATF should be considered as these BB's begin their transition out.

As a parent you should rethink a coach and team that is living for the moment, especially if you want a Football future and you are putting in the effort to develop your BB's ability. Team play is important and single sport athletes are usually the most successful at their chosen sport because they can devote more time and energy towards improvement and development with their team.

That being said I wouldn't get frustrated at the notion that we lose players to ATF, this is a hugely popular sport in our country and the allure and pressure to play at U12 and up is much greater than I realized. The amount of time it takes to develop a Football (soccer) player is much longer than some would prefer and ATF is a quick route (no pun intended) for players to make their mark and gain recognition in their teen years.

In the end, it is up to your BB to decide which sport suits him and I think the earlier the better since you are going to need to point your dollars towards a whole new system of coaching and equipment (I hope you didn't think that the switch to ATF was going to save you money)

Why in the world should an 11 or 12 year old kid have to choose one sport? This crap is all about the coaches not the players. The football coach want 100% committment, the Club soccer coach wants 100% committment, the club and HS soccer coaches wont work together. Soccer and a spring or winter sport is impossible because the UIL put the season overlapping both . Why because club and HS cant work out their schedule conflicts. All this crap is about coaches and their winning records. The result 95% of the time is that an athlete must quit a sport or team that he is passionate about because of the pressures of the adult coaches and their collective inabilities to settle their conflicts like adults ! Makes me sick!
News flash !!! the kids play for fun, not for development. These kids have not even hit puberty and they are suppossed commit to one sport ?! The 3 letterman is a thing of the past and that is sad. If a kid (and the parents) can manage playing 2 or three sports then fine, they should go and enjoy them. If they want to get serious about one of them then around 15 or 16 they should narrow it to one sport.

my2cents wrote:Why in the world should an 11 or 12 year old kid have to choose one sport? This crap is all about the coaches not the players. The football coach want 100% committment, the Club soccer coach wants 100% committment, the club and HS soccer coaches wont work together. Soccer and a spring or winter sport is impossible because the UIL put the season overlapping both . Why because club and HS cant work out their schedule conflicts. All this crap is about coaches and their winning records. The result 95% of the time is that an athlete must quit a sport or team that he is passionate about because of the pressures of the adult coaches and their collective inabilities to settle their conflicts like adults ! Makes me sick!
  News flash !!! the kids play for fun, not for development. These kids have not even hit puberty and they are suppossed commit to one sport ?! The 3 letterman is a thing of the past and that is sad. If a kid (and the parents) can manage playing 2 or three sports then fine, they should go and enjoy them. If they want to get serious about one of them then around 15 or 16 they should narrow it to one sport.

 

Finally a voice of reason on this.

my2cents wrote:Why in the world should an 11 or 12 year old kid have to choose one sport? This crap is all about the coaches not the players. The football coach want 100% committment, the Club soccer coach wants 100% committment, the club and HS soccer coaches wont work together. Soccer and a spring or winter sport is impossible because the UIL put the season overlapping both . Why because club and HS cant work out their schedule conflicts. All this crap is about coaches and their winning records. The result 95% of the time is that an athlete must quit a sport or team that he is passionate about because of the pressures of the adult coaches and their collective inabilities to settle their conflicts like adults ! Makes me sick!
  News flash !!! the kids play for fun, not for development. These kids have not even hit puberty and they are suppossed commit to one sport ?! The 3 letterman is a thing of the past and that is sad. If a kid (and the parents) can manage playing 2 or three sports then fine, they should go and enjoy them. If they want to get serious about one of them then around 15 or 16 they should narrow it to one sport.

Certainly a passionate response, but my original point is that some of the boys want to be committed to one sport, it would have been good to know which ones are, and which ones are not.  So thanks for your 'news flash,' but a lot of the boys do want development, and see it as fun .

mookieblaylock wrote:

my2cents wrote:Why in the world should an 11 or 12 year old kid have to choose one sport? This crap is all about the coaches not the players. The football coach want 100% committment, the Club soccer coach wants 100% committment, the club and HS soccer coaches wont work together. Soccer and a spring or winter sport is impossible because the UIL put the season overlapping both . Why because club and HS cant work out their schedule conflicts. All this crap is about coaches and their winning records. The result 95% of the time is that an athlete must quit a sport or team that he is passionate about because of the pressures of the adult coaches and their collective inabilities to settle their conflicts like adults ! Makes me sick!
  News flash !!! the kids play for fun, not for development. These kids have not even hit puberty and they are suppossed commit to one sport ?! The 3 letterman is a thing of the past and that is sad. If a kid (and the parents) can manage playing 2 or three sports then fine, they should go and enjoy them. If they want to get serious about one of them then around 15 or 16 they should narrow it to one sport.

Certainly a passionate response, but my original point is that some of the boys want to be committed to one sport, it would have been good to know which ones are, and which ones are not.  So thanks for your 'news flash,' but a lot of the boys do want development, and see it as fun .

So you are the teams commitment police…it seems everyone has one now days. And you might want to read the news flashes a little closer…..the poster wrote that the kids play for fun (i.e. they enjoy it)- he did not say that the kids are not interested in getting better (i.e. development).

If a kid wants to play more than a sport, then he is more than welcome to do it. But he should play in a recreational league. If I am spending $3000/year on my son, I hate going to a practice were half of the kids are missing because they play other sports. My son did play other sports last year (not football), but he did not miss any practice. We gave his club team priority over the school team.

Laroja_2012 wrote:If a kid wants to play more than a sport, then he is more than welcome to do it. But he should play in a recreational league. If I am spending $3000/year on my son, I hate going to a practice were half of the kids are missing because they play other sports. My son did play other sports last year (not football), but he did not miss any practice. We gave his club team priority over the school team.

Why? Because a coaching ratio of 1:18 is better than 1:9 ? Or is it because you can't practice tactical things needed for U12-13 teams to win games?