Select Soccer Commitment and $$$

Ahh, the mythical rec player who never played til 15 and schooled the select kids. Like the unicorn often talked about but never seen......

scrdad wrote:As far as time commitments, don't forget having to volunteer at Classic League games and, depending on the club, at tournaments, etc. Having to spend all that time at soocer is one thing if I'm watching my kids and their friends, but something else if I'm watching some other teams' parents! Never thought I'd be paying thousands of dollars a year and being required to offer free labor!

Keep in mind that the early effort may be a help if he/she wants to make the next step up to high school sports when the time comes. Even if that's not the desire or they're unable to make that competitive leap, club soccer is available throughout the same years at a variety of costs so they'll always be able to play a sport.

starbuck wrote:

scrdad wrote:As far as time commitments, don't forget having to volunteer at Classic League games and, depending on the club, at tournaments, etc. Having to spend all that time at soocer is one thing if I'm watching my kids and their friends, but something else if I'm watching some other teams' parents! Never thought I'd be paying thousands of dollars a year and being required to offer free labor!

Keep in mind that the early effort may be a help if he/she wants to make the next step up to high school sports when the time comes. Even if that's not the desire or they're unable to make that competitive leap, club soccer is available throughout the same years at a variety of costs so they'll always be able to play a sport.

Sorry to disagree or disappoint but at most high schools soccer is a step down from club.

my2cents wrote:

starbuck wrote:

scrdad wrote:As far as time commitments, don't forget having to volunteer at Classic League games and, depending on the club, at tournaments, etc. Having to spend all that time at soocer is one thing if I'm watching my kids and their friends, but something else if I'm watching some other teams' parents! Never thought I'd be paying thousands of dollars a year and being required to offer free labor!

Keep in mind that the early effort may be a help if he/she wants to make the next step up to high school sports when the time comes. Even if that's not the desire or they're unable to make that competitive leap, club soccer is available throughout the same years at a variety of costs so they'll always be able to play a sport.

Sorry to disagree or disappoint but at most high schools soccer is a step down from club.

this maybe true but i would think only for academy and D1/D2 teams where players get cut from teams most other club/select teams let say D3 down to PPL/APL will find a spot for anybody that can PAY

Interesting enough I don’t think I’ve ever seen a REC team compete against a DI team. BUT a few yrs ago, I did watch a REC team convert (possibly Plano II) play a DII team in a local friendly tournament. That DII team scored 45 seconds in, and midway through the first it was 6-0. It got so bad they pulled their GK, played keep away, and were not allowed to shoot.

omega striker wrote:

my2cents wrote:

starbuck wrote:

scrdad wrote:As far as time commitments, don't forget having to volunteer at Classic League games and, depending on the club, at tournaments, etc. Having to spend all that time at soocer is one thing if I'm watching my kids and their friends, but something else if I'm watching some other teams' parents! Never thought I'd be paying thousands of dollars a year and being required to offer free labor!

Keep in mind that the early effort may be a help if he/she wants to make the next step up to high school sports when the time comes. Even if that's not the desire or they're unable to make that competitive leap, club soccer is available throughout the same years at a variety of costs so they'll always be able to play a sport.

Sorry to disagree or disappoint but at most high schools soccer is a step down from club.

this maybe true but i would think only for academy and D1/D2 teams where players get cut from teams most other club/select teams let say D3 down to PPL/APL will find a spot for anybody that can PAY

I'm afraid that's true. Unfortunately, high school athletics have a limited number of spots that all have to compete for....but with club soccer, there's room for everyone. Academy soccer is probably a decent match for that level of competitiveness though.

I Agree With You ！！！

From my perspective as the parent of a high schooler. As many have rightfully said on this thread so far, it is a huge time commitment as well as a money commitment.

The question that I like to put out there is - what is your endgame? What is your ultimate objective in putting in all the time, money, effort, blood sweat and tears? Do you believe your kid is going to play pro soccer? Do you think your kid is going to be the #1 recruit at Wake Forest, Tulsa, or Stanford? Or even play at a NCAA D1 school? Or even get a soccer scholarship? Because all of these things are VERY unlikely for the VAST majority of the kids playing select soccer.

GO look at the number of new recruits to the SMU soccer program this year. A single digit number, and IIRC, only 1 (ONE) of those kids was from NTX. There are X00,000 kids playing select soccer in the nation. High profile college programs can and will be very selective.

This is not intended to discourage. This is just to poke your brain and keep it real. Unless your kid truly is the next Messi, you really need to figure out what you hope to get out of select soccer. If it is anything more than developing athleticism and character in your kids, and having good times on the weekend and watching lots of better quality youth soccer .... you are probably going to have your own epiphany someday.

I sincerely regret not spending more time doing 'kid' things with the kids. Going to the zoo, riding bikes together, silly unmemorable stuff, whatever. Your quality time with your kids is limited. 18 years will go by in a blink of an eye. You don't want to look back on that time and say "What were we thinking?"

OnTheSurface wrote:From my perspective as the parent of a high schooler. As many have rightfully said on this thread so far, it is a huge time commitment as well as a money commitment.

The question that I like to put out there is - what is your endgame? What is your ultimate objective in putting in all the time, money, effort, blood sweat and tears? Do you believe your kid is going to play pro soccer? Do you think your kid is going to be the #1 recruit at Wake Forest, Tulsa, or Stanford? Or even play at a NCAA D1 school? Or even get a soccer scholarship? Because all of these things are VERY unlikely for the VAST majority of the kids playing select soccer.

GO look at the number of new recruits to the SMU soccer program this year. A single digit number, and IIRC, only 1 (ONE) of those kids was from NTX. There are X00,000 kids playing select soccer in the nation. High profile college programs can and will be very selective.

This is not intended to discourage. This is just to poke your brain and keep it real. Unless your kid truly is the next Messi, you really need to figure out what you hope to get out of select soccer. If it is anything more than developing athleticism and character in your kids, and having good times on the weekend and watching lots of better quality youth soccer .... you are probably going to have your own epiphany someday.

I sincerely regret not spending more time doing 'kid' things with the kids. Going to the zoo, riding bikes together, silly unmemorable stuff, whatever. Your quality time with your kids is limited. 18 years will go by in a blink of an eye. You don't want to look back on that time and say "What were we thinking?"

Agreed 110%....
… I would have to say “no” to Wake Forest or Stanford, but why “not” Tulsa… ‘I HAVE A DREAM’… Maybe not the top soccer school in the country, but I do think that smaller collage powers look @ NTX kids…
I know it’s just a ”DREAM”… My grandfather told me once: ”Dreams are the only free things in the World”, he didn’t know about select soccer….
I do have to say, I LOVE to watch my BB play….

OnTheSurface wrote:From my perspective as the parent of a high schooler. As many have rightfully said on this thread so far, it is a huge time commitment as well as a money commitment.

The question that I like to put out there is - what is your endgame? What is your ultimate objective in putting in all the time, money, effort, blood sweat and tears? Do you believe your kid is going to play pro soccer? Do you think your kid is going to be the #1 recruit at Wake Forest, Tulsa, or Stanford? Or even play at a NCAA D1 school? Or even get a soccer scholarship? Because all of these things are VERY unlikely for the VAST majority of the kids playing select soccer.

GO look at the number of new recruits to the SMU soccer program this year. A single digit number, and IIRC, only 1 (ONE) of those kids was from NTX. There are X00,000 kids playing select soccer in the nation. High profile college programs can and will be very selective.

This is not intended to discourage. This is just to poke your brain and keep it real. Unless your kid truly is the next Messi, you really need to figure out what you hope to get out of select soccer. If it is anything more than developing athleticism and character in your kids, and having good times on the weekend and watching lots of better quality youth soccer .... you are probably going to have your own epiphany someday.

I sincerely regret not spending more time doing 'kid' things with the kids. Going to the zoo, riding bikes together, silly unmemorable stuff, whatever. Your quality time with your kids is limited. 18 years will go by in a blink of an eye. You don't want to look back on that time and say "What were we thinking?"

While I agree with the direction of your post, I always think it is funny that people make these kinds of arguments and pull out the "pro" card. For the top players there is ample opportunity to play college ball. It doesn't have to be on a D1 team. Even Richland Junior college has a soccer team. So if your sons dream is to play college soccer, why not let them try.

One minor correction. The majority of players on SMU are from North Texas. In the last two years they have picked up three players off of the Solar Chelsea U18 DA team alone. Two for this upcoming year.

SMU Roster
http://www.smumustangs.com/sports/m-soccer/mtt/smu-m-soccer-mtt.html

On all of your other points I totally agree.

soccergrinder wrote:

OnTheSurface wrote:From my perspective as the parent of a high schooler. As many have rightfully said on this thread so far, it is a huge time commitment as well as a money commitment.

The question that I like to put out there is - what is your endgame? What is your ultimate objective in putting in all the time, money, effort, blood sweat and tears? Do you believe your kid is going to play pro soccer? Do you think your kid is going to be the #1 recruit at Wake Forest, Tulsa, or Stanford? Or even play at a NCAA D1 school? Or even get a soccer scholarship? Because all of these things are VERY unlikely for the VAST majority of the kids playing select soccer.

GO look at the number of new recruits to the SMU soccer program this year. A single digit number, and IIRC, only 1 (ONE) of those kids was from NTX. There are X00,000 kids playing select soccer in the nation. High profile college programs can and will be very selective.

This is not intended to discourage. This is just to poke your brain and keep it real. Unless your kid truly is the next Messi, you really need to figure out what you hope to get out of select soccer. If it is anything more than developing athleticism and character in your kids, and having good times on the weekend and watching lots of better quality youth soccer .... you are probably going to have your own epiphany someday.

I sincerely regret not spending more time doing 'kid' things with the kids. Going to the zoo, riding bikes together, silly unmemorable stuff, whatever. Your quality time with your kids is limited. 18 years will go by in a blink of an eye. You don't want to look back on that time and say "What were we thinking?"

While I agree with the direction of your post, I always think it is funny that people make these kinds of arguments and pull out the "pro" card. For the top players there is ample opportunity to play college ball. It doesn't have to be on a D1 team. Even Richland Junior college has a soccer team. So if your sons dream is to play college soccer, why not let them try.

One minor correction. The majority of players on SMU are from North Texas. In the last two years they have picked up three players off of the Solar Chelsea U18 DA team alone. Two for this upcoming year.

SMU Roster
http://www.smumustangs.com/sports/m-soccer/mtt/smu-m-soccer-mtt.html

On all of your other points I totally agree.

Richland has a very well respected program. It is known for producing D1 transfers that did not care to red shirt or sit 2 years at a big program.

There's plenty of opportunity to play organized soccer at college. Whether it be on the school team, a school "club" team, intramural team, etc. There's also plenty of opportunity for partial scholarships and stuff like that.

I think that a lot of kids (parents) come into the select soccer world thinking that if they do all the right things, play for the right clubs, get on the right teams, kiss up to the right coaches, etc, etc that this will automagically turn into a full ride athletic scholarship to somewhere to play soccer. For a relatively small number of very talented kids, it will. For the vast majority, it won't.

OnTheSurface wrote:There's plenty of opportunity to play organized soccer at college. Whether it be on the school team, a school "club" team, intramural team, etc. There's also plenty of opportunity for partial scholarships and stuff like that.

I think that a lot of kids (parents) come into the select soccer world thinking that if they do all the right things, play for the right clubs, get on the right teams, kiss up to the right coaches, etc, etc that this will automagically turn into a full ride athletic scholarship to somewhere to play soccer. For a relatively small number of very talented kids, it will. For the vast majority, it won't.

Full ride scholarships may not be there, but it's not always necessary.....just the chance to be on the team and play some is quite a plus.

http://www.txsoccer.info/t4894-94-college-commitments-update

There will be 3 players from North Texas who have signed a NLI to play for SMU. Two from Solar U-18 USSF DA and one from the AYSES 94 Gold team.

See what I mean?

I'm sure we can all 'relate" to the numbers.

Problem is, we can't be totally 'realistic' when it comes to our kids' abilities.

And, let's face it, a lot of parents have more money than common sense.

It's easier for many to write a check.

All I'm saying is that there are other ways, even for a talented player to play, enjoy themselves and improve than signing on with a megaclub at u10/11 and playing in classic league.

That said, if the kid really wants it and shows an aptitude for it, then go for it!

OP, did you decide what to do yet? I've heard of a couple of the top Rec team in your area combining to form a competitive team. Look at the top 4 U10 boys rec teams in your area. Many are playing Academy and rec, but are turned off by the Club prices.

We all want our child to develop, play for a top team. Sometimes this does more harm than good. Look at U11 D1 now. The top teams still are going to have players looking around due to playing time. Your child was on a winning team but for what? So the parents can justify the cost, ego of the coach? The bottom teams in D1.......taking a beating from the top teams to a point where now some players/parents are ready to jump ship. Coaches loyalty drops due to the pressure of getting their name out there. Before select, how many of you can say that your child played alot more than he did after getting into select? So many parents are wondering why by going select that their child has less playing time.

Dont rush getting your child into select! Coaches will tell you that this will be the best thing for your child's development.......is it?

t5house wrote:We all want our child to develop, play for a top team. Sometimes this does more harm than good. Look at U11 D1 now. The top teams still are going to have players looking around due to playing time. Your child was on a winning team but for what? So the parents can justify the cost, ego of the coach? The bottom teams in D1.......taking a beating from the top teams to a point where now some players/parents are ready to jump ship. Coaches loyalty drops due to the pressure of getting their name out there. Before select, how many of you can say that your child played alot more than he did after getting into select? So many parents are wondering why by going select that their child has less playing time.

Dont rush getting your child into select! Coaches will tell you that this will be the best thing for your child's development.......is it?

I agree, select is not always good for the kids.
Agree parents should put playing time for their kids as the most important factor unless the coach is a fantastic trainer and the child is getting skill training.

Rocketeer wrote:

t5house wrote:We all want our child to develop, play for a top team. Sometimes this does more harm than good. Look at U11 D1 now. The top teams still are going to have players looking around due to playing time. Your child was on a winning team but for what? So the parents can justify the cost, ego of the coach? The bottom teams in D1.......taking a beating from the top teams to a point where now some players/parents are ready to jump ship. Coaches loyalty drops due to the pressure of getting their name out there. Before select, how many of you can say that your child played alot more than he did after getting into select? So many parents are wondering why by going select that their child has less playing time.

Dont rush getting your child into select! Coaches will tell you that this will be the best thing for your child's development.......is it?

I agree, select is not always good for the kids.
Agree parents should put playing time for their kids as the most important factor unless the coach is a fantastic trainer and the child is getting skill training.

Gonna just throw this last comment out there: It matters the caliber of player with whom you play, but it also matters the caliber of player you play against. I am all for the guy/coach (albeit these are few and far between) who pulls a good team together, forgoes the huge costs associated with the big clubs, and goes it alone in select. Those who dare to take this path should know ahead of time just how hard this is. Ask those very qualified coaches who started their own team(s)/club, only to have their teams absorbed by a larger club within 10 years due to the running-uphill-in-sand task it was ultimately felt to be, not just administratively, but because of the overwhelming difficulty of attracting good (sometimes even decent) players. It has very much become a if you cant beam 'em, join 'em mentality. Believe me. I have been a part of it, firsthand. But just one team? For personal use? Probably not such a biggie. Have seen several people do this and be very happy.

Having said that, consider the abilities of your individual child and decide which gamble is the best. My U14 son played 5 years for a "Classic D2" team. He is a D1 player but began to play like a D2 player as he settled into complacency and began to get lazy. Prior to this we had been very, very committed to this team and coach, wanted to work our way into D1 together. Ultimately we felt this plan wasn't working for our son, and last year we pushed him into D1, where he flourished, realized he was that D1 player. His former coach tried to tell us he would struggle in D1, and given the way he started to play for said coach, I can see why he said that. We argued about whose "fault" it was: There is no fault, only choice. My point is, he was forced to step up the game he had in him to compete in D1. It was the best thing for him. Is that what is best for YOUR son? Only you know that. Or maybe you don't. One of the toughest choices to make and make honestly. It is not just playing with other D1 players, because there were some of those on the D2 team he left. Kids, parents, COACHES, need to have the experience of seeing the difference between these levels and making honest choices about where they/their kids/their teams belong. Evaluate the reasons for the choices, not just the choices.

Bottom line, OP: This is where you reside right now. If your son is good and you pay the $$ (looks like you might be looking at LP), your son will likely do well, but you will have to do your homework and ensure you have the right coach, because these big clubs really run the gamut when it comes to coaching ability. You could also get your own team together, know exactly what you're paying for, and pay a whole heck of a lot less. You could play rec. Just know that in all honesty NTX is very competitive and it will be very hard to continue to play rec against many an unskilled player with no soccer IQ because they are playing for fun. You may find yourself wanting to chew your foot off to get out of that trap after only just a few games.

Do you want him/does he want to play for "fun?": Rec -- live it, love it, accept what can sometimes be ugly soccer and relax your standards. Does he/you want to step it up but want more personal time and less pressure? Put that team together and hit Plano or Arlington. Ready to take the plunge and be committed 100%? Knock yourself out and sign that contract. It's one year, not forever, and you can reevaluate at the end of it.

Sorry if that took a whole pot of coffee to get through

bunited wrote:

Rocketeer wrote:

t5house wrote:We all want our child to develop, play for a top team. Sometimes this does more harm than good. Look at U11 D1 now. The top teams still are going to have players looking around due to playing time. Your child was on a winning team but for what? So the parents can justify the cost, ego of the coach? The bottom teams in D1.......taking a beating from the top teams to a point where now some players/parents are ready to jump ship. Coaches loyalty drops due to the pressure of getting their name out there. Before select, how many of you can say that your child played alot more than he did after getting into select? So many parents are wondering why by going select that their child has less playing time.

Dont rush getting your child into select! Coaches will tell you that this will be the best thing for your child's development.......is it?

I agree, select is not always good for the kids.
Agree parents should put playing time for their kids as the most important factor unless the coach is a fantastic trainer and the child is getting skill training.

Gonna just throw this last comment out there: It matters the caliber of player with whom you play, but it also matters the caliber of player you play against. I am all for the guy/coach (albeit these are few and far between) who pulls a good team together, forgoes the huge costs associated with the big clubs, and goes it alone in select. Those who dare to take this path should know ahead of time just how hard this is. Ask those very qualified coaches who started their own team(s)/club, only to have their teams absorbed by a larger club within 10 years due to the running-uphill-in-sand task it was ultimately felt to be, not just administratively, but because of the overwhelming difficulty of attracting good (sometimes even decent) players. It has very much become a if you cant beam 'em, join 'em mentality. Believe me. I have been a part of it, firsthand. But just one team? For personal use? Probably not such a biggie. Have seen several people do this and be very happy.

Having said that, consider the abilities of your individual child and decide which gamble is the best. My U14 son played 5 years for a "Classic D2" team. He is a D1 player but began to play like a D2 player as he settled into complacency and began to get lazy. Prior to this we had been very, very committed to this team and coach, wanted to work our way into D1 together. Ultimately we felt this plan wasn't working for our son, and last year we pushed him into D1, where he flourished, realized he was that D1 player. His former coach tried to tell us he would struggle in D1, and given the way he started to play for said coach, I can see why he said that. We argued about whose "fault" it was: There is no fault, only choice. My point is, he was forced to step up the game he had in him to compete in D1. It was the best thing for him. Is that what is best for YOUR son? Only you know that. Or maybe you don't. One of the toughest choices to make and make honestly. It is not just playing with other D1 players, because there were some of those on the D2 team he left. Kids, parents, COACHES, need to have the experience of seeing the difference between these levels and making honest choices about where they/their kids/their teams belong. Evaluate the reasons for the choices, not just the choices.

Bottom line, OP: This is where you reside right now. If your son is good and you pay the $$ (looks like you might be looking at LP), your son will likely do well, but you will have to do your homework and ensure you have the right coach, because these big clubs really run the gamut when it comes to coaching ability. You could also get your own team together, know exactly what you're paying for, and pay a whole heck of a lot less. You could play rec. Just know that in all honesty NTX is very competitive and it will be very hard to continue to play rec against many an unskilled player with no soccer IQ because they are playing for fun. You may find yourself wanting to chew your foot off to get out of that trap after only just a few games.

Do you want him/does he want to play for "fun?": Rec -- live it, love it, accept what can sometimes be ugly soccer and relax your standards. Does he/you want to step it up but want more personal time and less pressure? Put that team together and hit Plano or Arlington. Ready to take the plunge and be committed 100%? Knock yourself out and sign that contract. It's one year, not forever, and you can reevaluate at the end of it.

Sorry if that took a whole pot of coffee to get through

I agree with all your comments. Will keep what you said in mind. I am trying to find that fine line between competitive, improving skills, and no burn out. Tough

Parent education (on the game itself) is the key to solving all these problems.

The first thing I see over and over is, can a parent even RECOGNIZE quality soccer? In most cases, i say no. They see a keeper make a save or the ball hitting the back of the net (sometimes) and that's it.

But that's less than 1% of what goes on in a game.

Speaking of percentages, that's what a game boils down to. The 1v1 battles....50/50 balls won, tackles, clearances, pass completion and 'key passes' like through balls and crosses, etc.

Dribbling? The higher the level, the less dribbling you should see. At u11/12 there's still a lot of dribbling.

Depending on position, the percentage game is a key evaluator of performance.

Defending is all about being aggressive while being conservative. Mistakes are costly.

Midfielders can take a little more risk and otherwise be creative. Their main job is to win and distribute the ball.

Forwards and strikers obviously have a low percentage of success. But a forward who can both finish and combine with teammates (not just ourunning them because he hit puberty first) is the mark of an elite player.

9-12 are the age of fundamentals. Kids are still in the acquisition stage. Not the perfection against heavy competition phase.

Therefore competition is secondary to skill acquisition and mastery.

So, if a kid is working every day to perfect his first touch/control and his overall technique, along with a good skills trainer, that's all they need at 10 or 11.

That and playing a lot of pickup, 3v3, 4v4, futsal, etc.

Nowhere in the world do you hear of 10 and 11 yr olds playing 11v11, full sided soccer. hell, even England doesn't do that anymore.

Playing well takes precedence over everything else. Not winning the league. Most games are 'friendlies' anyway.

Laimport wrote:I see plenty of poor defending and ankle kicking in classic league too!

So, what's the difference? About $2500?

If rec is really "that bad"..that's one thing.

But the intense "must win" mentality of CL sure as hell isn't the answer. certainly not at u11!

A player's success is largely up to the player.

I've seen kids who didn't even play organized soccer until 14 or 15. And in many cases they were a lot better than the so-called 'top' players who had played select, had the matching backpacks and went to every f'ing camp and skills session mommy and daddy could afford.

The difference is that these kids played with older brothers and family members. They got 100 times as many touches on the ball. Consequently, they became better players in the long run.

Competition comes in many forms. besides, it is all about fundamentals at that age.

But hey, soccerisgood, if you want to keep drinking the koolaid, I don't want to get in the way of the thirsty!

5 stars. Luv the post. However in this forum, its about money and ego and segregation (based on $$$$).

Thank you for sharing.Helpful to me. Like you to share.Do you like football? Want to talk about it?

Jackfootballshirt wrote:Thank you for sharing.Helpful to me. Like you to share.Do you like football? Want to talk about it?

Serious, you spamming your website.