OT: US Soccer needs to move to UEFA

[Joe the Panther Fan]

Something similar, but different: I was closely involved with a soccer association that didn't keep score in their "in house" games, and the "no score" rule was made clear to everyone at the beginning of every season. Nonetheless, at the end of one season, some over-zealous parent took it upon themselves to send a picture of their child's team to the local newspaper (and they published it), along with a small write-up that boasted that their team was "undefeated for two seasons".

Let's just say that the association's board-of-directors did not look too kindly on the matter.

The reason that they don't keep score in the little kid leagues isn't because of the kids. The kids all know the score. At the end of the game they know if they've won or lost or not. They don't officially keep score because way too large a percentage of parents are arseholes who would make the games all about winning and not about the kids having fun learning the game, which is what it should be about at that age.

Back when my son was playing in U7 or U8 we got there early for a game. We were the first ones on my sons team there and there were a couple kids from the other team there. So, as kids will do, they just started kicking the ball around together and taking shots on goal. I was talking with one of the other dads when the coach for the other team got there. He tells us that before the game started that night they were going to make an announcement to the parents basically telling everyone that they need to keep things calm during the game and leave the refs alone. Why? Because at a game the night before a parent was pissed off at the ref for missing a call and he went out on the field to confront the ref. Oh, yeah, did I mention, at that age group they used older kids as refs to help the kids learn the game better?

Think about that. A parent was so pissed off that a 13 year old kid (and I don't know exactly how old he was, but close enough) who was refereeing a game missed a call that he went out on the field and confronted the kid. At a U8 game.

If the parents had the same attitude about these games as the 7 and 8 year olds did there wouldn't be any problems.

 

[CJsE]

Back when my son was playing in U7 or U8 we got there early for a game. We were the first ones on my sons team there and there were a couple kids from the other team there. So, as kids will do, they just started kicking the ball around together and taking shots on goal. I was talking with one of the other dads when the coach for the other team got there. He tells us that before the game started that night they were going to make an announcement to the parents basically telling everyone that they need to keep things calm during the game and leave the refs alone. Why? Because at a game the night before a parent was pissed off at the ref for missing a call and he went out on the field to confront the ref. Oh, yeah, did I mention, at that age group they used older kids as refs to help the kids learn the game better?

Think about that. A parent was so pissed off that a 13 year old kid (and I don't know exactly how old he was, but close enough) who was refereeing a game missed a call that he went out on the field and confronted the kid. At a U8 game.

If the parents had the same attitude about these games as the 7 and 8 year olds did there wouldn't be any problems.

When I was 15-17, I umpired the younger baseball leagues for one of my summer jobs. Generally they would pair one young umpire with an adult, but occasionally they would have two teenagers umpire games for mustang and below as well as the occasional Bronco games. When that happened, you'd have a 15 or 16 year old kid behind the plate. At the Mustang and Bronco levels, parents would routinely stand behind the backstop shouting displeasure and obscenities at the kid. There were multiple occasions where we'd have to throw out a parent for cursing multiple times, or we'd have drunk parents waiting in the parking lot after the game for us to tell us how bad we were. We had to call the umpire association on two occasions fr parents telling us they'd be waiting for us after the game once we threw them out. One time it ended in a parking lot fight between the drunks and the adult umpires that came to escort us.

So long story short, I have zero problem with youth games not keeping score, not because of the children, but because some parents can't handle it.

 

[Panther Parrothead]

The reason that they don't keep score in the little kid leagues isn't because of the kids. The kids all know the score. At the end of the game they know if they've won or lost or not. They don't officially keep score because way too large a percentage of parents are arseholes who would make the games all about winning and not about the kids having fun learning the game, which is what it should be about at that age.

Back when my son was playing in U7 or U8 we got there early for a game. We were the first ones on my sons team there and there were a couple kids from the other team there. So, as kids will do, they just started kicking the ball around together and taking shots on goal. I was talking with one of the other dads when the coach for the other team got there. He tells us that before the game started that night they were going to make an announcement to the parents basically telling everyone that they need to keep things calm during the game and leave the refs alone. Why? Because at a game the night before a parent was pissed off at the ref for missing a call and he went out on the field to confront the ref. Oh, yeah, did I mention, at that age group they used older kids as refs to help the kids learn the game better?

Think about that. A parent was so pissed off that a 13 year old kid (and I don't know exactly how old he was, but close enough) who was refereeing a game missed a call that he went out on the field and confronted the kid. At a U8 game.

If the parents had the same attitude about these games as the 7 and 8 year olds did there wouldn't be any problems.

No doubt. If you’re around youth sports long enough, you’ll see everything. I coached several sports for more years than I want to admit, was a Travel Commissioner for PaWest, and was on the Board of Directors for several associations, and we dealt more with parents’ issues than kids’ issues.

One season, we took a U-10 travel team to play against a team...I won’t say exactly where, but it was in the Kennywood Park vicinity. The pitch was in a small area surrounded by hillsides, and before the match even started (!), a bunch of their parents sat up on one of the hills and repeatedly shouted F-bombs at our team!

I couldn’t believe it...we protested to their refs, and they did nothing. The coach of the other team did nothing. We thought about pulling the kids off the field, but our parents wanted to play the game - if only to beat this team. And we did.

So yeah, some parents are nuts. And some areas already have reputations, so you know what to expect when you see them on your schedule.

On the other hand, one season we had a travel game in Erie that fell on Mother’s Day, and the other team presented the mothers on our team with flowers...one of the classier moves that I saw. So there are some nice people, too.

 

[PeetWeet1]

When I was 15-17, I umpired the younger baseball leagues for one of my summer jobs. Generally they would pair one young umpire with an adult, but occasionally they would have two teenagers umpire games for mustang and below as well as the occasional Bronco games. When that happened, you'd have a 15 or 16 year old kid behind the plate. At the Mustang and Bronco levels, parents would routinely stand behind the backstop shouting displeasure and obscenities at the kid. There were multiple occasions where we'd have to throw out a parent for cursing multiple times, or we'd have drunk parents waiting in the parking lot after the game for us to tell us how bad we were. We had to call the umpire association on two occasions fr parents telling us they'd be waiting for us after the game once we threw them out. One time it ended in a parking lot fight between the drunks and the adult umpires that came to escort us.

So long story short, I have zero problem with youth games not keeping score, not because of the children, but because some parents can't handle it.

That stinks. Guess I have been lucky on the parent front. Can't remember any serious issues. What arguements I have seen are usually due to piss poor refs. And I am not referring to bad callls, those are part of the game. I am referring to refs looking to a coach prior to making calls. Refs showing complete disinterest and allowing unsafe behavior. Refs with no knowledge of rules. And by far the worst of all, refs that look to pick fights with coaches or parents. Sad part is, they are the only ones who get paid.

On the flip side, good refs are awesome. They keep the game flowing but still manage to educate the youngest ones. For a youth sports game, give me an older sibling of one of the players - either paid or volunteer. They want to set a good example and act as an additional teacher.

 

[Fk_Pitt]

1). It's U8 soccer! Who the eff cares what the score is! The kids who are competitive know, and any parent who cares should be banned from the sideline forever.

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

No doubt. If you’re around youth sports long enough, you’ll see everything. I coached several sports for more years than I want to admit, was a Travel Commissioner for PaWest, and was on the Board of Directors for several associations, and we dealt more with parents’ issues than kids’ issues.

One season, we took a U-10 travel team to play against a team...I won’t say exactly where, but it was in the Kennywood Park vicinity. The pitch was in a small area surrounded by hillsides, and before the match even started (!), a bunch of their parents sat up on one of the hills and repeatedly shouted F-bombs at our team!

I couldn’t believe it...we protested to their refs, and they did nothing. The coach of the other team did nothing. We thought about pulling the kids of the field, but our parents wanted to play the game - if only to beat this team. And we did.

So yeah, some parents are nuts. And some areas already have reputations, so you know what to expect when you see them on your schedule.

On the other hand, one season we had a travel game in Erie that fell on Mother’s Day, and the other team presented the mothers on our team with flowers...one of the classier moves that I saw. So there are some nice people, too.

Now you know how the US team feels when it has to go on the road in Central America or the Caribbean Islands. LOL

 

[Panther Parrothead]

Now you know how the US team feels when it has to go on the road in Central America or the Caribbean Islands. LOL

What are you saying? That the Caribbean teams give the US players' mothers flowers before the game?

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

No doubt. If you’re around youth sports long enough, you’ll see everything. I coached several sports for more years than I want to admit, was a Travel Commissioner for PaWest, and was on the Board of Directors for several associations, and we dealt more with parents’ issues than kids’ issues.

One season, we took a U-10 travel team to play against a team...I won’t say exactly where, but it was in the Kennywood Park vicinity. The pitch was in a small area surrounded by hillsides, and before the match even started (!), a bunch of their parents sat up on one of the hills and repeatedly shouted F-bombs at our team!

I couldn’t believe it...we protested to their refs, and they did nothing. The coach of the other team did nothing. We thought about pulling the kids of the field, but our parents wanted to play the game - if only to beat this team. And we did.

So yeah, some parents are nuts. And some areas already have reputations, so you know what to expect when you see them on your schedule.

On the other hand, one season we had a travel game in Erie that fell on Mother’s Day, and the other team presented the mothers on our team with flowers...one of the classier moves that I saw. So there are some nice people, too.

Now you know how the US team feels when it has to go on the road in Central America or the Caribbean Islands. LOL

Yea and that's one thing they can say as part of their case to move to FIFA. Bad fields, hostile treatment, unsafe surroundings, etc. When Timmy Chandler (who grew up in Germany) joined the team a few years, he literally quit after a road game in the murder capital of the world, San Pedro Sula. The culture shock of what he saw was too much for him and he decided he did not want to play for a team that had to play road matches in 3rd world countries. He eventually came back to the team but that shows you what the US is up against. The clash of cultures is too much. The USMNT should not have a half billion on the line on a high school field with no drainage in a tiny village off the coast of Venezuela. They have outgrown CONCACAF

 

[Panther Parrothead]

Yea and that's one thing they can say as part of their case to move to FIFA. Bad fields, hostile treatment, unsafe surroundings, etc. When Timmy Chandler (who grew up in Germany) joined the team a few years, he literally quit after a road game in the murder capital of the world, San Pedro Sula. The culture shock of what he saw was too much for him and he decided he did not want to play for a team that had to play road matches in 3rd world countries. He eventually came back to the team but that shows you what the US is up against. The clash of cultures is too much. The USMNT should not have a half billion on the line on a high school field with no drainage in a tiny village off the coast of Venezuela. They have outgrown CONCACAF

I don't know whether I agree or not. If the US starts bitching, it sounds like sour grapes.

The US had better start playing better - even on its own beautiful pitches - before they can start squawking with credibility. When you lose to Mexico in Columbus, Ohio, and lose to Costa Rica in New Jersey, it's not the fault of the culture or the playing surfaces.

 

[Pitt79]

Will never happen, should never happen.

Professional soccer is a 4th tier sport in the United States. If we didn't have some of our best athletes playing football or basketball or baseball then we would have a very competitive league. But they are playing those other, far more lucrative sports so we aren't competitive.

No, not exactly, if LeBron, Antonio Brown and Mike Trout had played soccer since childhood, there's no guarantee they'd have gotten college scholarships, let alone becoming pro stars.

 

[PeetWeet1]

1). It's U8 soccer! Who the eff cares what the score is! The kids who are competitive know, and any parent who cares should be banned from the sideline forever.

Then you will have zero parents. Any parent that says the care zero about a score is lying. Development trumps all at that age, but part of development is dealing with success and failure, team play, etc. Also, one ought not to claim U8 soccer is all about fun, then immediately upon its conclusion have try outs require year round commitments for D4 travel teams.

No matter if you want to believe it or not. No matter if it should be this way or not. Baseball and football look like far more serious sports to this age group and their parents. And it definitely hurts retention of the best players. We will disagree on the developmental impact.

 

[Pitt79]

Silly me, I forgot all of the American soccer teams with Champions League budgets.

Or do you mean the 5 or so Americans that are actually in the Champions League vs the thousands that are playing MLB, NFL, and NBA? Because opportunity is relative, it is more lucrative to try and play football, baseball, or basketball in the United States.

It's just so STUPID to assume that anyone who is in the NFL, MLB or NBA would be a soccer professional if they had played from childhood, yeah, maybe a small %, but not all or even a majority. All sports are different.

 

[Pitt79]

The USMNT should not have a half billion on the line on a high school field with no drainage in a tiny village off the coast of Venezuela. They have outgrown CONCACAF

Doesn't give the entitled Americans the right to trump geography and tell the world they should play in a league they don't belong in. Maybe they should compete for the right to play in UEFA? I think Mexico deserves it more.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Yea and that's one thing they can say as part of their case to move to FIFA. Bad fields, hostile treatment, unsafe surroundings, etc. When Timmy Chandler (who grew up in Germany) joined the team a few years, he literally quit after a road game in the murder capital of the world, San Pedro Sula. The culture shock of what he saw was too much for him and he decided he did not want to play for a team that had to play road matches in 3rd world countries. He eventually came back to the team but that shows you what the US is up against. The clash of cultures is too much. The USMNT should not have a half billion on the line on a high school field with no drainage in a tiny village off the coast of Venezuela. They have outgrown CONCACAF

I don't know whether I agree or not. If the US starts bitching, it sounds like sour grapes.

The US had better start playing better - even on its own beautiful pitches - before they can start squawking with credibility. When you lose to Mexico in Columbus, Ohio, and lose to Costa Rica in New Jersey, it's not the fault of the culture or the playing surfaces.

I'm not blaming it on pitches or culture shock. I'm saying to use that as a reason to FIFA to leave CONCACAF much the same way that Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana, nations of primarily African descent, are allowed to play in CONCACAF instead of CONMEBOL because its a better cultural and competitive fit.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

Also, one ought not to claim U8 soccer is all about fun, then immediately upon its conclusion have try outs require year round commitments for D4 travel teams.

Everyone involved in travel teams for U8 kids ought to be taken out back and shot.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Also, one ought not to claim U8 soccer is all about fun, then immediately upon its conclusion have try outs require year round commitments for D4 travel teams.

Everyone involved in travel teams for U8 kids ought to be taken out back and shot.

He is saying that after "just for fun, "we don't keep score" U8, they have tryouts in May/June for U9 travel which starts in September. So a kid goes from not really knowing if he ever won or lost to being told he wasn't good enough to making the A team for his school district club. That is pretty crazy. And oh by the way, I actually hate, hate the idea of 3rd and 4th graders "trying out" for A teams, B teams for their school district clubs run by the moms and dads. This is free (essentially) recreation soccer. Lets not treat it likes its D1 Cup soccer. If you want kids to tryout for something, then go try out for Beadling, Century United, FC Pittsburgh, etc.

Youth soccer in this country is so effed up its not even funny. They couldn't eff it up anymore if they tried. Soccer (well and cheerleading, dont even get me started) is the only sport where you have to try out at the RECREATION level.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

He is saying that after "just for fun, "we don't keep score" U8, they have tryouts in May/June for U9 travel which starts in September. So a kid goes from not really knowing if he ever won or lost to being told he wasn't good enough to making the A team for his school district club. That is pretty crazy. And oh by the way, I actually hate, hate the idea of 3rd and 4th graders "trying out" for A teams, B teams for their school district clubs run by the moms and dads. This is free (essentially) recreation soccer. Lets not treat it likes its D1 Cup soccer. If you want kids to tryout for something, then go try out for Beadling, Century United, FC Pittsburgh, etc.

Youth soccer in this country is so effed up its not even funny. They couldn't eff it up anymore if they tried. Soccer (well and cheerleading, dont even get me started) is the only sport where you have to try out at the RECREATION level.

The notion that the kids don't know if they really won or lost while playing U7 or U8 soccer is so batshit crazy that I can only surmise that anyone who thinks that has never had a kid play soccer at that level. The kids ALL know who won the game. The kids might not know their exact record, but if you asked them how many games they won they'd ALL either get the answer right or close to it.

And I don't know how everyplace does it, but the local soccer club in my area is one of the biggest and most successful in western PA. And no kid, boy or girl, has ever had to try out for the in house, recreational level, leagues. Literally, none, literally ever. My son also played with an organization in another area of western PA and they never had any tryouts for the in house, recreational leagues either.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

He is saying that after "just for fun, "we don't keep score" U8, they have tryouts in May/June for U9 travel which starts in September. So a kid goes from not really knowing if he ever won or lost to being told he wasn't good enough to making the A team for his school district club. That is pretty crazy. And oh by the way, I actually hate, hate the idea of 3rd and 4th graders "trying out" for A teams, B teams for their school district clubs run by the moms and dads. This is free (essentially) recreation soccer. Lets not treat it likes its D1 Cup soccer. If you want kids to tryout for something, then go try out for Beadling, Century United, FC Pittsburgh, etc.

Youth soccer in this country is so effed up its not even funny. They couldn't eff it up anymore if they tried. Soccer (well and cheerleading, dont even get me started) is the only sport where you have to try out at the RECREATION level.

The notion that the kids don't know if they really won or lost while playing U7 or U8 soccer is so batshit crazy that I can only surmise that anyone who thinks that has never had a kid play soccer at that level. The kids ALL know who won the game. The kids might not know their exact record, but if you asked them how many games they won they'd ALL either get the answer right or close to it.

And I don't know how everyplace does it, but the local soccer club in my area is one of the biggest and most successful in western PA. And no kid, boy or girl, has ever had to try out for the in house, recreational level, leagues. Literally, none, literally ever. My son also played with an organization in another area of western PA and they never had any tryouts for the in house, recreational leagues either.

In the bigger, better, "school district clubs," you try out for spots on the A team, B team, C team, etc. Or for example, if 25 kids try out but that's too many for a 17 man roster and not enough for 2 teams, then 8 little kids get told they are not good enough and cut. I'm not talking about in-house leagues. I'm talking about "travel" where USC's A's will play PT and Lebo's A's and their B's will play other B's.

I agree on the kids knowing the score but the point is they go from "just for fun" to trying out a month later.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

In the bigger, better, "school district clubs," you try out for spots on the A team, B team, C team, etc. Or for example, if 25 kids try out but that's too many for a 17 man roster and not enough for 2 teams, then 8 little kids get told they are not good enough and cut. I'm not talking about in-house leagues. I'm talking about "travel" where USC's A's will play PT and Lebo's A's and their B's will play other B's.

Not for in house, recreational soccer. And it's funny that you use PT as an example, because I live close to PT and I can tell you that PT's inhouse, recrational soccer is just as I described. Everyone who signs up to play in the recreational league plays, and they all play on the same teams.

Part of the difference here is that you've gone from saying soccer is "the only sport where you have to try out at the RECREATION level" to now saying "I'm not talking about in-house leagues". So you can't even remain consistent from one post to the next. You absolutely do not have to try out to play RECREATIONAL soccer in ANY of the big area soccer clubs. None of them. You do have to try out if you want to play on a travel team. If a kid tries out for a travel team and doesn't get picked that doesn't exclude them from playing RECREATIONAL soccer at any big area soccer club. There are NO big area soccer clubs (and probably no small one either) that are turning away 8 year olds because they aren't good enough to play travel soccer.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

In the bigger, better, "school district clubs," you try out for spots on the A team, B team, C team, etc. Or for example, if 25 kids try out but that's too many for a 17 man roster and not enough for 2 teams, then 8 little kids get told they are not good enough and cut. I'm not talking about in-house leagues. I'm talking about "travel" where USC's A's will play PT and Lebo's A's and their B's will play other B's.

Not for in house, recreational soccer. And it's funny that you use PT as an example, because I live close to PT and I can tell you that PT's inhouse, recrational soccer is just as I described. Everyone who signs up to play in the recreational league plays, and they all play on the same teams.

Part of the difference here is that you've gone from saying soccer is "the only sport where you have to try out at the RECREATION level" to now saying "I'm not talking about in-house leagues". So you can't even remain consistent from one post to the next. You absolutely do not have to try out to play RECREATIONAL soccer in ANY of the big area soccer clubs. None of them. You do have to try out if you want to play on a travel team. If a kid tries out for a travel team and doesn't get picked that doesn't exclude them from playing RECREATIONAL soccer at any big area soccer club. There are NO big area soccer clubs (and probably no small one either) that are turning away 8 year olds because they aren't good enough to play travel soccer.

Let me try to be more clear.

For a U9, U10, U11, etc, these are your choices from lowest-level to highest level. Can even play all at same time

1. In-house recreation league playing only teams from your school district

2. PA West "school district" travel league. I also call this "Recreation" because its essentially free and the coaches are volunteer dads. That's where the confusion is I think. Peters A vs USC A

3. Cup - Beadling vs Century United

So if USC has 25 kids go out for the U9 team travel, 8 get cut and their only option is the in-house recreation league. This is why I say you go from playing "for fun" to getting cut and being told you still can only play for fun because you aren't good enough

To take this a step further, lets use a midsize district down 19, Trinity. Now I have no idea what they do exactly, just using a name. But a lot of midsizd and smaller clubs ONLY have the PA West travel team once you reach U9 or U10 so if you dont make that team, there literally is no in-house "recreation" option. You cant play soccer that season. Train harder, kid.....I guess.

I apologize for my use of the word recreation.

 

[Pitt79]

Soccer (well and cheerleading, dont even get me started) is the only sport where you have to try out at the RECREATION level.

WTF are you talking about? There are plenty of youth soccer rec leagues where there are no tryouts at all.

 

[Pitt79]

And where do you get this idea about "school district"? Soccer clubs have nothing to do with school districts. You can put your kid in any league you want, doesn't matter where you live. My daughter often played for clubs in different counties, and not in her own district.

 

[PeetWeet1]

And where do you get this idea about "school district"? Soccer clubs have nothing to do with school districts. You can put your kid in any league you want, doesn't matter where you live. My daughter often played for clubs in different counties, and not in her own district.

While I believe the restrictions have been loosened, PA West had two distinct types of clubs. Community, with geographic lines that generally follow school districts, and Cup clubs like Beadling. I have the names wrong, but you get the idea.

Community teams can keep costs to players low by having volunteer coaches - many of which are quite good - and by using tax dollars to pay for at least part of the field costs. School district lines are also somewhat natural as the High School coaches can informally guide player development and offer training sessions.

A cynic would claim that the geographic lines are in place to protect community clubs from competition with each other and to protect Cup teams from communities joining together and offering a similar level of competition Aeen by the locally competing cup teams.

 

[Pitt79]

While I believe the restrictions have been loosened, PA West had two distinct types of clubs. Community, with geographic lines that generally follow school districts, and Cup clubs like Beadling. I have the names wrong, but you get the idea.

Community teams can keep costs to players low by having volunteer coaches - many of which are quite good - and by using tax dollars to pay for at least part of the field costs. School district lines are also somewhat natural as the High School coaches can informally guide player development and offer training sessions.

A cynic would claim that the geographic lines are in place to protect community clubs from competition with each other and to protect Cup teams from communities joining together and offering a similar level of competition Aeen by the locally competing cup teams.

OK, I didn't know any of that. In MD there are no restrictions, kids play anywhere they want.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

But a lot of midsizd and smaller clubs ONLY have the PA West travel team once you reach U9 or U10 so if you dont make that team, there literally is no in-house "recreation" option. You cant play soccer that season.

That is simply factually incorrect. There are relatively local options for low cost in house soccer leagues in just about every single area of western PA. Might some kids have to go to the next town over? Sure. Might a few kids that live out in the middle of nowhere in places like Fayette County have a little bit of a drive? Sure. But those kids have the exact same drive if they want to play travel soccer too, because small rural areas like that don't have travel teams either.

 

[PeetWeet1]

That is simply factually incorrect. There are relatively local options for low cost in house soccer leagues in just about every single area of western PA. Might some kids have to go to the next town over? Sure. Might a few kids that live out in the middle of nowhere in places like Fayette County have a little bit of a drive? Sure. But those kids have the exact same drive if they want to play travel soccer too, because small rural areas like that don't have travel teams either.

Can a good player whose community club does not field a D4 team join another one, or are his options limited to a cup team or a D5/6 team at U12 and up or an intercommunity at U10? Also, how hard is it for a kid to play say QB in the fall and then high level indoor and spring soccer? Or SS in the spring and summer and high level soccer in the fall and winter?

 

[King Of All Message Boards]

The USMNT should just hire the Pitt coach.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

But a lot of midsizd and smaller clubs ONLY have the PA West travel team once you reach U9 or U10 so if you dont make that team, there literally is no in-house "recreation" option. You cant play soccer that season.

That is simply factually incorrect. There are relatively local options for low cost in house soccer leagues in just about every single area of western PA. Might some kids have to go to the next town over? Sure. Might a few kids that live out in the middle of nowhere in places like Fayette County have a little bit of a drive? Sure. But those kids have the exact same drive if they want to play travel soccer too, because small rural areas like that don't have travel teams either.

I personally know of clubs who dont offer in-house soccer and have to cut kids from their U10, U11, U12, etc travel teams. Could those kids go play for the next town over? Maybe, I don't know but this can happen.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

That is simply factually incorrect. There are relatively local options for low cost in house soccer leagues in just about every single area of western PA. Might some kids have to go to the next town over? Sure. Might a few kids that live out in the middle of nowhere in places like Fayette County have a little bit of a drive? Sure. But those kids have the exact same drive if they want to play travel soccer too, because small rural areas like that don't have travel teams either.

Can a good player whose community club does not field a D4 team join another one, or are his options limited to a cup team or a D5/6 team at U12 and up or an intercommunity at U10? Also, how hard is it for a kid to play say QB in the fall and then high level indoor and spring soccer? Or SS in the spring and summer and high level soccer in the fall and winter?

Good questions. I believe a kid wanting to play D4 would need all kinds of level of approval to leave his smaller club to go play for a bigger D4 team. Generally, I'd guess he wouldn't be allowed.

As for a kid playing QB or SS in the off-season, sure they can, and they can be good HS players but you cant play multiple sports and play at an elite level. Soccer requires too much technical skill for that.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

I personally know of clubs who dont offer in-house soccer

Which community based clubs, as opposed to the Cup type clubs, don't off in house soccer?

 

[recruitsreadtheseboards]

As someone who is more close to hockey than soccer, I can see a problem and one of THE problems with your post.

As much as some of you don't want to hear, some of the "anti soccer" people are right. You have to listen to them. Soccer is viewed as a nice, activity, a good exercise, but nothing, nothing eliciting the same "hey, let's win this game" mentality of a youth football, basketball, baseball or hockey is concerned. And on the surface that maybe a good thing, the right thing according to Dr. Spock, it doesn't develop that same competitiveness as the other sports do.

 

[jtownknowitall]

Everyone involved in travel teams for U8 kids ought to be taken out back and shot.

For their own good.

How many parents have spent tens of thousands of dollars on travel sports only to see their spawn grow up to be second string at Washington & Jefferson?

 

[jtownknowitall]

Are there many good youth soccer coaches out there? I mean ones who know the game and can teach the game. I know we have been playing soccer in this country for a few decades now and there is more coaches who actually played the game at some point of their life. But do they really know how to coach or teach the game?

 

[PeetWeet1]

Are there many good youth soccer coaches out there? I mean ones who know the game and can teach the game. I know we have been playing soccer in this country for a few decades now and there is more coaches who actually played the game at some point of their life. But do they really know how to coach or teach the game?

Yes, but I have seen the anti-competitive attitude cause really good ones to bit be asked back. Also, one needs to take the US Soccer coaching lessons with a grain of salt. They do present lots of good ideas, but the fear of winning discourages teaching grit, competitiveness, teamwork, set-piece tactics or even basic teamwork and defensive responsibility.

The internet helps. Many great youth coaching ideas. Plus access to Champion's League sessions. The basics don't change. Most of what a pro club does in training can be used, with slight modifications, at the U8 level.

A lot of the steotypes ring truer than they should. While more top athletes play soccer than they had in the past, not enough are doing so. One myth is that it is the soccer moms that keep the US soft. I can assure all, that moms are want nothing more than for their kids to crush the opposition.

 

[Pitt79]

Good questions. I believe a kid wanting to play D4 would need all kinds of level of approval to leave his smaller club to go play for a bigger D4 team. Generally, I'd guess he wouldn't be allowed.

As for a kid playing QB or SS in the off-season, sure they can, and they can be good HS players but you cant play multiple sports and play at an elite level. Soccer requires too much technical skill for that.

WOW! Crazy, "levels of approval"? In Maryland it's all free for all, you play anywhere you want, nobody can stop you from playing for any club anywhere. You can go try out for any travel team and it doesn't matter what your school district, town or zip code is.

I know of at least a few kids that got D1 soccer scholarships and also play basketball or lacrosse in addition to soccer in my area, my daughter plays high school soccer, cheerleads for the boys basketball team and plays lacrosse in the spring now, of course she's at a small school now and probably won't get a D1 scholarship, but she has actually drawn interest from a local community college coach, which kind of surprised me, but she's really a standout on a very poor soccer team.

 

[Pitt79]

...nothing eliciting the same "hey, let's win this game" mentality of a youth football, basketball, baseball or hockey is concerned. And on the surface that maybe a good thing, the right thing according to Dr. Spock, it doesn't develop that same competitiveness as the other sports do.

That's just ridiculous, everyone is trying to win in every sport, kids in soccer aren't competing to win a game any less than any other sport.

 

[Pitt79]

How many parents have spent tens of thousands of dollars on travel sports only to see their spawn grow up to be second string at Washington & Jefferson?

I do laugh at that stuff, I'm glad I didn't give a crap about any of it for years, from age 8-12 my daughter played in the crappiest rec league on the planet for $25/season. Then 2 more years of rec for $200/year. The biggest mistake was finally playing travel at the U15 level for $4000/year on a low end travel team and hating it. Now she's captain of her high school varsity and several girls who's parents paid for 7-8 years of expensive travel teams and had professional highlight videos made for college coaches to watch, where cut from the same schools JV! It's really a waste to be honest. 99% of the kids won't get scholarships anywhere.

 

[Pitt79]

Yes, but I have seen the anti-competitive attitude cause really good ones to bit be asked back. Also, one needs to take the US Soccer coaching lessons with a grain of salt. They do present lots of good ideas, but the fear of winning discourages teaching grit, competitiveness, teamwork, set-piece tactics or even basic teamwork and defensive responsibility.

My daughter had some good coaches, who actually played college ball and two that played pro. And I guess maybe in PA they are really non competitive, but it Maryland after age 11-12 they are cut throat try to win and they admit winning games is a priority and nobody is embarrassed by it.