Can someone please explain to me the point of rostering 25 and 30 players to the ECNL and NPL teams? How can this possibly be good for player development? I am looking for some sort of logical answer other than lining the club checking accounts. Please don't tell me that it is good to fight for playing time. I agree with that except when you don't even get to dress for games. You can do that with 18-20.
High end teams over 19 have a first division team. Both teams can have 23 players on them. They also have to have a reserve team. Our under 19 team can register a total of 23 players a season. This was also true with our under 16 team. Only 18 can suit up for a game. The rest might be used in games depending on who shows up. Most of these extra players are used as bodies on the practice field. Can play friendlies against them. Reserve teams are used to prep new players for the main team. Or to help injured players work out their injuries. Until they can pass a fitness test.
393 views 4 replies Anyone else see a problem? From the time she started playing at 5 years old all I heard was "touches, touches, touches". I guess that all ends when they are 15? Nothing left to teach them? They can't develop any more? Touches don't count anymore? I find it very sad that a National organization is behind that.
How many more people need to agree with you? I think you pretty much said it all in your original post. Some clubs will say that it's because there will always be absences for any given game or tournament, but I don't buy that.
Yeah, I know Red, I was hoping someone would give me a logical answer for the madness. Why am I surprised that I was disappointed?
You need practice players to play against. Plus it puts pressure on the starters to stay starters. Plus their is always a chance to create another starter. Small sided does not always mean every player will get a lot of touches. In every 11 on a side there s always small sided near the ball. Until someone can make the break out pass.
Not a big fan of large rosters but then again I'm a parent. But large rosters do not hurt training and the amount of touches one gets there. In my opinion these large rosters help training. And as players get older the large rosters seem to be needed when it comes to games. Between injuries, those injuries taking longer to recover from & teenage life just getting in the way these large rosters help insure wins which is important because everyone taking youth sports so serious.
Wait until your kid gets to college. Watched a D1 soccer game, and there were 30 players warming up. 19 went to the bench, 2 of those were subbed in. The other sub was putting back in a starter. Saw another D1 soccer game with 11 on the bench. Coach subbed almost all of the players, and subbed out his top player for 15 minutes. The coach matters. I've seen youth coaches for as young as U8s who leave some players in the whole game and sit at least 5 players most of the game. Coaches like myself have a piece of paper with the roster on it, check in who shows up, set up starters, then figure out how to get the subs at least half of a game. The problem isn't the roster size, the problem is the coach. The coach sees something in the starters which may or may not be there. NO COACH is going to sub out a HS age player after 15 minutes, and some of the subs won't even get 15 minutes to play. You make a mistake as a sub, in your 10 or 15 minutes or play, that's it. You start and play 60 minutes of a 90 minute game, if you make a mistake, it's ignored. The answer is to have your kid play on more than one team, and even DA players are doing that though ostensibly against the rules. Some parents and players don't agree that one or at most two games per week is enough. And DA subs are not allowed to play elsewhere, but many do.