When to change clubs?

Why show the videos of strangers and not your own sons. That made no sense to me.

Any way on how much is too much to play.

Before the MLS started 2 coaches one was the coach of Adelph Mongomery I think was his name. The other was a former Cosmos player I forget his name.

Started their own club. They called it Long Island United it consisted of 2 teams. They took all the best players from the Long Island Junior soccer league. 18 yr olds and 17 year old.

The Long Island junior soccer league would not allow to play in their league because of what they done.

So they go to the Cosmopotian Junior soccer league in NYC. They let anyone in and they are not afraid to travel to Long Island or any place far for the other teams home games.

It does not cost a lot of money to put a new club in that has 2 teams.

They put one team in our best division under 19 A division. Rememver they are also all ODP as well and some national team players.

The other team they put in under 19 B division. They were freaking idiots. Should have also put that team in Under 19A.

Each player paid over 3500 to play. Why because the two coaches wanted to get paid that why. Like I said before it is cheap to play here.

One of the players in the 19A divison most of you would know Chris Armis from the MLS team fire and the US National team.He paid that money to play.

Thes best team in that division was Sporting Club Gjoa I used to coach them. They paid nothing to play.

Gjoa won the champion ship that year. the Long Islamd team won under 19 B division big deal.

 

Hey nick, we are all very sorry you discovered Bigsoccer. Most, if not all of your posts are self-aggrandizing crap that has nothing to do with the original question. Please make a small attempt to stay on point. Now back to the discussion...

 

Ok I will undiscover it right now

 

Perhaps this is a code for "your son is not good enough and probably wont be, but we are happy to take your money"......

 

I was going to go, but 50 people from this site told me to stay. So you go and I will stay. Let's see how many people ask you to stay?

 

ROFLMFAO and sad at the same time.

 

What are you still doing here?

 

So i am new to Big soccer but I have been reading posts for years. I am a father of a u-8 son who has been playing with kids 2 -3 years older than him for 3 years now, he is a very good soccer player, he has a strong leg and is very talented (it runs in the family, my wife is from Uruguay). My son loves playing soccer.
I grew up the typical american boy who played the obligatory recreational soccer at a young age then moved on to the bigger sports so I don't know anything about developing a good soccer player or what is best to teach them. I love soccer now, and I began playing myself a few years back and I watch a lot of soccer on TV as well as read a lot of books. That takes me to where I am at.

We placed my son 3 years ago in the academy program of a local club that had a great reputation and is one of the oldest clubs in our state. Ever since begining playing with this club they have lost games, not that they were beat by better teams (more skill) but the other teams were more organized, then at the end of last year they began beating these same teams and playing better. Of course to a 6,and 7 year old it is hard to explain that the only reason they lost is because they don't play with defenders or a trained goal keeper.
Then this summer he started playing on a team of u-8's that play up in the gold division of u-9, and they played in a tournament where they were killed every game. It got to the point where the coash played my son back on defense the whole game and my son was so frustrated that he just booted the ball away every chance he had. We feel like his development is going backwards and not forwards, and I have noticed that a lot of how he plays depends on how he feels it is very much a mental thing for him, when he is having fun he dribbles right around everyone and scores some amazing goals but when he isn't having fun he just stands and waits for the ball to come to him.
So do I switch clubs? I know that at his age the most important thing is for him to enjoy playing and to have a love for the game, but I also know that he needs to be pushed to get better, how do you find that balance of pushing yourself (playing up) and having fun (to him winning, or scoring losts of goals)? It seems like there is maybe 2 other kids on his team that could play at this level but the rest of the team is way far off. Advise?

 

Boy am I getting tired of this - every parent has a kid who plays up.

Sorry if I sound like a jerk but if they all have to play up then perhaps they are not at the right club? Perhaps they do not have a decent development academy at the u5-u8 level?

The rest of your post tell me that this experience is not going to end well.

If you have not paid all costs up front yet - I'd get the heck out of there ASAP.

 

So i am new to Big soccer but I have been reading posts for years. I am a father of a u-8 son who has been playing with kids 2 -3 years older than him for 3 years now, he is a very good soccer player, he has a strong leg and is very talented (it runs in the family, my wife is from Uruguay). My son loves playing soccer.
I grew up the typical american boy who played the obligatory recreational soccer at a young age then moved on to the bigger sports so I don't know anything about developing a good soccer player or what is best to teach them. I love soccer now, and I began playing myself a few years back and I watch a lot of soccer on TV as well as read a lot of books. That takes me to where I am at.

We placed my son 3 years ago in the academy program of a local club that had a great reputation and is one of the oldest clubs in our state. Ever since begining playing with this club they have lost games, not that they were beat by better teams (more skill) but the other teams were more organized, then at the end of last year they began beating these same teams and playing better. Of course to a 6,and 7 year old it is hard to explain that the only reason they lost is because they don't play with defenders or a trained goal keeper.
Then this summer he started playing on a team of u-8's that play up in the gold division of u-9, and they played in a tournament where they were killed every game. It got to the point where the coash played my son back on defense the whole game and my son was so frustrated that he just booted the ball away every chance he had. We feel like his development is going backwards and not forwards, and I have noticed that a lot of how he plays depends on how he feels it is very much a mental thing for him, when he is having fun he dribbles right around everyone and scores some amazing goals but when he isn't having fun he just stands and waits for the ball to come to him.
So do I switch clubs? I know that at his age the most important thing is for him to enjoy playing and to have a love for the game, but I also know that he needs to be pushed to get better, how do you find that balance of pushing yourself (playing up) and having fun (to him winning, or scoring losts of goals)? It seems like there is maybe 2 other kids on his team that could play at this level but the rest of the team is way far off. Advise?

 

Find a good coach and stick with him. Let your son play at leisure. You say he plays against 8 years old players so he is probably 5/6.

At those ages I wouldn't recommend club unless he has the drive for it already or loses interest in recreational/ayso type leagues because its too easy.

 

The other part of it is I have paid the state fee but not the club fee so I am pretty sure we can still switch clubs, In fact it would be easier for us to switch clubs because we have to drive a long ways for practices etc...and there are 2 or 3 clubs that are closer to where we live. But I am pretty sure if we switched my son would have to move back down to the academy level, which I don't think is that big of a deal right now, except for the competition/pushing him part? Or is it more important for him ot have fun?

 

My son is 7 right now, this will be his 3rd year on this club team, the rec/ayso leagues are too easy for him (there is no competition, and the coaches aren't teaching the kids skills). I don't really consider them an option for us because he is past that level. His current coach is a really good coach he seems to know what he is doing, but his own son plays on this team and his son is one of the kids that shouldn't be playing up. The other part of it is that I took my father-in-law to a practice and multiple games and he says that the coaching is really bad, and that a group of kids from Uruguay would be far beyond where my son is at right now.

We recently returned from a trip to South America and my son had multiple chances to play soccer with kids while we were there, the kids had better ball control than my son, but he was able to hold his own against them and scored many goals. Which tells me that he was really close to the skill level they were at.

 

Academy level at the right club can be very educational and fun - key is the latter in which they will learn to love the game.

 

"It got to the point where the coash played my son back on defense the whole game and my son was so frustrated that he just booted the ball away every chance he had."

So now he is playing at best level of under 9. He is a year young at under 8. Has he ever been taught how to tackle the right way the stand up block tackle? He and the others should have been taught that.

The coach never gave him instructions on how to play the back position? Did the coach give him the freedom to attack after he has won the ball?

I ask these questions because I think the answer is no to all of them.

If the answer is no to all these question your sons coach is not as good as you and the other parents on his team thinks he is.

He also should not be locked into a back position and not play any other position. It would hinder his growth as a player.

I don't know what to tell you except. He is not helping your sons game.

 

I couldn't disagree more here. There are players so good that playing up a year (and in rare instances 2) is the best choice for them developmentally, it is simply fact. Our club is one of the best in state, a DA club that outperforms most DA clubs, and we do play players, and in certain cases entire teams up a year (the best U12 team often plays up with U13's for one year).

We send multiple players to the US National teams, have had three separate players play for the U17 NT/go to Bradenton in the last year. Have two former players we developed who play in the full USNT.

 

I have a couple of thoughts here for you.

One of the reasons that we struggle with development as a country is that is that we as parents have placed far too much emphasis on winning at these young ages. It is far more important that the players learn proper technique, first touch, dribbling, creativity, and are encouraged to express themselves, take players on, and find creative solutions to problems. This will bear fruit at the older ages.

So, in that sense it sounds like what your club is doing is possibly proper. Understand that we don't have the full picture, we are just going on the limited information you are providing, which has been washed through the filter of your personal perspective and outlook.

Now this is where I am concerned. Not so much about a spot on the field that your son is put. But that he is at a point to just boot the ball away and not attempt to play it. I don't know if this was just a one tournament thing, or if you are saying that this is the entire way he is playing now.

But, his frustration, and his lack of playing the ball, or dribbling the ball is worrying. Also, if you are saying that your team literally plays with no defenders, that also makes me wonder if the coach knows what he is doing.

Now, I would say that defenders, like everyone else, should be encouraged at those ages to take people on, to make forward runs, to get involved in the game, and not simply to "defend". In that sense as a team you might leak some goals because you have a player who tried something and lost the ball. However, if you are literally playing with no defenders that sounds not right either.

Ultimately we can't tell you what is best for your son, but I would say that if he is getting frustrated and losing his passion for the game that is a very worrying thing that you might want to look at, and maybe even have a discussion with your coach or doc about the situation that is going on.

 

Practices in a development environment is okay - we play 6-9 year olds in the same group.They play interleague games as well together. This (being exposed to older players) helps the younger ones to grow in many ways - not just on the field but also as leaders.

A decent club will have enough decent players to put on teams without having to move kids up to u9/u10.

Kids (IMO) should be rostered at their age and play games with their teams. Occasionally if they play up that's fine.

But there are many smaller clubs who have to do this constantly because they have no development program to build younger players at the 6-9 year old groups. THAT is a huge problem with US youth soccer and it seems very few clubs are doing much about this.

The club this kid is in has accomplished all you have mentioned - sent pros up in the US Europe and had a few in the Olympics - one this year.

 

Generally speaking their are multiple ages on teams because they can't field a team of the same age players.

The only time that kids played up on a team was when that older team was short players.

Sometimes and this is pretty rare when the coaches of a club get together and discuss the idea of a younger player being so good he can move up and playing on an older team. But tge team has to be playing in the leagues best division never on an older team in a B division.

Then we bring the idea to the player and the parent. They have the final say in the matter. It is never tge parents idea.

 

Thanks for the comments and thoughts! It really helps. My son's team does play with defenders but it seems like they are always sucked up the field, every game is the same, we start with defenders and then we get the ball and move it up the field where eventually they loose it or can't put it into the back of the net and then the other team has a break away and an easy goal. I do believe that the club my son is on is teaching them the correct skills as far as that goes and isn't worrying about winning, but what I am more worried about is my son's confidence, I could care less if they win because that isn't what is important. What is important is that he learns the ball skills and even more important is that he has fun and loves the game. If the team he was on had a couple more kids that were playing at a higher level I wouldn't worry as much because the score/games wouldn't be that bad if they lost.

But my son is so frustrated about being beat so bad that he doesn't even try anymore and he just boots the ball up the field, or doesn't run anymore, or he sits in the back to Protect the goal, but doesn't push forward at all.

What can you do as a parent to help a child in a situation like that? Do I tell the club that I want to move him back down where he doesn't have much competition or do I keep him where he is at and try and deal with my son's frustration and have him focus on winning in other ways, like setting goals for him like trying out certain moves a couple times a game, or scoring a couple goals a game, etc...? From what I understand we lost the chance to switch clubs for the year. Any thoughts on what to do?

 

my son (I'll call him D) is playing his first year of Club (U9s) after playing 5 seasons in AYSO which included his last 2 season in U8s playing regular season and a season in the Spring of Select soccer in AYSO. I was his coach for the majority of that time. He has also been going to weekly clinics for the last 3 years and when that club had tryouts my son was eager to do it, much to the chagrin of his mother and me. He wanted it, so he went for it! Cut to...

He made the team (12 on roster, playing 8v8) and they have been practicing for about 3 months as a team and had their first game this past weekend. The pro's are that D is good enough to be in the starting 8 and played 20 mins of the first 25 mins. The con's are that he played on defense on the left wing. He doesn't love playing defense (like most AYSO players who come to Club he's always been a MF'er or a forward/striker). My concern is that in 2 scrimmages and one game he has ONLY played him in this field position, and I can see the fight in him slowly leaving. He LOVES to play and will play anywhere on the filed just to get into the game.
The other issues is that D likes playing goalie...for fun, and has told me he doesn't want to play in a game. Also in those 2 scrimmages and one game, D played the first half as I mentioned, and played the 2nd half in goal. The coach has seen him at their goalie training sessions and has put him in there even though I have told the coach I think D needs to be on the field to learn and not in net. But D likes the clinics b/c they are run by the #1 keeper for our cities MLS club. I like the clinics for the foot drills and agility training, and we're paying a lot so why not take advantage?
I dont want to go into whether I think my son is better than another pLayer, but D is a good dribbler, a very good passer, has a very good first touch and has an overall understanding of the game that not a lot of other kids may have. He is quick but not fast on the break, if that makes sense. D's biggest con is that he is not a great finisher, but he creates chances well and takes the ball with back to goal and turns well. He is also undersized for his age.
I'm worried he is going to be pigeonholed into a defensive position that may not suit him, and not have the chance to play positions and show what he can do. In practices and in scrimmages he more than holds his own against players the coach has picked for those MF and forward positions, and in a lot of cases is the better dribbler and passer. I don't think I am viewing him with rose colored glasses on. We didn't even think he was good enough to make the Club team and were pleasantly surprised that he did. I guess I don't understand.
Any thoughts?

 

Thanks for the response. It made me feel a lot better. D has 2 games this weekend so I'll wait to see how those play out and then talk with the coach if I still have some concerns. as for him playing GK, I told him he'd need to tell the coach himself and that I'd follow up if nothing changes.

His play has developed great and his mother and I did think he played back there b/c he seems dependable, especially b/c the coach has the GK play it to him on every goal kick so he seems to want him to have the ball. What I like most about the club in general is their focus on player development AND on playing passing and possession football. Maybe b/c this coach told the Central defender he would keep him in that spot all game that I worried?

 

Where did D play during the tryouts? Don't call him D it can stand for a back. how old is he? Have you watched the coach in practice and in games before the tryout.don't be hesitant about talking to the coach.

Give it a chance he will get there. Incidently your daughter is a little angel.

 

first, thank you. she's also a little terror and had her first game of U5s this past weekend!

My son is 8 1/2 and actually one of the older boys on the team, and also the smallest.

Tryouts were three 2 hour sessions over three weeks. There were about 30 kids or so and they picked 12. The coach is at the club but at the time of the tryouts they had not decided on the coach so he was not at the tryouts. it was basically drills and then scrimmages. He really stood out. I wasnt sure he was good enough until that first tryout, and I think even he wasnt sure. We both knew without saying it to each other that he would make it.

I've sometimes watched the coach during practices. When they start he sometimes breaks them off into small sided games to get them warmed up and while more kids slowly show up. I notice a lot of times he has his back turned on the area where my son is playing, but I also know he's definitely seen him. look, my son isn't the best player on the team, but i would put him in the top 5 or 6 for sure. And he is probably one of the most technically sound players on the team. You can hammer the ball towards him and he will generally keep that ball close and move with it, while other players will have it come off them and have to chase it a bit. They do drills where they play 3 on 3 or 4 on 4 with 3 other players being all-time offense, and you get a point for 5 passes in a row. My son gets it a lot and is usually in the middle of it all. I also notice how some of the bigger players who are good and have been placed in those forward roles in games, touch the ball very little in these drills. My son touches it probably the most of just about anyone...he's always in the fray and always thought he was a natural MF'er for that reason. Again, his scoring touch isn't great and his shot is hit or miss. But he rarely gives the ball away when passing. He might lack a killer instinct at this stage, but he is wildly competitive.

I was going to see how things went this weekend and if they stayed the same Id talk to the coach. My concern is two fold: one, is he being pigeonholed as a defender, or does he have a more long term vision for my son, and two, is he always going to have to play in goal in the 2nd half of games? How should I talk to the coach about this if the need arises?

and thanks for reading my long-windedness...