Agree. And soccer is often the first sport that can be played at a competitive level (their parents signed them up for fun soccer for a couple years - the kids are more focused than others and excel due to athleticism, so club at U8 seems the next logical step). Competitive baseball starts here at the (soccer equivalent) U10 level, competitive basketball at the (soccer equivalent) U11 level. So sometimes, you just get those "serious" athletes that want to play sports at a competitive level sign up for U8 club soccer because it's available and they like soccer - they stick around for awhile because they like it, but they also try club baseball and basketball as they age into it, and then by the time U12-U13 comes around, something has got to give and they leave soccer for a sport they enjoy more. Even though they've been in soccer the longest; sometimes the length of their soccer tenure is just because of sheer availability.
That's exactly the situation my son is facing. When my son was first able to play a "club" soccer season it was the spring of his Kindergarten year (he was young, but was asked to join a team that needed players). At that age by us, baseball is coach pitch, football is in house Flag and basketball doesn't exist until the following year. As those other sports have gotten more competitive the last 3 years he's falling a little out of love with soccer. Because of birth year and school cutoffs, he'll be a U11 4th grader in the Fall. He still enjoys it, but when (as you put it) something has to give in another year or so, I don't know which direction he'll go. 2 years ago I would've put money on him choosing soccer. Now, could go either way.
The only other sport, besides soccer, that I can think of that has academy style training for kids so young is gymnastics and there is a reason for it. Gymnastics is one of those sports that if you don't start very young, your chances of making it are very low. I think kids in soccer that don't put the time in early on technical aspects get frustrated later on and probably leave.
The great thing about soccer is that later in life you can go back to it. If he decides that he wants to focus on a different sport as a teen, that doesn't mean he can't play intramural soccer in college, or adult-rec later in life.
Or even just downshift to a smaller club that doesn't require as much of a time commitment, but would be a lower level of play. Not sure how he'd feel about that but it is an option to keep playing even if it cuts against the grain of the "all or nothing" mentality of most sports.
Sure. Or just play school soccer while doing something else for club. It doesn't have to be all-or-nothing, you're right.
Hit the nail on the head. I see it all the time with rugby too. Big meat head leaves the football pitch because he has little technical ability, vision, control etc ect Moves across to rugby and he's the star of the show within a week or two You just can't get away with that on the football pitch. Over the years, I've played football with a lot of Americans and by and large they were absolutely terrible. Enthusiastic, yes. Physically fit, yes. But with next to zero tactical knowledge or control. These guys were enthusiasts and just wanted a game. Not "real players". This type of footballer is shown up within seconds on the football field. So maybe losing the deadwood to other less technical sports is one reason for the drop-off, but obesity is definitely another. Every US kids' sports movie I've ever watched has had at least one token lard ass. Little Giants, The Big Green and The Mighty Ducks to name a few. It's a problem. So lets deal with it.
Your understanding of obesity and youth sports in America comes from the movies? Explains a lot... But in any case, I think we need to br careful about calling other sports “less technical.” There are lot of technical skills required in other sports; they probably just seem to come easier because they mostly involve hand/eye coordination, which is more natural then doing anything we our feet… And, I think you are flat out wrong in thinking, at least with regard to the US, that the kids who drop out of soccer are deadwood…by and large, many of the kids who drop out are gifted athletes, whom would make elite soccer players if they had limited options, like kids in England do…Rugby may be looked down on and as less technical sport, but in the states, soccer continues to play 2nd fiddle to football, baseball and basketball…
I think hitting a baseball (in particular hitting one so that it is a hit, not a ground out or pop up) against decent pitching is the most difficult skill in all of sports.
Are you serious?! Baseball is basically a game of rounders in pyjamas. I'd barely call it a sport, more of a past time. And as for American "Football". That's rugby for wimps. Helmets, every part of the body padded, and a water break every 2 mins. Absolute joke of a sport. As always though I'm here to enlighten: https://en.uncyclopedia.co/wiki/American_football Anyway this is a football forum. Let's get back to talking football
Correct, I am unapologetically ignorant of American sports culture, because I am a football man. It's in my blood. It's what I do. Swinging a bat in pyjamas, playing bounce ball, or running around high on steroids mean absolutely nothing to me. Granted basket ball can be fun to watch, but the other two are as dull as dishwater and are merely an excuse for beer commercials and overweight "sports fans" to gorge on barbecued buffalo wings and corn dogs.
So wouldn't it make sense to find out more about a subject you're admittedly ignorant about before you start commenting on it?
Ok, I see we’re making BigRed earn his pay…as such, I will try and pre-moderator myself…. Last time I checked this forum was called USA Youth & HS Soccer…This forum is dedicated to chatting about American Soccer at the youth level…as such, and not surprisingly, by and large, it is populated by American parents navigating, or whom have already navigated, the American youth soccer/sports scene…in practice, it not by design, it’s almost a support network for American parents facings similar questions, concerns, issues, and frustrations… As a foreigner and a non-parent to boot, you are still certainly welcome to join in the fun…as we Americans are fond of saying, it’s a free country… Your limited and distant insight might actually have some value…unfortunately, [nothing pass here would likely survive]….
Yeah, there's a mix of technical skills and athletic ability in every sport. I don't agree with the sweeping assumption that kids who give up soccer in their teens do so because they're technically lacking. No doubt that's true of some. But I'm sure there are also kids with good technical skills who give it up because they're not athletic enough to keep up with the speed of play as they move up the chain. And still others who have adequate technical and athletic abilities but choose to focus on another sport. All three scenarios occur in every other sport and soccer is not as "different" as the clubs would like us to believe.
I'm also admittedly ignorant on the practices of paedophiles and I'm quite happy for it to remain that way.
Sorry, I wasn't aware that you could be a foreigner on the internet. And to boot, I am a father of two, not a "non-parent". A mistrust of "foreigners" and fake facts. I didn't realise you were a "soccer" fan Mr Trump. I find it worrying that every time I discuss football, you seem to want to turn the discussion around to petty bickering. I'm a football man. Pure and simple. You are a "season soccer parent" with limited knowledge and insight into the game I love. Educate yourself.
And do you often go online posting about the practices of pedophiles? I'll admit I'm also ignorant about a lot of subjects, but if I am, I don't go around acting like I'm an expert in those subjects. Do you have any kind of hard facts showing obesity is what's keeping kids from playing soccer in the US? Or are you taking two facts... there are lots of obese kids in the US and kids drop out of soccer around age 12/13 and putting them together? If so, that's not how logic works. There's been a number of reasons posted why kids drop out of soccer that are larger in number than obesity. So why focus on that?
I've seen it. And the problem is bad. I'd swear down that some of these young kids are allergic to salad. They're on what I'd call a "see food diet"
As I said, neither of those disqualify you from posting there…you were asked by someone if you had kids, as I recall, you didn’t really answer the question….more an example of how poorly you exchange with people…remember you’re just here to enlighten us…. Its not your status as a foreigner that I dislike….it’s the garbage you post… There is limit to the amount of garbage and dribble I am willing to let go before I speak up…I know its pointless and futile…it’s a character flaw on my part…. We both love the game; the difference is, you feel you have ownership of it….
OK, what exactly have you seen? Obese kids? Totally believe it. Obese kids who are "technically gifted" (your words) soccer players who drop out when they get to full sized fields? Doubt it. At least not in high numbers. I have seen some larger (I wouldn't say obese) kids playing at younger ages, but they usually weren't greatly skilled. The ones who were greatly skilled continued to play into their teens. And I thought you were across the pond. So how have you "seen" these US kids dropping out because of their weight?
Read my original post again and try and keep up. I never said I'd seen US kids drop out from being obese. However, I have seen many badly over weight kids, obese kids, who are excellently technically, but have to drop out as pitches increased in size. The UK always seems to follow suit with the U.S, the US is obese, the UK is following. What can we do to reverse the trend. Good players are being lost to the game because of this. I care about reversing this trend. As the US is full of fatties, I'd expect some of you have some insight into how to fix the problem especially if your little Johnny is so physically fit and pushing for a scholarship.
Here's your continued problem... you keep taking unrelated facts and making them fit together. "The US is obese". That doesn't mean youth soccer players are, especially those who are technically skilled. Multiple people have mentioned on the thread that they haven't seen the same phenomenon you do. So either we all have our heads in the sand (multiple people from across the country), or you're seeing a problem in the UK that we don't have here. And before you say it, that doesn't mean the US doesn't have an obesity problem. As far as "fixing the problem" or "reversing the trend"... if these kids truly want to play, they'll take steps to help themselves out. If they don't want to play, so be it.