Season Costs

Discussion in 'Youth & HS Soccer' started by VolklP19, May 16, 2019.

  1. CornfieldSoccer

    Aug 22, 2013
    We started club soccer at U10, which was later than most folks we know and I still wonder if it was too much, too soon (and I truly wonder about the wisdom of the people in our club at U9, or doing the programs for even younger ages rather than just letting them go have fun in the local park district).

    I'm curious about that second quoted line. If you don't mind elaborating, why did it stop being fun, and did it stop being fun just for the rest of the family (which is how I read that)? The rest of what you wrote may provide my answer -- club politics, coaches' opinions, ...
     
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  2. Ssxa

    Ssxa New Member

    Liverpool FC
    United States
    Aug 10, 2018
    In our area there is one big club that charges about $1300 per year. Thats only for 3x per week practices and the 10 game season. Travel, uniforms and other tournaments are extra.
    I made a club team about 3 years ago to compete and make it affordable, but my top players are continuously being raided by the big club with big promises and backdoor politics (they have coaches in charge of the local High School teams) and tell the players, if they want to get HS play time they have to switch to their club.
     
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  3. bigredfutbol

    bigredfutbol Moderator
    Staff Member

    Sep 5, 2000
    Woodbridge, VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Every situation is different of course, and I know many people who enjoyed all or at least most of their years as club sport parents. I know people who made some of their best friends through club sports--parents and kids alike. It CAN be a great experience. It just wasn't for us.

    The first club team had a lot of early success and that papered over a lot of personality differences, questions about coaching, etc. We traveled a lot in the early days and the families spent quite a bit of time socializing. Once the team hit a road bump, things got uncomfortable quickly. The whole team fell apart and most of those friendships dissolved.

    After that, we mostly saw the uglier side of club sports. Keep in mind this is in northern Virginia, which is a suburban area with a lot of ambitious professional families and a lot of money. Class and status matter a lot here, particularly since so many people come here from elsewhere, and because it's a very suburban area where most people live in recently-built "developments" rather than actual neighborhoods with community ties.

    Add to that the fact that our son was practically a poster child for the type of player our system is often criticized for overlooking--a late bloomer physically (and at the tail end of his age cohort to boot) who was more of a technical player than an athlete--and the experience after those deceptively "successful" early years was usually disappointing. My wife and I found the parental politics beyond our skill set, and our son spent a couple of years being overlooked and under-played by coaches who were laser-focused on winning State cups and showcase tournaments. If our son had any serious interest in a different sport we would have moved on (which would have been tough for me because I LOVE soccer, if I'm being honest). It just got really unpleasant for the whole family. My wife and I eventually stepped away from having much involvement. By the end I wasn't even going to games.

    Again--this was just our experience. I know people who loved every minute of it.
     
  4. bigredfutbol

    bigredfutbol Moderator
    Staff Member

    Sep 5, 2000
    Woodbridge, VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I see a lot of that around here. One of the big clubs here had a very symbiotic relationship with one of the High schools. It seemed to work both ways--not only did the HS team favor players from that club, but club politics favored families at that HS. Very cliquish. I'm not so sure the latter was a deliberate policy nor was their any ill intent, it just worked out that way.
     
  5. DaBurg

    DaBurg Member

    Apr 18, 2019
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    How is that experience? It seems inevitable that the extra expense with clubs is thought of as better training to parents. I wish we could figure out a way to break that perception.
     
  6. sam_gordon

    sam_gordon Member+

    Feb 27, 2017
    I would think most of the time it IS better training. Rec here is just parent coaches. Sure, some have soccer knowledge, but most won't. Going to club probably means getting someone with a coaching license (of some level).

    If you're talking about jumping clubs, it's not just for better coaching (when we jumped, the new coach may have been slightly better, but not drastically), but other potential advantages... better facilities, more exposure, tougher competition, etc.

    I'm not saying everyone should go to the top club in their area, it's a decision that has to be decided on a family by family basis.
     
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  7. DaBurg

    DaBurg Member

    Apr 18, 2019
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    It's highly dependent on the area too.
     
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  8. smontrose

    smontrose Member

    Real Madrid
    Italy
    Aug 30, 2017
    Illinois, NW Suburb
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I'll listen to anything you have to say!
     
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  9. smontrose

    smontrose Member

    Real Madrid
    Italy
    Aug 30, 2017
    Illinois, NW Suburb
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I was just thinking of a poor mans BOYS yearly program. I guess it could start at age 14...
    Summer Super Y
    Fall HS
    Winter: FInd a local Futsal league plus individual workouts.
    Spring: Get kid in local adult league. Not sure if they practice, cost? or availability. Might have to supplement with personal plan with input of private coach @ $60 per session.

    Could a reasonably talented kid with email addresses fpr every US college coach take this to next level?
     
  10. bigredfutbol

    bigredfutbol Moderator
    Staff Member

    Sep 5, 2000
    Woodbridge, VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I don't think it's impossible. Depends on where the kid lives, where he wants to go to college, etc.

    (Are you in the Chicago area?)

    The Spring adult league might be tricky. A lot of them just won't let minors play. Why not a rec program?
     
  11. sam_gordon

    sam_gordon Member+

    Feb 27, 2017
    Agreed. I still say MOST of the time moving from a recreational program to a select program, the coaching will improve.
     
  12. VolklP19

    VolklP19 Member+

    Jun 23, 2010
    Illinois
    Elite SC $1750 all in for 06 girls...
     
  13. William49

    William49 Member

    Nov 11, 2015
    Chicagoland
    That's actually the high school Fall season/Winter training price. The '06, year-round price is $1915.
     
  14. Cantona's Eyebrow

    Dirty Leeds
    Togo
    Oct 8, 2018
    Ouch that's expensive.
     
  15. bustos21

    bustos21 Member

    Aug 13, 2004
    NJ
    Club:
    CA Boca Juniors
    Nat'l Team:
    Argentina
    Man!!!! That is expensive as heck.... Things have certainly changed since my youth days in the 80's and 90s.

    What is the end goal for parents shelling out all this money? If kids love the game they can simply play for free on any open space.

    Youth soccer has to be a billion dollar industry now and with all the money being poured in, you would think US should have the best players in the world.

    This seems like one big scam and someone is getting paid lovely.
     
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  16. ppierce34

    ppierce34 Member

    Aug 29, 2016
    Fort Wayne, IN
    There's no end goal. That's what Club Soccer costs nowadays. If your kid is somewhat competent and enjoys soccer that's what you do b/c the rec system is broken and the travel system is now what rec use to be. I'm guessing most kids who play club soccer also don't a ton of other activities. So i have no issue paying $2k a year for a kids activities.
     
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  17. jvgnj

    jvgnj Member

    Apr 22, 2015
    Yup. By me, rec is $120, town travel is about $700 and the clubs will range from $1600-$3000+, with a pretty wide variety in what that gets you in terms of # of practices, games, tournaments, uniforms, etc. Anecdotally, most of the kids playing club either don't play other sports or, if they do, those other sports take a back seat to soccer. Whether that's because they're really into soccer or that the time/money commitment required for club soccer leads them (or more accurately, their parents) to make that choice, I can't say.
     
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  18. DaBurg

    DaBurg Member

    Apr 18, 2019
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    There's no replacement for time on the ball individually. I've yet to be convinced that paid club soccer is more than a luxury for the well-to-do.

    There's a lot of talk about tactics and movement, emphasizing the rec players don't get that sort of training, etc. If the parent can find the information, it's out there now, I still don't see any reason they can't run their own. It's essentially what I'm doing with my two boys. If my boys get so good at controlling the ball and we reach a point where it's clear they are top 5% of club+rec, I'll consider paying a club to take them the rest of the way. Of course, everyone thinks their own children are the best in the world.

    I suspect a lot of club soccer is driven by the inability of parents to gauge their kid's skill level.

    Great players aren't mediocre players when they join club.
     
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  19. bustos21

    bustos21 Member

    Aug 13, 2004
    NJ
    Club:
    CA Boca Juniors
    Nat'l Team:
    Argentina
    I kind of agree with this approach. I have multiple kids as well so to have them all play soccer with those costs, there is no way I would be able to afford it. It does suck that this is the way it is. I will work with my own kids like you suggest and maybe something good will come out from that. My kids are still very young but we already started to work the ball.
     
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  20. sam_gordon

    sam_gordon Member+

    Feb 27, 2017
    OK, I'll bite... the money wasn't large when we started. <$2K/year. As our kids improved, they went onto bigger/better teams (and more teams). I mentioned our $10K covers three teams for DS, including an international trip .

    The end goal is to let our kids do something they enjoy and are good at.
     
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  21. mwulf67

    mwulf67 Member+

    Sep 24, 2014
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    I think that is a rather naïve read on the current state of soccer in the US….Perhaps true is some places, but the reality in a lot of places is that kids who love soccer are far and few between, relatively speaking….don’t be fooled by the overall, aggregate number of “kids playing soccer in America”…

    In any giving neighborhood, there will only be a few kids who love soccer enough to even want to play pickup soccer…you are far more likely to see kids playing pickup basketball or baseball, then soccer….

    Organized soccer is an unfortunately reality for most kids (and their parents)…heck, even most “free play” soccer I am aware of is still organized by an adult in most cases, in some way…

    The end goal is for our kids to be “happy”….perhaps that is a cultural thing and hard for non-Americans to understand…
     
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  22. TheKraken

    TheKraken Member

    United States
    Jun 21, 2017
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    You got that right, but what you are saying about your own kids possible transition to travel is a natural progression. My son was in the top 5% as you say in rec soccer at age 6. He was running circles around the bunches of kids on the field. We put him in a travel club academy at U7 and he thrived. Keeping him in rec would have been much cheaper, but I know he would not be the player he is now going into U12 in the fall. I do preach to him though that his work outside of his team practices is what will separate him from the others.
     
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  23. DaBurg

    DaBurg Member

    Apr 18, 2019
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I don't entirely disagree, however I'm in a similar situation right now. Son showing promise, can dribble entire teams (when he decides he wants to expend the energy). But my issue right now is that, well, a lot can happen between now and high school soccer. And most of his improvement is me and him, with a ball. As a family we are mostly engulfed in soccer. Out in the front yard every other day with a ball, watch about 30 or more games a season on tv, go to some local games. At 6, I have noticed that the rec teams he plays for, I'm coaching, games are pretty much a wash. Games are a great way to get out there and have fun playing with other kids. But who wins or loses, doesn't really matter. Field positioning doesn't matter. Even the best kids who would rule in even club soccer are still getting their confidence on the ball. With me coaching, there's not much more these kids can get beyond enjoying playing. Loving the game is the primary objective. Is club a pathway to loving the game more?
     
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  24. VolklP19

    VolklP19 Member+

    Jun 23, 2010
    Illinois
    So I have a group of U10 players who need to move into a travel environment - they are just above the other rec kids. They know how to play from an individual perspective, understand positions and can play a decent poccession style when needed. They do not want to go one town over for travel and want to stay together. It's not the right thing to do but it may be what keeps them in the game and growing until they are ready for the right club - likely 1 - 2 seasons.

    Soccer is a mess out by me so I am inclinded to keep them.

    Looking at the NISL and Indoor - I'm looking at $290.00 for just games (fall/winter/spring). I will add in an A licensed coach for technical training once a week - I use him for my rec teams one day a week already. That cost will add on another $35 per player. I will coach another practice and games.

    We will use our current rec kit and add in a secondary jersey ($12).

    So $337 per season.

    Not bad.

    Especially when you consider summer is free (open play).

    Like I said I will be looking to get these kids in a more serious program over the course of the next 2 seasons while bringing up rec kids to fill gaps.
     
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  25. DaBurg

    DaBurg Member

    Apr 18, 2019
    Nat'l Team:
    United States

    How do you manage to get the kids together for open play in the summer? Do you have to run insurance or is it more of a call each other up and have pickup games?
     

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