OK, anyone that would like to chime in on this, I'd love to hear your opinion. My son is 14 \ and in 8th grade and this is his third year of playing club soccer (got accepted to a club team as a U12). Prior to this he played a season of rec soccer here in the states (second half of fifth grade) and previously lived with his mother overseas for five years. He did play soccer there, but it was basically rec league. I was unable to attend any of those games. Since returning to the states in the middle of the 5th grade I have only missed one of his games as it was rescheduled and I had a prior commitment. I explained to him why I was going to miss his game and he totally understood and had no problem with it. I love watching him play. This year he has become involved in ODP for the first time (I asked him if he was interested the past couple years, but he declined and I did not push it or him). He has been selected to go to a tournament as a participant for his age group that is 7 hours away. They are taking three teams for the boys (one each for U12, U13 and U14). They are travelling as a group by bus there and back, all the players are staying in the same hotel with the coaching staffing and the boys are rooming together. They are feeding them, providing transportation to/from games, etc. Parents are welcome to attend to watch games and I completely understand that if I attend I will not see him much at all other than on the field and may be able to basically say HI to him after a game and he will go on about his business with his teammates. I have talked to him and asked him if he would like me to attend or not and he has basically said he does not care. He did say that if I do not know other parents are going, then he doesn't want me to be the only parent there and I totally understand that. I know at least one other set of parents are attending. I've asked him several times and he has said he does not care if I go or not to watch him. So, I was planning on going....I missed alot when he lived overseas for five years, so I enjoy attending his events and watching him play. However, I also wonder if this is a good opportunity for him to go and completely experience this independently without a parent even there to watch at all (his mother is not going for sure). Basically he earned this and its a good opportunity for him to go and do this all by himself and play for himself instead of possibly for a parent and the pressure to perform, etc etc etc. I realize me being there to watch is minimal, but I would be there and he would see me on the sidelines. Am I over-thinking this? Does it really matter?
Hey you want to go then go. Sit in the stands not on the touch line. I doubt if they will even let you watch from the touch line. Kids are funny he tells you he doesn't care and maybe he doesn't then again maybe he does Yes tournaments coaches want them to stick together with the team. When he goes away to college he won't be with you. When my nephew went away to college my brother felt all alone. He raised him with no mother. My brother had him late in life. He was over 65 when my nephew went to college. He drops him off to school and he calls me all of a sudden he starts crying like a baby. I was surprised by that I started to laugh. I was on my own as a very young kid so I was used to it. When I first started to coach it was an ethnic team. Parents never came to games they were out working. Hardly any parents were at games. Get this a lot of those kids are now club coaches themselves at one of my old clubs.
Yes, it matters…yes, you are over thinking it…if you can go, want to go, do go…that glimpse of you on the sideline or stands isn’t going to ruin his experience….and regardless of what he says, he’ll be glad and proud you were there…lots of good kids say they “don’t care” because they don’t want to put pressure on their parents or make them feel bad…
NPL and ECNL packets for players (these are rules/what to bring/agenda), are thicker than an sf86 security check with the DoD! What they can eat, practice, running gear - where they will stay, when they can see parents and so on. I am not sure if ODP is like this but when it comes to my kids I always say "You'll never get the time back!" So by all means - go... Take pictures and if his body language warrants it, stay back a bit and let him get to know his mates. Have fun!
Soccerdad - My D went through the same thing with ODP. My wife and me went and watched the games. We treated it as a vacation that we watched some soccer. We did talk to her after games a little but then she went with her teammates and we went out to explore a different city. We actually had a really good time and so did my D. She made some good friends on the trip and they are actually still in touch with each. It was about 3 yrs ago. It was raining and muddy at my D's event but we didnt have to deal with any of that. The parent chaperones took care of all those problems. ( which we loved) If you want to be there then go, he wants you to be there.
If you want to go, then go. Trust me; it does eventually end. My son is a senior. His club team likely won't play in a league this Spring because so many of them play HS soccer. So, a couple of weeks ago, I watched what might very well be his last "regular season" club game ever; over 12 years since I watched his very first soccer practice ever (at the same field!). There was a time when I thought it would never end; now it's almost over. If you want to give him his own experience, stay out of the way. If you don't want to ruin the experience, don't talk about the games or how he played or ask questions. Let him bring stuff up. Basically, I agree with the others.
Your going to love this my oldest son is 43 yrs old. He does not play soccer anymore, but he plays a lot of softball. He still likes it when I watch him play. I see a mother taking her 8 yr old to play soccer. I told him have a good game. I told her mother I am going to watch my little ball play as well, but he is 43