So I have been looking at this closely in my area they have 6000-7000 Recreational and Competitive players. Over the last 10 years this club has merged, bought out (paid off debts) and completely engulfed smaller club all in the pursuit of the elite leagues ECNL/DA structures. This year they have formed 25 U11 teams on the boys side and 15 U11 girls teams, but when you get U13 they have 12 teams on the boys side and 7 on the girls side. That’s a 50% drop out rate from U11 to U13. Then at U18 there are only 2 teams on the girls and boys. So what I see happening is the U11-U12 teams and Recreational players are funding the elite leagues. The club really doesn’t look develop players With the resources and the structure the club should be competing for National championships each year with the player pool they have but they are not. I personally like the idea and structure or elite leagues mandates etc. What I don’t like is that the club gets complete entry into the structure when the club gets this it becomes lazy because if they cannot develop they recruit and parents are falling for the line “we have DA/ECNL it’s the only way to get to college”. Personally I would like to see USSF mandate a new league structure for competitive soccer with no full club being let into the league structure from U14-U19 only teams. 10 month season. With a 50%+1 team re enter the league structure each year we have gone to far away from the tactics game to individuals. Structure National League USSF DA 1 (Relegation bottom 2) East/West league USSF DA 2 (Pro/Rel top 2 bottom 2) Regional league USYS/USC ( ODP Regions) (Pro/Rel top 3/bottom 3) State league USYS/USC (Cal south etc) Pro/Rel top 3/bottom 3) Area Regional USYS/USC (Eastern District Texas) Pro/Rel top 3/bottom 3) Local area USYS/USC (Cal south etc) Pro/Rel top 3/bottom 3)
Talk about something right up my alley! And yes, I've started to come around to the notion that we should simply smash the distinction between "rec" and "travel" at older age groups and let teams find their own level. To nit-pick -- the drop in teams between U11 and U13 is partially due to the larger U13 rosters. A typical club in my region carries four 9v9 travel teams at U11 (c. 12-13 players per team, 48-52 total), and three 11v11 at U13 (c. 15-16 players per team, 45-48 total). There is also, of course, a pretty significant dropout rate in soccer and all youth sports at U13. Project Play and others scream bloody murder about it. They have a point ... BUT, there are a couple of other considerations: 1. By middle school, kids are specializing. Little League is over, so if you want to keep playing baseball, you're on something that has more of a year-round time commitment. 2. Homework gets pretty serious in middle school and even more serious in high school. It's one thing to stay after school for 90 minutes to practice. It's another to go home, get in a car, drive 10, 20, 40 minutes to a club-sports practice, practice for 90 minutes, then drive back. (Yeah, I know, Clint Dempsey's parents drove halfway across Texas several times a week so he could pursue his career. 90 percent of parents are under no illusion that they're raising the next Clint Dempsey, so the kids hang up the soccer cleats, join the cross-country team to get some exercise and sit down for a couple of hours of homework a night.)
Is that 25 travel level U11 teams? That is insane and I wouldn't let my son join a club like that. They definitely don't have the players' interests at heart. That is akin to a puppy mill.
I agree. I can't see a reason for more than four, MAYBE five travel teams to a club. I hope that number includes rec teams.
Depends on whether the club has multiple regional operations, like some of the Cal South or Atlanta behemoths. Or GPS or Rush, which I believe combine to have 8,000 teams in 400 states.
True. I was assuming in a single area. ETA: And when I say 4 teams/club, I do mean in a single age group.
No all the local levels of travel soccer we have 4 leagues in our region, the Club only has 2 main bases a North Location and South Location in the Same city each team has 12-16 players on the teams as well.
OK, so I'm looking at the first club I found when I searched San Marcos. Their FAQ says they start travel at U13. That would mean the 25 teams at U11 are rec teams, which I don't think any of us would complain about: https://www.smsoccer.org/page/show/4349894-questions-and-answers The top U13 team from San Marcos (according to youthsoccerrankings.us) plays in the Capitol (should be Capital) Area Youth Soccer Association, which is centered in Austin. https://youthsoccerrankings.us/team.html?teamId=1847268 https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/v...&ll=30.648792315064686,-97.55031324999999&z=8 This is all a long way of saying that I've just spent about 20 minutes trying to find the particulars of this club, and I've come up empty. What club is this?
Its in Austin Texas, http://home.gotsoccer.com/rankings/club.aspx?ClubID=5634 https://youthsoccerrankings.us/rankings/National/11/Both/Lonestar
Yikes. They've virtually turned at least one local league into a House league: http://events.gotsport.com/events/results.aspx?EventID=68204&Gender=Boys&Age=11