All-Purpose Soccer Parents Thread

Discussion in 'Youth & HS Soccer' started by becomingasoccermom, Apr 15, 2020.

  1. sam_gordon

    sam_gordon Member+

    Feb 27, 2017
    I'd offer a #4... Defenders become forwards, Forwards become mids, mids become defenders (or go the other way D>M, M>F, F>D). This is of course assuming you're still controlling/scoring at will with your subs.

    I don't like playing a man (or more) down unless the coach pulls their best player. Does it really help if the team plays a man down so the "bench player" is the one who is off?
     
  2. sam_gordon

    sam_gordon Member+

    Feb 27, 2017
    More things I would want to know...
    * Is the number of games the same?
    * Is the game length the same?
    * End of season tournament?
    * Any different rules one implements the other doesn't (we've been at indoor places where a ball hitting the ceiling (not from a deflection), the kicker has to go out (blue card) and other team gets a free kick (like a PK but further out)?
    * Cost?
    * Driving time?
    * Game times (morning/afternoon)?

    This is in addition to knowing what kind of competition is there.
     
  3. NewDadaCoach

    NewDadaCoach Member

    Tottenham Hotspur
    United States
    Sep 28, 2019
    Good questions. I don't really know because we've only played at one. I'll have to find the answers from the other venue.

    I think the cost is about the same. Drive time as well.

    Let me ask - should I form my own team? The past couple seasons I was the asst coach. The head coach was good about setting up practices and communicating with parents. But during the games he screams "shoot it! shoot it!" non stop and it drives me crazy. Even when our defenders get the ball near our own goal he screams "shoot it! shoot it!"... I'm like what?? I don't get it.
    He doesn't teach them much soccer, mainly fitness (during practice). But he's a good guy. There were also way too many subs.

    I would prefer not to go back to that setting. So might just form a new team. But I don't really want to deal with all that.
     
  4. sam_gordon

    sam_gordon Member+

    Feb 27, 2017
    Honestly, I suggest talking to your fellow club team parents and find out what they do during winter. Maybe they already have a team formed and there's room for your son. Maybe they'd like to form a team but no one has stepped in to organize/coach it.

    Based on your posts here, I would suggest forming your own team. That way it will be run the way YOU want it.
     
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  5. NewDadaCoach

    NewDadaCoach Member

    Tottenham Hotspur
    United States
    Sep 28, 2019
    At tournaments, if you have 2 games but you have a few hours in between each game, how do you (and your kid) spend the time? Do you hang out with the other parents and kids? Play games? etc
     
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  6. espola

    espola Member+

    Feb 12, 2006
    FInd a nearby legendary soccer store and do some shopping.

    for example -- https://soccerwearhouse.com/

    I thought we had a good deal when he let my son have 25% off the most expensive cleats we had ever bought, until he let the next kid have a bunch of stuff for free (he was sponsoring the team).
     
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  7. sam_gordon

    sam_gordon Member+

    Feb 27, 2017
    A group of players/parents will usually go for a meal somewhere. That's step one. Then, assuming it's a two day tournament and if the hotel is close, go check in, or if already checked in, chill out. Kids will gather in the lobby or someone's room and just hang out. Or back to the fields and watch soccer (depending on amount of time)

    If we had enough time (sometimes after the 2nd game on Saturday), the team (and a couple of parents) will go see a movie. If the hotel has a pool, swimming is usually involved for the younger set (once you get to ~U12/U13 it's a little frowned upon because it can wear out legs).
     
  8. CornfieldSoccer

    Aug 22, 2013
    Some families on the various teams my son's been on have always stuck to themselves during the down time between and after games -- which is fine, and entirely their call; one friend always felt like his (then-young) son really needed some downtime rather than more running around. But this has always been key bonding time where teams really seem to connect or not (son's current team is made up of kids from a number of different towns, which makes this some of the only time they can do this beyond social media and practices).

    One kid on a past team would sometimes bring a football and some of them would toss it around between games if the break was too short to leave the fields, which was fun.

    If you can book a hotel with an outdoor basketball court (I've stayed in a few that have them), it's great for kids and possibly even parents if you have time to get back there.

    We've also spent too many hours in Buffalo Wild Wings locations across the Midwest and parts of the South, or Paneras. Sometimes they're the best available option -- they're both fine -- but after so many meals, I work hard to avoid them if I can.
     
  9. sam_gordon

    sam_gordon Member+

    Feb 27, 2017
    There was one tournament over Halloween weekend, and since we had three teams from the club all staying at the same hotel, we arranged trick or treating at the hotel. We told the hotel what we were going to do and the front desk even had candy for the kids. They brought their costumes and went T&T. Obviously they just went to rooms with our kids, but it was good time.
     
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  10. bigredfutbol

    bigredfutbol Moderator
    Staff Member

    Sep 5, 2000
    Woodbridge, VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    This was one downside to tourneys--you think you're going to [City] but you're really WAY out in the suburbs, usually in a recently developed area, with nothing but chain restaurants.

    My wife and I tended to let our son hang out with the group--there were usually a clique of parents who enjoyed taking all the kids out to eat as a group--and then we'd go looking for a local bar/pizza joint.
     
  11. soccerdad72

    soccerdad72 Member

    Chelsea
    United States
    Apr 5, 2021
    Yeah, I'd say we've been a little bit of all of the above over the years.

    Sometimes, a group of kids will just hang out at the hotel or in the pool (pool is usually only after the second game that day), sometimes, we just have time for some lunch and down time.

    If it's an area that we have friends in, sometimes we'll meet up with them in between games or after day 1 games.

    And there is the weekend every now and then when my son will just want to chill in the room by himself - it all varies.
     
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  12. CornfieldSoccer

    Aug 22, 2013
    One mom involved in a Super Y team my son played for for a couple of summers did incredible advance leg work to find good, non-chain places to eat (lots of local breweries with restaurants built in for dinners) for those weekends that lots of us would gather at. She was my hero.
     
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  13. soccerdad72

    soccerdad72 Member

    Chelsea
    United States
    Apr 5, 2021
    One tournament, one of the parents had the great idea of asking the front desk if there was an conference room in the hotel that wasn't being used that night. We went and got a bunch of pizzas, snacks and a variety of drinks and just hung out there all night. That worked out great.
     
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  14. NewDadaCoach

    NewDadaCoach Member

    Tottenham Hotspur
    United States
    Sep 28, 2019
    How much do you talk to coach?
    It seems at rec it's more common for parents and coach to chat.
    But at the highest competitive levels it seems there's more separation.
    Is this a general rule?

    Being new to comp, as a parent I offer to help, just trying to be helpful, which is common in rec. But I feel that that's not really the norm and I should distance myself.
     
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  15. soccerdad72

    soccerdad72 Member

    Chelsea
    United States
    Apr 5, 2021
    Depends on the coach / team.

    Generally speaking, at a rec level, I would chat a lot, because they were just another dad. Actually, at rec / low level travel, I was often the coach.

    When it came to club, there was one coach I talked to a lot. Again, because he was a dad of one of the kids on the team. Not as much talk about the team, but about general things. My son's current club, when I talk to the coach, it's completely about everything other than soccer, aside from some general talk about how a game went. Never anything regarding how he coaches the team. That's not my place.
     
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  16. sam_gordon

    sam_gordon Member+

    Feb 27, 2017
    With two kids, both playing select and school ball for many years, we've gone through a lot of coaches (around 20?). I ended up talking to every coach, some more than others. BUT, other than a "good game", we never talked about games or their decisions. We never talked about playing time.

    We'd talk about the weather, we'd talk about upcoming games/tournaments/opponents (only slightly in a scouting way, more of a "they'll be tough" or "we should beat them" kind of vibe). We'd talk about tournament standings and what (if anything) was needed for us to advance (if anything). I would ask them rule questions if there was something I didn't understand.

    As far as trying to be helpful... something as simple as shagging balls during pregame warmups when they're shooting on goal can help. If you want more specific ideas, I'd talk to your team manager. Do they need help making hotel arrangements for tournaments? Any fundraisers they need organizational help with?
     
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  17. NewDadaCoach

    NewDadaCoach Member

    Tottenham Hotspur
    United States
    Sep 28, 2019
    I ask my kid what he does at recess, and lately it's been "playing soccer'. I'm very glad to hear this. I think the extra play will help him grow. And it's good that the kids do it on their own accord, just to have fun.
     
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  18. NewDadaCoach

    NewDadaCoach Member

    Tottenham Hotspur
    United States
    Sep 28, 2019
    What to do with "not too worn" shoes? I was gonna throw them away but then thought someone who can't afford new shoes might want them. Just donate to goodwill?
     
  19. sam_gordon

    sam_gordon Member+

    Feb 27, 2017
    Check with your club. They might have some kind of cleat recycling program. If not, maybe you can start one? Just have one Saturday where people can drop off cleats or take cleats.
     
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  20. NewDadaCoach

    NewDadaCoach Member

    Tottenham Hotspur
    United States
    Sep 28, 2019
    The past 8 days my kid has played at least a little bit of soccer. I think he usually doesn't play that many days in a row. But I'm glad he's getting a lot of touches.
    2 days - club practice
    3 days - pickup games
    2 - club games
    1 - kick around with dada
    (not to mention playing at school recess)

    Has today off though. Prob a good thing.

    He's showing steady improvement. Doing some new movements. It's really neat to see. Sometimes he really surprises me with what he pulls off.

    I wish I had video of him at his best. I'll record maybe 70% of the games, but of course the 30% I miss is when he does his best work.
     
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  21. bigredfutbol

    bigredfutbol Moderator
    Staff Member

    Sep 5, 2000
    Woodbridge, VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    My son is playing in some Hispanic League/semipro thing locally tonight; gonna sit out in the cold at some High school to watch him and maybe say hi after the game.

    I still remember watching him at your son's age. He's 23 now, it never gets old!
     
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  22. NewDadaCoach

    NewDadaCoach Member

    Tottenham Hotspur
    United States
    Sep 28, 2019
    Is it true that time flies?
     
  23. NewDadaCoach

    NewDadaCoach Member

    Tottenham Hotspur
    United States
    Sep 28, 2019
    We faced off against the other undefeated team today. I knew it would be a battle. We had lost to them in a tournament. But we drew today, a good result considering the challenge. Still a few games to go, but I'm guessing that 1st place will come down to goal differential.
     
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  24. bigredfutbol

    bigredfutbol Moderator
    Staff Member

    Sep 5, 2000
    Woodbridge, VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    In a way--at the time it feels like it will never end...and then BOOM it's over and THEN it feels like it happened in the blink of an eye.

    At least that was my experience.
     
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  25. NewDadaCoach

    NewDadaCoach Member

    Tottenham Hotspur
    United States
    Sep 28, 2019
    Ques - it seems to me there are 4 tiers of youth soccer in the big/medium cities. You have Rec, semi-competitive, competitive, and then at the top the MLS Next/acadmies. Is this accurate?
     

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