Well the HS playoffs finished Nov 5, but there were some interesting results I'll summarize here: 1) 5A #1 seed Columbine was ousted by #16 Grandview in the 1st round match by a score of 3-2. This allowed a DPS school into the final four (Denver South beating Highlands Ranch and Grandview). 2) The other three 5A semifinalists were Poudre, Chatfield, and Horizon. Poudre spanked South 4-0 and Chatfield tore up Horizon 4-1 to meet in the final. The final was a closer 3-2 victory for Poudre (unbelievable). Is this out on the plains somewhere?!? 3) The 4A final almost ALWAYS seems to be Liberty vs Lewis-Palmer (or maybe throw in Broomfield). This year, Mullen stopped Liberty in the semis and Broomfield lost to LP in their semi with LP winning it all. 4) In 3A, Faith Christian beat Holy Family in PKs in the Final (both sides scored 2 in regulation).
Faith were undefeated all year... except for their loss to Denver Christian! Yay! Go Crusaders! Okay, I'm done.
When my younger son reaches high school age in 4 years, I'll STRONGLY discourage him from playing on any of those teams. I've seen far too many coaches telling bad players to sub in and "get" someone as a strategic advantage. The quality play is on the club teams anyway. However, there will be pressure (I'm sure), if he's good enough, to shine for his high school and get girls (it's all in the pants at that age). Playing for a club is pretty anonymous around here (unless you're being scouted and touring the country). But to answer your question, no I don't have any inside poop (I just tend to keep my eyes on the scene closer than others). I can tell you that the Real National team (U11 boys) is f---ing AMAZING! (not my kid's team)
Yes. A really good player. Plenty of good players. I don't know of any offhand that are complete standouts like chris. GreatZar, what is your child going to do in the club's offseason (during the high school season) to stay sharp. He better be some talent, because to skip game situations for a couple of months won't do his development any good. Very few players have chosen to skip high school soccer. The one that I know of was a youth national team candidate that went to eaglecrest high school (a good choice for him not to play at the time).
Here's the Real competitive schedule (that I'm aware of): Tier 1: 3 practices a week in season + game, 4 tournys/yr (at least 1 out of state) Tier 2-5: 2 practices a week in season + game, 3-4 tournys/yr Seasons: Fall: Early August through end of October (Tier 1 starts earlier and ends later) Winter: 1 practice/wk indoor (Tier 1 may have 2/wk, not sure) Spring: Mid February through early June So is the off-season you're referring to in Summer for 6-8 weeks? I think the schedule is a bit much, so playing less might keep him from burning out.
No, I'm saying that once the boys play in high school, there is no boys clubs in session in the fall (high school is the "only game in town" for the age level). I'm just saying that come fall for boys, there is no competitive environment other than high school ball in session. Unless he's good enough to play men's ball. I'm not discounting what you heard from the sidelines from some high school coaches. Some are really bad. But, some are pretty damn good too.
HS Soccer My experiences playing for Fort Collins HS were disappointing compared to my club experiences, Arsenal and Club United. The coaching level is far below what it is in club. Over half the roster at my school had won a State Cup but like Hanki the coach was a total dud come playoff time with the male and female teams. Unfortunately there aren't any alternatives here in Colorado. I also noted, maybe this was just at my school, that the top players don't respect the coaches in high school and take a vigilante approach. BTW Poudre is located in Fort Collins and is a part of the Northern Conference which has always been over looked by those in the Metro Area.
According to CSYSA 2003 Rules, a player not involved with a High School team may participate in any Metro recreational league at the same time. The player may also play for an adult team if he/she files the right paperwork with CSYSA. So then I guess the question is are there any rec league teams at the U15-U18 level in the Metro area? I suspect not. However, what if an enterprising father were to "contract" 4 quality coaches for 5K each during the fall and have them form rec league teams in SW Littleton (Rush), Highlands Ranch (Real), Centennial (Storm), and E. Denver (DSC)? Would 15-18 boys enlist to play on these teams? Since it's a Rec league, every player would be guaranteed a half on the pitch but at least they would have game experience during the fall w/out HS. The players would be signing up within an established Soccer Association for the Rec leagues so there's no liability for the father bankrolling the coach for expert assistance. I think I'll do a little calling around to see what it would really cost (the father that bankrolls this could also solicit funds from other parents)...;-)