Ohdanigirl Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 Hello everyone. I have mentioned in the past that my boys play soccer, something they became very passionate about while living in Mexico. Since moving back to the states, two have been playing in a recreational league (AYSO). Since there doen't seem to be a team option for my now 15y/o in his current region, he expressed interest in trying out for club. It is now the beginning of tryout season and he has been invited to practice with a couple of different teams to get a feel for things and do tryouts in March/April. I know we are going to have to make some big time commitments and spend a good sum of money, so I am looking for any advice on how to make the right decision when the time comes. What things should we be looking for? Any red flags I should keep my eyes open for? Thanks. Danielle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linders Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 One thing I learned from friends who have been doing club soccer for years - have a serious talk with the potential coach beforehand about commitment/flexibility. One of my friend's DD ended up on a team where the coach demanded that every player be at every single tournament - no matter how far away, no matter any other family commitments (insisted she miss a wedding!). The consequence was getting to sit on the sidelines at the next game. Period. Friend understands the need for commitment, but with 4 children a 100% commitment was impossible. She finally moved her daughter to another team, where the coach was equally good but a tad more flexible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mermo Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 Take advantage of practicing with the teams for as long as you can! It can take awhile to get a real sense of the attitudes of players, coaches and parents. Hopefully you will be able to observe some games during this time as well, as the atmosphere at practice may be very different than during the heat of competition. Decide what is most important for you: opportunity for each player to improve, kids having fun, winning, traveling experience, culture of teamwork, etc. Agree with PP, find out the expectations for commitment, do the kids play only soccer or other sports as well? Do the kids play for their high school teams as we'll or only for the club? Ask for a detailed budget & any fundraising opportunities. We found a great fit for both our boys ( my DD wants to try out this spring too) but it took some research and attending 6 different tryouts. In addition, I went to watch several games to listen to how the coaches talked to the kids and how the parents were on the sidelines. My guys are younger but the focus I love is on developing each kid as a player and human, working hard, having fun, and winning often happens but is not the goal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trulycrabby Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 DS11 plays club soccer. I recommend talking to other parents to determine who the best coaches and club teams are, and try out for those teams. You can contact club teams and request player evaluations. The practice sessions you ds has been invited to will help him find a good fit. If possible, attend these workouts and watch the players and coaches. If your ds is a strong player, you might also consider contacting the local Olympic Player Development Program and find out what your son needs to do to get into this program: http://www.usyouthsoccer.org/programs/OlympicDevelopmentProgram/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trulycrabby Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 Linders made an excellent point about commitment and flexibility. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xixstar Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 Also be mindful of the number of players. As my oldest got older some players dropped off and we would often have a team with just barely enough players. Since our team goal was fun vs competition (and most were playing high school too) it wasn't a major issue but it is hard to have a team play their best when everyone ends up exhausted towards the end. Especially if a player or two misses a game. We also looked at the leagues they played in. One league was very focused on sportsmanship and had strict behavior policies for parents and players. I really enjoyed the years in that league and noticed when we switched to another league that didn't have the same focus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datgh Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 You have had some good advice here. The only thing I would add is how much of a commitment are you and your family willing to give to the team especially if there is a lot of traveling and finances involved. My dd was courted to play for a soccer club but when we found out the time commitment including all the traveling on weekends we just couldn't justify it for our family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lllll Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 .. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ohdanigirl Posted February 18, 2015 Author Share Posted February 18, 2015 Thank you everyone. You rach bring up sone excellent points. Linder's and Datgh, I will be sure to do this. At the moment, soccer is ds's only sport, but I know he is interested in doing other spirts on a recreational level and needs time for theatre. Of coarse, he has neen very ckear that soccer is a priority for him and he is willing to give up other activities if necessary. At the moment he practices with his team twice a week and and meets up with friends three times a week to practice skills and play scrimmages. Mermo, Ewe'll definately try to do this, especally the games. I have seen some kids and coaches completely change during heated games, so this is a great idea. Trulycrabby, We have been trying to do this, but people in the San Diego area seem to be pretty competitive and don't want to share. We have had luck speaking to families with kids older than ds. Xixstar, Ah yes, we've experienced this before. Not fun. Thanks. Ksva, I noticed you deleted, so I won't quate any if what you said. I did gind it very yseful and will keep it all in mind. Calandalsmom, I am not too concerned about the aggressive play, since my son grew up playing street and club soccer in Mexico. The cost did give me pause, but dh and I decided that we are willing to support ds as long as he is committed. I am sure my son can play at club level. Thank you for sharing your knowledge, everyone. Ds is pretty intense about soccer and is really looking forward to this next year. He plays soccer, fut7, and futsal, so he keeps busy. Indoor soccer starts next week and we'll be juggling it with tryouts. Hopefully I can get enough coffee. :) Danielle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaConquest Posted February 18, 2015 Share Posted February 18, 2015 Danielle, We are also in San Diego. My oldest plays for Albion, currently at the juniors level, and my husband has been a volunteer coach for juniors for a couple of seasons. We have been happy with the program, and intend to move to the academy team next year. If you have any questions about Albion, feel free to PM me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ohdanigirl Posted February 18, 2015 Author Share Posted February 18, 2015 Danielle, We are also in San Diego. My oldest plays for Albion, currently at the juniors level, and my husband has been a volunteer coach for juniors for a couple of seasons. We have been happy with the program, and intend to move to the academy team next year. If you have any questions about Albion, feel free to PM me. Thank you! I was just reading up on Albion last night. If I have any questions, I'll be sure to ask. Are you familiar with Surf? Danielle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaConquest Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 My son is still young, so we do not yet have any experience with Surf, but my understanding is that they have traditionally been the strongest club in SD. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaConquest Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 I would not care about strong club (winning?) I would care about a kind decent coach. IME its the most important factor and its hard to guarantee year to year. If your kiddo played street soccer in Mexico Im guessing he is more than up to snuff. ;) I get that, but Surf does have some advantages over other clubs in SD. For example, they are the only club accepted into the USSF Development Academy and the Elite Clubs National League. They also play on the nicest fields in SD and have very good placement for college scholarships. None of that may matter to you, or the OP, but they matter to some people. I doubt my son will ever be a nationally competitive athlete, so I care more that he plays on a team with his childhood friends and which doesn't involve a commute up/down the 5 Freeway into heinous north county traffic several times per week. So, the fact that Surf may be a stronger club historically is irrelevant to me at this point. But, the OP's son is older and may care more about the doors that may be opened to him by playing with (arguably) the most elite club in the city. Again, YMMV. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nart Posted February 19, 2015 Share Posted February 19, 2015 When is your son's birthday? Did he turn 15 after Aug. 1? Will he be U16 next year or U17? Socal Club teams for the most part go by your birthday on August 1 (So August, Sept. Oct. kids are the oldest, with June, July kids the youngest. Academy teams are by calendar year (Jan. is great birthday, while you are at a disadvantage having a Dec. birthday.) U14 through U18 kids are on a break for high school season, which is now ending. Cal South State/National Cup for all of Southern California starts in April and May. So if your son found a club that wanted him he could play with them for the State Cup. The biggest thing to remember for club soccer is there is NO guarantee of playing time. None what so ever. So your son could make a higher ranked team but be a bench player and play only a few minutes a game or not at all, which some prefer to be able to practice with better players, or be on lower ranked team and be a starter. Regardless you pay the same amount. My nephew made a nationally ranked team at U15 team, but it was hard for him to make his way in to be a starter. He flew to tournaments across the country and only got a few minutes of playing time or in some games none. The core group of kids had played with each other for the previous four years and were used to playing with each other. He decided to leave to go to a lower ranked team and be a starter. You can see what league a team played in - SCDSL, Presidio, Coast and you can search for the team. You can then see how many players they rostered on their team in the fall. If a team wants your son it would be great if he could play in some tournaments with them without you having to commit for the 2015-2016 year which starts August 1. Once you pay for next soccer season, there generally are no refunds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nart Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 I forgot to add that if you live in SoCal, you can look at socal soccer forum for information on clubs and can post your son is looking for a team. http://www.socalsoccer.com/forum/index.php Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ohdanigirl Posted February 20, 2015 Author Share Posted February 20, 2015 Hello agan. I'll make my best attempt at answering everyone's questions. I really wish that multi-quote worked. Thank you, Seaconquest. My son has a friend who just went over yo surf and has been trying to get him to attend practice with him. It is quite far away from us, so we were on the fence. He may attend a few practices and speak to some other Surf players that we know, before he decides whether to attempt tryouts. After speaking to ds, it seems he enjoys being the starter but is ok with that changing as long as his skills will be improving. He laid out his goals, which look somethink like this... Increase level, make a high school varsity school team, continue increasing skills with hopes of getting looked at by colleges. Note: He is not depending on soccer for scholarships. He just hopes it will add to his application. Scholarships would be nice, though. He specifically said he would like to climb as high as possible, and does not mind his life consisting of soccer and school only, which it pretty much already is. Like any kid, he would love to go pro but is willing to become a scientist or actor and coach on the side. LOL His father and I want him to have fun. We want him to find a coach he meshes well with, because we know first hand that this will bring out the best in our son. I do not want a militant/screaming type of coach for my son. I know some people coach this way, just their personality, but my son needs someone who shows and instructs no belittling of any kind. We have some experience with coaches favoring one player, so will be looking out for that. As far as the teammates, humble and kind would be great, but who knows. Hubby definitely doesn't want a team that s cursing up a storm. Nart, My son just turned 15 in December. I understand there will be some changes in aging teams come 2016, but honestly don't quite understand it. We will definitely keep in mind the play time. He says he does't mind, but I would guess he doesn't want to be on the bench more than 3/4 of the game. With that in mind, I'll try to guide him. He has already been practicing with one team that he meshed well with. They offered him a spot immediately, but he does not know this yet. The coach has agreed not to tell him. If he chooses to go with this team, I want him to do tryouts and feel he had to work for the spot. We really want to teach my son to be humble, which can be diffcult at this age. Yes, we are in the San Diego area. May I ask what are the benefits, as you ladies see them, of big fish vs small fish? Basically, if your child is offered a spot on a team where you notice his level us right on par or exceeds the other players. Is it more likely you would have to search for another team sooner than later? Can a player still continue to grow in this situation, or is it better to be at the midlevel of skill for your team? Thanks again for all your help. Danielle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ohdanigirl Posted February 20, 2015 Author Share Posted February 20, 2015 I forgot to add that if you live in SoCal, you can look at socal soccer forum for information on clubs and can post your son is looking for a team. http://www.socalsoccer.com/forum/index.php Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.