Is it really now or never, high school soccer or not, as far as changing teams?

Long time reader, first time poster. My daughter plays for a team ranked in the #40-50 neighborhood according to the recent posting. Several people have told me that teams lower than #40 in the rankings will simply not make it into Lake Highlands. Is this true? I've also been told that if you are not playing in Lake Highlands, changes of playing for your high school are not good. Is this true? I've also been told that my daughter looks like she should play in Lake Highlands because her athleticism stands out. Our team is pretty nice but I can't say it feels like a family that will be together forever and ever.

Am I getting good advice? Do you think I should be trying out for teams in the top 20 or top 30? How much will rankings change between now and qualifying because our coach keeps saying we have a very good chance of qualifying for Lake Highlands? My daughter really does want to play for her high school when she is older. Is it really now or never? Ten years old seems so early for such big decisions. People are acting like it is life and death. I would really appreciate your advice. My head hurts every day over this decision! I really really really want to do the right thing and make the right decision for my daughter.

Thank you!

norcalgirl wrote:Several people have told me that teams lower than #40 in the rankings will simply not make it into Lake Highlands. Is this true?

No, that’s false. The Qualifying Tournament plays the games (instead of just CL picking the teams they want through a selection process) for a reason. While the top seeded teams tend to do well, there are always a couple surprise teams that end up qualifying that weren’t top 30 before QT began. Anybody that announces they can foresee the future should be ignored.

norcalgirl wrote:I've also been told that if you are not playing in Lake Highlands, changes of playing for your high school are not good. Is this true?

No, that’s false. Anybody can play HS. The girls that have been playing at the highest levels will find it easier to land on the varsity squad (and play as starters) but a HS coach isn’t going to turn away a capable player because they aren’t coming from a Classic League team.

norcalgirl wrote:I've also been told that my daughter looks like she should play in Lake Highlands because her athleticism stands out. Our team is pretty nice but I can't say it feels like a family that will be together forever and ever.

You should talk to your DD about what she wants to do. She needs to own the decision to stay or go. If you make the decision for her, and she feels like she’s being pushed into a situation she doesn’t like, you’ll do more harm than good. She needs to own her own soccer path.

norcalgirl wrote:Am I getting good advice? Do you think I should be trying out for teams in the top 20 or top 30?

A couple tryouts with some new teams wouldn’t be a bad idea. There’s nothing wrong with looking at your options before you’re compelled to sign that first contract.

norcalgirl wrote:How much will rankings change between now and qualifying because our coach keeps saying we have a very good chance of qualifying for Lake Highlands?

Some... because rosters will change after signing and the pre-qualifying tournaments do impact the seedings.

norcalgirl wrote:My daughter really does want to play for her high school when she is older. Is it really now or never?

No, it is not “now or never”. A lot will change for all of the girls between 10-years-old and the high school years.

norcalgirl wrote:People are acting like it is life and death.

It isn’t life or death for your daughter or your family. That first QT though can be life or death for some teams and their coaches but that’s an entirely different string.

I agree with most of what bigtex posted. However, teams who end up seeded lower than #40 have a very slim chance qualifying lake highlands. The lower the team is seeded, the TOUGHER the opponents that team has to play in QT.

Last year in '01 qualifying tourney, the lowest seeded team to make LH was seeded #33, and that team was probably seeded too low by LH in the first place.

I agree with most of his answers, but I think he is being optimistic about your teamms chances to make lhgcl. It is true that any team has a chance, but it will be most of the teeams already ranked in the top 30. There may be a suprise team or two, but making the jump from the 40s to top 30 is a longshot.

Also, if the coach knows it's important to you he may be feeding you a line about having a good chance because qualifying is after signing. I know people who signed intending to play lhgcl and ended up in ppl and there is not much you can do.

butt3r and fourfourtwo are correct. There will be a couple surprise teams that make CL through qualifying but there will not be A LOT (+4) of surprise teams that make it in. It's always clear that the low ranked teams have uphill battles ahead of them when the QT begins.

I would agree that there are no absolutes in this situation. The generalizations you have been given are just that - generalizations, and exceptions happen every year. But you also need to look at the history. In years past, FBR ranking has been pretty accurate in predicting who qualifies. I suggest you and your daughter go and watch some games of higher ranked teams...both top 10 and top 20. Now that it's tournament season, that's really easy to do in any given weekend. You will see a marked difference in the level of play within each tier, but also in the intensity and "drama" of the players and the parents. Watching other teams practice and play really gave us a better idea of the big picture, and showed us that we needed to move. It also enabled us to more accurately predict what level would best fit my dd's skill level. But be aware that higher ranked teams come with a lot more baggage, and you and dd need to be willing and ready to put up with that if you decide to move.

As for high school, I think it depends on the school. In the huge 5A schools and some of the 4A schools that are known as soccer powerhouses, I think there is some validity to what you've heard. She might make the team, but she probably wouldn't play much. If your dd will go to a smaller high school where soccer isn't as popular, it probably wouldn't matter what division she played in for club.

norcalgirl wrote:Long time reader, first time poster. My daughter plays for a team ranked in the #40-50 neighborhood according to the recent posting. Several people have told me that teams lower than #40 in the rankings will simply not make it into Lake Highlands. Is this true? I've also been told that if you are not playing in Lake Highlands, changes of playing for your high school are not good. Is this true? I've also been told that my daughter looks like she should play in Lake Highlands because her athleticism stands out. Our team is pretty nice but I can't say it feels like a family that will be together forever and ever.

Am I getting good advice? Do you think I should be trying out for teams in the top 20 or top 30? How much will rankings change between now and qualifying because our coach keeps saying we have a very good chance of qualifying for Lake Highlands? My daughter really does want to play for her high school when she is older. Is it really now or never? Ten years old seems so early for such big decisions. People are acting like it is life and death. I would really appreciate your advice. My head hurts every day over this decision! I really really really want to do the right thing and make the right decision for my daughter.

Thank you!

What do you have to lose if your DD is a solid starter or star on your team now. Pick up the phone and call some coaches. Go to practices. Guest in games. After some experience, deciding becomes easier. You seem to be stuck without even looking and that's why your decision is hard.

There is simply no good way to tell which players at this level will become stand out high school players. Anyone who tells you so is foolish or making something up to suit his own interests.

I know a player who just committed to a Division 1 college that was cut from her select team at age 12. There is a lot of development yet to take place in these girls. Make sure your daughter is having fun and enjoys the game and her coach. Who cares where the team plays, as long as you are improving and enjoying playing?

CoachPhil wrote:There is simply no good way to tell which players at this level will become stand out high school players. Anyone who tells you so is foolish or making something up to suit his own interests.

I know a player who just committed to a Division 1 college that was cut from her select team at age 12. There is a lot of development yet to take place in these girls. Make sure your daughter is having fun and enjoys the game and her coach. Who cares where the team plays, as long as you are improving and enjoying playing?

Well said Coach!

So many changes go through these girls between 11 and 14. There are some that are studs from young and are studs when they are older and there are some that are late bloomers. The thing is find a place where your child is having fun, learning about the game, and getting better at the right level for your child what ever that is. Really everything boils down to your child and her drive to want to improve, work hard and get better. You can influence it, but you really can't create that intrinsic need to get better. I continue to say if Mesi was born in the states, he would never have had the chance because most coaches here would say he is too small, and lacked confidence as a child yea he has some skill but he is way too small. This is a marathon not a sprint, though many in North Texas want it yesterday there is always tomorrow especially when you are only 10. Let's enjoy the beautiful game.

If you manage to get your daughter admitted into Harvard or Princeton and she graduates with a great grade point average, she will have an extraordinary fast track start to her career. But if you manage to get your kid to the Ivy League school and she struggles, fails, and doesn't finish, then the Ivy League will likely have destroyed her confidence.

This parallels the select soccer experience. Undoubtedly, your kid would be in a superior position for high school soccer if she succeeds and becomes an impact player in LHGCL. However, sitting on the bench of a LH team seems like a mistake. I think people under-appreciate the value of being a leader / valuable impact player on a team and the confidence that it builds. I believe a kid should play on as high a team as she can and still maintain a valuable impact player role.

This said, it is difficult to find exactly what you need with so little time left. You must seek or you will not find. You will never know unless you try. Be prepared to decide on gut feel with imperfect information because you can't possibly try enough teams to be certain. Proximity for practices will always be an important factor. Joining a team with a huge commute each way rarely makes good sense. Good luck.

Couldn't agree more.

My oldest daughter played select in Arlington for for 3 years before trying out and making a LHCL D1 team. Her former coach was great and was a mentor for my daughter. He encouraged her and congratulated her when she did make it. Now she loves soccer more than ever. Yet nearly half of original group on her new team, who went D1 together at U11, ended up quitting soccer altogether by U14. So at this point, I'd be more worried about your daughter burning out rather than playing HS. You have plenty of time. Find a good coach that you trust who will who will improve your daughter. Not one who is merely trying to sign as many studs as he can in order to win and boost his reputation.

deepthoughts wrote:If you manage to get your daughter admitted into Harvard or Princeton and she graduates with a great grade point average, she will have an extraordinary fast track start to her career. But if you manage to get your kid to the Ivy League school and she struggles, fails, and doesn't finish, then the Ivy League will likely have destroyed her confidence.

This parallels the select soccer experience. Undoubtedly, your kid would be in a superior position for high school soccer if she succeeds and becomes an impact player in LHGCL. However, sitting on the bench of a LH team seems like a mistake. I think people under-appreciate the value of being a leader / valuable impact player on a team and the confidence that it builds. I believe a kid should play on as high a team as she can and still maintain a valuable impact player role.

This said, it is difficult to find exactly what you need with so little time left. You must seek or you will not find. You will never know unless you try. Be prepared to decide on gut feel with imperfect information because you can't possibly try enough teams to be certain. Proximity for practices will always be an important factor. Joining a team with a huge commute each way rarely makes good sense. Good luck.

Deepthoughts fancey meeting you here with a thought on this issue. Good points as always and I like the anology.

deepthoughts wrote:If you manage to get your daughter admitted into Harvard or Princeton and she graduates with a great grade point average, she will have an extraordinary fast track start to her career. But if you manage to get your kid to the Ivy League school and she struggles, fails, and doesn't finish, then the Ivy League will likely have destroyed her confidence.

This parallels the select soccer experience. Undoubtedly, your kid would be in a superior position for high school soccer if she succeeds and becomes an impact player in LHGCL. However, sitting on the bench of a LH team seems like a mistake. I think people under-appreciate the value of being a leader / valuable impact player on a team and the confidence that it builds. I believe a kid should play on as high a team as she can and still maintain a valuable impact player role.

This said, it is difficult to find exactly what you need with so little time left. You must seek or you will not find. You will never know unless you try. Be prepared to decide on gut feel with imperfect information because you can't possibly try enough teams to be certain. Proximity for practices will always be an important factor. Joining a team with a huge commute each way rarely makes good sense. Good luck.

Didn't both Zuckerman(Facebook) and Gates(Microsoft) flunk our or drop out of Ivy league schools....I wonder how their confidence is? I guess there is always an exception or two! Michael Jordan tried and got cut from the varsity as a high school freshman. Sometimes trying for greatness can inspire oneself!

Gkdad02 wrote:

CoachPhil wrote:There is simply no good way to tell which players at this level will become stand out high school players. Anyone who tells you so is foolish or making something up to suit his own interests.

I know a player who just committed to a Division 1 college that was cut from her select team at age 12. There is a lot of development yet to take place in these girls. Make sure your daughter is having fun and enjoys the game and her coach. Who cares where the team plays, as long as you are improving and enjoying playing?

Well said Coach!

Hear, Hear !!! Well said coach. Keep the passion going. It must be fun. That plus development as a player is all you need at that age. Club, league, divisions all do not matter. In 4 or 5 years all the teams will only have between 5 and 8 of the original players left . The weaker players and teams will move down and stronger ones migrate up. As another poster said it is a marathoon not a sprint, be patient.

In my opinion, the greatest difference between top divisions and lower ones is not the speed and power. Many in the lower leagues can play well in D1 if given a chance. The issue is speed of play, speed of thought and creativity. In D1, you have half the time or less to make good decisions because the other team's pressure comes way faster. Many people focus on the obvious size and aggressiveness but miss the real top issue which is scarce time to make a good decision when in the top division.

I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but the sad truth is that if your 10 year old is not already a top player, then it is likely too late. If she still thinks she wants to be involved with soccer, then I would suggest coaching or being a referee - usually the less soccer knowledge and experience, the better. If that doesn't interest her, then let her know she can grow-up to be a soccer parent someday and we know everything about the game.

After having gone through qualifying a couple of times, IMHO, the most important thing (agreeing with a previous post)is that you daughter is happy with her current teammates and coach, AND more importantly is loving soccer and is DEVELOPING personal skills as a solid soccer player. If development of your daughter IS occuring at a comfortable pace, then I would strongly encourage you NOT to toss your team too quickly. Even if the team she currently is on doesn't qualify LHGCL, Plano still has great soccer play, great athletes, and great coaches--and much can be learned there!

There are teams that don't qualify year 1, U11, that come back from PPL and qualify the next year U12, and while it's not an easy feat, it happens every year. Another option is to shop teams after the first year of U11 play--there is player movement from team to team this time of year every year, no matter what team, what league, what coach.

And lastly, it's way too early to worry about high school soccer. ENJOY your 10-11 year old and make sure she is loving soccer and developing as a player. As long as this is true, you are doing the right thing by her.

javajake wrote:In my opinion, the greatest difference between top divisions and lower ones is not the speed and power. Many in the lower leagues can play well in D1 if given a chance. The issue is speed of play, speed of thought and creativity. In D1, you have half the time or less to make good decisions because the other team's pressure comes way faster. Many people focus on the obvious size and aggressiveness but miss the real top issue which is scarce time to make a good decision when in the top division.

this is an excellent point. when i see lower teams play higher teams they seem shocked at how little time they have to do something with the ball and how quickly pressure is applied. defensively they seem a step slower in defending too.

silentparent wrote:

javajake wrote:In my opinion, the greatest difference between top divisions and lower ones is not the speed and power. Many in the lower leagues can play well in D1 if given a chance. The issue is speed of play, speed of thought and creativity. In D1, you have half the time or less to make good decisions because the other team's pressure comes way faster. Many people focus on the obvious size and aggressiveness but miss the real top issue which is scarce time to make a good decision when in the top division.

this is an excellent point. when i see lower teams play higher teams they seem shocked at how little time they have to do something with the ball and how quickly pressure is applied. defensively they seem a step slower in defending too.

Would agree 100%.

javajake wrote:In my opinion, the greatest difference between top divisions and lower ones is not the speed and power. Many in the lower leagues can play well in D1 if given a chance. The issue is speed of play, speed of thought and creativity. In D1, you have half the time or less to make good decisions because the other team's pressure comes way faster. Many people focus on the obvious size and aggressiveness but miss the real top issue which is scarce time to make a good decision when in the top division.

+1

javajake wrote:In my opinion, the greatest difference between top divisions and lower ones is not the speed and power. Many in the lower leagues can play well in D1 if given a chance. The issue is speed of play, speed of thought and creativity. In D1, you have half the time or less to make good decisions because the other team's pressure comes way faster. Many people focus on the obvious size and aggressiveness but miss the real top issue which is scarce time to make a good decision when in the top division.

agreed.