D1 teams getting stronger?

ok thanks who has experienced teams with 22 last year and how did it work? I knew of no team last year with the exception of dual roster kids that showed up to games with 22.

If the coach told me he was looking at carrying 22 for a U16 team, I would thank him for letting me know, and I would gladly offer to make it 21...

On a roster that full, you will either not have your full roster for games (frustrating) give up play time to inferior players (frustrating) or have half a team or have players sitting ALL the time waiting for the chance (frustrating)...as the girls get older, injuries and other issues will keep some out occasionally, but I can't see a competitive team at U16 needing 22. I would think 18 is plenty if they are dedicated...19, maybe even 20 if you have a dual league/heavy schedule...but 22 is gonna be...frustrating.

If you have 5 girls who are going to miss a lot for X or Y, then how committed are they? If you are planning on missing half the games, you aren't making competitive soccer the priority...which is fine, but mine wouldn't want to be part of that team.

There are a few things which could change my opinion slightly...If you are traveling a lot and not all players can go each time...If you have 2 that are at least 6 months from being able to play due to a long term injury...but 22 is an awful lot of players.

Looking at last years D1 U16 team rosters.......every team, except one rostered at least 20. The majority seemed to be at 21. I don't know if that's the right number. Just an observation.

Thanks it looks like they are going to cut down to 20 which based on your comments I think will be manageable.

I know 20 to 22 seems unmanageable and it probably is difficult, but it can be a little short-sighted to take less than that now.  I have a 98 DD as well and I can tell you that you will appreciate the large roster after a while.  There will be injuries at this age, there will be lots of absences (for all sorts of reasons), girls will just decide they don't want to play any more -- even at mid-season (including the very talented ones - crazy, but true!), etc.  Then, after this year, it becomes really hard to back fill your roster with new players, especially quality players.  With only a year or two left to play, there is very little movement, because moving teams is very stressful.  So, if a player doesn't like their team, they are just as likely to quit club soccer (and only play HS) rather than go thru the stress of trying to find the right fit on another team.  That's when you will be happy that your team had a large roster of quality players to begin with, because it helps you withstand injuries and attrition over the next few years and still maintain enough quality players.  20 will translate into 15/16 quality players by end of year, and chances are, next year, you will have to back fill with players that are not so talented. If you start with a smaller roster of quality players, well...who knows.  

When half your team leaves at the end of a season - even with a bye - it makes it hard to rebuild. We can't ignore the question about why ppl leave...is it the coach? If it is then are they strong enough to build a new cohesive team of 22.  Is it because players are lost in the group of 22 and are not able to develop? Is it for aspirations beyond the pitch? If it is  what made them change, carrying 22 only helps with numbers when you lose half a squad but is it part of the reason people leave in the first place. Just a thought - sometimes our dds should be more than a number.

You only improve so much in practice. If you get little to no playing time then you can't put into practice what you have learned. For many girls this becomes discouraging - enough so that they slack off in practice which influences how much playing time they get. It can be a vicious circle.