The Leap from Small Club to Big Time Soccer

KeeperCommander wrote:

CBTeamworks wrote:

taborskulner wrote:the elitism on this board in general is humorous.
if your kid is good your coach will tell you
until your kid is dominating your league and far superior to anyone on your team stay put
otherwise youre risking putting your kid in over their heads

I think waiting for a kid to dominate the league is waiting too long.

I would recommend getting on a better team if a player is in the top third of their current team. Give them a new challenge, higher level players to play with and the ability to play together at a higher speed.

If a player is in the bottom third of their team for more than one year then I'd recommend that they find a lesser competitive team where they'll get more playing time and greater enjoyment from the game.

Small clubs have good coaches but they operate at a disadvantage. Less teams per age group for your player to play into. Less club player pass options for small clubs. Less options like JDL, ECNL and DA.

It's all about finding the right fit. If you go out for a tryout and the coach doesn't show you any love then they're either too full (meaning she'll get little playing time if she makes it) or she's borderline to make it and the coach is waiting for the possibility of a better player to come along. It's getting late in the process with teams filling up already so options are fewer than 2-4 weeks ago but there are still good options out there at various levels. Need to look around and attend several practices/scrimmages with numerous teams. Try to guest play as much as you can because it's the best way for a coach to see what your player has.

It's funny the new article about Pulisic says to keep your kid where they can handle the ball the most and that doesn't always mean go to a big club or to a club with a high level of play.

Uncleof05AP wrote:This might be the article referenced by KeeperCommander: https://sports.yahoo.com/christian-pulisics-upbringing-change-athletes-developed-u-s-210726336.html

KeeperCommander wrote:
Pass18 to answer your question, there is no right way of doing things. You just do what you think is right for YOUR kid.  Forget what worked for hundreds of others.  Trust me is was hundreds of different ways.

bwgophers wrote:

therightpass18 wrote:
Our daughter's first goal is to play high school soccer so that is the first improvement arc we are helping with.

This is less about the club and more about the level she is playing at.  If your daughter will be attending a 6A or 5A HS in Dallas/Collin/Denton/Tarrant/Rockwall county, then she will likely need to be playing at the LH D2 level or higher, just to make the Varsity team at most of those schools.  At many 6A, and several of the better 5A programs, she will likely need to be playing at an LH D1 level or above to be a starter/significant contributor.  There are many "small club" teams playing at that level that will get her there, and there is no inherent advantage of a small club vs a large club here.  It's all about the level of competition she is capable of playing at, and the quality of her coach.

If she's 4A or below, in most cases, if she's playing competitive soccer somewhere (LH, PPL, APL), she will likely make the Varsity team.

therightpass18 wrote:
Then its those 3-4 years of high school to make it to the best college fit we can find.

Mia Hamster wrote:.  

On another note:  Almost all of the coaches we are speaking with could care less if you played high school soccer.  (One even advised not to play due to the less skilled play and higher injury potential).  They are really only concerned with your club experience & league plus any high-level "extras" (ECNL, ODP, ID2, Dev, etc...)

NoSpinZone wrote:

Mia Hamster wrote:.  

On another note:  Almost all of the coaches we are speaking with could care less if you played high school soccer.  (One even advised not to play due to the less skilled play and higher injury potential).  They are really only concerned with your club experience & league plus any high-level "extras" (ECNL, ODP, ID2, Dev, etc...)

Even ODP??  

NoSpinZone wrote:

Mia Hamster wrote:.  

On another note:  Almost all of the coaches we are speaking with could care less if you played high school soccer.  (One even advised not to play due to the less skilled play and higher injury potential).  They are really only concerned with your club experience & league plus any high-level "extras" (ECNL, ODP, ID2, Dev, etc...)

Even ODP??  

SocDad wrote:

NoSpinZone wrote:

Mia Hamster wrote:.  

On another note:  Almost all of the coaches we are speaking with could care less if you played high school soccer.  (One even advised not to play due to the less skilled play and higher injury potential).  They are really only concerned with your club experience & league plus any high-level "extras" (ECNL, ODP, ID2, Dev, etc...)

Even ODP??  

Resume builder....

Mia Hamster wrote:My player has been a select player since U11 and now U17.  She has played for small and big clubs in LHGCL D1 or D2 through her career.  We are currently in the college recruiting/selection process.  At this stage of the game, a big, established club is a huge asset.  The big clubs have a great network of coaches.  The coaching network at my DD's club has been instrumental in getting some personal contacts and written recommendations to some specific college coaches we are interested in.  Several of the big clubs even have a specific person on staff to help negotiate the college recruiting process.  

On another note:  Almost all of the college coaches we are speaking with could care less if you played high school soccer.  (One even advised not to play due to the less skilled play and higher injury potential).  They are really only concerned with your club experience & league plus any high-level "extras" (ECNL, ODP, ID2, Dev, etc...)