SC Soccer Forums SCSoccer.com Forums Boys Varsity Soccer Does High School soccer impede the development of top players?

Would the top players be better served by playing club soccer year-round? It's an interesting question that I don't recall seeing discussed at much length around here. Curious as to what folks think.

dead horse...

I have a D-1 recruited daughter who also plays club. She gets world-class competition at the club level on the good side. She had one great coach and one average coach on the neutral side. The great coach (Chris Nichols, Christ Church/CESA) helped her immeasureably through skill improvement, (real) confidence building, and by being the perfect role model for a young lady.

Then, she played high school for two coaches. The first ran a muffler shop in town and coached for a few years. Most games they won was 6, and they didn't really have that much fun. Second coach is an old guy who is retired and just giving back. She gets a lot of "feel goods" from high school soccer. It is never bad to be the best when you walk on the field, and she has learned humility by the way she acts towards everyone which I really love. Most importantly, she has a blast. When she missed a year with a torn ACL, her comment to the doctor about the worst thing about it was: "I don't get to have fun anymore."

She wins and has fun with class and respect playing club, and she wins and has fun with class and respect playing high school soccer. That's the kind of kid she is, and the kind of kid that proper soccer programs and processes encourage.

Both were great.

Stronger players in club soccer so I would say club soocer year round..The level of play from your competition is more consistant in club ball also..I do think that high school ball helps build confidence in the club players that do not stand out on their club teams..They are put in situations where they could help lead their high school team but play a lesser role on the club team.
I like high school season because the kids I think have more fun with the sport.There is not that pressure one might feel that if I mess up I will lose my position..Kids need to be able to let their hair down and enjoy the sport for what it is..a game.

I personally know of a player who was initially spotted by USC at a high school soccer game. The USC assistant Coach came to one of their games to watch a senior play, and noticed a sophomore and ended up liking him a lot more. After that game the sophomore was recruited by USC and ended up playing at USC. High school soccer can get SC players exposure to SC colleges. But in most cases, to get exposure from out of state schools, club soccer is the better avenue.

CHT, well put...I think most players (individual situation-dependent, of course) benefit from both. Putting players into highly-challenging club competition builds skill and stamina for top-level play. Stepping onto the high school field with those skills gives them opportunity to gain confidence in their progress as a player (which can greatly influence state of mind when they return to the next club season) and also gives them a measure of how their efforts allow them to stack up against players who compete and train in different settings.

High school soccer does seem to come with a much greater sense of enjoyment and passionate team spirit, which brings a whole new mental and emotional dimension into play...and yes, in the right environment, it's also just good fun, which I think is essential for a sport to get the most out of its players and for the players to get the most out of the sport. If you don't have time to really enjoy yourself...what's the point, right?

And ROH...don't sell the old guy short, I hear he brings a pretty decent skill set to the table.

Hasn't been discussed at length before? Really? I experienced a really strong sense of deja vu as I was typing this...

high school soccer is like a pinata party for club players.

unless high school goes elite like i have stated before, hs soccer would just be a little fun to get popular at school.

when you see scores like 7-0 and perfect records at the of the season, thats when you know high school soccer is a big joke.

i love high school soccer, dont get me wrong, but high school soccer is far away from competing vs the academy level.

for what is worth, i gone say it one more time. get the best hs programs in the state, have a real elite competition and stop making club kids to waste their time... maybe im a little harsh but that is how i see it.

come on, you have top programs playing vs some urban programs where kids are wearing bk shorts to their practices, are you serious?

Alma,
I am going to disagree with you for one moment. Last I checked, Coach Wren's club team went through SC, Regionals and Nationals without losing a game. I guess that must be a "joke" too. Although I do agree with you that a relegation/promotion system would be better, never gonna happen.

I appreciate the fact that the club and high school are listed. They go hand-in-hand in my opinion!