SC Soccer Forums SCSoccer.com Forums Club Soccer & ODP Youth $occer is an eliti$t $port

A question ...

What if we were to 'professionalize' football, basketball, & baseball? Would these sports be better for it?

I suspect that if the above was in place, soccer as we know it would pale in comparison ....

I guess soccer coaches are just that much smarter???

I find myself oddly mixed with regard to this post. Certainly as a coach (licensed), parent (3 players), and administrator in club soccer I consider myself in a good position to look at this issue from many angles (both sidelines).

Any chance we can we stop calling soccer coaches and administrators professional and just in some cases paid (like most of us at work). When I think of a professional I think not only of money, but also of advanced certification, years of experience and qualifications that set experts in specialized fields apart. Think lawyers (JD, bar exam), doctors (MD, medical degree), Engineers (PE), Accountants (CPA), etc. Not sure a coaching license; Rec Module (3 hrs), E (3 days), D (6 days), or even A means quite the same thing.

However saying that I am the first to recognize the value and help a top coach can and will provide to your child in teaching how to play soccer. Now whether that coach has a piece of paper to say he is a top coach is less material to me as a parent than the fact that he/she knows their stuff which should be readily apparent to any club administrator or DOC within minutes of starting a session. Many rec level coaches are as good as many in club soccer. Without embarassing some of those in the lowcountry just look at some of the names associated with MPSC rec teams in LSYSA. These guys (like ours) choose to coach because they have kids in the game, and love it. Not for money or fame and their results speak for themselves (many of these kids will go on to classic and challenge). Also before anyone throws out the parent coach insult again, please consider many of our region's 'elite' coaches are also parents. You can get good parent coaches and bad parent coaches. You can get good licensed coaches and bad licensed coaches. You get the point. I generally feel that parent coaches have more skin in the game when it comes to looking after the welfare of the kids and working extra hours to get a point across without looking at the watch.

I actually provided a negative feeling to SCYSA in regard to the license requirement, but not because it is a bad thing to get certified, but because it might prove an obstacle to a good rec or parent coach joining club ranks and helping kids learn the game at lower cost. Again any self respecting club or staff should be able to manage their coaching staff and if they allow 'bad' coaches (parent or uncertified), more fool them and parents will see this very quickly and leave. Administrators have a responsibility to their membership to provide quality training, don't need rules to tell us this. I do agree with Big Daddy with comments that coaching classes (leading to cert) do help improve your planning and execution skills. I would go further and say that in all my courses, it is working with quality instructors that adds real value. Just as serving as assistant coach to a top rated coach helps hone your skills.

Not sure why I went here but responding to a couple of license comments. Sorry but this thread has moved in several directions and just took the opportunity to vent.

I agree with sandman that peer pressure plays a big role in keeping costs high, as does elaborate marketing. I grew up in the 70's with hand me down cleats and is probably why I find the $$ model so abhorrent despite some of its advantages for those that can afford it.

Cainhoy & Big Daddy,

Very good posts. There is a difference between peer pressure and somebody holding a gun to your head. Parents need to make their own educated choices based on their child's current "soccer wants & needs". Decide on your level of commitment (time & money) depending on your player's interest, ability and level of commitment. There are different price points for various options available.

I've been following this thread with interest and, on occasion, confusion. My "take" on it all: First, from whence I come - my son has played Rec, Classic, Challenge, Premier League, SC ODP, Region III ODP, and USSF Development Academy. I'm currently the President of SCUFC Development Academy. The cost to participate has been greater with each step "up the ladder." However, the difference between Rec/Classic/Challenge is marginal. There is very little (if any) travel involved at those levels and what travel does occur is for tournaments that are nearly always within the immediate area (SC, GA, NC). Otherwise, the fixed costs are similar: club fees in the $400-600 range, a "team fee" in the $200-400 range, and uniforms in the $150-300 range (usually biannually). That seems quite reasonable to me.

When one gets into the Premier League and ODP, the costs increase more than marginally, due almost entirely to travel expenses. One starts having weekend trips for league games and the tournament expenses are greater due to further travel and higher entrance fees for Disney, Score at Shore, Jefferson Cup, etc. ODP can involve week-long camp, weekend sub-regionals, multiple training sessions... that costs additional money. If one's team qualifies for Regionals, that's another 5-7 day travel expense. The Development Academy is an entirely different kettle of fish, involving multiple weekend trips for league games and a minimum of two 4-5 night Showcase trips, usually to Florida and somewhere further than that. While I can't speak for other DA clubs, I can say that our coaching and administrative costs are, per player, on par with a Premier League team. Travel costs are the big difference.

So, what does it all mean? It means, in my view, that one can have an emminently satisfying youth soccer experience without spending a lot of money. But, and it's a big "but," if one wants to, and is good enough to, play the highest levels of the sport, one has to pay to go where the competition is. It would be nice if one could stay in SC and play against the best players in the region and country, but that isn't how things work.

I don't know who it is that some of you seem to think is making a bunch of money off of youth soccer, but it isn't anyone I know. Of the thousands of dollars we've spent over the years, I'd guess that 75-80% of it has been for travel. If you have a suggestion for persuading the teams from Texas, Florida, Illinois, Washington, Pennsylvania... to always come here to play, I'm sure those coming up behind us would be most grateful!

Right on point Happy.

I have always found it strange that everyone feels that getting kids to play "national" level is so important. I played D1 baseball. To get there I had a great HS manager, a father who practiced with me(don't see enough of that these days) and I played travel ball in my region of the state. Two times in all of the years I played did I go out of state to play and that was when we were two games away from the little league world series. Once in a while it is a good idea to gather for a regional/national tourney, but consistant travel is in my opinion is excessive. For people involved in this you should be happy the soccer is not considered to be revenue generating in college or you would end up with the mess that AAU basketball has become. I am all for developement, I believe in competition, but you have allow the kids to enjoy their youth.

As for the coaching certifications I am not sure this is the best answer. There are plenty of coaches who could get certified and not be good at coaching(this could happen with any sport) At the end of the day a coach in any sport that cares will endlessly research and find ways to get better so he can improve his players, no matter what certification he has. We need to indentify those people and get them involved.

Chase, you make valid points but speaking from a perspective of having lived the experience of reinforcing what coaches have taught my son over the years (as most other parents I know have also done) . . . I have to say the time we spend together as father and son is more valuable than any costs associated with the game.

He and his teammates over the years have embraced and enjoyed the experiences of high level competition, travel and the comradery as a major part of their youth. Events near and far have been attended by friends, associates and relatives. The game has been one of the joys of our immediate and extended family over the years.

I'm sure you'll agree from competing as you did, such experiences are rare in life and you have to work hard to be a part of them. In our view, that means you make choices. Choices more often than not have a price tag one way or the other.

We're going into our final year and there are no regrets. We are blessed to have been associated with the people whom we have met along the way.

Chase, you've got it right. There is no need for youth to play youth soccer on a national level. The big 3 sports don't travel this much. It's not just a CESA who has this travel thing all screwed up, it's every big youth club in the country. You can play at the highest level possible playing regionally in the southeast in R3 premier league. One of the players who played ECNL in Seattle last week said their first 2 games were teams they had already played in our area, one of them several times. (it was CASL from Raleigh). They also played a team in ECNL in TEXAS final four showcase that was from their R3 premier league. (Charlotte)How many CESA kids are getting recruited because of traveling to these events west of the Mississipi (NONE). How many CESA players are playing college soccer west of the Mississippi (Not sure, but probably none). You're looking at between $3000 & $4000 a year to play at the highest level in a club.

Certain aspects of youth soccer have become elitiest. Look around at the travel select squads and next time you are on the road at a tournament look for a non-upper middle class team> Or a team where the kids are not shuttled back to the hotel in Lexus SUV's and BMW's.

There is enough blame to go around here both on the parents side(for funding the insanity) and coaches for insisitng that their teams have to travel. If the clubs want to attract the top talent, and the coach who wants to prove he is better than everyone else, the answer has been to travel. The logic being the team that travels the furthest and the most is the best. And thus can attract the talent to fufill the coaches desire of becoming "the best".

It won't change until the enablers(parents) stop paying and demand something different.

Gbdawgs.....from experience I think your $3-$4K a year is low. The CESA girls team has been to Seattle and Texas this year, adding up some u10-u12 Academy fees that are web published you'd be at about $4,500. $800 Reg and Coaches fees, $150 uniform, $400 team expenses, 6 travel tournamnets at $500 a weekend(hotel 2 nights, gas, food)and $150 summer training. That is for U-10-12 Academy.