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

Chase, no question such times are valuable but they can also pretty quickly turn into bordam for the teenage mind, no matter how talented he or she may or may not be.

I'm sure we can agree on the point that young people should have 'dreams'. 99% of the time dreams likely revolve around sports, music or some form of artistic expression such as dance. I believe the pursuit of dreams teach our kids how to earn and appreciate success while also teaching them how to grow from defeat . . . ultimately impacting all aspects of their lives. Can you imagine going through life without dreams?

Enjoying summer nights, fishing, driving around with your pals should be the precious moments, not the Majority of the moments. Committing oneself to achieve a better attitude, better performance or better result under the guidance of a quality coach through disciplined training and exercise will only build a better person.

The US is a very large piece of real estate and that means you often travel to climb the next mountain . . . to test yourself against the unknown. Have I been disappointed by poor attendance of collegiate coaches during events which cost serious dollars to get to on occasion? Absolutely. Having said that, the development has always been worth the investment. The cost of participating in the 'dream' is real and it varies depending on desire and commitment. The process should never be dumbed down because only a small percentage will achieve collegiate or professional status. There are different levels of achievement, just as there are different levels of expense associated with achievement.

The 'dream' provides the motivation to support the desire to repeatedly meet the commitment required to achieve the 'dream'. At the end of the day, it's all about working to reach for the next level.

On the issue of dollars, let's say you spend $5,000 per year on soccer. Ask yourself if your kid is worth 13.69 per day of your hard earned money. Then ask yourself how much money you'd be spending each day to support the local mall, restaurants, movie theatres (gotta see each movie twice when you have time on your hands) or towards that extra tank of gas he or she is going to burn up driving around. Any comparable 'dreams' be pursued spending the $5,000 that way?

Sure, $5,000 per year sounds expensive when you look at it as a line item, but what are 'dreams' really worth? Kind of hard for me to look at that one as a line item expense.

1. Chase, I know exactly what you mean. When I stopped playing halfway through my Freshman year in college, I couldn't believe all the things I missed out on those first few months.

2. I understand travel is going to cost. Sure a player can play at a lower level but if they are good enough why should they have to settle. A way to lower expenses would be to:
A. Not charge $300 for summer training
B. Not charge $350 for team camp that is coached by the clubs coaches (and someone please tell me why the CESA girls u15-18 only had to pay $100)
C. Lower the pay of the coaches. Many people are taking paycuts in this economy and in the 90's, I actually coached Club and High School for free (won a state cahmpionship at u17G's)

Sure, it's demand driven, but I see way to many people involved that have more money than they obviously know what to do with. In this situation, your more apt to see even more families that struggle give it up before you see the really wealthy stop paying.

I will add, more parents need to do what I do and when traveling, get my own hotel at a price I can more afford. Too bad if the coach wants the team at the same place, if I can get a better deal, I'm doing it. As a matter of fact, I'm looking for a KOA. The cabins are usually $50 dollars and have heat and air and if the weather is nice, I'm bringing the tent.

I think you pick your poison. My daughters were allstar cheerleaders where we paid $24.00/day to watch a 2 minute routine in different cities across the Southeast. I never did it hoping they would one day become Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders. I would love to think it only cost me $5,000(uniforms, choreographers, makeup and private lessons).

I am discouraged that money prevents kids from playing soccer at any level. I wish that any kid that wanted to participate on the travel, ODP and academy teams could have the opportunity. In basketball Nike and Adidas foot the bill for the best players. If you look at the NCAA investigations taking place, football players expect to get paid early on. I think alot of times you are left with the people that can afford to be on these teams not the most talented. I also think money affects the diversity of soccer because most minorities don't understand paying to play when basketball and football are free.

Some of my best times have been alone with my son or with his friends traveling to and from soccer games/tournaments. As he gets older I am constantly reminded it is time I will never get back. Those times are priceless.

No minority child is "deprived" of the opportunity. If any kid shows promise (ability) and commitment, a club will find a way to fund it. The problem with the current system is that most minority children are not "exposed" to the opportunity.

Of course the system is broken. There is something fundamentally wrong with a youth soccer system in which an academy aged team in SC has to travel 75 miles or more on a regular basis to get a competitive game. Each of S.C.'s metropolitan areas is fielding a few u10-u12 teams that regularly travel regionally to play other teams at their level. Sure, there a good things about travel soccer -- family time, seeing new places, staying out of trouble, etc. -- but it doesn't mean that the system is ideal. We have this system because our schools and youth clubs (YMCAs) abdicated responsibility for training advanced players. Parents are faced with the choice between minimal rec training and the club soccer merrygoround which easily costs $2000 per year or more in training and travel.

Let's not pretend that the cost is not excluding players from the sport. Let's also be honest, that there are higher cost barriers to soccer than there are to basketball or football, sports which benefit from substantial sponsorship money. The club fees are expensive, and the travel costs even more. Sure, there are scholarships available, but how many families are simply scared off by the cost or time commitment? Are we trying to see how much sacrifice we can get out of parents, or are we trying to get as many kids involved in the sport at the highest level possible? Is it unreasonable for a young couple with a household income of around 60k to say "no" to paying $2,000 per year in training fees and travel costs for their budding young soccer player? If they do, will that kid have a realistic chance of cracking the club scene as a u14? Most probably not.

I don't have answers for all of these problems, except to swim against the tide and point to our school system as a possible solution to the problem. While our national federation seems to be trying to run away from the school system, our high schools and colleges have the infrastructure to support a true national model. They have fields, lights, coaches, etc. It seems that we should make the most of this infrastructure.

I'm not necessarily critical of club soccer. I've had great experiences with clubs and coaches. Club soccer has filled a vacuum in our country. But, without major sponsorships or public-private partnerships, I can't help but think that club soccer, as currently configured, has hit the ceiling when it comes to developing the sport.

Again, your ten year old should not have to travel out of town on a frequent basis to get a competitive game... but he/she does. It may be the best system we have now, but it is far from ideal.

Sandman, that's your right and it won't surprise me if there are more who agree with you. My focus is on the value of the dollars spent. Admittedly, I can't speak to the issue of coaching fees, but as a parent I know there are financial levels for all who want to be involved in the game with any club.

LeGrazie, the only thing soccer takes is a ball, a burning desire to develop a great touch and a willingness to learn from those who understand the game. A 10 year old could train with a dad who knew the game and a kick back until he was 13 and go knock the socks off of any player he came in contact with during U15 tryouts.

The problem is parents don't fully understand the game and they don't put in the time required if a kid is not playing club ball. Schools are never, and I repeat, never going to develop elite players. They play a role at the high school level, but shifting the task to what we would consider a Free source such as a school is not the answer. The answer is more purposeful touches on the ball at a younger age, plain and simple. That must come from a parent or a club and ideally from both.

If you don't want to travel, then dedicate yourself to learning the game and working with your son or daughter individually. Youtube offers players incredible teaching moments. It's all about how much you want it. People deserve to be paid for their knowledge and time. If it's not affordable, then focus on another way to get results.

Clubs are successful because that's where the recruiting is done. Understanding that one simple component will help you align your objectives with your ability to develop your son or daughter in the US Soccer environment.

As US Soccer becomes more successful in world wide competition you'll see sponsorship money come in from the major companies, but until then the investment must be made to attract the sponsors. That investment is demonstrating what is required to produce better players and a better style of Soccer. A desire be the best in the game by working with the ball, that's all. It's a simple game. Don't over complicate it.

Visit any elementary school these days during recess and I'll bet you there will be a group of kids playing Soccer. That's because of club influence. It's going on because there are kids on the playground who have soccer idols.

High schools are without a doubt feeders for Football. Basketball and Baseball are more closely related to Soccer at the club level, although we all know high schools play a more significant role for basketball recruiting than they do for baseball. Soccer scholarships on the other hand are born of the club system.

Understand the game is simple, the club system is vital and the school system offers great emotional and developmental benefits to compliment the club system and you are set.

When you are involved in the club system, you are going to pay $$$ to travel because the US is so large and top level competition is all over the country as are universities with soccer programs. Someone has to pay and it's you and me because it's our kids who are playing the game. At the top level, virtually every player is playing for an opportunity to play another four years.

At the lower levels, kids are playing to compete and have fun doing so. Some who work on their own will break out, many will not. That's ok because they all have there reasons for playing the game. Coaches who are trained to know how to coach are needed and are worth the fees they charge, period.