SC Soccer Forums SCSoccer.com Forums Club Soccer & ODP Let Romeo Play

Too long.

Good job Rob on setting the record straight.You could see the "club alliances"starting to rear its ugly head again on this issue. Good to see Hyslop and Strickland agreeing on a issue. Again ,thanks for your timely jump in !

My comments....

First, this is just soccer. Its not life or death, its not like this young man has been deprived of his right to an education or something critical.

Second, from a soccer persepctive.....I have no clue why this is an issue. Sounds like Discoveries, SCU and SCYSA are all on board. Roadblock appears to be Region 3.

Third, would be nice to work thru the R3 issues, but if they won't they won't. Go back to point 1.

Fourth, the young man needs to play and other options exist. Either developmental player for SCU Academy or he could play JV for his HS. My guess is his HS coach would let him practice with the varsity team.

Fifth, the RH Herald did a great story on this young man's older brother last spring (Dennis Moore, now at Wofford). Caleb I'm sure went thru all of the same experiences and traumas that his older brother did and that no young man ever should have to endure. Cut the young man some slack.

Last, God made him as he made him. Big, small, fast, slow. He is who he is, specifically becasue of Who made him. Lets leave it at that. Everyone is blessed in different ways. Everyone is challenged in different ways.

Really last, regarding fairness about adding players mid season. The topic of fairness is uh, fair game. However, its really a matter for the team coach and club DOC to work thru. If an involved parent feels their child is being negatively effected they should talk privately to the coach and DOC. If that doesn't work, go back to point 1 above. And the next season.....go somewhere else.

honestly, how good is he really?

Must be a pretty good 14 yr old the way everyone one is slobbing him on here!

Broad, you say this boy (or man-child, as you put it) is "a bigger, stronger player" than the others on that team - is it possible that he is also "better" than the others? If all he has going for him is strength and speed, that will be discovered quickly enough and he will spend his share of time on the bench.

You could choose to make this, or similar situation, into a "life-lesson" kinda thing. There is always going to be someone bigger, better and badder than you – the sooner a person learns this fact of life, the better. No one wants to see their child go through any kind of pain, but times of difficulty can often make you a much stronger person - emotionally and physically; doesn't always, but it can.

Playing in the Premier League is a big step up from Challenge League. I have always felt that bringing in a better player, or more (whether it be only for training, or to actually join) can only help a team (and I'm not talking about their record). That player can immediately raise the bar for the entire team, and will fairly quickly show you what types of players you have. The ones who should be in that league will work harder and prove that's where they need and deserve to be; the others will essentially give up and/or spend their time complaining about how unfair things are.

How you as a parent react to and address this type of situation will probably affect your child much more than the situation itself.

BRB, you are so right. This recruiting has gotten ridiculous.

It is an insult to the players and parents who have supported a Club, expected the Club to train and Coach their player(s), supported the Club's fundraisers, volunteered and worked for the Club, and then the Club/Coach/Director goes out and recruits players (usually from out of the community) to compete with those who have help make the Club and pay their bills. If the said Club/Coach was doing it's job and training and coaching it's players, there would probably not have to be any recruiting.

Now if a player from another Club trysout (without being recruited) and is better than those on that team, I have no problem with them joining the team.

We all know recruiting has and is going on. I have never seen or heard a coach admit to it, until now-

"i suggest you talk with me directly about my coaching and or recruiting techniques." From Coach Rob.

As a former player, yes, it sucks if someone else joins your team and happens to be better, taking up your playing time. But in the end, you only get better by playing WITH and AGAINST better competition. Yes, it's no fun to have worked hard and have someone come into the team, but if it makes the team better, then you get better competition and you have even more of a drive to work harder and smarter.

A good coach will know the difference between just being bigger and being a better player. If you don't have a good coach, then you're always free to find a new team. Regardless of whether or not the rules are "right" or X or Y reason is acceptable to move, that's the way it is right now. You can accept it and do what is best for your player or you can try to change the rule.

It's a pity that this young man is being held back by R3. I don't presume to know why he had to switch teams or wanted to, but it's always a downer to have someone put up a roadblock when everyone else has put an effort in to make it work. However, if he is as gifted as it sounds, even if he's unable to play, he'll take the opportunity to increase his own skills, practice, and find pick-up games to play in and come back in the fall to cause some skilled mayhem in the league. There are lots of opportunities out there to keep up and one season, in the grand scheme of things, is not much. Good luck to him and his future.