SC Soccer Forums SCSoccer.com Forums Club Soccer & ODP Tryouts good/bad/ugly?

I can empathize with you. I do know though from having coached that age group in the past (in the Charlotte NC area) and had to turn away players. It was due to resources. I had 24 kids tryout and I was the only age group coach. I maxed the roster out at twelve (which I don't like to do) and I phoned othr clubs and informed the players not selected to try the other clubs that had spots available.
Children at this age group need the technical training in order to compete at the older age groups, otherwise the skill gap just continues to grow.
The unfortunate side to all of it is a lack of coaching or facilities. We, the sport needs good quality coaches and facilities in order to give the children the best opportunities for development. The key word, development.

Now, this thread has been bothering me for a while, and after a couple of cold ones tonight, and with nothing better to do, I'm going to chime in.

With all due respect to some of those coming before me with justification for the behavior mentioned in the original post, I'm just not buying it.
I fully understand resource scarcity, etc. and the need for quality coaching but we are talking about 8 and 9 year olds here guys.
What's more they are apparently looking for second tier LSYSA competition at best. We soccer clubs should and must try harder...

Now, the club/coach could get creative with pooled players. LSYSA for one supports up to 4 floaters (dual rostered) that allows a level of flexibility to provide additional options for just this case but of course it does take a dedicated coach (trust me I know) to manage game days. This is no different really than the top level clubs where professional staff take on 2 or even 3 teams. You just have to work hard to cover as much as you can and/or recruit solid managers/assistant coaches. SCYS has provided new options for managers as well as coaches to manage games/sidelines now in part due to the scenario described.

Alternatively, the club could engage a solid volunteer to manage the second (or third) team and augment the training with professional help. Pretty sure if you posted an opening for $50 a training session on here, you'd have a few takers within hours (looking for some beer money). Offer 10 professional sessions a season to provide solid fundamental skill development needed for this age group and you (the club) need now only find $500 a team or about $50 per child. Offset this with a solid volunteer taking the helm and pretty sure that's in most budgets.

None of this is rocket science and I'm sure people will find several flaws in my line of thinking but to me, its about engaging more children in our sport, and building the base. PERIOD.
WE HAVE TO TRY HARDER

Lets take a look at SCYS registration numbers taken from the January 2011 board minutes (registrars report).
Comparing January 2010 (first number) to January 2011 (2nd number)

Total Player Count ---- 17,305 ---- 15,569
Piedmont ---- 4,914 ---- 5,103
Midstate ---- 7,959 ---- 6,907
Coastal ---- 4,431 ---- 3,559

Classic ---- 4,868 ---- 5,028
Academy ---- 1,658 ---- 1,532
Recreation ---- 10,779 ---- 8,441


Now, wake up everyone (especially our coastal district) and see what's going on.
Year over year, registration dropped
Seems to be a lot of focus and effort on Classic (to increase) and to a degree Academy.
But what about that Rec level? That's over 2,000 less players in a year. Sounds like one more to add to this sad count based on recent experience.

All of us, CALL TO ARMS...
Do whatever you can to increase that player base and support every child who wants to play (by nook or by crook - get creative).
Add that second team and play them in lower division. As many have said, some of these kids will emerge to be some of the best.

And some of the best at U9, even if they stay top of their soccer game, well...
will just as likely end up playing football, basketball, tennis, golf, volleyball, etc. anyway by 6th grade

Yup, missed that one. I certainly appreciate the growth of the sport. Still not sure how much of the pie that takes.
According to MPRD registration in 2011 (courtesy of rec dept minutes) was up 134 for LX

Quote:

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Mr. Ayoub said there was an overall increase in youth athletics based on this time last year. There was a significant increase in Lacrosse from 313 last year to 447 in one year; this is an up and coming sport.

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Still there was also an increase at MPRD with soccer.
And I'm not sure how many of these 134 would of plaid club soccer anyway.

Regardless your are correct more sports, more options, all good (discounting space issues).

This merely backs up the message that we need to try harder to get new players, and work tirelessly to accomodate as many as we can.

I definitely understand that kids have options. Some parents won't let them play multiple sports a year so they bounce around and I get that. But I have to think that at the U9/U10 level that when you have tryouts and a kid does not make them team (who would be a fine D2/D3 player in LSYSA) and told try again next year. How many of them say the hell with it because they don't enjoy rec anymore and are wanting more. Now when that kid finds something else and even better him and his parents start telling other parents how soccer weeds them out at such and early age how many kids do we lose there?

Agghhh, it just got worse...

Last night, sitting back after a long day at work, and evening scouring scsoccer, I slumped into the sofa, put my feet up and reached for the remote.
But wait, my tween daughter, and her mother were fixated on the TV, with an intensity rarely seen.
"What's on?" I said, glancing screenward toward the 50" HD (purchased with the sole intent to watch Fox Soccer after 8pm) and seeing what appeared to be a teenage boy about to expose his 6-pack (looking a lot like those vampire movies I have never managed to sit through).

"Teen Wolf" they cried and then followed by "shhh...SHUT UP!".
So as all good husbands and fathers do... I did and watched.

Not too bad I thought, I can see the appeal, until the show swiftly moved to the sidelines of a ...yes, you guessed it....

A Lacrosse game.

This new MTV show is going to pull at least another 134 teenagers over.
Spain vs USA, and even the slightly better USA vs Canada (1-0 at half) hasn't got a chance.

Again, we need to try harder guys. Lacrosse just got a huge boost.

Well Cainhoy (and this pains me to say it) US soccer needs a player with some personality and flare. Ask any real young soccer player who Ronaldo is and they know, more and more know Chicarito. Donovan has been great for US Soccer but needs to paint his hair purple, get some flashy shoes .....something. I watch my kids (all U9) almost every single one of them know who Ronaldo is and what shoes he's wearing. I really think US Soccer could benefit from someone that commands this type of attention.

Substance commands attention.
Purple hair commands revulsion.