[Preface: This note is less about any specific club as it is about parental and child choices and team size.]
>>[USMNT2014] I want my son to play on the best team in the area. If he is not one of the best players than he has something to strive for!<<
I understand this attitude if you have a highly ambitious child with sufficient potential to possibly realize that ambition and applaud parents who go out of their way to support their children.
If the child is slightly less ambitious, however, this seems to me to possibly be a recipe for discontent.
>>If your child is good enough to make the team then someone saw some skill in him. They are not selecting your child on ability to pay but skills.<<
I absolutely agree with this.
>>I believe that on a team of 18 or less playing time will become avaialable whether it be subbing or practice time. It may not come immediately but with hard work increased playing time will come.<<
The question really isn't whether the child wants to work hard, it's whether she/he wants to work harder than everyone else on the team. If so, then having your child be the 18th or 19th best player on a team seems to make a lot of sense -- at every practice if she/he tries his/her best the child will get better by playing with better players. If not, then I would think that you run the risk of burning out your kid on soccer -- a lot of work for very little perceived [by the child] payoff in terms of playing opportunities.
> To compete at the Elite level teams must be solid at every position. This would include the bench! Those players need to be ready to step in and seize their opportunities.<<
Again, from a club/team perspective, I absolutely understand this perspective. However, from a parent/child perspective, you have to ask your child some really tough questions if you believe they're going to be the 18th or 19th best player on a team.
In my time volunteering at clubs, the number one issue over and over again was parent and player discontent with playing time. I always strongly recommended at these clubs that they look at smaller numbers on teams [and take correspondingly less revenue] so that their parent/player satisfaction would be higher and revenue could potentially grow at a higher rate over time.
I would absolutely love to see the USYSA adopt the USCS practice of allowing coaches to move players in the club fluidly so that the need to have higher numbers of bench players in case of injuries was mitigated.
>>It is just as frustrating for good players when teamed with players with inferior skills. The advanced player loses confidence in his teammates and thus changes the way he plays the game.<<
A truly advanced player is going to face this if she/he plays high school in any case. Adaptability is an important skill both in soccer and in life.
>>I put my faith in the system and that the coaches will select the best teams available!<<
The coach is going to do the best thing for the team first and the individual second within the guidelines that the club sets [e.g., roster size]. As a parent, it would seem to be your job to help your child make the best decision for her or him since you know that you care a lot more about your child than any coach does.
