Soccer at the club level

[Unregistered]

I have a son that plays rec. We are considering joining a club.

I have been following this forum for several months watching the ebb & flow as posters rise up against certain people/blogs/teams/coaches for whatever reasons.

One thing I wanted to ask of the forum is this:

Q – Which would you be more inclined to side with?

Position (A) - The loud parent(s) who are passionate about their child/team/sport? Who defend them and encourage competition, winning & rivalry amongst the teams? They are proud and supportive, they promote their team even if it means the occasional unkind word. They blog & forum & twitter about how great the child/team is (even if that isn't the case).

OR

Position (B) - The whiney parents who write the opposing clubs directors because they don’t agree with Position (A) and complain and seem against competition and rivalry and look to attack position (A) at every opportunity? They reprimand position (A) and downplay their victories in an attempt to make themselves feel/look better. They want to hold meetings so they can tell everyone how “Wrong” Position (A) is.

Which do you think sends the better message to the kids? Is one worse then the other?

(This is just my interpretation of what I have read on this forum over the past several months. Don’t take offense or ridicule me for my interpretation. Just answer the question. Thank you)

I am asking because if this is what I have to look forward to at the club level, Position (A) vs. Position (B), I’ll keep my son playing rec. I'm of the "why can't we all get along and let the best team win" mindset.

[Unregistered]

Idiot.. typical rec player. Move along... Stay with rec.. LOSER

[Unregistered]

Idiot.. typical rec player. Move along... Stay with rec.. LOSER

Wow, I would say this was the typical response from a Club Soccer Parent. Hit a nerve did it? Who's the real idiot?

[Unregistered]

If you can't take the competition at club level, stick with rec. Club soccer is the real deal when it comes to good, skilled soccer. Players work very hard to play at this level and parents invest a lot of time and money. The combination makes for the hostile and competetive environment.

[Unregistered]

If you can't take the competition at club level, stick with rec. Club soccer is the real deal when it comes to good, skilled soccer. Players work very hard to play at this level and parents invest a lot of time and money. The combination makes for the hostile and competetive environment.

I am in total agreement with you. My son is above average in height & weight and will definitely hold his own physically. I was a basketball player and coach and understand good competitive play. I just have an issue with the inbreed making the "idiot" comment.

[Unregistered]

I agree. The idiot comment was inappropriate.
Good luck to your son with whatever you decide. He will do well wherever he plays if he has good support from you.

[Unregistered]

I actually hear these questions a lot at the U11/12 level from newbie parents. The parents that begin asking usually are the one's that leave over time if not sooner. Because travel, fees, and the parents take a toll.
It is not that the kid or the parents are not as competitive as the other, it is just what simply takes a toll. You can learn to adapt, ignore or quit.

You really answered your own question though. If you answer number 1, this means you are competitive and want to win, win, win.
You answer number 2 and you can either adapt or ignore or basically stay at the rec level.

Where does your son fit in at? Can he compete at a competitive level? If so, what are you holding him back for just simply so you cannot or chose not to be around abnoxious parents. Believe you me I have been an abnoxious parent, and have learned and now I see the other crazies and shake my head, but can laugh.

Good luck in what ever your son choses to play at, including yourself.

[Unregistered]

Oh we are planning on moving full speed ahead. I just wanted some feedback. Believe me when I say I can yell with the best of them.

But like you, I most often sit back, shake my head and laugh.

[Unregistered]

If your son is passionate about the game, and is dominating at the rec level, I would encourage you to contact the D.O.C.'S (Director of Coaching) at a number of different clubs and explain your situation. Read up on the club websites too, since repectable clubs will spell out in no uncertain terms what is expected from both player AND parent.

I have been involved with clubs that did not rein in their parents, and surprise, surprise, many of the players were simply junior versions of their uncouth, disrespectful parents.

Fall league is over for the most part, but there are always futsal/indoor soccer opportunities in the winter, and joining a club for spring is definitely an option too.

I do not subscribe to the blog-brag theory of parenting though..

[Unregistered]

Thanks. I've been doing the research, talking with friends and attending some of their games at different age levels. In my brief research and talking with parents it looks like the Westside Metros program is dominant for boys? Is that right? Can someone give me an unbiased overview as to why that may be? I read a couple threads on recruiting, is that why they are so good? Coaching philosophy? Any feedback would help. Thanks for the help.

What is "the blog-brag theory of parenting"? LOL! Sounds interesting! :D

[Unregistered]

A parent that frequents this forum writes a blog for his daughters team. He and the blog are well known at the U14 level as a source (at least until recently) for him to make very unflattering comments about essentially anyone and anything else that wasn't totally his way, his team.

It became a concern for others when he made derogatory comments about other girls teams and started mentioning players names from other teams on his blog.

Sure we all read it from time to time, but it also pretty common knowledge that he and the blog are a source of embarrassment for the team, their parents, and the club they play for. He was critical of his teams tactics publicly on a recent post (essentially blaming a loss on poor substituting). His ego knows no boundaries apparently, and he is willing to now use his forum to call out his daughters coach too. He'd be booted from most clubs immediately..

[Unregistered]

Thanks. I've been doing the research, talking with friends and attending some of their games at different age levels. In my brief research and talking with parents it looks like the Westside Metros program is dominant for boys? Is that right? Can someone give me an unbiased overview as to why that may be? I read a couple threads on recruiting, is that why they are so good? Coaching philosophy? Any feedback would help. Thanks for the help.

What is "the blog-brag theory of parenting"? LOL! Sounds interesting! :D

Historically, Westside has been known for their boys programs. However, FC Portland is starting to dominate the boys side. The younger boys teams are beating Westside consistantly. It really depends what you want for your son. Westside has good players and teams at the older levels but I am personally not fond of their coaches or club. FC is well known for their great coaching, player and team development. My kids have played for both clubs.

[Unregistered]

Are there differences in coaching styles and/or club philosophies that I should be aware of? I realize this question might be a little 'deep' to be asking on a forum.
For example, does one club focus solely on development and deemphasize the whole win/lose philosophy? Or are they all pretty evenly spread across the board?

That begs yet another question; Which philosophy is better for the first year player? A club that puts most emphasis on winning, character & team development early or a club that focuses on skill development early? Don't get me wrong, I know skill development is huge but character and team building I'm sure rank right up there, right?

Now that I actually write this question out, I am thinking it has a bigger impact than I had originally thought.

Thanks for all the great input.

[Unregistered]

He was critical of his teams tactics publicly on a recent post (essentially blaming a loss on poor substituting). His ego knows no boundaries apparently, and he is willing to now use his forum to call out his daughters coach too. He'd be booted from most clubs immediately..

Don't think this has any thing to do with the persons previous quesiton. However, I was floored when I saw that comment too. I agree that most clubs would restrain this behavior. I believe in free speech but this kind of conversation should be w/o a name. To draw that much attention to oneself is weird. I love opionions but to be a homer and to call out girls (without specifcally saying their names) on his own daughters team or even others is lame.

If the coach or club does nothing......I guess they like or approve it.

[SodiumFan[2]]

GET A LIFE PEOPLE. First of all I would like to address the last poster who obviously forgot to take his/her medication. The coach is a friend of mine. We have beers, play poker, talk on the phone and I have been asked to coach on occasion. The only thing I was questioning was the fact that Tom was substituting 6 or more players at a time. A tactic he hasn't used in the past 2 years. Before I made the post I spoke to my daughter AND the other players. THEY are the ones who told ME that because of the substitution of such a large amount of players, it caused confusion on the field and in turn led to the score. Stop trying to blame me for things or create controversy.

Next, I will address this post;

"A parent that frequents this forum writes a blog for his daughters team. He and the blog are well known at the U14 level as a source (at least until recently) for him to make very unflattering comments about essentially anyone and anything else that wasn't totally his way, his team. Have any of you ever visited a U of O blog and read what they post about OSU? I would say my blog is really, really tame in comparison. Also, has anyone heard of being competitive? of rivalry? of motivating a team?

It became a concern for others when he made derogatory comments about other girls teams and started mentioning players names from other teams on his blog. I mention other players because they are awesome and pose a threat. I have never spoken negatively of players. Yes, I use players names, it is because our players play with them on ODP or ID2, these girls are fantastic players and need our attention in order for us to play well against them.

Sure we all read it from time to time, but it also pretty common knowledge that he and the blog are a source of embarrassment for the team, their parents, and the club they play for. Name one parent that is embarrassed. Our team isn't and neither is the club. I am friends with every parent and if they were concerned about anything I have ever written, they would tell me and I would remove or reword it. I also am part of the club. I am friends with the DOC's, directors and the president. None of them are even concerned or care. Can't say as much for this poster.He was critical of his teams tactics publicly on a recent post (essentially blaming a loss on poor substituting).See above. His ego knows no boundaries apparently, and he is willing to now use his forum to call out his daughters coach too. He'd be booted from most clubs immediately.."Prove it. No club would even give 2 cents to what a parent, player or fan writes. If they did, think of all the time they would waste reading papers, blogs etc. Who cares? For some reason you find it necessary to call me out. Jealously maybe? I don't know. What I do know is people post things without one thread of evidence or facts. My recommendation is fact check yourself before you post. It makes you look less stupid.