Soccer Community can learn from Hockey

[Cujo]

Ten years ago the youth hockey world in Massachusetts went through the current cycle that youth soccer is experiencing. At that time Massachusetts was producing more professional hockey players per capita than any other part of the world. The hockey environment that produced those players was marked by large numbers of kids playing, lots of ice time for practice, and good competition at all levels. The A & B team concepts were in place but at the younger ages of 6 to 13 were heavily focused on development as opposed to team performance. Town programs were the norm and the primary source of players. Ten years later hockey has changed. Coaches evaluate players with stopwatches first and skills second. Pay to play junior teams, select teams, are now the goal for parents. Players as young as 11 are being slotted to "elite" teams. Now that the focus has shifted what has happened to hockey Massachusetts? The quality and quantity of players being drafted into the NHL has plummeted. This years crop of Mass. players is as thin as can be remembered. Allegedly elite Junior teams are frequently no more than places for parents with money to buy a slot for their kid. Junior in NE is a D league compared to real Jr Hockey as found in Quebec and Ottawa. Jack Parker of BU has been predicting this for years but nobody has been listening. He has vocally decried the focus on the stopwatch evaluation process, obsession with size, and the too early introduction of tactical concepts to players and most importantly, the idea that cutting an 11 year old from a squad is in any way useful. He argues that highly structured competition and hierchcical assessment and placement of players should not begin until they are at least 14. Unfortunately Ma. hockey leaders have routinely ignored his advice. The folks who run soccer in Ma. would do well to look at what the hockey powers have done and then do the exact opposite.

[tooslowtball]

There are some similiar problems I have seen between the two sports that Parker speaks off

1. Specialization of one sport too early.
2. Playing the one sport all year.

The benefits of cross training and cross player development (I hate that term it still sounds like a sales pitch)

There are great benefits for a Hockey player to play soccer, and Lacrosse instead of just one. I have also seen the benefit of a serious soccer player whom plays hockey.

In any event who knows what will be the kids best sport until those hormones have done their work. I think the specialization limits the kids opportunities.

[Dad&Driver]

In my experience "Elite" at 11 years old = bigger and faster than their peers.

Usually by 14 or 15 these things even out and skills start to seperate players but even then some kids won't fill out until they are 17 or 18.

[FSM]

http://sports.yahoo.com/sow/news?slug=a ... &type=lgns

41 percent more households tuned into Gold Cup final than Stanley Cup final

June 26, 2007

NEW YORK (AP) -- The CONCACAF Gold Cup final attracted 41 percent more television households in the United States than the Stanley Cup finals clincher -- and that was just for the soccer game's Spanish-language telecast.

The United States' 2-1 come-from-behind victory over Mexico on Sunday received a 2.5 fast national rating on Univision, the network said Tuesday. That translates to 2.83 million households, nearly double the 1.48 million homes that watched the 2005 Gold Cup final between the United States and Panama.

This year's English-language telecast was on the Fox Soccer Channel, which is available in about 30 million homes and is not rated.

Anaheim's series-ending 6-2 victory over Ottawa in the Stanley Cup on June 6 received a 1.8 rating on NBC, which comes to 2,005,000 households.

The rating is the percentage watching a telecast among all homes with televisions, and a ratings point represents 1,114,000 households.

[Cujo]

In my experience "Elite" at 11 years old = bigger and faster than their peers.

Usually by 14 or 15 these things even out and skills start to seperate players but even then some kids won't fill out until they are 17 or 18.

I know some youth hockey coaches that make their first cuts based on skating speed and acceleration. With that philosophy players like Phil Esposito, Dino Cicerelli, Reg Kerr, Charlie Simmer, Peter McNab never would have made it out of Pee Wees. I have played hockey for 40 years in every kind of league imaginable. You need some speed on a team but every team needs a couple of players who have a feel for the net. Speed combined with hands of stone is absolutely useless. I have had some slow as molasses forwards with an incredible feel for the soccer net and lightning fast players that couldn't hit a bull in the *** at 2 feet with a bb. 2/3rds of all goals are scored on set plays/and or above the waist. What does speed do for you on Corners or set plays. Not much.....

It was not long ago that a good club soccer program cost $500 to $600 a year and it was possible to play another sport. Now many clubs are well over $1000 (some over $2000) not including travel, hotel, gas, etc.

I am not sure the extra cost is worth it. Too many parents "think" their player will get a big scholarship when they go to college. Many just get burned out or hurt by playing too much soccer. What are they going to do when they finally graduate college. Play more soccer?

[Cujo]

It was not long ago that a good club soccer program cost $500 to $600 a year and it was possible to play another sport. Now many clubs are well over $1000 (some over $2000) not including travel, hotel, gas, etc.

I am not sure the extra cost is worth it. Too many parents "think" their player will get a big scholarship when they go to college. Many just get burned out or hurt by playing too much soccer. What are they going to do when they finally graduate college. Play more soccer?

Nope, go to work to pay off their college loans..........

Re: Soccer Community can learn from Hockey

Ten years ago the youth hockey world in Massachusetts went through the current cycle that youth soccer is experiencing. At that time Massachusetts was producing more professional hockey players per capita than any other part of the world. The hockey environment that produced those players was marked by large numbers of kids playing, lots of ice time for practice, and good competition at all levels. The A & B team concepts were in place but at the younger ages of 6 to 13 were heavily focused on development as opposed to team performance. Town programs were the norm and the primary source of players. Ten years later hockey has changed. Coaches evaluate players with stopwatches first and skills second. Pay to play junior teams, select teams, are now the goal for parents. Players as young as 11 are being slotted to "elite" teams. Now that the focus has shifted what has happened to hockey Massachusetts? The quality and quantity of players being drafted into the NHL has plummeted. This years crop of Mass. players is as thin as can be remembered. Allegedly elite Junior teams are frequently no more than places for parents with money to buy a slot for their kid. Junior in NE is a D league compared to real Jr Hockey as found in Quebec and Ottawa. Jack Parker of BU has been predicting this for years but nobody has been listening. He has vocally decried the focus on the stopwatch evaluation process, obsession with size, and the too early introduction of tactical concepts to players and most importantly, the idea that cutting an 11 year old from a squad is in any way useful. He argues that highly structured competition and hierchcical assessment and placement of players should not begin until they are at least 14. Unfortunately Ma. hockey leaders have routinely ignored his advice. The folks who run soccer in Ma. would do well to look at what the hockey powers have done and then do the exact opposite.