Club Players and Town Soccer

[Unregistered]

Interested to hear how if your club players eventually ended up quitting town soccer. Pros and Cons and rationale would be appreciated.

[Guest]

Interested to hear how if your club players eventually ended up quitting town soccer. Pros and Cons and rationale would be appreciated.

Unless it's way too much, why not stay until you can no longer play town at U-15? If the kid really likes soccer, they get to play more and they also get to make friends/relationships in the town that they will probably go to high school in.

Cons: more possibility of injury or playing on a town team that isn't all that good (which may matter to some parents but I don't think really matters.)

[Unregistered]

Unless it's way too much, why not stay until you can no longer play town at U-15? If the kid really likes soccer, they get to play more and they also get to make friends/relationships in the town that they will probably go to high school in.

Cons: more possibility of injury or playing on a town team that isn't all that good (which may matter to some parents but I don't think really matters.)

Agreed. Town soccer is all about playing the game you enjoy with your friends.

[Unregistered]

Our daugher quit at U13. There were conflicts with practices during the week and quite frankly the "attitude" that we got from the town coach wasn't worth it. Although neither she or we said a word to him about club (other than it took precedence for the tournament - Memorial Day), he always acted like we thought she/we were better than everyone. TOTALLY not the case. I think with the right town coach, it would be totally fine. Bottom line...his kid didn't (and couldn't) play club and there was jealousy.

[Unregistered]

Our daugher quit at U13. There were conflicts with practices during the week and quite frankly the "attitude" that we got from the town coach wasn't worth it. Although neither she or we said a word to him about club (other than it took precedence for the tournament - Memorial Day), he always acted like we thought she/we were better than everyone. TOTALLY not the case. I think with the right town coach, it would be totally fine. Bottom line...his kid didn't (and couldn't) play club and there was jealousy.

To add to what others are saying, she would have loved to stay and play with her town friends. The whole coach thing started to rear its head at U11. We gave her a choice each year and fall of U13 she decided to quit town. It was no longer fun for her to suffer the little digs thrown out.

[Unregistered]

Our daugher quit at U13. There were conflicts with practices during the week and quite frankly the "attitude" that we got from the town coach wasn't worth it. Although neither she or we said a word to him about club (other than it took precedence for the tournament - Memorial Day), he always acted like we thought she/we were better than everyone. TOTALLY not the case. I think with the right town coach, it would be totally fine. Bottom line...his kid didn't (and couldn't) play club and there was jealousy.

We had the same issue with my sons coach.

[Unregistered]

Interested to hear how if your club players eventually ended up quitting town soccer. Pros and Cons and rationale would be appreciated.

Had one quit at U9 and one stay until U12. Depends totally on the coach and the team. The talent and coaching in each town age bracket is different. If it works logistically and your player is having fun, stick with it. Not fun any more? Quit. It is very simple.

[Guest]

Had one quit at U9 and one stay until U12. Depends totally on the coach and the team. The talent and coaching in each town age bracket is different. If it works logistically and your player is having fun, stick with it. Not fun any more? Quit. It is very simple.

Totally agree.

[Unregistered]

Totally agree.

Thanks OP here. My kid is not having fun anymore so we didn't discourage her from leaving town, but wanted to get some other opinions. She would rather get more training with her club and a day or 2 off a week of free time. This fall she was playing 7 days a week between club and town practices and games.

[Guest]

Thanks OP here. My kid is not having fun anymore so we didn't discourage her from leaving town, but wanted to get some other opinions. She would rather get more training with her club and a day or 2 off a week of free time. This fall she was playing 7 days a week between club and town practices and games.

If it was my kid and they came to me and said they didn't like town soccer any more, I'd tell them to finish the season and not recommit for the next. I wouldn't encourage them to quit mid-season. If it is like regular town soccer, with tryouts and she's already registered for next spring, I'd let them know now that she decided it was too much and she has chosen not to play this spring as there is still time to change rosters.

[Unregistered]

Totally agree.

My daughter is town U12 at this point, not club, although that may be subject to change. She also has the option of playing in a different town program because she goes to school in a different (larger) town.

In any case, she is on the better of the two town teams. There are 3* club players. They could not make very many practices, but did come when they could, plus they made all the games.

The arrangement seemed to work. No complaints from the town players/parents and none from the club players.

*two of the 3 you could see the subtle differences between the club kids and the other kids. Player #3, not at all. When the coach put his best 8 out there, she wasn't one of them. Big issue with her was size and I would imagine in the club setting this was brought out even more. Again, however, there was no problem, and you probably have to credit this kid's parents for not raising a big fuss "my kid plays club and isn't a star here? ...etc."

[Unregistered]

My daughter is town U12 at this point, not club, although that may be subject to change. She also has the option of playing in a different town program because she goes to school in a different (larger) town.

In any case, she is on the better of the two town teams. There are 3* club players. They could not make very many practices, but did come when they could, plus they made all the games.

The arrangement seemed to work. No complaints from the town players/parents and none from the club players.

*two of the 3 you could see the subtle differences between the club kids and the other kids. Player #3, not at all. When the coach put his best 8 out there, she wasn't one of them. Big issue with her was size and I would imagine in the club setting this was brought out even more. Again, however, there was no problem, and you probably have to credit this kid's parents for not raising a big fuss "my kid plays club and isn't a star here? ...etc."

Playing "club" does not have the same ring to it used to. It completely depends on which "club" and which level at that "club" like A team, B team, C team, etc.

[Unregistered]

It was my daughter's travel coach who encouraged her to find a good club to join. She still plays with her travel team. The travel coach understands that the club has priority but he knows my daughter will always practice and play with them whenever she can. She has great fun with the girls on her travel team.

[Unregistered]

We had a town coach who was very supportive of our club/ ODP player. More than happy to let her skip practices and occasional games, with the understanding that she was playing soccer anyway. Problem was that it was an unfair system - despite benefitting her. Everyone played, but time wasn't equal, and often my daughter would get more time than kids who went to every town event. It was "tolerated" because she helped the team win, but what type of lesson was she learning? So at U13 we made her choose, and she chose club. She still went to school and played basketball with her friends, and she was no less socially accepted than the kids who stayed on the team. The team wasn't quite as good, but I think everyone involved respected and understood the decision. When she got to HS she "rejoined" the group for soccer and all was fine.

[Unregistered]

If it was my kid and they came to me and said they didn't like town soccer any more, I'd tell them to finish the season and not recommit for the next. I wouldn't encourage them to quit mid-season. If it is like regular town soccer, with tryouts and she's already registered for next spring, I'd let them know now that she decided it was too much and she has chosen not to play this spring as there is still time to change rosters.

OP again... That's what we did. She didn't quit mid season. Finished out the season. Our town registers each season, so not registering for the Spring.