New Age Mattix updated

[Unregistered]

Completely agree.

I too have a U12 and he will be fine. Some U11s will struggle.

Some town/travel leagues go by 2 year groupings: U10, U12, U14 etc.

That means there could be 6th, 7th, and 8th graders at U14 next year.

Having just watched my older son play MS, there was a HUGE difference between some 7th and 8th graders.

11 v 11 also significantly changes things. The taller/bigger kids gaining muscle and going through puberty can catch up with, outrun, and push the smaller (sometimes very skilled players) off the ball.

Already seeing it at U12 with some of the bigger/stronger players.

I have a U12 boy. Not sure what this means, he has a June birth date. It looks like he'll play U13 with some of his older current teammates moving up and some of the boys from the current U11 team taking their places.

His team will lose 3 or 4 of it's best players (the oldest ones). I'm curious if this is the case with most teams?

I can see both sides to this, but for my son this doesn't seem to be an issue.

[Unregistered]

They screwed this whole thing up. They should have implemented the changes going forward at a specific u little age, like 9 or 10 instead of radically altering the entire landscape.

Agree. And I don't really understand the rush of getting all age groups disrupted. When someone sarcastically joked about this fixing US problem in catching up with the rest of world, I really wonder if the executives are not really thinking that. Can they be this dumb? I really but really don't see the advantage or where the immediate change of the whole landscape benefits the kids playing soccer in United States in general and USNT in particular. Am I missing anything? School me please.

[Unregistered]

Agree. And I don't really understand the rush of getting all age groups disrupted. When someone sarcastically joked about this fixing US problem in catching up with the rest of world, I really wonder if the executives are not really thinking that. Can they be this dumb? I really but really don't see the advantage or where the immediate change of the whole landscape benefits the kids playing soccer in United States in general and USNT in particular. Am I missing anything? School me please.

I didn't have a problem with the original matrix as it allowed a "do over" of sorts. This do over allowed the opportunity for some kids another year at their current age to develop to the game more appropriately. Some kids who were playing up already were put in a position where they may have lucked into 2 years of playing up. This allowed for still more development. Granted it was rare and those kids simply get the one year of development which is still good.

But having many kids repeat their current year was not bad for development of the game. If they were ready to move on then they still had the opportunity to play up.

While I understand that actual makeup of the teams under this matrix remains the same the elements of the game that changes that some kids have not yet been developed for do change. This is rushing development and is far more harmful for more kids than the previous matrix was.

If your kid, as an 04 was truly ready for 11v11 then play up. If your kid could benefit, due to a lack of size or other reasons, playing 8v8 again while developing to 11v11 then that seemed the better of the two options.

More kids would have benefited in the long run with more options for development.

[Unregistered]

I have a U12 boy. Not sure what this means, he has a June birth date. It looks like he'll play U13 with some of his older current teammates moving up and some of the boys from the current U11 team taking their places.

His team will lose 3 or 4 of it's best players (the oldest ones). I'm curious if this is the case with most teams?

I can see both sides to this, but for my son this doesn't seem to be an issue.

Often times the perceived better players are the older players because physical maturity at the those ages can make a difference. By HS the it starts to even out and the real skills start to come through, not just who is a bit faster or taller. It certainly does for girls who are mostly done growing, a bit longer for boys. But if you have a kid playing in HS they're mixing it up with men, not boys, if they play varsity early.

[Unregistered]

Agree. And I don't really understand the rush of getting all age groups disrupted. When someone sarcastically joked about this fixing US problem in catching up with the rest of world, I really wonder if the executives are not really thinking that. Can they be this dumb? I really but really don't see the advantage or where the immediate change of the whole landscape benefits the kids playing soccer in United States in general and USNT in particular. Am I missing anything? School me please.

I have a 1998 boy who is a U17 this season (Fall 2015-Spring 2016). If I read the new age matrix correctly, he will get screwed out of his U18 season, to include being able to compete in college showcase tournaments next fall. He will be a senior and making that last push to garner interest from colleges. Can't believe this age group will play all these years, only to have the rug pulled out from under them at the most important time.

[Unregistered]

I have a U11 with a Dec. 27th b-day. He's tiny for his age, only 58 lbs, and looked a little out of place even this year playing on his town travel with U11/U12 combined (size wise, he's fine skill wise). Now next year, he will be playing against kids even a year older than this year in a U13/U14 combined age group, with many of them hitting growth spurts. I realize his is perhaps a worst case scenario, but I'm sure there are a handful of these players in every town. Our solution may be to try a club team, at least for next year, so he'll be in with only U13s, and will be similar to just playing with the older kids on his team this year. That will take the biggest kids out of the equation and he'll only have to deal with the extra players and field size changes. At least this will prepare him a little bit more for the physicality of high school play, so that's a plus....

[Unregistered]

I have a 1998 boy who is a U17 this season (Fall 2015-Spring 2016). If I read the new age matrix correctly, he will get screwed out of his U18 season, to include being able to compete in college showcase tournaments next fall. He will be a senior and making that last push to garner interest from colleges. Can't believe this age group will play all these years, only to have the rug pulled out from under them at the most important time.

Talk with his current club now about what their plans are for winter/spring showcases. Given his situation they should allow him to guest roster for other teams that are showcasing as well. In other words, hustle NOW

Moving forward players such as yours will have to plan ahead more carefully. And coaches will have to adjust to the new alignment as well.

[Unregistered]

Talk with his current club now about what their plans are for winter/spring showcases. Given his situation they should allow him to guest roster for other teams that are showcasing as well. In other words, hustle NOW

Moving forward players such as yours will have to plan ahead more carefully. And coaches will have to adjust to the new alignment as well.

My original point is that the entire group of 1998's are getting screwed. I am probably biased in my view, as I am the parent of a 1998, but it looks to me that this age group is the most affected and I don't see or hear any talk about it.

While I appreciate your response and suggestions, guesting with another team is not the best situation to showcase yourself. I find it unacceptable to put a whole age group in this situation, at a critical time (Senior year, college recruiting). At least kids in younger age groups, who may be "inconvenienced", have many years ahead of them to "recover".

[Unregistered]

Talk with his current club now about what their plans are for winter/spring showcases. Given his situation they should allow him to guest roster for other teams that are showcasing as well. In other words, hustle NOW

Moving forward players such as yours will have to plan ahead more carefully. And coaches will have to adjust to the new alignment as well.

The problem is that US Soccer simply changed the previously understood age matrix without a press release stating that it had been updated. At least the original change was well publicized but this change really happened under the radar. Nothing about US Soccer's page was changed hinting at the restructuring of the matrix.

I seriously wonder how many families will simply find out about the "New, New Matrix" this spring at tryouts?

So there are some families that are going to be seriously blindsided by this latest change.

[Unregistered]

The problem is that US Soccer simply changed the previously understood age matrix without a press release stating that it had been updated. At least the original change was well publicized but this change really happened under the radar. Nothing about US Soccer's page was changed hinting at the restructuring of the matrix.

I seriously wonder how many families will simply find out about the "New, New Matrix" this spring at tryouts?

So there are some families that are going to be seriously blindsided by this latest change.

Now that things are somewhat more clarified (somewhat lol) clubs need to get on the ball and start communicating to parents what their plans are. I know many already have. that way parents can start planning well ahead of time.

[Unregistered]

My original point is that the entire group of 1998's are getting screwed. I am probably biased in my view, as I am the parent of a 1998, but it looks to me that this age group is the most affected and I don't see or hear any talk about it.

While I appreciate your response and suggestions, guesting with another team is not the best situation to showcase yourself. I find it unacceptable to put a whole age group in this situation, at a critical time (Senior year, college recruiting). At least kids in younger age groups, who may be "inconvenienced", have many years ahead of them to "recover".

If US soccer can come up with one logic explanation about why they don't just implement this starting at an young age ( 10's, 11's, even 12's) and let the rest play out, a LOT of us will try to understand or even see it in their perspective. They simply can't and probably their reasoning would be be it will be too confusing. If they really dig it deep it's not. It will be less disruption and smoothly and naturally the transition will occur.

[Unregistered]

I have a U11 with a Dec. 27th b-day. He's tiny for his age, only 58 lbs, and looked a little out of place even this year playing on his town travel with U11/U12 combined (size wise, he's fine skill wise). Now next year, he will be playing against kids even a year older than this year in a U13/U14 combined age group, with many of them hitting growth spurts. I realize his is perhaps a worst case scenario, but I'm sure there are a handful of these players in every town. Our solution may be to try a club team, at least for next year, so he'll be in with only U13s, and will be similar to just playing with the older kids on his team this year. That will take the biggest kids out of the equation and he'll only have to deal with the extra players and field size changes. At least this will prepare him a little bit more for the physicality of high school play, so that's a plus....

Again, the kids your son was going to play with next year hasn't changed with this latest tweak, BUT the size of the field and the number of players did fundamentally change on him.

The matrix only changed the designation that the 04's will play as. Under the previous matrix, 04's were slated to repeat at U12. 04's playing as U11 were going to be bumped up to u12. Your son would have played with roughly the same group of kids. But the 04's are now going to be designated U13 instead and with that comes big boy soccer that physically and tactically many of the U11 04's simply are not ready for next year.

This sucks for your son and thousands in his shoes.

[Unregistered]

Some great posts here observing the real impact. To the parent and/or the player, it's not so easy to dismiss with "Relax!"

Here's my question -- if we all agree the player development initiatives are sound, then why is the new age group matrix necessary?

Advanced players were already playing up as it is. The USNT pools routinely select players into older age groups. It's common at lower levels. Seems to me the change in age group matrix is disruptive, unnecessary and misguided. Motive is suspect to me.

[Unregistered]

Again, the kids your son was going to play with next year hasn't changed with this latest tweak, BUT the size of the field and the number of players did fundamentally change on him.

The matrix only changed the designation that the 04's will play as. Under the previous matrix, 04's were slated to repeat at U12. 04's playing as U11 were going to be bumped up to u12. Your son would have played with roughly the same group of kids. But the 04's are now going to be designated U13 instead and with that comes big boy soccer that physically and tactically many of the U11 04's simply are not ready for next year.

This sucks for your son and thousands in his shoes.

I know of a team that has 90 % of 2000's. They are U15 this year and next year they will all be U17's. They have 2 years left instead of 3 at crucial time of showcasing. Losing an year benefits them in what? This sucks for my son and "hundred" thousands in his shoes.

[Unregistered]

Again, the kids your son was going to play with next year hasn't changed with this latest tweak, BUT the size of the field and the number of players did fundamentally change on him.

The matrix only changed the designation that the 04's will play as. Under the previous matrix, 04's were slated to repeat at U12. 04's playing as U11 were going to be bumped up to u12. Your son would have played with roughly the same group of kids. But the 04's are now going to be designated U13 instead and with that comes big boy soccer that physically and tactically many of the U11 04's simply are not ready for next year.

This sucks for your son and thousands in his shoes.

It does indeed change the kids he's playing with, since he plays town travel, with two age groups combined. Old matrix, he'd be U12 playing on a U11/U12 team. New matrix, he's U13 playing on a U13/U14 team, this adds another year of older kids (mostly 8th graders, he'll be a 6th grader). This along with the larger field and extra players can be tough on the youngest players, especially if they are small on top of it. As I said, club is looking like a good option, as it will put him in with mostly 7th graders in a single U13 age group, taking the 8th graders out.