There are many competitive town based club teams at the younger ages in Maple. Filling out an 8v8 roster with enough talented kids is realistic for most towns. Several of these towns have qualified coaches, decent training and they operate at a much lower cost. It's a win/win for everyone involved. Then U13 happens.
The expansion to 11v11 puts a real strain on these teams and the coaches. The parents get used to being competitive and they go into the U13 season with high expectations. When they get exposed on the big field, and the weaker players get taken advantage of, the mood on the sideline begins to turn. The kids get frustrated and the parents get surly. By the end of the Fall season there is a lot of whispering going on. By April people have reached out to the larger clubs to test the waters.
There are very few town based clubs that succeed after U12. I can't think of any off the top of my head but I'm sure someone will chime in with one. Why can't the model be U-little to U12 in town and then release them onward and upward to a traditional club. Watching a town club team at U13 is like watching Brett Favre trying to play well past his prime.
Most people involved in town soccer do it for the very best reason. They want to help kids succeed. Holding on to them for too long runs completely counter to that.
The expansion to 11v11 puts a real strain on these teams and the coaches. The parents get used to being competitive and they go into the U13 season with high expectations. When they get exposed on the big field, and the weaker players get taken advantage of, the mood on the sideline begins to turn. The kids get frustrated and the parents get surly. By the end of the Fall season there is a lot of whispering going on. By April people have reached out to the larger clubs to test the waters.
There are very few town based clubs that succeed after U12. I can't think of any off the top of my head but I'm sure someone will chime in with one. Why can't the model be U-little to U12 in town and then release them onward and upward to a traditional club. Watching a town club team at U13 is like watching Brett Favre trying to play well past his prime.
Most people involved in town soccer do it for the very best reason. They want to help kids succeed. Holding on to them for too long runs completely counter to that.
Comment