Birth year change is bad for kids and the sport

[Unregistered]

This is the dumbest thing to come out of USSF to date. The Aug-Dec kids are completely left out. There is no good reason for this and I hear some clubs are not conforming.

[Unregistered]

This is the dumbest thing to come out of USSF to date. The Aug-Dec kids are completely left out. There is no good reason for this and I hear some clubs are not conforming.

As this gets closer more and more people are finally realizing the negative impact this will have. 40% of the kids being left without a team after their junior year is just wrong.

[Unregistered]

In my town, the vast majority of the kids that end up playing club, showed some talent at the req level, encouraging the parents to pay a premium for better coaching. As req soccer is going to continue to play by grade, a disproportionate number of kids entering the club system will be born in the Aug to Dec timeframe. Clubs would be wise to cater to this segment of their customer base.

If there are clubs that don’t conform to the birth year changes, as a parent of a Aug child, I’d be willing to pay a premium to have my kid in that program. Clubs are going to need to decide if they want to please US Soccer or their paying customers.

[Unregistered]

In my town, the vast majority of the kids that end up playing club, showed some talent at the req level, encouraging the parents to pay a premium for better coaching. As req soccer is going to continue to play by grade, a disproportionate number of kids entering the club system will be born in the Aug to Dec timeframe. Clubs would be wise to cater to this segment of their customer base.

If there are clubs that don’t conform to the birth year changes, as a parent of a Aug child, I’d be willing to pay a premium to have my kid in that program. Clubs are going to need to decide if they want to please US Soccer or their paying customers.

It's the leagues that will be conforming. And clubs can and will do both, conforming to the rules and pleasing the customer base by allowing certain kids to play up. Towns will be doing this too. IMO, playing up its not always best for individual player development though. Think late bloomers.

[Unregistered]

It's the leagues that will be conforming. And clubs can and will do both, conforming to the rules and pleasing the customer base by allowing certain kids to play up. Towns will be doing this too. IMO, playing up its not always best for individual player development though. Think late bloomers.

The problem with the new birth year is it leaves the Aug-dec kids completely out in 8th grade and their senior year. This is even worse for boys whom most do not get offers to college until their senir year. It is completely irresponsible.

[Unregistered]

Do we really need to discuss this topic again?

[Unregistered]

Do we really need to discuss this topic again?

Yes we do

USSF is out of touch with reality

[Unregistered]

Yes we do

USSF is out of touch with reality

I love it! My January birth date kid is going to kick butt!

[Unregistered]

The problem with the new birth year is it leaves the Aug-dec kids completely out in 8th grade and their senior year. This is even worse for boys whom most do not get offers to college until their senir year. It is completely irresponsible.

Most leagues are doing combined U18/19 for trapped seniors (who, btw aren't really that many because it's just the kids who are going to or want to play in college. The vast majority of HS seniors hag it up at their last HS game. By this time senior year you're done with applications, acceptances have gone out, etc). Problem solved there. For the 8th graders I know clubs are talking to each other, parents etc, trying to devise meaningful solutions. the solutions might not be as optimal as all would like but I don't think it's going to be a crushing blow to development or player happiness.

I'm neutral to whole idea - there's pros and cons. But I also know I can't change it and everyone has to adapt (and I my kids are very flexible, easy going). I have two players - one impacted, one not. For both we're exploring our options now before tryout season is in full swing. it's still hard to predict how things will all shake out so we're not putting all our eggs in one club basket.

[Unregistered]

No Body gives a crap at USSF holds the keys to the Kingdom and they will not bend....don't frustrate yourselves.

[Unregistered]

No Body gives a crap at USSF holds the keys to the Kingdom and they will not bend....don't frustrate yourselves.

Some Body at the Kingdom must give a crap.

[Unregistered]

Every league needs a cut off date of some point. I don't really care whether Aug 1 or Jan 1.

Where I think USSF missed the boat on this one is failure to acknowledge history and the disruptive nature of the change. I'm not talking about a child being displaced from a team. I'm talking about children being left out altogether. You can dismiss it as a limited few who have hung up there cleats or a handful of late bloomers who are still working on their soccer situation during their junior year in high school. Fact is, these are kids who have organized their youth soccer progression under a consistent set of rules only to see much change.

In 2 years, these changes will be irrelevant once accepted and implemented. Between now and then, there will continue to be sorting out that must occur. It's one thing to sort out at the younger levels where there are many options. It's hard to sort out when a kid has reached u17.

Long way of saying, USSF should have implemented this change at u14 and below. Allowing the changes to mature into the system would have proven less disruptive and ensured kids had a place to play for their junior and senior years of high school.

[Unregistered]

Every league needs a cut off date of some point. I don't really care whether Aug 1 or Jan 1.

Where I think USSF missed the boat on this one is failure to acknowledge history and the disruptive nature of the change. I'm not talking about a child being displaced from a team. I'm talking about children being left out altogether. You can dismiss it as a limited few who have hung up there cleats or a handful of late bloomers who are still working on their soccer situation during their junior year in high school. Fact is, these are kids who have organized their youth soccer progression under a consistent set of rules only to see much change.

In 2 years, these changes will be irrelevant once accepted and implemented. Between now and then, there will continue to be sorting out that must occur. It's one thing to sort out at the younger levels where there are many options. It's hard to sort out when a kid has reached u17.

Long way of saying, USSF should have implemented this change at u14 and below. Allowing the changes to mature into the system would have proven less disruptive and ensured kids had a place to play for their junior and senior years of high school.

I like your idea, seems sensible, and less challenging.

[Unregistered]

Every league needs a cut off date of some point. I don't really care whether Aug 1 or Jan 1. In 2 years, these changes will be irrelevant once accepted and implemented. Between now and then, there will continue to be sorting out that must occur. It's one thing to sort out at the younger levels where there are many options. It's hard to sort out when a kid has reached u17.

I'm trying to figure it out in my head, will the issue with 8th grade fall birthdays really go away in future years? Their spring teammates will always be playing on their 9th grade fall HS teams and they won't be playing on their club team in the fall. And you can't play up, because all the older kids will be playing on their HS teams too.

[Unregistered]

I'm trying to figure it out in my head, will the issue with 8th grade fall birthdays really go away in future years? Their spring teammates will always be playing on their 9th grade fall HS teams and they won't be playing on their club team in the fall. And you can't play up, because all the older kids will be playing on their HS teams too.

It's not going away. Those 8th-grade fall birthday kids likely will be training with their club and playing a few friendlies on teams mixed with the younger age group. Only so many possibilities.