Cheating in indoor soccer

[Unregistered]

Its the facilities rule, and every coach is given a copy of them, when they sign up. It usually requires a signature. The coach should be communicating with the players/parents, and know who is playing on other teams, and what division, along with the date the facility uses as a cut off. US soccer uses the January 1, and USYSA/USCS use August 1, and thats the responsibility of the coach. I agree things like that ate honest mistakes, but really is the lack of follow through at either the facility, or Head Coach level. Not the kid, and they are the ones ultimately punished, and the adults just feel bad. There really should be more wiggle room in these types of situations, but unfortunately those rules need to exist, because of coaches who will purposely skirt the rules for an indoor session 1 trophy, by playing intelligible players. Plus they know it's the first thing a lawyer/judge will ask for when that parent sues the facility for the teams money back. I do however wish there was more understanding when it comes to the kid who is a few days/weeks over the cut off, and is in the grade of the kids on the team. There are more than a few, and doesnt make sense to me. I think this could be handled different with some communication, and transparency.

You are the type of coach that ruin recreational sports. You want to over regulate in the name of fairness when what you clearly want is your little plastic trophy. Hate your type. Listen if you want more regulation of indoor soccer why don't you just volunteer to be the registrar at some facility and that way you can enforce the rules to your hearts content.

[Unregistered]

The reason that you feel it is so unfair is because you like to win as well.
Indoor soccer games are actually only the pickup games with refs. kinda expensive though.

[Unregistered]

You are the type of coach that ruin recreational sports. You want to over regulate in the name of fairness when what you clearly want is your little plastic trophy. Hate your type. Listen if you want more regulation of indoor soccer why don't you just volunteer to be the registrar at some facility and that way you can enforce the rules to your hearts content.

No I'm not! I actually agree, that in some cases they do over regulate, but the facility is forced to CYA in today's litigious America. Im just giving the why these facilities, have to react the way they do in such situations. The most undeserved group of players in the US today, is the recreational, playing for fun in a town league, for " XXX town house of pizza", who want to just play with their side of town friends, and get a little direction/coaching, but don't care if they win, lose, draw, as long as they are playing and having fun. There should be a little more common sense from the facilities with these teams, but the coaches putting these teams in need to have common sense as well, and not jump up 1 or 2 divisions. My dream would be to have indoor facilities just lay out scrimmage vests, and let the players figure out which field they should be playing on. That ain't gonna happen though is it?

[Unregistered]

No I'm not! I actually agree, that in some cases they do over regulate, but the facility is forced to CYA in today's litigious America. Im just giving the why these facilities, have to react the way they do in such situations. The most undeserved group of players in the US today, is the recreational, playing for fun in a town league, for " XXX town house of pizza", who want to just play with their side of town friends, and get a little direction/coaching, but don't care if they win, lose, draw, as long as they are playing and having fun. There should be a little more common sense from the facilities with these teams, but the coaches putting these teams in need to have common sense as well, and not jump up 1 or 2 divisions. My dream would be to have indoor facilities just lay out scrimmage vests, and let the players figure out which field they should be playing on. That ain't gonna happen though is it?

Whack job. Why are you b&ming for then?

[Unregistered]

You are the type of coach that ruin recreational sports. You want to over regulate in the name of fairness when what you clearly want is your little plastic trophy. Hate your type. Listen if you want more regulation of indoor soccer why don't you just volunteer to be the registrar at some facility and that way you can enforce the rules to your hearts content.

Bravo!!!! You also have to remember you all don't play year round. The facilities bills are the same in May as they are in December. A lot of those working in that industry get paid squat. Some try to not have as much structure as others to make it more enjoyable.

[Unregistered]

It's driven mostly by the facility and their willingness to enforce their rules, along with policing by coaches. Some facilities will be willing to be some effort into it, others less so. A facility we played at a few years ago did crack down after complaints - HS players vs U13s. No joke. Sixteen year olds vs pre-pubescent 13 year olds. Start with the facility first and remind them of liability issues. That usually will get their attention.

If a team is flagrant about violating the rules speak with the opposing coach. Sometimes a little face-to-face guilt can be effective. If it's questionable, play the game and beat them. Nothing like a little smack-down to shut folks up.

[Unregistered]

The fact that there is an actual discussion about indoor soccer shows why this state is a joke. Indoor soccer is purely recreational. If kids are within the same age range, that's what should matter. It really is pick up soccer.

[Unregistered]

Never said I was trying to be courageous. You guys are obviously the ones who do it. You must be proud. Having your 13 year old check 10 year old into the boards is awesome if it means you get trophies.

If I were you I'd be more upset about my coach having the kids play at a facility with boards than I would about some idiot cheating.

[Unregistered]

Ok, so for all the people who are simply dismissing the OP's comments and saying whats the big deal its indoor are missing the point. Doesnt matter if you are playing recreational soccer or for the state championship, cheating is cheating and its not any "less bad" when its not NEP, ECNL, or some other league. Bottom line is that there are coaches who simply feel that the most important thing to feed their ego is to collect some trophies from indoor soccer by bending or breaking the rules. So shame on you if you did that. At the same time, indoor is clearly a place where oversight and rule enforcement is only done if a coach complains or submits a formal request about another team cheating. So shame on a coach who is letting his young 11 year olds potentially be put in an unsafe setting against a much older team and not call out the team doing it to the facility. If I saw that and the facility did nothing about it, it would be the last time we played there. I think its fine to come on TS and get some opinions on the subject, but more importantly whoever the coach is needs to speak up to the right people if this indeed happened. And if its a true story, then i guess the loser who did it didnt have enough trophies in his case from when he was young and is trying to catch up now.

[Unregistered]

Honestly, unless you are going to tell us that there are a rash of broken bones, concussions, and torn ligaments associated with this situation you are making much ado about nothing.

[Unregistered]

Honestly, unless you are going to tell us that there are a rash of broken bones, concussions, and torn ligaments associated with this situation you are making much ado about nothing.

I find it quite hard to believe that a coach would actually bring in kids who are too old just to win an indoor league. Just because a kid looks older doesn't mean he is indeed too old. At the 11-13 age group you have some kids hitting puberty and others not even close so the size difference can be quite dramatic.
Unless you have a look at their birth certificate I would hold your comments.

[Unregistered]

I find it quite hard to believe that a coach would actually bring in kids who are too old just to win an indoor league. Just because a kid looks older doesn't mean he is indeed too old. At the 11-13 age group you have some kids hitting puberty and others not even close so the size difference can be quite dramatic.
Unless you have a look at their birth certificate I would hold your comments.

That's the point most of us are making. Almost nobody is doing it to win a league. If anyone is doing it, it is because they are treating it like pickup and they have a kid who is a little too old without a better time/place to play or they are a player short or they have a slightly older kid who fits better here.

[Unregistered]

That's the point most of us are making. Almost nobody is doing it to win a league. If anyone is doing it, it is because they are treating it like pickup and they have a kid who is a little too old without a better time/place to play or they are a player short or they have a slightly older kid who fits better here.

The OP is an over invested dad(or tiger mom) who's little Landon isn't going to win the indoor trophy, and that will thwart their facebook celebratory update. It's a sad state of affairs.

[Unregistered]

That's the point most of us are making. Almost nobody is doing it to win a league. If anyone is doing it, it is because they are treating it like pickup and they have a kid who is a little too old without a better time/place to play or they are a player short or they have a slightly older kid who fits better here.

Cut the crap with all the nutty soccer parents can you serious say you don't think its possible someone is putting older players on a team so they can win? I have seen what the OP is talking about more than once. And if only done for the altruistic reason of helping kids who have no team how come those questionable players never suck ? Why don't coaches seem to put bad players on their team if its just all about having fun.

[Unregistered]

Cut the crap with all the nutty soccer parents can you serious say you don't think its possible someone is putting older players on a team so they can win? I have seen what the OP is talking about more than once. And if only done for the altruistic reason of helping kids who have no team how come those questionable players never suck ? Why don't coaches seem to put bad players on their team if its just all about having fun.

One can never say never (after all you are here giving this issue your all) but the vast and overwhelming majority of us agree that the situation is probably more a case of casualness that of over zealousness. The injury angle is a non starter for me unless we are talking about a pattern of injuries and I personally suspect the OP was more upset at his team's lack of promise in the situation than the rules. I see them as one of the problems we all encounter than as a beacon of hope.