New dad lost

So I have found a couple topics related to my question but wanted to get some insight from some veterans parents to a new select dad. Got my daughter into academy prior to select signing and of course signed with that academy team to select. rooster of 11 playing 9v9. Daughter was developing at a great rate and we were pleased in academy. At signing some other players that had came to open practice once or twice ended up signing bringing us to 14. Which brings me to where we are now entering the second half of season with 15. My questions is development has halted and playing time is dwindling to minimal as coach rotates two field position for the remaining players on the bench and plays a solid 6-7 girls the whole game. This is not how all select teams operate is it? I am just weighing her options before next signing is upon us.I am a firm believer that playing time is important for development, but should be earned also but does not seem to be the case with this team. Any insight would be appreciated, I am new to this so don't rip me to bad.

I hate to say it, but a lot of coaches do this. It's very frustrating, especially once you are under contract and stuck for a year. I think it is a very common practice unfortunately. Not sure what 2 minutes on the field is going to do for a 10 year old.

Texasdad! wrote:My questions is development has halted and playing time is dwindling to minimal as coach rotates two field position for the remaining players on the bench and plays a solid 6-7 girls the whole game. This is not how all select teams operate is it? I am just weighing her options before next signing is upon us.I am a firm believer that playing time is important for development, but should be earned also but does not seem to be the case with this team. Any insight would be appreciated

I've never seen somebody get better/develop while sitting on the bench ... but ... like you said, this is Select Soccer and playing time should be earned.

However, if the same 6 or 7 never leave the match, and the other 2 field positions seemed to be constantly substituted for each other ... it sounds like "development" has taken a backseat to "winning first and foremost" ... because we all know that best is indicator of development is a 90% Winning Percentage LOL!!!

IMO ... Roster Size is key and finding a Coach who isn't concerned with being #1 in Lake Highlands at the U11 level. U11 "success" is not a indicator for sustained long-term success and development. Before the advent of DA, ECNL, etc... you'd often see on the Boys side that the best U11/U12/U13 teams consisted of man-children who just had physically developed faster than their peers in terms of Height/Weight/Speed ... now that is pretty broad generalization, but I think you get what I am saying. Often times the best U11 Team is nowhere near the pinnacle they used to be once they hit U16/U17/U18 ... the Bigger, Faster, Stronger playing field has leveled off some and then you get to see some of the better coached/developed Teams rise up.

My best piece of advice would be ... wade out the Spring season and utilize Open Practices in June to evaluate what the Coach is all about. Club Soccer is a "business" here in NTX ... businesses are designed to bring in money and a larger roster size + "winning" keeps you Customers (I mean Parents) happy most of the time. I would look at smaller Indy Teams in the area that carry smaller rosters for more playing time ... but that's just me though.

Appreciate the responses and insight. We have not been in the select soccer arena long but kind of starting to see the points that you have all touched on. Guess pays to really vet a team before making a decision.

SPANK HIM TIMMY!!!!

Heya TexasDad --

Thanks for the post ... It's been awhile since we've had any legitimately sincere questions posed.  A few things initially (and I'll be frank given the circumstances) -- 11 are too few for a 9v9 roster.  As a parent, I'd be nervous signing with a team with 2 on the bench and as a former coach of kids in this group, I'd have had more (which it seems your coach would agree).  And I wouldn't be surprised if you disagree here, but since I've both seen and heard this same scenario so many times, I'd guess that your kid's 'development' did not cease due to these other kids coming on -- It's more likely the case that the new kids that came onto the team are stronger in the coach's eyes than yours so are playing more than her, leading you to the contention that she is no longer 'developing', much due to you simply having not seen her play as much.

As I've let fly numerous times over the years on this forum, the term 'development' is spouted off around here so often, and more oft than not, misapplied by your typical TX soccer dad.  At her age, the majority of your kid's 'development' happens in her own free time.  If your kid doesn't have a ball at her feet after school on her own accord, don't expect her to be a world beater.  Most of the players you see out on the field dominating are doing so not because of playing time during the match in the past couple of years, nor due to their coach, but due to their love + passion for the game and work on their own or with a private coach.  I'd also add that given that the kids at this age/level team train 3-4 hours/week and only play in matches ~40-60 minutes/week, your coach's training session content/progression/level of engagement is much more pertinent to what you deem as 'development' than the match itself.

And while I agree with TX14 in most of his or her post here, he/she is mistaken in his/her contention that match playing time dictates development.  I'd also add that his/her "Club Soccer is a "business" here" statement certainly shouldn't be limited NTX ... It's a business everywhere in the US.

Happy Friday Sir and good luck out there!

What ern is trying to say is..don't blame the coach you're paying for not doing his job. Blame your dd. His other point is you're not paying enough so go find another coach and pay him for private lessons. You have to give to get..got it? Now go get it. Make sure you have her at a da club too so she gets first crack at it when it's time. But it will probably never be time but at least you helped finance the beast.

-the bige whisperer.

This would be a good time to introduce her to futsal. This would allow you to supplement less playing time while also improving her through game play. Futsal can be played with friends and guided by a parent.

Hes a veteran now.

My two cents (and don't forget, that's about two cents more than Cardi R will tell you it's worth).

First and foremost, you need to be able to be objective when it comes to how good of an athlete, and how good of a player, your kid is. If you can't be objective, then there's a high chance that the narrative you describe will happen over and over again.

IMO, the best situation is a team where your kid clearly fits talent-wise into the top half of the team, but isn't necessarily the best player on the team. You want your kid to be in a situation where practicing with and against her teammates is challenging for her, but not overwhelming. That's where "development" will be maximized. Also, while there are some kids that are just content to be on a team with friends/teammates that they like, most kids I know that are playing competitive sports, want to be playing in the games. If your kid isn't getting on the field in games, it's time to move on.

Big club, small club, independent team really doesn't matter. You just want to find a team that is a good fit from a talent/competition standpoint, and a team/coach that fosters a good environment for your kid. It may take some time and effort to attend multiple practices/tryouts and do your research, but in the long run, you and your kid's chances of being happy will be much higher.

Also, note that the coach behavior you described in your original post, will be more likely to occur the higher up the competitive ladder you go. It's by no means exclusive to the higher levels, but there is a general correlation along those lines (as well as with the "intensity" of the parents).

It's been forever since I posted. But Development is a combination of Player, Parent and Coach. Development especially at younger ages rarely occurs during the game. Development happens in training when you actually have a chance to become familiar with the ball. consider in most games a player might touch the ball 2-3% of the time. So the game you learn tactics your learn about the game but you don't develop as much as you can touching the ball on your own and in training. I think I get Foxy's point but the job is that of many.

Let foxy break it down for everyone in an easy to understand comparison...trumps wall. A lot of parents are like the far left coo coo birds. They want to let everyone in especially their dd even if they don't bring anything to the table. The big clubs and big e are like the far right coo coo birds. They want to build a wall so it looks like they've done something to their paying constituents and they will make a lot of money off it don't listen to facts just go with your gut...kind of like paying your soccer bill. At the end of the day they're both wrong. The right answer is some wall, some drones, some more people and better management. If someone has the right tools and the desire they will find a way to get in, but you can keep a large number of undesirables out with the right system. We need good immigrants to keep the economy going, the clubs need good players to keep the money flowing. Most immigrants will not be doctors but help the system. Most kids won't be superstars but will keep the money flowing. The kid that has the tools and desire playing soccer will find her way thru the system. The parent with no sense will spend a ton of money and not get the result they want.


-Vote for Foxy

One more thing to to add to this wonderful thread... if you are at a big club, and the coach is a full time coach, they will have 3-5 teams. I have found that in many cases, not all but many, that coach gives 75% of their coaching effort and knowledge into their "Top" team. The team that wins the most and has the best ability to propel that coach forward professionally. The other teams that are coached by this person get the remaining 25%. They are mainly money makers for this person and you see a lot of "going through the motions." I'm not saying this is the case in your DD's team, just another thing to look out for. A lot of times when you see maxed out rosters, this is why. Lastly, remember that you are paying for a service, a lot of coaches feel like you are paying for the privilege of being on their team. This couldn't be farther from the truth. Make sure and shop around!!