Teams
Forum List
Toggle sidebar

Youth Soccer Participation

Most people play on travel teams “pay to play” as some people call it starting at 8 (U9 level).
 
BillBrasky4Cy said:
Because people don’t make piles of money on neighborhood sports/rec leagues. Youth sports are crazy corrupt and I don’t get why people continue to buy into them.
Click to expand...

For me, the youth league is the best option. I know it's a money grab, but at least the competition is going to be pretty even during the course of a league.

Some of the rec leagues down here are really rec. Good rec teams kill others and then parents get upset because their kid isn't having fun. Or they get verbally abusive at the "good" players telling them they show be in premier. That shouldnt happen. I've heard it all. It's sad.

To be fair, I'll completely admit that some parents are aholes regardless of where the kids are playing.

Also, since the financial committment isn't there, chunks of a team just won't show up for a game. We went to a game for one of my daughter's friends and they had to forfeit because they didn't have enough kids show up.

I hope my scenario is isolated, but it left me with a very bad impression. I would love for it to be different, but those are the two options I'm faced with.
 
  • Like
Reactions: wxman1, BCClone and BillBrasky4Cy
This why U.S. Soccer will never be great. Everyone knows it, but it won’t change. All that ******** about relegation in U.S. leagues makes no ******* difference because that is also about money. Soccer might as well be lacrosse in this country. There are a vast number of underprivileged kids in this country with potential who love soccer and play it everyday on dirt fields but will never be seen or get training because of the pay to play culture.
 
  • Winner
Reactions: Diggame
I've never once gone to bat and defended soccer but I will today.

It's the same thing that's killing enrollment in youth football. It's not (for the most part) concussions, it's video games and air conditioning.

Why would I go outside in the hot sun and risk getting yelled at by a coach when I could lay on the couch all day? Plus, sports are hard. And they're supposed to be fun but what's with all this running?
 
  • Agree
  • Winner
  • Like
Reactions: cyfan21, ghettocowboy4cy, CycloneVet and 11 others
dualthreat said:
I've never once gone to bat and defended soccer but I will today.

It's the same thing that's killing enrollment in youth football. It's not (for the most part) concussions, it's video games and air conditioning.

Why would I go outside in the hot sun and risk getting yelled at by a coach when I could lay on the couch all day? Plus, sports are hard. And they're supposed to be fun but what's with all this running?
Click to expand...

And on the flip side if you’re a parent why even take the chance that the coach is filming your kid without a shirt on in their hotel room or jerking it while watching your kid sleep.
 
  • Optimistic
Reactions: Farnsworth
CycloneDaddy said:
Little Joey isnt getting a full ride by playing rec ball.
Click to expand...

This is the ultimate answer. Everyone thinks their kid is an all star and by doing all the extra leagues and pay to play teams they are going to hit it big someday with a scholarship.

The pay for play travel league lifestyle drove a family that made approx $120,000 in our community to file for bankruptcy. They thought it would pay off in the end with a scholarship and now they are paying $50,000 for private school so their kid can play D3 ball.
 
mtowncyclone13 said:
Why don't we have just normal neighborhood aports anymore?
Click to expand...

Cause cities are looking to save money. Rec leagues that used to be run by cities are now handed over to private organizations. So not everyone can afford to play anymore. 20 years ago, we had Tball and baseball all summer long. Now, when we tried to sign up our son for Tball, it was 2 weeks long during the day with only a couple of games.

Plus, with all the creeps out there you can't just let your kids ride down to the park anymore.
 
pulse said:
This why U.S. Soccer will never be great. Everyone knows it, but it won’t change. All that ******** about relegation in U.S. leagues makes no ******* difference because that is also about money. Soccer might as well be lacrosse in this country. There are a vast number of underprivileged kids in this country with potential who love soccer and play it everyday on dirt fields but will never be seen or get training because of the pay to play culture.
Click to expand...

How unique is pay to play to soccer though? Seems like expensive travel teams are pretty common for volleyball, baseball, and basketball. Hockey and football have always been costly at high levels too. That hasn't prevented the US from having strong national teams in those sports. As far as what I see, expensive is the norm for youth sports regardless of what you play.
 
  • Agree
Reactions: VeloClone, wxman1, NATEizKING and 1 other person
Clonehomer said:
Cause cities are looking to save money. Rec leagues that used to be run by cities are now handed over to private organizations. So not everyone can afford to play anymore. 20 years ago, we had Tball and baseball all summer long. Now, when we tried to sign up our son for Tball, it was 2 weeks long during the day with only a couple of games.

Plus, with all the creeps out there you can't just let your kids ride down to the park anymore.
Click to expand...

There are creeps in the AAU circuits also.
 
aeroclone said:
How unique is pay to play to soccer though? Seems like expensive travel teams are pretty common for volleyball, baseball, and basketball. Hockey and football have always been costly at high levels too. That hasn't prevented the US from having strong national teams in those sports. As far as what I see, expensive is the norm for youth sports regardless of what you play.
Click to expand...

Regardless of whether pay for play is good for strong national teams, it does negatively affect participation. There just aren't 'for fun' opportunities anymore. You either commit your kid full time or don't play. Youth sports aren't just there to find the next superstar athletes.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Help Support Us

Become a patron
Top Bottom
Back