I have come to the conclusion that I HATE youth soccer coaches. My kids have always been on top team, played almost every minute of the game but I am to the point of no return.
I have had some great coaches train my kids but have come to the conclusion that they don't care about the kids it's just a job to them. I have one that has graduated and will play in college and another that will be a U16 next year so I believe I understand what your going through this week and next.
A word of advice to those that are at tryouts this year for select, be careful what you sign up for. Select soccer is a money making product and if the next kid is better, your kid will sit on the bench. kids learn by doing in real situations not by showing up for practice everyday. I was very fortunate that both my kids played every minute of the game but as I look back - there were so many that watch from the sideline and didn't get the playing time they deservered. Their parents were more interested in their kid playing on a certain team.
There is no shame playing on the second team or playing for that team across town or closer to home in order to get that field time experience. Please don't get sucked in to thinking you have to drive 30-40 minutes to be on that classic 1/athena A or r3PL team just to be on a certain team.
PLay close to home or far away if that allows your kid to be on the field. the most important part is to ensure youkid has fun, driving an hour is not fun.
Best of luck to all.

YIS,

How can you hate ALL coaches? Do you know them all? It's like saying I hate all lawyers, doctors, teachers or engineers.

Pathetic. (eom)

Most women are not prepared for sports.

YIS stands for Yours In Soccer

I normally signed my letters with YIC Yours in Christ

I am not a woman, nor am I depressed, you male chauvinist pig.

My kids are both grown and each played four years in college. I have to say that my kids had some coaches who really cared and most who kind of cared, but it was first and foremost their jobs. In great part one has to understand that many if not most of these full time coaches can't do anything but coach as they are not college educated or trained for anything else (particularly the retired pros from overseas). One word of warning, if I thought my kid's club coach was uncaring, I was shocked at how utterly uncaring the college coach is. They profess to care, but they don't and they are generally really poor role models.

Ouch

And you still read the forum...get a life dude.

It's a business....but I will preface this with the fact that both my son and I really like his coach and club this year, but we have experienced coaches who didn't really coach.

$300 may be a bit high but it's close for the bigger club.....with "A" licensed coaches

$300 coaching fees in the fall
$300 coaching fees in the spring

$600x15kids=$9000 per team

4 teams....$36,000 (4 teams is not the norm for lower level coaches but 2-3 is not out of the ordinary)

That doesn't include the fees that "directors" or "heads of..." get on top of coaching fees.

Also, your 'better' coaches are also coaching Super Y, or some other scrambling of letters. DA, ODP, ECNL,....

I find your warning very timely.

It's your kid, and he is $600 (or less in many cases) of yearly pay.

I think many coaches really like kids and genuinely want the players to do well, but the money aspect should not be forgotten. Is winning the tournament good for the morale of the team or good for the website? Why do we need to travel to Tennessee for a tournament? Are we spending $500 in a weekend in Chattanooga to reciprocate for the Chattanooga team coming to us (business), or are we doing something good for kids?

Losing $600 in player's fees at the end of the year isn't that big of a deal; it can be replaced by the next family shortly after tryouts.

It's a business..."a non-profit" business...but still a business.

Doing what's right for your kid is what matters.

The money that an individual pays for coaching is the cheapest part of playing soccer.

Do you have brain damage?

I don't have brain damage, but I can read and write above a 5th grade level.

I think you missed an episode or two of Reading Rainbow.

The focus of the original post was about the coaching.

Each player is a small part of a salary and is very dispensable.

If the focus of the post was on money, writing about 5k a year would be appropriate.

This is a business just like travel baseball and these clubs jobs are to bring in the most players and revenue by doing or saying anything.

My question is why does soccer bring out the worst in players and parents, far and above any other sport that I have been associated with. This forum is proof enough of the craziness that soccer breeds, no other type forum exists for baseball or football.

Is it the European influence of soccer that causes it?
Is it that soccer tends to be a game of individuals that promotes the "look at me" philosophy?
Is it because more mothers (females) than fathers seemed to be involved with soccer?
Is it because my involvement is with a daughter therefore again more young girls and females involved?
Is it because to be successful you have to play like a team but parents feel to get to college their kid has to rise above and be an individual stand out?
Is it because of the "club" setup which breeds unhealthy and unfriendly competition to get these kids?

Just like with eveything concerning a kid, it all goes back to the parents. Bad parents that dont have a clue how team sports work. Ugly parents that will do or say anything to get their kid ahead. Stupid parents that teach their kids all the wrong values that team sports are supposed to teach and not the individuality that soccer breeds. And finally bad coaches that put up with all of this ugliness and dont stand up and do the right thing because they may lose a good player or may lose the dues from that player.

Just my two cents about this confusing game of soccer.

soccer. There is more good stuff going on than bad and for every coach or parent slammed on here there are many more unsung heros. Just like any review site those who are unhappy are more like to take the time to post than those who are perfectly happy with their youth soccer experience.

Spot on - thnak you for the very sound advice, which is strongly seconded.

Too fast on the trigger finger - thank you, and apologies for the typo.

If you wern't bragging so much about how "your kids played every minute of every game" you would see your kids play time is why the "other kids" just sat on the bench. If the coach had put in a "weaker player" you would complain about that too.