Gets demoted?
- Thread starter Jamisfoes
- Start date
You could see it that way, or maybe more palatable is that everyone gets dropped to the tryout pool and the cream rises to the top.
All day long. Normally after other clubs have had tryouts and with no advance notice. And with some clubs they better not catch you looking at other clubs, how dare you. And if a better kid comes along after tryouts, they will find room, no matter what they tell you.
PS Clubs seem to look at kids from outside with a more eye than kids in house.
PS Clubs seem to look at kids from outside with a more eye than kids in house.
The toughest situation I had to witness was an older teens boys team that scheduled their tryouts the week after State Cup pool play weekend. As luck would have it, the team made it through for one more weekend in Lancaster, and the coach had to call three boys and their parents to the side after the eventual loss to tell them the bad news.
Messi>CR7
GOLD
At my boy's club they made it clear that a roster spot is only good for one year particularly for their A team. A top flight coach's job is to take the best 12 kids (let's say for 9v9) from the tryout regardless whether they are incoming or returning players. To keep his job, a coach has to do this every year. Not that many coaches have the job security to place loyalty above all else (flight 2 is a different story). If you can accept this as the norm, then the conversation gets a little easier.
Having said that, many clubs at the younger ages these days have multiple flight 1 teams. So while you may get demoted to a different team, you don't necessarily get demoted to a lower flight.
Having said that, many clubs at the younger ages these days have multiple flight 1 teams. So while you may get demoted to a different team, you don't necessarily get demoted to a lower flight.
We've seen this happen every tryout season except Covid. Most parents should know if their kid is on the bubble to be moved down by tryout season. This means the child will get more playing time in their next team unless parents want to continue having their child come on to another team as a bench player. If you've spoken to the coach several times about your child's playing time this season, there's a good chance demotion will occur unless no players come out at tryouts.
Messi>CR7
GOLD
It's the same way in real life. It's much easier to get a big raise and a bigger title from your competitor than a promotion from within.
Therein lies a big part of the problem.
But it also works the other way, which means player loyalty is only for one year too.
My favorite, though, is when the team actually earns the promotion. That's actually one of the riskiest position to be in if you are a player who even may be a starter but isn't one of the strongest on the team. The coach will use the promotion to recruit good players from other teams that did not earn promotion (who will leave their current teams for failure to get promotion) and won't necessarily dance with the one that brung them (because promoted teams are often the most vulnerable for demotion in their new brackets).
Rarely does a player who gets moved "down" work out.
Usually, they decide to leave the club and play somewhere else. Possibly even on a lower flighted team.
Or they move down to the f2/3 team and are miserable because all of their old teammates were much better and they are frustrated playing with weaker players (even they are now the best player on the team).
Usually, they decide to leave the club and play somewhere else. Possibly even on a lower flighted team.
Or they move down to the f2/3 team and are miserable because all of their old teammates were much better and they are frustrated playing with weaker players (even they are now the best player on the team).
Exactly.
Step 1. Move to a competing club.
Step 2. Make old club pay for their insolence.
If your player is replaced with an equivalent level player or less, yes. If your kid really belongs on the lower team and will thrive as a leader, it may not be worth driving somewhere far for practice. If everyone practices at Great Park, then it really comes down to whether you want to buy a new uniform kit.
For what it is worth, I have seen kids get cut from a flight one team, play flight 2 the next year, gain all the confidence they were previously missing by sitting on the bench a lot on the flight one team, and the following season make it back to the flight 1 team. Playing time makes a huge difference in development and confidence. You can win the tryout and make flight 1, but is that the best fit for your child's confidence and development if they are not going to play a lot?
“Equivalent” is a little hard to gauge. As we’ve explored in other threads sometimes it’s just not a good fit. Maybe the team has a very passing based philosophy and the dd is good at ball handling/dribbling. Maybe the team is all about the running game and need fast players. Maybe they want a gk who can play with their feet, or maybe they want one that can pound it to the other side. At least on the boys side, in middle school it’s also all about height.
then there’s the issue that the gaps in brackets really are huge. In the last 3 seasons all teams promoted out of my sons former team’s bronze bracket struggled or were outright demoted (finishing at least 3rd from the bottom). Same with his silver team whenever they went up against a silver elite team. The gulf in ability and commitment is very large. Unless the child is obviously not where they are supposed to be (which usually is a physical matter or mental matter or a question of the child not putting in the work) as others have said this usually doesn’t end in leadership but frustration.
in the end, when you think about it, teams advance out of brackets because they have 2-6 players playing at much lower levels than they are capable of handling at the current time. They are playing down which lifts the entire team
The coach has to try to get the best players for the team. If a kid gets dropped it means that the coach doesn’t think the player can contribute. It’s not necessarily a bad thing for the player if the player and family is realistic about their player’s ability. If they think the coach is making a wrong decision and the player doesn’t want to move down a flight then find another club to play at the same level. There is always going to be another team that needs players.
I think many parents are not practical and think that the coach is supposed to transform their kid from an OK player to a great player able to start and play all the high level games. They blame the coach for not giving their kid what they think is enough playing time or training their kid well enough. Well if the kid isn’t playing much, it’s because there are 11 other kids the coach thinks is better. The player needs to put in the work and best effort. Don’t rely only on team practices to get better. And even then after putting in all the work, the player may still be not good enough. Best to move down in that situation.
I think many parents are not practical and think that the coach is supposed to transform their kid from an OK player to a great player able to start and play all the high level games. They blame the coach for not giving their kid what they think is enough playing time or training their kid well enough. Well if the kid isn’t playing much, it’s because there are 11 other kids the coach thinks is better. The player needs to put in the work and best effort. Don’t rely only on team practices to get better. And even then after putting in all the work, the player may still be not good enough. Best to move down in that situation.
The club$ are banking on you staying and paying to have your kid ride it out another year on the lesser team. Getting that outside money (player) is easier if they can offer a spot on the more elite team. And now you got one more kid selling golf balls. Recruiting 101.
If you are at the top of the bracket [other than the most elite levels once 11v11 kicks in] you have players playing for you that should be playing at a higher level and are currently playing down. Is the focus to win games or is the focus to develop players in an appropriate setting?
youth soccer can be competitive, developmental or accessible. Pick 2.