View Message Board Guidelines
 |
Author |
TOPIC: Club Soccer Coaches: Greed and Lies |
|
|
January 8, 2014
12:25:59 PM
Entry #: 4109827
| How many high school coaches have lost players to club teams whose coaches make ridiculous promises? Club coaches assure these kids (and their parents) that they will get them a division I college scholarship or even a professional contract somewhere if they play for them year-round. (And of course pay them year-round). And I'm not just talking about the Academy teams traditional clubs make these promises too. But as we know, very rarely does anybody get money to play in college. The only chance 99 percent of our players have of making it in college soccer is to stay in school, get their degree, get GOOD grades, high SAT scores, and develop the discipline that goes with playing both high school and club. Club coaches are, in most cases, in it for the money, and with very limited qualifications, other than a “BS” degree (and I don’t mean bachelors of science). How many of Miami-Dade’s once “great” players are now flipping hamburgers? I know lots of them and it makes me sick.
|
|
| Pablo
January 8, 2014
2:06:31 PM
Entry #: 4109839
| YES,club coaches are only for the money,they dont care about the players
|
|
|
January 8, 2014
2:14:12 PM
Entry #: 4109841
| WOW, you all must play for a pretty bad coaches if that is the impression you got.
|
|
| cocopuff
January 9, 2014
9:04:01 AM
Entry #: 4109900
| To the original poster, you sir are an idiot.
First of all most HS coaches are club coaches themselves
And second have you seen how bad HS soccer is? Some teams have player that don’t know WTF they are doing.
Last, any parent or player that believes your quote “they will get them a division I college scholarship or even a professional contract somewhere if they play for them year-round.” Deserve what they get.
What ever happen to you or your kid, get over it!
|
|
| yeeee
January 9, 2014
12:25:07 PM
Entry #: 4109934
| its true clubs always lie
|
|
|
January 9, 2014
2:41:45 PM
Entry #: 4109987
| I don't think it's the clubs lying, I think it's that you were not as good as you though you were!
|
|
|
January 12, 2014
12:21:08 PM
Entry #: 4110354
| Both High School and Club soccer have their advantages and disadvantages. Too bad that instead of working together, they compete against each other and the players are the ones who suffer at the end.
|
|
January 12, 2014
2:06:36 PM
Entry #: 4110362
| Right on!
In the long run, both school and club working together will help tremendously with the development of the players and as a result everybody will benefit, the players, coaches, schools, clubs and the whole soccer community of Miami as more players with an improved "game" play beyond high school.
|
|
| Bobby
January 21, 2014
9:35:37 PM
Entry #: 4111408
| Fact. More players from the years 1979-1985 played D1 soccer out of Miami than the past 10 years combined. The coaching was better then, and all the coaches had real jobs/ They were not dependent on players playing for them year round and encouraged players to play high school. as that was the only way they would be assured of maintaining their grades.
They coached for the love of the sport, a vast majority of the coaches today coach to pay their car payments.
Today is all about the money, that is why the product is inferior and less players play D1 from Miami than ever before. No one can really debate that.
If som name one coach who told his team, take 3 months off of club bad no need to play me. Go play HS and have fun.
Yes ... who did that? Uhhhh, no one.
In 1981-82 - everyone one. Every club coach did that. Sure they had a practice here or there, a tourney over break, but they were not getting paid. (They had actual jobs and I know that is a foreign thought to club coaches today. Yikes .. you mean get a real job for 3 months? No way bro!)
Question. How many players from Miami who graduated high school in 2013 are listed on a D1 roster?
Take any club team from 1981-82 and you will have more players from that one team playing D1 than the entire city combined from last year. Just a fact and you guys can process that as you will.
But the club coaching today is more concerned about keeping the checks coming in than developing players. Not saying they are not good coaches, but that their priorities lie with the parent's checks more than the player's athletic, academic and social development.
|
| Bobby's Dad
January 21, 2014
10:20:22 PM
Entry #: 4111417
| You my friend, are an idiot to generalize that coaches were better back then. The game was for the simple minded in the 80's. Not all clubs have this mentality where money is an issue but to compare the D1 players back then to now is preposterous. Please research your facts and stop hiding behind a computer screen. If you have the formula to successful coaching please enlighten us mediocre , greedy , club coaches or continue using bobby to portray who you will never be. A great coach.
|
|
|
January 22, 2014
7:58:11 AM
Entry #: 4111444
| Clubs that have U15 teams and up play early season and late season so the players can have off during the high school season. The teams that play during regular season mostly consist of players not wanting to play or did not make a high school team. They are some exceptions for top flight teams that are playing Showcase Tournaments. These player get far more reconition that they would in high school. I am sure you cannot name a club that does not do this.
|
|
|
January 22, 2014
8:12:38 AM
Entry #: 4111446
| Unfortunately, in many cases, when a club coach is put in as a high school coach at a school where most of their players play, you have a double edge sword that is not healthy for the team. I have seen coaches in this situation have players make the team that do not deserve it or made a starter over another more worthy player simlpy because they play on their club team and their parents are lining their pockets. Now the coach is basically saying that if you play for my club team and you attend this school you will make one of the teams for sure, JV or Varsity, no one will get cut and so there is massive favoritism that is not fare.
|
|
|
January 22, 2014
11:07:02 AM
Entry #: 4111479
| There a a variety of factors that shape the college recruiting landscape in Miami-Dade, but it's safe to say club soccer has a massive money incentive that distorts reality. Coaches charge outrageous monthly fees regardless of their abilities or experiences as a coach. Wealthy parents throw away big bucks, buying into these false promises of "scholarships" so their kids can chase a dream that almost never comes true. Meanwhile, truly talented players from Little Haiti, Homestead and elsewhere in the inner city, have little or no club opportunities because the money is not there. What a shame.
This much is true: the vast majority of club coaches today are no better, or successful, than the "dads" who 30 years ago gladly coached teams for free.
|
|
|
January 23, 2014
8:48:26 AM
Entry #: 4111613
| Here's a very well written article on the subject: "Club Sports Pushing Athletes Away From High School"
http://www.athleticbusiness.com/high-school/club-sports-pushing-athletes-away-from-high-school.html?topic=2,200
|
|
|
January 23, 2014
9:42:45 AM
Entry #: 4111625
| Great Article!
Details
by Dennis Van Milligen January 2014
(Photo courtesy of NFHS)
Share on facebookShare on twitterShare on google_plusone_shareShare on email
Club sports were once revered nationwide by high schools for helping enhance the young athlete and preparing him or her for the more competitive high school environment. But various factors have played a role in transforming club sports from high school athletics supporter to slayer, forcing one high school athletic director to admit, "I think we might see a time when high school sports don't exist and club sports completely replace it."
While unlikely, that statement symbolizes the pressure athletic directors are facing as an increasing number of high school athletes focus on one sport year-round with the hope that they will be more marketable to college coaches and/or professional scouts. While hurting a variety of sports, bigger issues loom that could have a much more devastating impact on the future of high school athletics. "Club has its place. The problem we have with club is when their season overlaps our season," says Tim Flannery, director of coach education for the National Federation of State High School Associations. "Then it's a problem for the parents, the kids and the programs."
THE HIGH SCHOOL EXPERIENCE Athletes that opt for club over high school forfeit the opportunity to compete for championships and play in front of hundreds of their classmates, friends and family members. (Photos courtesy of Naperville (Ill.) North High School)
PRO CHOICE
No sport has been hit harder by this overlap than soccer. In California, some high school soccer coaches cannot schedule weekend tournaments because their players will opt to play for their club teams on the weekend instead. And in Florida, high school athletes participating in year-round soccer may elect to play for their club teams rather than compete in the high school sport that runs parallel to the club season. "At some point, the kids have to decide what their priority is," says Scott Parks, athletic director at Seminole Ridge (Fla.) High School. A recent mandate by U.S. Soccer, however, has taken away the athlete's right to choose.
U.S. Soccer is restricting any athlete training at one of its academies from participating in high school sports, a move that doesn't come as a surprise to Flannery. "They have struggled in the past 20 years to come up with a program that is going to lead the U.S. to a final for the World Cup. Every time they have a World Cup and the U.S. doesn't do well, they change their whole approach," he says.
Jim Konrad, athletic director at Naperville (Ill.) North High School, is a supporter of U.S. Soccer. A former high school and club soccer star himself, Konrad wants national soccer to be as successful as possible but is discouraged by the approach it is currently taking with its academies. "I wish they would've left that up to the families and kids to make that decision," he says. "I hate that U.S. Soccer is forcing kids to choose."
And playing club sports exclusively is a choice that is understandably difficult to turn down. Parents are desperate for their children to earn college scholarships as tuition continues to soar, and they are being told that the best way to receive that scholarship offer is to remove their child from the high school athletic environment — a suggestion Konrad scoffs at. "If you are a good athlete, the college coaches are going to find you."
But this is a problem that extends beyond just U.S. Soccer. Konrad is now dealing with local club teams that are dissuading their players from setting one foot on a high school soccer field in order to continue their development as a top athlete. The reality, Konrad warns, is that these club teams aren't necessarily looking out for these kids' best interests. Rather, they are looking to line their own pockets.
"These clubs do a wonderful job handing us very good athletes that have been trained by good coaches," Konrad says. "I just wish it was truly about the kid and not about making money." Based on season, clubs can charge families as much as $2,000, and depending on how early these families have committed their children to club sports, they could end up spending north of $30,000 on their child's soccer education, according to Konrad. "There is pressure on these club kids that aren't top-tier players. These parents have poured in all this money, and they're expecting a payoff," he adds.
The sacrifice isn't just financial. For these kids that choose club over high school, they are also sacrificing unforgettable high school experiences for a future that is far from secure. Konrad has played in both environments and points out that, while high school games can be played in front of hundreds of friends, families and classmates, club games are typically played on early Sunday mornings in front of a small group of family. "Nothing compares to playing in high school. At club, there isn't that intensity. Club coaches say it's a better game, but I think that's a fallacy. At some level, it's not as challenging," he says.
Flannery, a former high school athletic director in the Cleveland area, agrees. "We'd have 300 or 400 people at every game. You don't get that in club," he says. "Those are memories that will last forever, and kids should be allowed to experience both."
Click to enlarge
THE COMING STORM
While soccer remains the sport most affected by club, there are other sports at risk, as well. "If volleyball ever takes that turn, I could see that happening, and happening quick," says Konrad. "Volleyball clubs are so dominant now. If they ever decided to go year-round, that could really squeeze our high schools." He is already feeling the effect of the club volleyball scene when it comes to his girls' basketball team. "Girls' basketball is probably the sport that has taken the biggest hit due to club volleyball. We have far less numbers out than we had in the '80s and '90s because club volleyball has grown to become so big."
Another sport becoming big is 7-on-7 football. At Tarpon Springs (Fla.) High School, football players focus on football year-round, and 7-on-7 showcase tournaments are a big part of what many high schools in Florida are doing. But Tarpon head coach Ron Hawn sees these types of leagues permeating the junior high scene in the near future. "Youth 7-on-7 football may not be big yet, but I don't think we're very far away from it really taking off."
Konrad agrees. "The next wave we're starting to see is football," he says. "We've heard whispers of year-round football and folks wanting to start a club football program. Our coaches came to me concerned about how this might impact them."
Despite the rapid proliferation of club sports, participation at the high school level remains strong. According to Flannery, overall numbers have continued to increase for the past 20 years. And though football numbers have seen a slight dip, that is attributed to the concussion issue. "Participation is still there, and part of that is because we have a lot more sports to offer in high school than at the club level," he says. "But there are challenges, and club is one of those challenges."
Youth Movement
Club sports are praised for developing young talent, but NFHS director of coach education Tim Flannery believes these teams are working with children far too early — at ages as young as six. "In this country, we have had the race to start kids younger and younger. We are trying to identify talent way too early, particularly in boys that are late to mature," says Flannery, noting that many of the top soccer-playing countries do not have their children participate in structured soccer programs until they reach the age of 12 or 13. "Seventy percent of kids quit sports by the time they are 13, and the reason is these kids can't handle the pressure of the next level."
Flannery also expresses disappointment over the number of kids who are cut at a young age, never picking up sport again. "These kids are being told they aren't good enough at 12 or 13. Then they go to high school and grow six inches and put on 30 pounds, but because they are being cut at such a young age, they haven't kept up with their athletic endeavors," he says. "We're not doing kids any favors, and it's going to take us a generation to sort it out."
In the United States, "sorting it out" means adopting a new phased-in approach that has been a model for other countries. In this approach, pre-teen athletes focus strictly on movement and don't introduce competition until they are 12 or 13. This not only will keep children engaged in sport longer, but it will also prevent early age injuries that are causing panicked parents to remove their children from athletic programs. "There are more injuries in sports these days," Flannery admits. "Parents don't want their kids getting hurt, so they will take them out and not let them play." — D.V.M.
Dennis Van Milligen is Editor in Chief of Athletic Business
|
|
