Have a 7th grader who plays basketball and soccer. He loves both---and does very well at both. Three day a week winter training for club soccer began in mid-January. Basketball season tourneys still going on. Missed a couple soccer practices for basketball games, and soccer coaches not happy. Soccer coaches pressuring to choose.

 

At the middle school level, do you have to choose?

 

Soccer coaches need to check themselves.

 

Play them all. My dad got me shirt when I was about 12. It had all of these sports listed on the front, everything from football to table tennis, and on the back it said, "Rest when you're dead."

 

Work hard. Play. Have fun

 

I know a school this year in football where their nose guard was the 2nd leading scorer on their district champion soccer team. 140 pound nose guard/soccer player who was also voted 1st Team All-District Nose Guard @ that, and he was amongst some pretty good company in receiving that award.

 

He came to defensive days football practice and half of walk through on Thursday. Played Nose on Friday nights.

Edited February 15, 201313 yr by Harry Doyle

Hopefully there are other soccer programs available as an alternative. In your situation, I look into them to see if they are an option for my child. If yes, then I have a conversation with the soccer coach and say we are considering moving to another program and let them know why. I hear what you are saying about "making sense". There is a lot of tunnel vision with coaches, other parents and players that make these situations much more difficult than they should be. That 7th grade AAU tournament title seems awful important now but it doesn't mean squat in just a few years. Too much focus on winning over development in these younger age groups.

 

You nailed it right there VOR.

Can't make as much money that way. These facilites like Town and Country have huge over head. They would do what ever it takes to keep kids in there as much as possible all year. I like the idea though

I understand the money issue but do these organizations have that much pull over the KHSAA? I don't know the answer but it is really sad when a middle school kid is forced to pick and choose what sport they want to play.

I understand the money issue but do these organizations have that much pull over the KHSAA? I don't know the answer but it is really sad when a middle school kid is forced to pick and choose what sport they want to play.

 

I do not know the answer either. This is just my opinion but having been involved with with both club and HS for the last several years I think high schools coaches and the KHSAA have to find a way to get along better with club teams. Club, AAU, summer teams et all are here to stay. I love HS sports but besides football they just don't matter when it comes to colleges. There is so much drama with all sports but in club if you don't like the coach or your playing time you move on to the next team in HS you are pretty much stuck. If a club teams tells a young kid they can earn a scholarship if they play on there team and sit out HS most will do it. I know some high level soccer clubs that have high school age girls that play through the fall now and those girls don't play HS soccer anymore. I know of college coaches that don't want kids to play other sports, doesn't make it right but happens.

Well you are the Voice or Reason and that makes sense to me but most don't see it that way. My kid was expected to miss varisty HS softball games over soccer practice when she was in 7th an 8th grades.

 

My kid ran varsity cross country in 7th and 8th grade and select soccer. Her soccer coach was an idiot all year and we put up with it, see missed no practice and only one game all year. Regional Cross Country meet fell on same day as a soccer tourney and told coach she would not make morning game due to CC race but would be there for afternoon games. Her soccer coach said to me "she will not run and will be at her soccer game." I had a few choice words for him and told him she would no longer be a member of the team. We found another team and could not be happier;the new coach encourages kids to play multiple sports and shows a lot of interest in how they do in other sports and school. In high school the coaches both agree and it has been no problem, the soccer coach even came to watch them run at a cc race. If your kid wants to do both, look for a coach who will allow it to happen. I think it is wrong to make a kid choose one sport if they have a love for both. People have told my daughter for 4 years that she was going to have to choose one sport but she loves both and could not stop either. It is not easy, but if it is what she loves, we will do everything possible to make it possible for her to continue both.

Funny, this topic came up in church today with a friend of mine. His daughter stopped playing softball at NCC because the coach does not want kids to play other sports. The coach made it very clear he did not want them doing other sports and not very nice to the kids or parents if they tried to do other sports.

Ugh.....soccer. I'd love to know how it is always soccer season.

Ugh.....soccer. I'd love to know how it is always soccer season.

 

Because somebody is good at marketing and making money off these kids.

Because somebody is good at marketing and making money off these kids.

 

:thumb:

Here's the thing . . . there are many levels of club/select/AAU for every sport. I have no problem with the top level teams asking you to chose them and only them - and most clubs will state that upfront before you try out. Can you leave? Absolutely. Just don't expect any new club/team that is less restrictive and allows players to leave for other sports to be as successful as the team/club that has team members 100% dedicated to 1 sport.

 

Someone was asking about KHSAA control. We are in the era now where you can get a scholarship without ever playing 1 minute for your local High School in every sport but football. The KHSAA is powerless.

Hopefully there are other soccer programs available as an alternative. In your situation, I look into them to see if they are an option for my child. If yes, then I have a conversation with the soccer coach and say we are considering moving to another program and let them know why. I hear what you are saying about "making sense". There is a lot of tunnel vision with coaches, other parents and players that make these situations much more difficult than they should be. That 7th grade AAU tournament title seems awful important now but it doesn't mean squat in just a few years. Too much focus on winning over development in these younger age groups.

 

Some talk it up like it was the NBA Title they just won. :ohbrother:

 

I agree though, in a few years won't mean squat, hell when I was in 6th & 7th grade me, my brother, & a friend were back to back Junior Division KY State Bowling Champs, I think I still have the patches we were awarded. :banana: Whippedy damn do.

Because somebody is good at marketing and making money off these kids.

 

I'd love to outlaw the sport.

Have a 7th grader who plays basketball and soccer. He loves both---and does very well at both. Three day a week winter training for club soccer began in mid-January. Basketball season tourneys still going on. Missed a couple soccer practices for basketball games, and soccer coaches not happy. Soccer coaches pressuring to choose.

 

At the middle school level, do you have to choose?

This reminds me of a similar situation I ran into with my boy.

He was in 8th grade at the time.

 

Let me give you a little background first. My boy has played football since 1st grade aas well as baseball since he was 5 and basketball since 2nd grade. He is a pretty good athlete and good in all of them but very good in Football and Baseball. He decided on his own that once he got to High School he would only play football and baseball due to how much time each sport takes up etc.

 

So he is in 8th grade, or more precisely it is the summer between 8th grade and 9th. He is playing on his summer baseball team, he wasn't going to play summer baseball because he had already played High School baseball that year on the Freshman team as an eigth grader and knew that football would be starting in the Summer for hhis first year for playing Football in High School. We already told his summer ball teaam the year before that he wasn't going to play the next year because of football etc. It was my boys decision and we supported him in that decision.

 

 

So fast forward to that summer and the coach calls us and begs for my boy to play, wwe left it up to my boy (which we later regretted because of what happened and it wasn't fair to him.) He basically caved in when the coach kept texting and calling him...we didn't know how much he was hasseling our boy, but anyway he came to us and said he was thinking about playing. So his mother and I called the coach and told him our boy only was willing to play the games he could that didn't interfere withh Football, the coach was very happy with that and my boy was happy with that. So he played the season with the summer ball team. He actually didn't miss any games, and then near the end of the season the coach decided to schedule a couple more tournaments and sent out an email asking for everyone's schedule through Aug because he had scheduled a couple tournaments. I replied with his Football practice schedule and advised him that we'd miss 2 of the scheduled 6 games in the tourneys. I recieved a nasty email back from the coach informing me that it's summer and summer means baseball not football. I replied back that my boy has been looking forward to playing High School Football his entire life and has been playiing since 1st grade etc.

 

 

I recieved another nasty email back from the coach telling me that my son isn't allowwed to play football as long as baseball is still going on. This didn't sit well with me at all. I replied back to him 1. Our boy informed you last summer he wouldn't be playing Summer baseball this year. 2. You called and texted him this year so much that the poor kid felt like he had to play, so when we talked to you we told you he would only play the games he could make but when football started football would be first and baseball second which meant football days are football days and when he doesn't have football he will play baseball for you and you agreed to that.

The coach then sends an email back saying he can only play 1 sport, it's either baseball or football.

 

Now the story gets even better. He actually had a baseball game that night sso when i get home from work I fill my son in about all the emails and how the coach said he had to choose between baseball and football. What made me the madest wass this joker trying to tell this kids parents as well as the kid what sports he can and can't play.

 

 

anyway we go to the game, my boy is out on the field warming up when the coach comes over to me and tells me we have to talk. We walk away from the field so the kids didn't hear what he had to say etc. as well as the other parents. I'm thinking he wants to apologize for the things he said in the emails, so i'm fine with it.

 

We walk to a spot away from the field and the coach goes off on me telling me that this is summer and that means it's baseball and not football. I inform him of the deal we made before the season, that he would play after the coach begged him to relentlessy only until football started etc. He then said again that my kid can't play football. I went off, told him who the *$%* he thinks he is to tell me what sports my son can play. I said it loud enough as you could imagine that all the parents heard me and they all instanlty knew what we were talking about. I asked him if he wwas making my boy decide between the two sports and he said yes. I walked away, went to the field and sat down on the bleachers. The coach walked up and told me he needed to know right now because if it wasn't baseball he wanted my kid off the field now. I called my boy over, he was already aware of the coaches emails, and I asked him "Your coach said you aren't allowed to play 2 sports, he said you havve to pick right now, either High School Football or this baseball team?" My boy loooked at the coach, didn't say a word, walked to the dugout got his bag and walked to my car. There were only 5 parents there at that time and they all stood up and applauded my son.

 

I get to the car where my boy is already sitting inside and the 3 other coaches from thhe team run down to the car apologizing for the head coach etc. and begging my boy to stay. one kept saying the coach didn't mean it, he can play both sports. I told them all they have to do is ask the coach to come down and tell him he can play both sports. The coaches wouldn't go up and tell the coach, so we left.

 

I was so pissed, never been more upset with anyone and how he treated a kid. Anyway the coach got all the players on the team to start a text avalanche to my boyy to get him to come back. For 2 weeks solid my boy was bombarded with texts from every player on the team begging him to come back and play. He told them no constantly. finally after 2 weeks the coach calls me, apologizes and tells me how much he needs my boy. I told him it wasn't up to me, it was my boy's decision if he wanted to come back or not, but I did tell him he will not miss any football practices. The coach agreed and my boy went back and played the lgames he could play. The next year my boy found a different Summer Ball team to play for....and so did 7 of the other kids on that team all because of what the coach did. That team had a sister team that played in a older age group but the coach for the older team was in charge of both teams, he fired the coach after he found out how he treated my boy and apologized to my boy and us which I was really greatful for, but the damage was already done and so many players left that team that they couldn't even form another team the next year.

 

sorry for the rambling, but in short, let your boy decide what he wants to play. There is no reason he can't play both sports, and if they interfere with eachother, once he gets to high school he can pick both back up again because their seasons are different.

^Thanks HB! I appreciate your support. I agree with you.

I will add that you have outdone yourself and that is probably the longest HB post on record. :lol:

 

Another factor that I think comes into play; if your kid is good and the coach plays him more than his teammates, it's other parents keeping track of the occasional missed practice for the 2 sporter, and other parents reminding the coach of this.

^Thanks HB! I appreciate your support. I agree with you.

I will add that you have outdone yourself and that is probably the longest HB post on record. :lol:

 

Another factor that I think comes into play; if your kid is good and the coach plays him more than his teammates, it's other parents keeping track of the occasional missed practice for the 2 sporter, and other parents reminding the coach of this.

Thanks hoops, That post of mine was painfully long lol.

 

It just comes down to a gradeschool coach has no right to tell any kid what sports he can and cannot play in HighSchool. That is what put me over the edge.