NKY Soccer club tryouts this week

[Jack of all Trades]

IMO, you don't need kids like that anyway. You are guaranteed only the current season. Feelings get hurt, but it is a character builder. Finish out the season.

 

Much easier said than done, especially as they get older.

[mexitucky]

Much easier said than done, especially as they get older.

 

I can't speak for everyone, but it wasn't all that tough on our end. The writing was on the wall with how they played during the season. Very inconsistent, and both had lethargic tryouts. If you are trying to compete at that high of a level, you better bring it, and they didn't. They let it "go to the judges' decision," so to speak. Tonight and tomorrow are huge for them. U16 is a make or break. If you don't make Academy or Cup or whatever, I say enjoy high school sports. Try what you can. Find a lower level team that is ok with players missing a practice here or there for track meets. Time to just have fun. Honestly, I'm ok with whatever happens, but they really want to play at the highest level that they can. So for them, I am pretty nervous.

[Sir!]

would like to see more NKY kids tryout for the KHA academy teams along with CUP, OE, CSA and play for professional coaches and in better training environments. Think it would help KY overall as a state.

 

What exactly is a professional coach -- makes their full-time living from soccer; has attained a certain level of licensing; gets paid by a Club for training and coaching in addition to their full time (non-soccer) job?

 

In what respect does having more players play in higher level training and game environments make KY better? It may increase the overall level of soccer being played, but it also often sucks the joy out of playing (as well as sucking $ out of parent wallets) for the vast majority whose competitive playing days end with high school.

 

The focus, if you really want to raise the level of KY soccer, should be on revitalizing the broad base of youth soccer at the U6 and U8 levels so that kids fall in love with the game before their parents fall in love with the idea of them playing "at the next level." Limits on facilities and cost in our pay-to-play system make doing that through a professionalized club environment a challenge. Those clubs should be embracing local recreational programs, improving the parent-coaching at the younger ages, and assisting with transitioning players to higher level teams in something that makes more sense than the "cattle-call" tryouts relied on to sort things out.

[MentschTrachtGottLacht]

I can't speak for everyone, but it wasn't all that tough on our end. The writing was on the wall with how they played during the season. Very inconsistent, and both had lethargic tryouts. If you are trying to compete at that high of a level, you better bring it, and they didn't. They let it "go to the judges' decision," so to speak. Tonight and tomorrow are huge for them. U16 is a make or break. If you don't make Academy or Cup or whatever, I say enjoy high school sports. Try what you can. Find a lower level team that is ok with players missing a practice here or there for track meets. Time to just have fun. Honestly, I'm ok with whatever happens, but they really want to play at the highest level that they can. So for them, I am pretty nervous.

 

Good luck Mex!!! Wish those boys all the luck in the world for me.

[Z89]

Interesting theory, but I think both the Kings Academy and NKSA Pro teams, playing for paid Professional coaches, are filled with the right kids. I also think most of these KH and NKSA select teams have paid trainers that are giving those boys and girls the opportunity to improve and increase their skills and game awareness. You and I both know "dads" like Tony Spaulding who are also outstanding trainers. I certainly agree that I'd love for every kid to strive to play for an Academy team or a Pro team, but not every kid / family wants that type of commitment.

 

I agree. If you're getting good training playing non Pro or Academy then why would you. I was always told the training is the same but with Pro you get another practice day and another tournament and the paid coach. Sounds crazy at 10 years old. Like so many have said on here before people can do whatever they want and that is their prerogative. My sons non pro team has beaten many of those so called Academy teams. That is why i don't think the Pro teams will get much bigger than they are. Not all the best kids are jumping to the pro and academy teams. Just a side note I can't believe how much politics go on in the pro teams with still parents involved with the teams even though they have a paid head coach. Parents shouldn't be involved at all with the team when it comes to coaching or creating the teams.

[mexitucky]

I agree. If you're getting good training playing non Pro or Academy then why would you. I was always told the training is the same but with Pro you get another practice day and another tournament and the paid coach. Sounds crazy at 10 years old. Like so many have said on here before people can do whatever they want and that is their prerogative. My sons non pro team has beaten many of those so called Academy teams. That is why i don't think the Pro teams will get much bigger than they are. Not all the best kids are jumping to the pro and academy teams. Just a side note I can't believe how much politics go on in the pro teams with still parents involved with the teams even though they have a paid head coach. Parents shouldn't be involved at all with the team when it comes to coaching or creating the teams.

 

I'd be interested to know what age groups you are referring to. I saw that a little til about U12. Then again, I've also only been on the boys side of it. Girls could be a completely different beast. I get the feeling that it is.

[Deuces22]

I agree. If you're getting good training playing non Pro or Academy then why would you. I was always told the training is the same but with Pro you get another practice day and another tournament and the paid coach. Sounds crazy at 10 years old. Like so many have said on here before people can do whatever they want and that is their prerogative. My sons non pro team has beaten many of those so called Academy teams. That is why i don't think the Pro teams will get much bigger than they are. Not all the best kids are jumping to the pro and academy teams. Just a side note I can't believe how much politics go on in the pro teams with still parents involved with the teams even though they have a paid head coach. Parents shouldn't be involved at all with the team when it comes to coaching or creating the teams.

 

 

You have no idea how bad it is. I am embarrassed for the parents who do this. Paid coaches having their chairs brought to the sidelines, their coffee made and brought to them before the game. Driving them to the games, drinking with them. Buying them year end gifts when they are paid coaches and the players are high school age. Its been as bad as parents telling the coaches who to play and not play and where. No its has no impact on my kid, just an observation by many parents who do not act that way.

[soccerfan000]

I don't think that is common practice with coaches and yes not playing for an academy team or at one of the big 3-4 clubs in the tri-state area makes a difference in development. The number of better athletes are few and far between on the girls side so playing on one of the best team around vs. the 15th or 16th team around the speed of training is different, quality of training surface, opponents, etc. Definitely impacts development just think more KY kids are not as serious about their soccer as are some of the ohio families.

[nees1212]

As far as the playing up comment, KH has a set number of kids they allow to play up each year. I've been told that the number is 3 across the board in each division. And in order to be considered, you have to be considered to be on of the top players in that next age group, not just your current age group. On the girls side, I knew of only 1 this past season as they try to keep kids within their age group.

 

The split is definitely leaving families worried. For us, we'll go where the chips fall, and let our daughter decide what she wants. Right now, her eyes are set on the top academy team.

[Sir!]

I don't think that is common practice with coaches and yes not playing for an academy team or at one of the big 3-4 clubs in the tri-state area makes a difference in development. The number of better athletes are few and far between on the girls side so playing on one of the best team around vs. the 15th or 16th team around the speed of training is different, quality of training surface, opponents, etc. Definitely impacts development just think more KY kids are not as serious about their soccer as are some of the ohio families.

 

Do Clubs want to develop talent or be accumulators of talent -- coach kids or poach them? When I was growing up you never would have gone to play for the rival Club. It was a matter of pride and loyalty. Plus parents wouldn't drive a kid 1/2 hour (let alone 45 minutes) to get a kid to practice if there was a local Club closer and good enough. Learning to play with a little bit wider band of competency made the best players even stronger and pulled along the above-average to become better. Those players often caught up in development over time particularly as when everyone went through the changes that come with PHV- growth spurt.

 

No doubt it isn't good for development if a kid is playing on a team that is well below their level, but there is arguably an advantage in terms of development to be in the top third of a team, getting maximum playing time and being an impact player, as opposed to being in the bottom third of a team, getting less time in games, and only being a role player on the field.

 

With the exception of a very few top teams (where college coaches recruit from the team at large) it's arguably more important to be the best player you can be rather than be on the best team you can be. Those may be the same in many cases, but too often parents and kids use the team's success as a proxy for their own success -- and that may or may not be justified. As a result we get parents who are willing to Club hop when they are the least dissatisfied. And Clubs frequently put the highest value on assembling the best top team instead of developing the best overall soccer players -- because they know that their customers (parents paying the bills) will vacate if they feel the team isn't up to their kids standards or if there's even a sniff that their kid might get dropped to the second team (an unthinkable slight).

 

Too many kids playing soccer for the prestige of possily playing at the "next level" (an oft illusory goal) rarher than playing because they absolutely love the game today.

[Yellow Card]

IMO, you don't need kids like that anyway. You are guaranteed only the current season. Feelings get hurt, but it is a character builder. Finish out the season.

 

Couldn't agree with this more!!!

 

I also feel that some of this falls on the parents for allowing them to "let down" their current team.

[Yellow Card]

With the top teams, I would think most clubs would want everyone to play at the correct age. I would be surprised if many kids are allowed to play up on top teams.

 

Those I have spoken with are strongly encouraging kids to play their age, at KHA, there will be very few that aren't playing with their correct age.

[Yellow Card]

The question that always came up for me about these tryouts is why they are held before teams play in the State Cup. Then again, why does Ky State Cup always occur a month after Ohio State Cup?

 

How does a team not have some chemistry issues if everyone knows a player or two are not coming back or worse yet, switching club affiliations.

 

The timing of State Cup goes beyond KY and OH, other states in our region are also on different schedules and not all states use the same format either.

 

I agree that the timing of tryouts couldn't be worse. They are asking kids to be "professional" and focus on finishing out the current season while the Club is also focused on locking in kids for the next year.

 

In past years, the tryouts were between the two weeks of State Cup, this year they have moved them up another week.

[Yellow Card]

If you look at other Clubs across KY you will see that most of them do not hold their tryouts until June, after State Cup has ended, this also seems to be the case in OH.

 

IMO, it looks like KHA and NKSA chose to hold tryouts on the first day that you are allowed to do so. I feel that this is only being done in order to try and get player commitments as soon as possible.... and it just happens to be before other clubs are holding their tryouts.

 

This tryout cycle could be very interesting.... and not just because of the age shift.

[Yellow Card]

Not a chance there wont be hurt feelings. Soccer has more drama than any sport I have ever seen (at the youth levels).

 

I agree with all the hurt feelings, and drama comment. The good thing is, it seems that most kids have learned how to help their parents cope with their disappointment.