the unpretty truth of politics in youth soccer

[forthekids7]

Tryouts can be such a difficult time.  Sometimes tough realities have to be faced, and it's a challenging growth situation.   Sometimes a long-cherished place on a team is lost because better players came along, and a child has to move on because of that factor.

Or sometimes, as is the case for a particular girls team this year, there are some soccer politics at play for several of the positions.  Perhaps a coach has returned to his old club, and a long time associate is taking over as the head coach.   Perhaps this coach is a good coach, and his team has had success.  Perhaps he has decided to be a "good coach" and protect many of his players who are following to his new club.

Undoubtedly, a number of these players are top notch, and the right thing has happened because they deserved to make this team because of their skills.  How about several of these players, though, who are good, but in no way any better than a number of the players they displaced.   

Sorry, young ladies who came to the charade that was the tryout.   The deal was done long before this past weekend.  You can't compete, for example,  with a family who helped the coach's struggling business prospects a few years back.

For the young ladies who were  victims of this situation, it's another type of tough lesson.  The fact that you gave talents and efforts and loyalty is meaningless.  The coach feels perfectly comfortable installing the children of a few friends at the expense of your  dreams.  And he will wear the mantle of being "such a great guy" never caring how your world was shattered.    This is the ugly side of youth sports.  You just had a front row seat.

 

[goldengoal]

Sad story and I hope the girls find a good place to play

[Victory]

7 hours to go in my 24 hour cool off. 

[Left Foot]

I'm not sure if this is a story or not.

Doesn't a team need to keep at least 8 players? That number coupled with the kids that the writer said deserved to make the team leaves just a few to get cut based upon politics. And a kid whose parents helped the coach out years before (if more than just a rumor) could still be a better player than some other kid.

I gave up trying to second guess the coaches in there selections long ago -- because I was way biased and didn't have their experience.

The upside of select soccer is kids having the opportunity to learn valuable life lessons. Sometimes, the downside of select is kids having the opportunity to learn valuable life lessons.

[tightnitup]

Hey guy if you are unhappy Harbor FC girls U16-18 will have one more tryout on Tuesday May 4th at Gig Harbor high school turf complex from 6-8pm. If you did not make the team you want here might be an opportunity to play soccer next year on a quality team. The U16's will be playing in the division 1 of the PDL(RCL) next year and U18's play in division 1. Please visit the website at http://www.harborsoccerclub.com/ for more information and to please preregister for the tryout

[Squash]

Hey guy if you are unhappy Harbor FC girls U16-18 will have one more tryout on Tuesday May 4th at Gig Harbor high school turf complex from 6-8pm. If you did not make the team you want here might be an opportunity to play soccer next year on a quality team. The U16's will be playing in the division 1 of the PDL(RCL) next year and U18's play in division 1. Please visit the website at http://www.harborsoccerclub.com/ for more information and to please preregister for the tryout

Although tightnitup may think Harbor is the right answer to everything and I'm sure it may be a fine club depending on who's coaching, I'm not sure this post adds value to the thread....more like a spam sammich  Lets try to tighten up where we post.

[tightnitup]

Hey Squash Just giving them a place to go if they do not have a team to play on for thier DD's

[Brat Jr]

Can't we just rename this thread, BLINDSIDED?

I feel for every kid that goes through tryouts. Especially the older ages. It's such an emotional time. Will I make it, will I get bumped, whats going to happen?

As for the kids being displaced by others not as good as the ones that were there..... Only time will tell if the coach screwed up with that one.
Higher ranked team suddenly can't get any "W"'s and parents are calling for his head!
Mass exudos at tryouts next year. Or even kids leaving mid season for greener pastures.

The kids  who got bumped will remember this year like no other. So will the parents.
There are only so many bridges that can be burned. Seems like this team had a bonfire!

[ltg]

for all the girls who are looking for a new team after tryouts, I understand your pain but you need to realize, this is premier soccer where the top 18 girls deserve the spots on the team.  i know of two situations where there was a lot of close connections and it still could not save the players from being cut. it was the right thing for the players, the new players and the team. My own daughter was caught up in a similar situation years ago where one of the top teams in the state collapsed and came to my dds tryouts on day two.  she had already been told she had a spot but after day two it was amended to a newly formed B team spot.  My heart and my daughter's heart was broken.  we cried so much and I felt so terrible for her and so betrayed. I was new in the soccer world and I won't let this happen again.  The signs are there towards the end of the year.  and you need to make changes to get back in the starting line-up or realize that there is a better situation for you somewhere else.  I am truly sorry for all the girls displaced from their team, but find a team where you can get playing time, work hard, you'll make new friends, don't burn bridges and you'll find you still have some special friends that are on your old team.

[ritteam]

Sadly it carries over to adulthood. How many times does a bosses "friend" gets the promotion while a loyal employee of 15 years doesn't? While it's dissapointing to the kids it does teach them a valuable life lesson about competitiveness and watching out for yourself. The same scenario happened to me at U15 back in the day, at the time it hurt but looking back it tought me the above lesson which taught me to always be cautious, especially when I feel comfortable..

[sissy]

Sadly it carries over to adulthood. How many times does a bosses "friend" gets the promotion while a loyal employee of 15 years doesn't? While it's dissapointing to the kids it does teach them a valuable life lesson about competitiveness and watching out for yourself. The same scenario happened to me at U15 back in the day, at the time it hurt but looking back it tought me the above lesson which taught me to always be cautious, especially when I feel comfortable..

Very true ritteam...once again our youth's soccer experiences are but a small microcosm of the real world/life.  And as heartbreaking as these life experiences are for our kids (and for us CP's to watch helplessly from the sidelines of life), they are invaluable for the success of their future.   

[Victory]

for all the girls who are looking for a new team after tryouts, I understand your pain but you need to realize, this is premier soccer where the top 18 girls deserve the spots on the team.  i know of two situations where there was a lot of close connections and it still could not save the players from being cut. it was the right thing for the players, the new players and the team. My own daughter was caught up in a similar situation years ago where one of the top teams in the state collapsed and came to my dds tryouts on day two.  she had already been told she had a spot but after day two it was amended to a newly formed B team spot.  My heart and my daughter's heart was broken.  we cried so much and I felt so terrible for her and so betrayed. I was new in the soccer world and I won't let this happen again.  The signs are there towards the end of the year.  and you need to make changes to get back in the starting line-up or realize that there is a better situation for you somewhere else.  I am truly sorry for all the girls displaced from their team, but find a team where you can get playing time, work hard, you'll make new friends, don't burn bridges and you'll find you still have some special friends that are on your old team.

All True if done within the rules.  Not sure if that is the case here or not yet. 

[kennard04]

for all the girls who are looking for a new team after tryouts, I understand your pain but you need to realize, this is premier soccer where the top 18 girls deserve the spots on the team.  i know of two situations where there was a lot of close connections and it still could not save the players from being cut. it was the right thing for the players, the new players and the team. My own daughter was caught up in a similar situation years ago where one of the top teams in the state collapsed and came to my dds tryouts on day two.  she had already been told she had a spot but after day two it was amended to a newly formed B team spot.  My heart and my daughter's heart was broken.  we cried so much and I felt so terrible for her and so betrayed. I was new in the soccer world and I won't let this happen again.  The signs are there towards the end of the year.  and you need to make changes to get back in the starting line-up or realize that there is a better situation for you somewhere else.  I am truly sorry for all the girls displaced from their team, but find a team where you can get playing time, work hard, you'll make new friends, don't burn bridges and you'll find you still have some special friends that are on your old team.

All True if done within the rules. 

too bad rules rules are always subject to interpretation, especially when it comes to serving those who may be bending them ever so slightly. Like ritteam says, it's life. Learn it now, or later, but you will have to learn it.

[ghost]

My DD, who remains on our club's B-Team,  had a few friends during these tryouts suffer major disappointment. There was a lot of tears being shed. Their CPs have assured me that it was political. I'll take their word on that, but I have to say that for the majority of CPs I talked to whose DDs were displaced, the reason was that their DDs were indeed beaten out by a better player. From my G94 viewpoint, competion  was extremely fierce. The reality is that roster spots given out for political reasons are few, because these coaches want to win and they will take the best players availiable.  If your DD is not part of a team's top 7 or so players, then she is/was essentially on the bubble.  So it's real simple, if your DD wants to be unaffected by future political machinations, then she must work to ensure her inclusion to the magnificent 7 (or 9 or 11… ).

I know for some it was a brutal 3 days. So hats off to everyone for grinding through this weekend. Hopefully your DD is happy where she ended up.

[H x C]

Not much to interpret here 

   1.41 Team Eligibility.

   (b) All team seeding in PDL must meet the following “team roster” criterion for returning players: eight returning players from the prior season’s final league roster.

[Left Foot]

Not much to interpret here 

   1.41 Team Eligibility.

   (b) All team seeding in PDL must meet the following “team roster” criterion for returning players: eight returning players from the prior season’s final league roster.

Well, that seems pretty clear. Which team are we talking about? Should be pretty easy to figure out whether they violated the rule. Surely the PDL folks will jump right on it!

[Soccer Freak]

I know of 2 instances last year, both state league and PDL where they petitioned and were able to maintain their status.

[H x C]

I know of 2 instances last year, both state league and PDL where they petitioned and were able to maintain their status.

I am sure they will get away with it.  Does that make it right?

[Shuksan]

Does this mean that specific SU teams can petition to play in the PDL (if around) next year if an SU team contains 8 or more players rostered from an ECFC team last year?

It seems that there's more to the definition of a "team" than just player roster.

[Soccer Freak]

No I am not saying it is right or wrong, just showing that rules aren't always set in stone.

[H x C]

No I am not saying it is right or wrong, just showing that rules aren't always set in stone.

You are correct.  The "rules" are more based on who you are and who you know.  Thanks to Squash and WPS for helping keep these people somewhat in check.  Just imagine what would happen if Crossfire and WPFC had no accountability!  They control the state and PDL already. 

[Brat Jr]

No I am not saying it is right or wrong, just showing that rules aren't always set in stone.

You are correct.  The "rules" are more based on who you are and who you know.  Thanks to Squash and WPS for helping keep these people somewhat in check.  Just imagine what would happen if Crossfire and WPFC had no accountability!  They control the state and PDL already. 

We all know that the PDL makes up its own rules as it goes along to the benefit of themselves. 

So if there are NOT 8 girls returning, how will this effect their standing? Will they be able to compete at the tier they were in or do they need to drop back to the bottom and work their way back up?

[Left Foot]

What would be the reasons that folks won't list the specific team(s), club(s) and coaches involved?

[ltg]

do any of you think it is in the best interest of the kids on the ecfc 92 6 time state champs to have to play at the bottom of the league because they moved to su and they were playing up all these years?  they worked very hard to get to where they are and they had nothing to do with their new uniform

[El Matarife]

No I am not saying it is right or wrong, just showing that rules aren't always set in stone.

You are correct.  The "rules" are more based on who you are and who you know.  Thanks to Squash and WPS for helping keep these people somewhat in check.  Just imagine what would happen if Crossfire and WPFC had no accountability!  They control the state and PDL already. 

I'm not saying it's right, but how is that any different than anything anywhere?  Microsoft gets the most say because they are Microsoft.

[Victory]

do any of you think it is in the best interest of the kids on the ecfc 92 6 time state champs to have to play at the bottom of the league because they moved to su and they were playing up all these years?  they worked very hard to get to where they are and they had nothing to do with their new uniform

I was actually thinking about this one.  To answer your question I think ECFC should stay at the top.  They earned it.  The same goes for Evergreen 94 who had a number of kids leave last year.  They got to hold the PDL 2 spot they earned.  This situation if true is totally differnt.  A very viable team gets displaced by anouther team.  I feel this is what the rule was writen for.  As for Left Foot as soon as I know for sure 8 players were not retained I will post the info.  If it turns out 8 were retained I will take back everything (which due to the 24 hour rule is not much yet).  

[Left Foot]

Fair enough Victory. Iwonder if the  ECNL membership by some clubs may be having an impact?

[Soccer Freak]

For ecfc 92 they are in state league and will retain their spot, as their number as a team belongs to SYSA. However, any of the younger teams would NOT be allowed to keep their spot since Seattle United is not in the PDL.

[EWSoccer64]

Politics displacing some kids?

I used to be inflamed with anger at the very idea.  ODP was notorious for the inclusion of a few kids on most of their teams due to politics.   One time I talked about it with an ODP coach and he frankly admitted it.   Then he said that it did not matter to him if 3 of the players on his teams were included because of connections or politics.   His job was to promote the top 3-5 players onto the regional team.  He did not care about, and it was not his job to care about, the bottom 3-5 players on his roster.   They were there to help carry the load finnancially.

A club coach wants his team to win.  (And develope, but winning is usually what a coach is "graded" on).   Any team that has more than 2-3 political picks is going to be at a competitive disadvantage.  So a player who does not make the top 15 is the type of player affected by this.  And such a player is likely better off on a different team, more suited to their level, where they can be playing more.  (Say be in the top 11 of the players.)

As for a coach selecting one player who is even with another, because of a long standing family friendship, why not?   The coach knows the family of the selected player, knows that they will be supportive of the coach, and of the team.   He does not know the family of the non-selected player, who may be headcases and disruptive for all he knows.     Having a built in basis of support can be a very good thing for a coach and a team.   This is a practical view, not a pretty one.  

Also, the coach may know alot more about some players than others, anbd about temporary health issues.   This info is not to be passed out to the parents, so they are lleft without the info that the coach has.  Which renders their opinions of tryouts less than fully informed.    These are all factors.

[EWSoccer64]

For ecfc 92 they are in state league and will retain their spot, as their number as a team belongs to SYSA. However, any of the younger teams would NOT be allowed to keep their spot since Seattle United is not in the PDL.

If the PDL becomes the RCL this fall, as planned, then the SU teams will be placed.