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Travel Sports Coaches - rant


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I used to coach select soccer. The fact is most players will play through high school and not even make their college team. Most teams are not even as elite as they think they are. But you see school

Going on a tangent ... but I believe it's related because BSA is wrong to position scouts such that it competes with sports.    BSA needs to market itself in a different way because BSA just can't c

This topic comes up weekly with me--especially in the fall and spring. Sports is the number one priority. For the all of the dedication of time and money, you'd think every kid was a sure thing future

it's the simple explanation for the Catholic's "Sunday School"  I think it means something like Catholic Church Doctrine.  All I know it's intended mainly for the Catholic kids that don't go to Catholic parochial schools.

 

They really aren't messing with you @@cyclops, if they were you wouldn't have caught on so fast.  :)

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Yep it's what we call Sunday School. Stands for Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, but sometimes known as Catechism.

 

My middle son freaked out when I told him I did CCD only 1 year. When he asked how, told I went to parochial school and had theology classes everyday.

 
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For many of the "elite teams", it is a business. The coach is there to make a living. Winning is necessary to continue in the business (parents wont pay big bucks to be on a team that habitually loses). Thus the coach is financially interested in maximizing the time the players practice. This is far different from what should be happening in youth sports (or any youth activity for that matter). The sole purpose should be to provide opportunities for kids to play and have fun. Unfortunately the adults led organized activities and sports become focused on other things. Adults are deluded in believing that these hyper focused adult led sports, etc... will lead to pro-careers or even college scholarships. Those kids who will make it will showcase their talent on even the worst teams, clubs, etc... It is big business to get parents to pay big money in an attempt to buy their way into scholarships or pro sports. Too bad it doesnt work.

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We lost 3 Webelos II boys because their travel soccer coach told the parents if the boys miss practices because of other activities they don't play on the weekend. If the boys miss a day of games because of a campout they miss the next weekend of games too.

It's a coaching group and they told the kids & parent 'now is the time to get serious if they want to be an elite player, soccer should be the main activity focus'. 2 of those same boys also are not participating in after school band at school because of the new focus.

 

How are kids supposed to become well rounded individuals when adults are bullying 5th graders into making choices like that. Since the parents pay loads of cash for this opportunity to play with this team they want to be sure their kid isn't benched - I get that, sort of.

 

Scouts is a bargain! And if you can't make it to a meeting we don't "bench" you from a campout.

 

 

Well, that's the difference between rec soccer and travel soccer.  My boys played rec soccer from pre-K until about 7th grade.  They were also active in Cubs and both are Eagle Scouts. 

 

Travel soccer isn't for creating well rounded individuals, it's for creating soccer players.  Scouts creates well rounded individuals. 

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Well, I guess I've never really gotten into the loop for such things.  My daughters were on swim team, suit and a towel, and cross country, running shoes and shorts/shirt.  The biggest expense was the traveling to the events.

 

As a kid I remember forking over big bucks of my own money for a baseball glove only to find it out was the wrong one.  (Had an outfield glove, played first base.)  Had to borrow a glove anyway....  My bat I got for my birthday after the first season.

 

BUT just remember how expensive those BSA uniform pants are and you will understand why kids aren't in scouting nowadays.   :)

 

Love the video clip!  It's so true it hurts.

My son is in swim.  His swim suits cost as much as scout pants (could have gotten cheaper swim suits, but ran out of time due to his being out of town for various scout activities most of the summer).  Also, when the kids wear the scout pants as much as our troop does, the cost doesn't seem so high. 

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To the OP's question, I'm not going to start the debate of rec sports vs competitive/travel as that's a giant rabbit hole and really outside the scope of this board.  But I will say, if a scout is engaged in any sport (even rec), I can appreciate the priority the kid and family need to make to it.  I'm a scout leader and a youth coach so I see both sides.  It's frustrating from the scouting perspective for a kid to miss, but on the sports side it's infuriating.  When you sign up for a team, you make a commitment to that team.  Missing not only hurts the kid, but the rest of the team as well.  As someone else previously mentioned, if a scout is in season for a sport I have no issue with the coach expecting attendance.  But I will start to have issues if a coach tries to monopolize the kid's time 12 months a year.

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I have no objection to a coach expecting a player to show up for a seasonal sport, which is usually a 12 to 15 week commitment.

 

Year round sports clubs, like they sometimes have in skating and gymnastics, are a different matter, and a completely different discussion.  

 

Even in a seasonal sports programs, I have seen coaches unreasonably demand that players attend off-season sports camps.  This too, I feel, is a different discussion.

 

But for a regular seasonal sport, like little league baseball, YMCA basketball, or middle school football, with a short season and limited time commitment, I see nothing wrong with them expecting the boys to show up.

The problem is that most of the former seasonal sports are becoming almost year round. 

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Well, that's the difference between rec soccer and travel soccer.  My boys played rec soccer from pre-K until about 7th grade.  They were also active in Cubs and both are Eagle Scouts. 

 

Travel soccer isn't for creating well rounded individuals, it's for creating soccer players.  Scouts creates well rounded individuals. 

 

Disagree 100%.  Travel sports may create better players, but in the grand scheme of things travel sports create individuals who are able to work toward a goal, practice teamwork, balance time, and a whole myriad of other benefits.  Seeing sports as only creating players is extremely shortsighted.

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All activities expect a committment of some sort. The claim from coaches that the committment to the team must supercede all other committments is selfish and doesnt focus on the kids and what should be the fundamental priority. Musical directors say the same thing about committment, in scouts we do as well... The committment to your patrol. It is adult needs which put the extraneous pressure on the kids to havevthe 100% committment. What the adults are really saying is "the activity I advise is more important than the others". IMO, most teams, bands, dramatic peosuctions, patrols, etc.. would be totally fine if kids missed practice every once in a while. They might actually have more fun too if the adults stopped trying to make their event equivalent to the world series, cuz it just isnt.

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