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NAVIGATING YOUTH SOCCER

Helping Parents To Understand Youth Soccer,
and How To Function Well Within It.....

Recreational vs. Competitive Youth Soccer?
Defining the Levels....

RECREATIONAL SOCCER:

  1. FOR WHOM: Common introduction to soccer for children around ages 4+ 

  2. EMPHASIS: The focus of recreational soccer is on fun, healthy exercise and athletic movement, and on fun social interaction with friends.   

  3. PLAYER DEVELOPMENT: Rec soccer has a relatively very low expectation on coaches to develop players in the game technically and tactically.

  4. LEVEL OF PLAY AND COMPETITION: Leaders and coaches are typically very comfortable with a relatively low level of play and look down on the "break away" team that is dominating all the others.

  5. COACHING: Teams are normally led by volunteer parents  who usually have great intentions to introduce children (and mostly their own) to the game in a fun and non-stress environment.

  6. COMMITMENT EXPECTATION: Players are loosely expected to be at one training and one game per week which may be on two different days or integrated into one event. Games are always local and typically at one location every week.

  7. COST:  The amount parents are expected to pay for recreational soccer is relatively quite low and affordable for most household budgets.

 

**Note: Victory does NOT implement this level of soccer in its club.​

DEVELOPMENTAL ACADEMY

  1. FOR WHOM: An introduction to soccer for children ages 4-10 years old (give or take a year on either end)

  2. EMPHASIS: It has a heavy emphasis on teaching and making sure children learn the fundamentals of the game through a curriculum and academy-style structure. 

  3. PLAYER DEVELOPMENT: Academies primarily reason for existence is to help young players develop in the game both technically and tactically, not just to get exercise and have fun with friends. 

  4. LEVEL OF PLAY AND COMPETITION: The level of play varies on the natural abilities of the children who show up but in truth is irrelevant simply because the focus is on player skill development within a fun, healthy, positive, and competitive environment, not on the level of play and winning games. 

  5. COACHING: Coaches are usually led by a "Master Coach" with the support of knowledgable and semi-experienced assistants. 

  6. COMMITMENT EXPECTATION: The commitment level depends on the family, but generally there is an expectation that players will participate 1-3 days for training and a game in their local vicinity. 

  7. COST:  The cost is a little bit more than recreational soccer due to paying coaches out of registration fees but is still relatively quite affordable. 

COMPETITIVE SOCCER

  1. FOR WHOM: This level usually starts at age 8 years old or so at least in the USA (usually around age 12+ elsewhere around the world) in which clubs start playing each other in a very focused and intense manner in competitive leagues and tournaments. 

  2. EMPHASIS: There is a much heavier emphasis on coaching to win games, as opposed to coaching to develop players.  This is when players start seeing less or more playing time compared to others as coaches strategically place players in the game to win.   

  3. PLAYER DEVELOPMENT: Competitive youth teams do believe in player development, but it often plays "second fiddle" to the focus on winning games. 

  4. LEVEL OF PLAY AND COMPETITION: It is much higher than that of recreational soccer since there the clubs filter the best kids to their competitive teams and the less able players to their lower teams through try-outs and player placement events. 

  5. COACHING: Coaching is usually (not always) led by a licensed and experienced part-time coach, NOT parent volunteers.    

  6. COMMITMENT EXPECTATION: The commitment level is much higher with 2-4 trainings per week plus one game on average once a week during the season. Games will range from local competition to leagues and tournaments that span across a given region and the entire nation.

  7. COST:  Quite high relatively speaking to cover coaching costs, facilities, club administration, etc.​

Elite Youth Soccer:

  1. FOR WHOM: Designed for the top level of all youth players between traditionally 12-18 years old for the highest level of training and competition in the land usually run by professional club academies or by large mega-clubs (2000+ players). 

  2. EMPHASIS: The top priority is almost completely on coaching to win games, as opposed to coaching to develop all of the players.  This is when players start seeing even less or more playing time compared to others as coaches strategically place players in the game to win with little to no thought of using games to develop less abled players.   

  3. PLAYER DEVELOPMENT: It is usually very limited and depends on the coaches' philosophy.  Teams usually recruit to win games, as opposed to taking whatever players you have and developing them to their best ability. 

  4. LEVEL OF PLAY AND COMPETITION: The highest and best in the land for youth soccer.  

  5. COACHING: Coaching is always led by licensed and experienced part-time or full-time coaches.    

  6. COMMITMENT EXPECTATION: The commitment level is very high with 3-4 trainings per week plus one game on average once a week during the season. Games and tournaments are sometimes local but usually span across a given region and the entire nation.

  7. COST:  Very high to cover coaching costs, facilities, club administration, travel, tournament fees, etc.​​​

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Victory Philosophy Regarding Player Placement

Victory uses the following criteria to place players on various level teams:

  1. AGE: 

    • We encourage Developmental Youth Soccer, NOT competitive soccer, until children are around 10 years old for child developmental and environmental reasons regardless of natural talent and ability. 

    • The competitive environment and intensity even on a good day often takes the fun out of the game for the children.  Kids need to be allowed to be kids and enjoy the game with friends in a fun, positive environment that is free of the intensity and stress that comes with competitive soccer. There will be plenty time for this later.  We do NOT want to steal childhood away from our players by getting them into competitive soccer too soon and run the risk of burn-out!!

  2. NATURAL TALENT AND POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT: 

    • We believe in placing players on the right teams where they will thrive at a level which is not too low and not too high for them based on their natural talent in the game and perceived potential to develop into stronger players in the future. 

    • We want every child to get lots of playing time and be challenged to reach his/her fullest potential in the game which greatly depends on being properly placed. 

  3. INTRINSIC PASSION AND DESIRE: 

    • Some players regardless of their natural talent in soccer love the game more than others.  When a player is placed on the team that matches his/her intensity, then he/she will thrive and enjoy his/her soccer experience. 

    • In contrast, players who are on a team that is either too high or too low for him/her, the player may drop out of the game due to their lack of enjoyment of the sport.

Which Level Is Right For My Kid?

In order to determine which level is right for you kid, ask yourself the following questions: 

  1. Intrinsic Passion: What level best fits my kids love and passion for the game? 

  2. Ability: What level best fits his/her talent and abilities according to the coaching staff? 

  3. Friends: What level best fits his/her social need to be with friends? 

  4. Challenge: What level will challenge my kid the right amount, not too little, not too much in the game? 

  5. Time Commitment: Is my child thriving with the amount of time a given level of soccer is expecting of him/her?  Are we as a family able to support him/her at this level? 

  6. Finances:  Are we able to handle the financial demands of a given level of soccer?  Strong Encouragement: Victory believes that finances should NEVER be a factor that prevents a player who loves the game from playing at a higher level.  Scholarship money does exist and is available to make sure players can play at the level that is best for them. 

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MORE QUESTIONS?

PLEASE CONTACT ANY VICTORY STAFF. WE ARE HERE FOR YOU!!

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