Another "club ball" story for anyone who thinks their kid is on a track to the pros.

[MarathonMike]

My Niece's daughter has always been a standout soccer player. So much so that from the time she was 10 she was playing on "elite" club ball teams with girls older than her. Her parents were flying her all over the country to tournaments maybe one a month. They even flew to European tournaments a couple of times. She kept improving through her teens and eventually got a Division 1 scholarship. There she had tough competition for playing time but managed to be a starter as a freshman. Five games into the season she got a fracture in her arm. The coaches kept playing her, but she was more tentative (understandably) so she was benched.

She was so frustrated about being forced to play and then losing her position, she not only quit the team, she quit college. Her parents of course are devastated, thinking she would have a great D1 career and then of course turn pro.

So anyone thinking your standout kid is headed for the pros I'll just say this. If your kid has been identified by a legitimate scout by the age of 14 or so, you've got something. Otherwise your kid will keep having to prove him or herself at every level. And the minute something goes awry, an injury or a slump that could be all she wrote.

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

My Niece's daughter has always been a standout soccer player. So much so that from the time she was 10 she was playing on "elite" club ball teams with girls older than her. Her parents were flying her all over the country to tournaments maybe one a month. They even flew to European tournaments a couple of times. She kept improving through her teens and eventually got a Division 1 scholarship. There she had tough competition for playing time but managed to be a starter as a freshman. Five games into the season she got a fracture in her arm. The coaches kept playing her, but she was more tentative (understandably) so she was benched.

She was so frustrated about being forced to play and then losing her position, she not only quit the team, she quit college. Her parents of course are devastated, thinking she would have a great D1 career and then of course turn pro.

So anyone thinking your standout kid is headed for the pros I'll just say this. If your kid has been identified by a legitimate scout by the age of 14 or so, you've got something. Otherwise your kid will keep having to prove him or herself at every level. And the minute something goes awry, an injury or a slump that could be all she wrote.

Sounds like a major character flaw. Sorry for being honest.

 

[MarathonMike]

Sounds like a major character flaw. Sorry for being honest.

She has some issues, but that doesn't invalidate what I'm saying. Club ball is a business and lots of parents get sucked in like me and my Niece and a couple of my friends who had standout kids.

 

[rightwinger]

I think a kid who has been playing nonstop since they were 10 are prone to burnout by college

 

[MarathonMike]

I think a kid who has been playing nonstop since they were 10 are prone to burnout by college

It depends on the kid and a lot of other factors. A lot of them burnout but nearly all of them just aren't good enough. The only one I know of who made it to the pros was already scouted at age 14 and had an agent before he graduated high school. And he played baseball year round since he was old enough to swing a bat. You couldn't keep him off the field.

 

[del carr]

I think a kid who has been playing nonstop since they were 10 are prone to burnout by college

The race car drive Jeff Gordon was like that. At least according to the ho he was putting the wood to while married to Brooke Sealy. The centerfold Gordon was balling said he complained about his tight schedule since the age of three. He was honing his craft and never took the time to have fun.

 

[del carr]

I've heard you have to watch out when trying to put your kid in entertainment, modeling, commercials and the like. At least according to my brother's wife. They have a little girl and got tired of putting here in someone's hands for primping and grooming. They even went to LA for some event and she (SIL) complained of--in her words--"Hollywood Jew Pervs."

 

[MarathonMike]

The race car drive Jeff Gordon was like that. At least according to the ho he was putting the wood to while married to Brooke Sealy. The centerfold Gordon was balling said he complained about his tight schedule since the age of three. He was honing his craft and never took the time to have fun.

So Jeff Gordon was doing club ball racing since he was three?

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

She has some issues, but that doesn't invalidate what I'm saying. Club ball is a business and lots of parents get sucked in like me and my Niece and a couple of my friends who had standout kids.

Sounds like a character issue.

 

[del carr]

So Jeff Gordon was doing club ball racing since he was three?

Racing since around that age.

 

[del carr]

Sounds like a character issue.

Ups and downs of life.

 

[DGS49]

This is water under the bridge, but a college athlete with a broken arm who is asked to keep playing by the coach? Bullshit. SOMEBODY should have called the AD. She should have been given time off and the option to Red Shirt the season.

It seems to me that her parents did a good job nurturing her talent. As for college, she is still a kid. If she changes her mind she can get back to it whenever she wants. Soccer? There is abundant opportunity for her to play, and she can succeed on her merits.

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

Ups and downs of life.

Character issue on how you handle those ups and downs.

 

[MarathonMike]

This is water under the bridge, but a college athlete with a broken arm who is asked to keep playing by the coach? Bullshit. SOMEBODY should have called the AD. She should have been given time off and the option to Red Shirt the season.

It seems to me that her parents did a good job nurturing her talent. As for college, she is still a kid. If she changes her mind she can get back to it whenever she wants. Soccer? There is abundant opportunity for her to play, and she can succeed on her merits.

This is not water under the bridge. The point of the thread is to give current club ball parents some perspective from "the other side". It is very easy to get caught up in ego (both the parents and kid) and grandiose expectations.

 

[HikerGuy83]

It depends on the kid and a lot of other factors. A lot of them burnout but nearly all of them just aren't good enough. The only one I know of who made it to the pros was already scouted at age 14 and had an agent before he graduated high school. And he played baseball year round since he was old enough to swing a bat. You couldn't keep him off the field.

At each new level, the game changes in many ways.

You have to truly love the game to stay with it when times are bad.

 

[rightwinger]

It depends on the kid and a lot of other factors. A lot of them burnout but nearly all of them just aren't good enough. The only one I know of who made it to the pros was already scouted at age 14 and had an agent before he graduated high school. And he played baseball year round since he was old enough to swing a bat. You couldn't keep him off the field.

A few have pure talent.
Others play for the fun and friendships

When it stops being fun, they lose interest

 

[rightwinger]

It is hard to judge talent with young children.

I knew kids who were much better than the rest of us in grammar school or junior high. When puberty hit, they became average athletes

I also knew kids that were unathletic (dorks) who became good athletes in HS

 

[MarathonMike]

A few have pure talent.
Others play for the fun and friendships

When it stops being fun, they lose interest

Everyone plays sports for fun and friendships. I'm talking about a business built around false hopes that ends up costing families an enormous amount of money often $50K to $100K for years of club/travel ball.

 

[JoeMoma]

My Niece's daughter has always been a standout soccer player. So much so that from the time she was 10 she was playing on "elite" club ball teams with girls older than her. Her parents were flying her all over the country to tournaments maybe one a month. They even flew to European tournaments a couple of times. She kept improving through her teens and eventually got a Division 1 scholarship. There she had tough competition for playing time but managed to be a starter as a freshman. Five games into the season she got a fracture in her arm. The coaches kept playing her, but she was more tentative (understandably) so she was benched.

She was so frustrated about being forced to play and then losing her position, she not only quit the team, she quit college. Her parents of course are devastated, thinking she would have a great D1 career and then of course turn pro.

So anyone thinking your standout kid is headed for the pros I'll just say this. If your kid has been identified by a legitimate scout by the age of 14 or so, you've got something. Otherwise your kid will keep having to prove him or herself at every level. And the minute something goes awry, an injury or a slump that could be all she wrote.

Being a pro athlete shouldn't be "Plan A" for 99.99%. And even for those that are good enough for this to be Plan A, there needs to be reasonable Plans B and C.

 

[MarathonMike]

Being a pro athlete shouldn't be "Plan A" for 99.99%. And even for those that are good enough for this to be Plan A, there needs to be reasonable Plans B and C.

Amen to that!