Soccer: Loyalty vs. Success

[santanadasavior]

I am a rising junior in high school and I play both high school and club soccer. I am looking to play in college as well. As anyone who knows anything about collegiate sports is that it is very competitive at any level and that it is hard to be a collegiate athlete. Here's the problem. I play for my club team and I have played with them for 8 years and have great friends, love the coach, and the list goes on. But my team is on the way down. We have many key players leaving and I honestly don't see us improving much before I graduate. I may be good enough to play on a higher caliber team to put myself in a more competitive position and give myself a better chance to play in a good college. I realize that from a soccer standpoint it is best for me to leave, but it is hard for me to bring myself to it. I guess I just needed to get this out, but if you have any advice it would be greatly appreciated.

[fent]

my brother is in the same position just a year older (senior). his team's falling apart and the coach is an idiot (starting a kid in goal that has never played there in his life) so he's taking off for another team that plays in the top division of North Texas. you need to do what's best for your future in the game.

[santanadasavior]

my brother is in the same position just a year older (senior). his team's falling apart and the coach is an idiot (starting a kid in goal that has never played there in his life) so he's taking off for another team that plays in the top division of North Texas. you need to do what's best for your future in the game.

The thing is that I have so many friends on that team and it's not like we're terrible, it's just that we aren't going to get invites to huge tourneys. The coach is great, the players are great, we just can't seem to get things to work. I think it's a lack of heart but I don't really know.

[RedskinRyan]

The thing is that I have so many friends on that team and it's not like we're terrible, it's just that we aren't going to get invites to huge tourneys. The coach is great, the players are great, we just can't seem to get things to work. I think it's a lack of heart but I don't really know.

well if you can get enough notice for the league your playing in, if your shining on a not so stellar team, you could definitly get recognized.

[LadyNRedskinsfan]

its time to look to the future. if high school soccer can help you get a scholarship to college then thats what you need to do. you may be leaving your friends behind, but they'll still be your friends.

[santanadasavior]

I don't know if this affects my decision or not but I play center back. I hold the back line fairly well and I do my job and some. I'm not really the guy that is going to get noticed doing what I do. I don't score goals, I don't have a bag of tricks, I'm just solid. I don't really know the best way to exhibit that is probably the problem. I have talked to colleges and I have had an assistant coach from GM come to one of my games. It wasn't just for me but I got some feedback from him and he told me what I pretty much said. That I stand out on the back line but not apart from the whole team. I'm a fairly modest guy and I don't really feel that I should try to be more noticeable in the games because that's not who I am or what I do. Also, when moving to new teams, I have noticed that defenders don't get as many chances to make the teams as the skill players. The reason for this, at least in youth soccer, is that teams usually have a starting set of defenders that the coach trusts and doesn't like to veer away from. That is another reason that I am considering in this. My parents also want me to stay, which as we all know is a huge part of it. They think that if I want to go to find better soccer than I should be carrying this team and should be scoring a lot everygame. To give you a little backround on my numbers for my career, I have 1 goal in 8 years of NCSL soccer, 2 goals at JV and 0 at varsity. I also have played goalie for half of my soccer career, which has hurt me and helped me. It has hurt because I was going back and forth between the two and was never able to grow at one. It helped because down the road it could save a coach a roster spot. Also, if I change teams, I might not get the same playing time. Right now I play the full game every game and I love it. That could go down if I go to a more competitive team. I'm just putting things out there that will go into my decision. Any more advice would be helpful.



BTW, I truly appriciate and have read everything you guys have written and hope you know that this means a lot to me. You guys aren't going to make my decision, I am, so don't feel like you are leading me to decide. Just because I didn't respond directly doesn't mean that I didn't read it or take the advice to heart. Again, thank you and if you have anything else please let me know.

[chrisbcbu]

Ok, well i was in a very similar situation that you are in when i was in high school.

Im a short guy only 5'5, but i was really fast so they always stuck me at the forward position to score goals. Which was fine with me because i did score alot of goals. But my club team had a horrible defense so i asked the coach over and over to put me at the sweeper(centerback) position. And after a long time he finally tried me there. And needless to say i excelled back there. But the overrall team was not very good. our goalie wasnt good, our offense wasnt good, so i made a choice. Which was to move onto a better team, it took a little while but they finally let me play sweeper and i was given that position. And I would make that choice again if i had to(even if i had to leave my friends of 6 years). Eventually being on a good club team(more exposure) and a high school team i finally got noticed and was offered a scholarship. Granted it was only a half scholarship but at least it was something.

I didnt end up taking it because i couldnt deal with all the practices and working but it was great to just get it offered to me.

[smoak]

I don't really understand soccer (I played a little, but not at this level), but if I was in a similar situation, I would stay. For starters, I am loyal to my team and teammates... but admittedly I am maybe loyal to a fault so take it for what it is worth. Second, who is to say you can't be good and have success? Can you do more to promote the team and get the guys to put in more time to improve? Don't accept that you won't be good enough to succeed.

[smoot]

I don't know if this affects my decision or not but I play center back. I hold the back line fairly well and I do my job and some. I'm not really the guy that is going to get noticed doing what I do. I don't score goals, I don't have a bag of tricks, I'm just solid. I don't really know the best way to exhibit that is probably the problem. I have talked to colleges and I have had an assistant coach from GM come to one of my games. It wasn't just for me but I got some feedback from him and he told me what I pretty much said. That I stand out on the back line but not apart from the whole team. I'm a fairly modest guy and I don't really feel that I should try to be more noticeable in the games because that's not who I am or what I do. Also, when moving to new teams, I have noticed that defenders don't get as many chances to make the teams as the skill players. The reason for this, at least in youth soccer, is that teams usually have a starting set of defenders that the coach trusts and doesn't like to veer away from. That is another reason that I am considering in this. My parents also want me to stay, which as we all know is a huge part of it. They think that if I want to go to find better soccer than I should be carrying this team and should be scoring a lot everygame. To give you a little backround on my numbers for my career, I have 1 goal in 8 years of NCSL soccer, 2 goals at JV and 0 at varsity. I also have played goalie for half of my soccer career, which has hurt me and helped me. It has hurt because I was going back and forth between the two and was never able to grow at one. It helped because down the road it could save a coach a roster spot. Also, if I change teams, I might not get the same playing time. Right now I play the full game every game and I love it. That could go down if I go to a more competitive team.

well, speaking from my own experience, i had a situation very similar to your's this year. i'll give you a little bit of background first though. a couple years ago i was playing for a mid-to high level select team aroudn this area called Triangle Futbol Club (TFC). However, despite the talent level on this team, the coach was horrendous and we were doing worse and worse with every game. So at the end of the season i, along with about 5 or 6 of my teamates decided to switch teams and joing a different league.

So i went and tried out for THE premeir team in the state and in the nation which was Capitol Area Soccer League (CASL). It came down to the final day of tryouts and i was playing with the team, the only person trying out to be doing that. So, considering the circumstances, it was about a 90% given that i would make the team. Then my knee decided to be a jerk and explode on me. Before the season ever started i got cut from the team because of all the problems i had, including but not limited to.....sever osgoodslachters (i think thats how you spell it), sprained mcl, pcl, lcl, dislocated patella, and tibial contusion. Since i was no longer on CASL i decided to go back to my old team TFC that that i could at least continue to play select soccer.

However, my coach was so mad at me and my teamates for even trying to switch teams that he refused to allow us back on the team and wanted to demote us to the challenge level team that TFC had.

Well i rejected that offer and seeing as tryouts were over i joined a low level challenge team for CASL that needed another player. Expecting to play a season there and then rejoin CASL premier i actually had alot of fun in leading the worst team the previous season to the state championship. I did this 3 straight years, but playing challenge wasnt going to get me noticed by college scouts.

So i turned my attention to my senior year of high school ball. I was named captain by the coach and after playing center midfield and being an assists demon my entire life he stuck me at center back in a four man, two up, two back rotation defense. Since this limited my ability to be a flashy player and get myself noticed with my offensive abilities i turned my attention to becoming a fearsome defender. Now its hard to be an intimidator at 5'10, 150 but i made a point of making every single tackle absolutely bone crunching (accidentally i injured around 3 or 4 players minimum this year). most, definitely not all of them, were legal, but the teams became so afraid of dribbling the ball near me that they were forced to just drop it off and kill their attack. this is where being captain had its advantages i was able to direct the players and tell them what to do (most of the time screaming my head off) so that our defense was always in perfect position to collect any errant pass or dribble without challenge. finally, i had always been great in the air as a middie so i challenged myself to win every header on every cross and corner kick that came into or around the box. needless to say i didnt win every single one but as a result we didnt concede a goal of a header the entire season.

Eventually as the college scouts came out to watch my teammates who were on CASL, they began to take notice to me and began referring to me as "the intense player". in the end i wound up with a few scholarships to d-2 and d3 schools, which i rejected in favor of a better education, and more importantly, open invites to the team as a walkon for two of the schools i already applied to and been accepted at for academics. These schools were NC State and Maryland. Now i dont have a scholarship, mainly due to my playing for a challenge team for 3 years but im headed off to NC State in the fall with a very good chance to earn one in a year or two.

Long story short, realize your strengths and optimize them. Your ability to play well isnt physical but instead a mindset. Unless of course your a sean taylor or randy moss in disguise. Simply make a point of winning every ball, tackling hard every time, no going in soft and optimize your other strengths to the best of your abilities. If you do that, the decision to change teams may become irrelevant.

Hope that helps, even tough i rambled for a while.

[santanadasavior]

well, speaking from my own experience, i had a situation very similar to your's this year. i'll give you a little bit of background first though. a couple years ago i was playing for a mid-to high level select team aroudn this area called Triangle Futbol Club (TFC). However, despite the talent level on this team, the coach was horrendous and we were doing worse and worse with every game. So at the end of the season i, along with about 5 or 6 of my teamates decided to switch teams and joing a different league.

So i went and tried out for THE premeir team in the state and in the nation which was Capitol Area Soccer League (CASL). It came down to the final day of tryouts and i was playing with the team, the only person trying out to be doing that. So, considering the circumstances, it was about a 90% given that i would make the team. Then my knee decided to be a jerk and explode on me. Before the season ever started i got cut from the team because of all the problems i had, including but not limited to.....sever osgoodslachters (i think thats how you spell it), sprained mcl, pcl, lcl, dislocated patella, and tibial contusion. Since i was no longer on CASL i decided to go back to my old team TFC that that i could at least continue to play select soccer.

However, my coach was so mad at me and my teamates for even trying to switch teams that he refused to allow us back on the team and wanted to demote us to the challenge level team that TFC had.

Well i rejected that offer and seeing as tryouts were over i joined a low level challenge team for CASL that needed another player. Expecting to play a season there and then rejoin CASL premier i actually had alot of fun in leading the worst team the previous season to the state championship. I did this 3 straight years, but playing challenge wasnt going to get me noticed by college scouts.

So i turned my attention to my senior year of high school ball. I was named captain by the coach and after playing center midfield and being an assists demon my entire life he stuck me at center back in a four man, two up, two back rotation defense. Since this limited my ability to be a flashy player and get myself noticed with my offensive abilities i turned my attention to becoming a fearsome defender. Now its hard to be an intimidator at 5'10, 150 but i made a point of making every single tackle absolutely bone crunching (accidentally i injured around 3 or 4 players minimum this year). most, definitely not all of them, were legal, but the teams became so afraid of dribbling the ball near me that they were forced to just drop it off and kill their attack. this is where being captain had its advantages i was able to direct the players and tell them what to do (most of the time screaming my head off) so that our defense was always in perfect position to collect any errant pass or dribble without challenge. finally, i had always been great in the air as a middie so i challenged myself to win every header on every cross and corner kick that came into or around the box. needless to say i didnt win every single one but as a result we didnt concede a goal of a header the entire season.

Eventually as the college scouts came out to watch my teammates who were on CASL, they began to take notice to me and began referring to me as "the intense player". in the end i wound up with a few scholarships to d-2 and d3 schools, which i rejected in favor of a better education, and more importantly, open invites to the team as a walkon for two of the schools i already applied to and been accepted at for academics. These schools were NC State and Maryland. Now i dont have a scholarship, mainly due to my playing for a challenge team for 3 years but im headed off to NC State in the fall with a very good chance to earn one in a year or two.

Long story short, realize your strengths and optimize them. Your ability to play well isnt physical but instead a mindset. Unless of course your a sean taylor or randy moss in disguise. Simply make a point of winning every ball, tackling hard every time, no going in soft and optimize your other strengths to the best of your abilities. If you do that, the decision to change teams may become irrelevant.

Hope that helps, even tough i rambled for a while.

I really appriciate that and I will take it to heart. The problem with my team is that it's not that we're bad, it's that we have 7 starters leaving the team to play elsewhere. I don't care how good a team is it is tough to overcome something like that. As of right now I am leaning towards staying and using it as an opportunity to sharpen my game and develop better leadership skills. My high school is on the rise and has a great coach etc. and I will have 2 great years left with them most likely with the talent so my plan is to try to get noticed there. It's still up in the air as of right now.

[smoot]

I really appriciate that and I will take it to heart. The problem with my team is that it's not that we're bad, it's that we have 7 starters leaving the team to play elsewhere. I don't care how good a team is it is tough to overcome something like that. As of right now I am leaning towards staying and using it as an opportunity to sharpen my game and develop better leadership skills. My high school is on the rise and has a great coach etc. and I will have 2 great years left with them most likely with the talent so my plan is to try to get noticed there. It's still up in the air as of right now.
the only real question you need to ask yourself then is if you will still enjoy playing on this team despite losing your 7 starters and im guessing friends. take into account friends, chemistry, and wins and losses and make your decision upon that.

[santanadasavior]

Just an update: I have tried out for one team right now and have made the first cut. I have not left my team but out of respect for my coach I have told him that I have tried out for another team. He was disappointed with the news but he said he understands.

On a different note, the team that I tried out for is a fairly good team. I will probably be able to earn a starting spot within the first few games if I am to join. I actually have a few friends on the team and I have tried out for and I tried out with three other guys on my current team, two of whom I am really close to. My parents dislike the coach and they think he is a poor role model based on the fact that they think that he coaches and plays (it's Brandon Prideux) dirty. I actually disagree with that but that is my opinion.

I had a conversation with one of my friend's dad on our current team that was very interesting. He said that he liked the way my current coach was teaching us how to play the game. He said that he knows college coaches that have talked to him about how they search the entire country for players who know how to play the game. It is a tough distinction for those who don't know soccer very well. He says that the premier college coaches find tons of defenders who can run with defenders, tackle with perfection, clear everyball out, and every other defensive aspect of soccer. He then said that these coaches can almost never find players that know how to gain possesion and then start the attack and stay involved in the attack. That is what my current coach is teaching us and has tought us. I am quite involved offensively on my team and I really think that he is training me to be a complete player.

Now I have come to realize the reason that my team is stuck in one place and won't move is because of a lack of heart. I don't care how good of a coach you are, that cannot be coached. You either have the will power to fight and leave your heart on the field or you don't. Many players on my team don't and it really frustrates me when I'm busting my ass to do everyting I can but I don't get backed by my boys.

That is the latest, again, any comments, questions, advice, etc. will be appreciated.

[smoot]

whatever you decide, best of luck to you

[santanadasavior]

I just had a talk with my coach and I have come to the conclusion that I am going to go out and recruit for my current team and try to keep some of the people that are thinking about leaving. The only way I will leave the team is if we don't exist. I have found out what I want and I am on the team that will give that to me. If you want to know the details of the situation PM me. I would like to thank all of those who gave their advice. I really appreciate it.