EVERYTHING
FOR YOUR FAMILY
Cover Story
|
||||
|
Your grade school athlete has more choices than you might realize when it comes to joining a sports team. Is a recreational league just fine? Or is joining the growing world of club sports a more rewarding choice for your little ball of action? Club sports started out decades ago with swimming and gymnastic clubs where athletes trained year-round at dedicated facilities. Now the club concept has been applied to most popular sports. At ages 9 and 10 - long before he or she is interested in girls or boys - decisions need to be made. And checks cut. Take soccer. There is everyone's favorite recreational league, AYSO, and then there is club. AYSO requires as little as a $65 check and your child's presence every Saturday for a single game at a local field. Club soccer can easily cost $1,000-$2,000 for each 10-month-long season, and your child might play several games a day on the weekend at a faraway field. Other sports have a similar two-tier system. Baseball has Little League as well as more competitive club baseball teams (or traveling teams). Basketball and volleyball also have local recreational leagues and club teams. Junior football is the exception - you can choose between Pop Warner and Jr. All-American but there aren't really traveling teams for young football players. Recreational teams disband when the season ends - the party at the pizza parlor is a staple - whereas club teams stay together, eating pizza regularly while on the road. Club teams tend to end up with more competent, polished players, though the ability to devote time to a more well-rounded life - to study, play a musical instrument and read - remains open to debate. Club coaches are serious disciples of a particular sport, rather than dads and moms who have volunteered to coach the team. The coaching isn't always better, but it is more demanding. This report discusses how you can gauge whether your young player is a good candidate to move to the next level - and if you are willing to make that sacrifice - as well as how to choose the proper team. Later on, the decision to enroll your athlete might pay off with a starting spot on the high school team. And, perhaps, a college scholarship. Choosing between rec and club For 9-year-old Ashley Doyle, club soccer chose her, rather than the other way around. Ashley was attending a free soccer clinic when a coach from the Laguna Hills Eclipse club spotted her. Her competitive demeanor and athletic skills stood out, and he approached Ashley's mom, Teri, and asked if Ashley would like practice for free with his club soccer team. Normally, joining a club team requires a tryout, and is anything but free. Children who are new to a sport should join a local rec team first to make some friends and find out whether they enjoy the sport enough to even consider playing at the club level. Rec teams are usually geared for fun and team building as well as exercise and competition. But certain recreational league players, like Ashley, begin to dominate the action in the rec league games. The top recreational players might even begin to get bored with the ease with which they score and win. If you can objectively state that this is the case with your child, you might have a candidate for the intense training and level of competition that comes with club sports. Ashley's dad, Brian, says, "In club soccer, Ashley finally found a team where the other girls were as motivated to play as hard as she. She found it very energizing." I talked to other sports families and club coaches about the questions that parents need to ask before subjecting their child to a club tryout and before forking over the hefty club fees. Questions to ask Question 1: "Is my own child athletically gifted enough to compete? How do I assess his or her athletic gifts?" Charlie Cochrane was featured along with his children on the cover of OC Family Magazine's "When Sports Get Serious" (September 2003 issue). His son is on a club volleyball team and his daughter is on an under-11 AYSO Plus soccer team. (AYSO Plus is a fairly new transitional league, somewhere between rec and club level in terms of competitive level.) Charlie says that, as far as soccer goes, a "qualified AYSO coach can probably tell if your child could compete on a club level. A time-proven technique used by clubs to get your child interested is to invite them to practice with their squad, which will help both you and the coach determine if it is right for your kid." A club coach in a soccer discussion forum I joined put it this way: "To move to a club team, a player should be in the top 10 percent of players in the rec league, at the very least. That rating should not be through the parents' eyes, it should be through others' eyes. Say your player is in a game, and he beats nine other players off the dribble. Dad says, 'Why didn't you pass, son?' And the son says, 'There was no one to pass to.'" Your player should also be able to keep up with the older players. Parents might consider moving an athlete up into a higher age bracket in a recreational league to see how their child's physical gifts match up before leaping into club. There are certainly 10-and-under players, like Ashley, who have the athleticism necessary for a club team. A club coach is always intrigued by an athlete who plays several sports well. Last year, Ashley pitched for my daughter's rec softball team. An opposing coach once complained to our coach, "Today was supposed to be a just-for-fun game, and you're killing us with this pitcher." Our coach replied, "But she's only 9 years old." Most of the other girls were at least 10 or 11. Ashley might be the exception rather than the rule. She's the middle child of an athletic family. Her older sister plays softball and club soccer, and her younger sister just started AYSO. Year-round sports games and practices are the norm. Question 2: "Is my child old enough to play club sports?" Coach Cochrane provides reasons for not jumping into club until your player is ready: "Club is typically a lot more physical than AYSO, thus the chance for injury is increased. Club can be much more stressful in the quest to win since the coaches are paid and can be replaced when the kids do not perform up to expectation. And the programs go 10 to 11 months, so the chance for participation in other activities and sports is reduced." For club baseball in particular, you might want to hold off on committing a 10-or-under player to a traveling team. John Elliot, a scout for the Houston Astros and coach of the Quakes club baseball team, notes, "At 10 years old, there are guys who can play catch and guys who can't, but you don't start seeing who's really capable until 11 or 12. Before joining a baseball club, a player should at least know how to lead off, how to do a double cut, and how to hold someone on base." Volleyball is another sport where club membership usually doesn't begin until at least 10 years old. Michael Soylular, head coach of the Laguna Beach Volleyball Club, says, "We start with fourth-graders, doing volleyball clinics. Kids usually don't join our club until fifth grade. But by sixth to eighth grade, a volleyball player should have started formal club training if he or she plans to make the high school team." In volleyball and basketball, there is the additional issue of height. Parents might be tempted to hold off on a commitment to a club until they see if a child will grow into the sport. However, one very good predictor of future height is having tall parents. Even if your child isn't already tall, Coach Soylular points out, there are plenty of key roles for shorter players. Question 3: "How do I keep my own ego gratification out of the equation?" On his club baseball team, Coach Elliot drew a hard line regarding parental involvement. "Parents drop their kids off at my program and leave. I don't want to hear it from the parents. Parents who are overinvolved are trying to manipulate the child's success." In soccer, it's much the same, according to Coach Cochrane: "You will always have parents that seem to be living their athletic fantasy through their kid's achievements. It is probably natural, but how you keep it in check is the key. In AYSO, the coach is just another parent volunteer, but the club coach has been hired to instruct your child. He or she has a lot more authority, and will make sure the parents check their ego at the door." One way to know for sure that your parental ego is not the driving force behind a decision to sign up for club is when your youth athlete repeatedly asks to play sports at a more competitive level. Brian Doyle has seen the result of parents pushing an unenthusiastic young player into a club sport: "A player who is getting pressured by Mom or Dad might have great skills, but tends to get frequent stomachaches or little injuries. The kid finds reasons to sit out of games." Brian and his wife Teri had little hesitation in signing Ashley up for club because her attitude is consistently the opposite of the player being overly pressured. "She got up before a recent tournament and said, 'Dad, I'm so lucky. I get to play at least three games today,'" says Brian. Question 4: "Is my child mentally ready for this level of intensity?" Ashley's attitude demonstrates a certain readiness to play hard, win or lose. A member of a soccer forum recommended that parents make an objective evaluation: "Is your child a sore sport when winning or losing? Ask yourself how your child handles criticism. Does your child realize that he won't necessarily be the best player or get to play all the time (on a club team)?" Another forum member says, "The child must feel and see the need to advance. By the same token, if they are not ready for competitive soccer, it will be just as obvious." Objectively evaluate your child's performance in very competitive games, such as the finals or in tournaments. As Cochrane says, "AYSO playoffs better represent the intensity level of club games, so this can help you to judge the mental readiness of your child." Question 5: "What benefits will this experience bring to my child and family?" Michael Soylular, head coach of the Laguna Beach Volleyball Club, knows something about the benefits of playing on a club team. According to Soylular, it's not unusual for a player from his volleyball club to come into high school as a freshman and make the junior varsity team. After four years of both high school volleyball and club volleyball, his most talented players easily make the transition to college. One veteran of the Laguna Beach Volleyball Club is Publisher Steve Churm's daughter, Katie. She made the all-city first team in high school for three straight years. Katie is now a college freshman, playing on the Iowa State volleyball team. Two other Orange County players from Coach Soylular's club, Megan Blackshire and Katy Daly, were featured in OC Family Magazine's "Land of the Giants" (Cover Story, February 2002 issue). They have since gone on to play for UC Santa Barbara and Pepperdine, respectively. Megan was named the 2002 Big West Freshman of the Year, while Katy was ranked No. 5 on Volleyball Magazine's Fabulous 50 List of incoming freshmen last year. Club coaches often have connections to college recruiters that high school coaches do not. Coach Cochrane provides an example: "The right club experience will not only increase the chance that your child plays in high school, it also provides exposure for potential college scholarships. My neighbor's son is missing his high school tournament this weekend because his club is playing somewhere else, and college coaches will be scouting that event." Question 6: "How do you choose a club team? What do you look for?" Coach Soylular points out one obvious advantage that you can look for in a club team: "Clubs that have dedicated sports facilities can accommodate parents better than teams that have to share a court or a field with the public. Having a good facility allows a club team to have consistent practice hours." Coach Cochrane gives this advice: "You should attend club practices and games before making a decision. Interview the coach and other parents on the team. For soccer, I would ask experienced AYSO coaches which are the best club teams and how have the kids fared in regards to making high school and college teams." AYSO steps up AYSO has witnessed the growth and success of club-team style soccer, and has responded with the AYSO Plus program, a league with select players and a higher level of competition. The Southern California area in particular has witnessed an explosion in the number of other club teams and competitive levels available in a multitude of sports. If your child wants to improve in a sport, any participation (even street games) is better than none. Fortunately, many general-skills sports, such as football, basketball, baseball, and soccer, can be mastered in a few years. Club sports can hone these sports skills, deepen knowledge, and give your player extra assets. In the end, only the player, by himself or by herself, can control the passion with which those assets are applied. It's not hard to burn out your young athlete on a particular sport, if you make your child's life all about making the next practice and pleasing Mom and Dad, with no healthy balance between other intellectual and spiritual pursuits. If everybody's happy, however, it seems like the more family sports involvement, the merrier. Sports teams at all levels are populated by people who live and love their chosen sports. It's an obsession, but a healthy one. Without the direction provided by sports activities, many children with potentially bright futures will spend their free time watching the tube and looking for aimless amusements with their friends. We all love stories of sports stars who come out of nowhere - the farm boy who turns out to be a natural, or the walk-on who becomes a team leader. In the old days, there was probably more truth to these images. Many of today's prominent players, on the other hand, have sports scrapbooks that go back decades, and dozens of jerseys from different teams in their closets. Usually, the most successful players are the ones who have had years of specialized training. David Kries of Mission Viejo writes about families, sports and computers for several regional publications. To reach him: davidkries@cox.net. 10 tips for when you push the go button 1 Make sure that you can fit Sunday games into your schedule. 2 As a family, eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly. 3 Don't get sticker shock. Know in advance that club teams cost $1,000 a year or more. 4 Get an objective opinion from a coach regarding your child's skill level. Understand where your child needs to improve. 5 Beware the club where the coach has his or her own son or daughter on the team. The club team's focus can easily become the coach's child. 6 Check your motivation for enlisting your child with a club team. Is it a way for you to get more sports into your own life, or is your child genuinely interested? 7 Prepare your child for the possibility that they might sit on the bench during games with the club - no "everybody plays" rules are in effect. Starting players earn their spots in the lineup through hard work and improvement. 8 Be realistic about the exposure to performance-enhancing drugs, ephedrine-based supplements, and designer drugs that might happen in high school. Tell your teens to stay away from these and to report to you any offers of such substances. 9 Be prepared to make a commitment to the club as a parent. Children can't drive, so Mom or Dad will have to plan on dropping off and picking up a player several times a week for practice. 10 Visit a website. You can see team pictures and get a feel for coaching philosophies and game and practice schedules. Plus, there are discussion forums that allow you to post questions to other sports parents. Below are some examples: • AYSO soccer, AYSO Plus Program: www.ayso.org • Club Soccer, Laguna Hills Eclipse: www.lagunahillseclipse.com • Club Volleyball, Laguna Beach Volleyball Club: www.lbvbc.com • Club Baseball, Quakes Baseball Club: www.top-prospects.com • eteamz discussion forums: www.eteamz.com/company/community/boards |
||||
RSS Subscribe
Digg This ArticleSEARCH THE SITE
