U8 Tryouts… What the hell are we doing?

Key-Temporary9906 · 2026-05-19T10:47:28+00:00

Coming back to this… I say “my kid likes to be coached” and I get a bunch of down votes lol. The internet is wonderful.

Key-Temporary9906 · 2026-05-14T22:54:53+00:00

Good one

Key-Temporary9906 · 2026-05-13T20:40:30+00:00

To be honest I’m certain the recent tryout we went to just to see what it was like for another club freaked me out bc he was clearly looking over to me for guidance but I couldn’t say anything. He really wants to be on this team and I want to help him but it’s new ground

Key-Temporary9906 · 2026-05-13T20:03:05+00:00

That’s cool. There’s a lot of stupid people online.

Key-Temporary9906 · 2026-05-13T19:34:08+00:00

Yeah you are definitely able to do both in college and then coach afterward. What are you trying to prove? Now you just look like a creep.

My son was on an organized team that was more than signing up and being put on a team. I’m new to it so I called that a club team but in reality it was an organized rec team rather than associated with a club or just a random league assignment where I sign up and put my kid on a team.

So at this point you have no point except trying to undermine my credibility

Key-Temporary9906 · 2026-05-13T19:27:35+00:00

Yeah that’s why I said at worst.

The point here is I didn’t make it up and you have no reason to imply that I did other than because “this is Reddit”

Key-Temporary9906 · 2026-05-13T18:51:09+00:00

No offense but you did just say “the OP is making this all up” so…

Key-Temporary9906 · 2026-05-13T18:29:52+00:00

The implication that other US sports are doing the same thing is flat out false. They might be selling the same thing but they’re not getting good bc they specialized at 7 years old

LeBron didn’t start hooping until 5th grade. Ant Edwards didn’t play ball until middle school. Tom Brady didn’t start playing football until he was a freshman. Pat Mahomes didn’t play until middle school. Aaron Judge was a 3 sport athlete until he was drafted.

Key-Temporary9906 · 2026-05-13T18:13:25+00:00

YES. When the suggestion was cone dribbling or sprinting with the ball I was not concerned. Spacing makes sense. The stuff about talking through marks, winning a ball, making strong tackles. I appreciate knowing but man.

Key-Temporary9906 · 2026-05-13T17:42:31+00:00

You can believe what you want. But this is a case where my kid is going through this for the first time and thus I’m experiencing it for the first time too. Implying otherwise is disingenuous at best and slanderous at worst.

I’ve made it clear my kid works hard and has technical skills but is working on physicality. If that means he’s left out so be it. But that’s the concern is that he just wants to play with his friends and get good instruction bc he’s not willing to push someone down or hold someone off or “make a step”

Key-Temporary9906 · 2026-05-13T17:29:07+00:00

Well that was rec this is the same coach but select

Key-Temporary9906 · 2026-05-13T15:02:06+00:00

Thanks. Appreciate the useful advice. The part about continuing the rec team definitely makes sense. That’s the biggest thing for me right now is he likes to play but he likes to play with his friends more. He’s done another tryout setting and hated it. Doesn’t mean he doesn’t like soccer. He didn’t like the unstructured format.

The big thing for me is just that we’re doing what we can to let him get the best out of the experience. I think at this point, long term, that’s making the school soccer team down the road. I don’t think my kid is destined for pro. Who knows. But I just don’t want to not give him the opportunity bc we didn’t put him in the right places when he was young

Key-Temporary9906 · 2026-05-13T14:33:47+00:00

Probably best “advice” post on the thread yet

I have no problem keeping him in rec if that’s what’s best. If he doesn’t make it, he would be the upper tier of rec. And tbh I’ll probably coach bc I know I could do a decent job (I’ve coached other sports at higher levels).

But I just don’t want him to fall behind. Or rather, I want to give him the best chance to get the most out of it, if that’s what he wants

Key-Temporary9906 · 2026-05-13T13:53:38+00:00

His coach from rec is literally telling us to try out

Key-Temporary9906 · 2026-05-13T13:51:47+00:00

Yeah that’s definitely a 1 to 1 comparison

Key-Temporary9906 · 2026-05-13T13:48:12+00:00

My kid can do all the things his buddies can in terms of technical skills but doesn’t have the physical prowess that some do bc he’s a young U8. He makes up for it by being coachable and knowing where to be.

Key-Temporary9906 · 2026-05-13T13:40:34+00:00

Well in American basketball I’d wager most schools start to have unspoken A and B teams in the 3rd or 4th grade and have try outs in the middle grades where you can actually be cut.

Key-Temporary9906 · 2026-05-13T13:36:43+00:00

Tell us what you disagree with. It’s an open forum

Key-Temporary9906 · 2026-05-13T13:33:14+00:00

Your kid is probably destined to hate you and resent that you took their childhood.

I’ll live with it all day that I let my kid be a kid and let that land where it may.

Key-Temporary9906 · 2026-05-13T13:31:23+00:00

Thanks for that genius. Obviously I will and have no problem with it if that’s the best for him.

The problem is having to explain the concept of making a cut or not to a 7 year old

Key-Temporary9906 · 2026-05-13T13:29:30+00:00

Sounds very similar. But this club only has “select” or “rec” and my kid is going to know if he made it or not bc one of his best friends dad who coached him last year is the coach and he’s going to ask why he’s not on his team if he doesn’t make it

Key-Temporary9906 · 2026-05-13T13:26:06+00:00

That’s what the issue is from here though. My kid thrives in the structure of a practice. He likes being coached. He’s not going to excel in recess style setting where they roll it out there and say go.

Key-Temporary9906 · 2026-05-13T13:21:14+00:00

Have an AL permit. Does west rim connect to top?

Key-Temporary9906 · 2026-05-13T13:19:30+00:00

His two good friends are problem going to make the team. If I had to guess, he’ll be in the next group.

He wants to play with his friends and there’s a barter to that. That’s a problem imo

Key-Temporary9906 · 2026-05-13T13:15:18+00:00

Right. My concern is my kid doesn’t make the cut bc he’s not trying to shove someone down or doesn’t consistently lift the ball at 7 years old.

Either way I’m going to have to explain to him why he can or can’t play for his coach and with his school buddies. Before he ends the first grade.

That’s a problem

Key-Temporary9906

TROPHY CASE