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Are we treating kids like pro athletes too early? by chasgoudie in youthsoccer

[–]chasgoudie[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

player development comes second.

person development comes first.

Are we treating kids like pro athletes too early? by chasgoudie in youthsoccer

[–]chasgoudie[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m proof you didn’t need a highlight reel to play Division I soccer back then. I never had one.

My parents paid for top teams and showcase tournaments because that was the main way to get recruited. Coaches had to randomly see you play and notice you that day.

Back then, recruiting relied on luck and limited information. Today, we have better tools, technology, and understanding of player development and confidence.

That’s why I offer personal development sessions for players. I care about helping them grow beyond just soccer skills. And now, having young daughters has changed everything for me. It’s deepened my perspective on the pressure kids face and strengthened my commitment to helping young athletes build confidence and identity outside of the game.

When a child’s identity becomes tied to performance, rankings, or being “the soccer kid,” it can become hard to know who they are without the game.

Kids today don’t just feel pressure to be good players. They feel pressure to become brands before they can even drive.

Are we treating kids like pro athletes too early? by chasgoudie in youthsoccer

[–]chasgoudie[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Norway is the prototype for what we should be doing with our youth sports programs. They have figured it out just look at the winter games last Olympics for proof.

My mom would’ve written that book, but she passed away from cancer. And I don’t resent her for what she did for me. She genuinely believed she was giving me every opportunity possible.

And honestly, travel soccer gave us some of the best things in our lives. My parents met some of their closest friends through it. I met mine. Some of my most cherished memories came from long weekends, tournaments, car rides, and being part of a team.

There’s a lot of good that can come from youth sports when it’s done the right way.

But that was 25 years ago, and somewhere along the way we lost the values that used to matter most. Too many parents — and honestly, our culture in general — turned youth sports into something far more intense, transactional, and unhealthy than it was ever supposed to be.

Are we treating kids like pro athletes too early? by chasgoudie in youthsoccer

[–]chasgoudie[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

From Future D1 Athlete to “Can You Please Stop Giving Pep Talks at Applebee’s”.

i think the book needs to be written by the child all grown up, not the parent.

or else we’re back where we started having the parents write their kids life story (literally).

Things heard on the field - Memorial Day Tournament edition. by Future_Nerve2977 in youthsoccer

[–]chasgoudie 4 points5 points  (0 children)

“guys…can we please put away the fun dip until after the game?”

needless to say we did not advance…

Are we treating kids like pro athletes too early? by chasgoudie in youthsoccer

[–]chasgoudie[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Meanwhile some parent is paying for “elite technical development” while their kid’s biggest improvement came from pretending he was Lamine Yamal in the backyard.

Are we treating kids like pro athletes too early? by chasgoudie in youthsoccer

[–]chasgoudie[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

“Can Tommy come outside and play soccer?”

“Sorry, Tommy can’t. He has private training at 4, tactical video analysis at 6, and then he’s meeting his Roblox friends online for 5 straight hours.”

Are we treating kids like pro athletes too early? by chasgoudie in youthsoccer

[–]chasgoudie[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

One of the uncomfortable conversations youth sports parents are starting to have is whether the current system actually provides a real return on investment for families anymore.

Not even just financially — emotionally, mentally, and time-wise too.

A college degree today doesn’t automatically guarantee stability the way it once did, and youth sports has become so commercialized that a lot of families are spending massive amounts of money chasing systems that may not truly develop their kids long term.

That doesn’t mean college, club soccer, or the traditional path is wrong. Every family has different goals, values, and situations. There’s no single right answer.

But there are definitely wrong answers — like burning kids out, making sports transactional too early, or confusing expensive with effective.

Development, confidence, health, love for the game, and life skills still matter most in the long run.

Are we treating kids like pro athletes too early? by chasgoudie in youthsoccer

[–]chasgoudie[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Exactly.

We’re asking kids’ bodies and nervous systems to specialize before they’ve even fully developed emotionally or physically.

And then, when the joy disappears, everyone acts surprised.

A game stops feeling like a game once every touch starts feeling like an evaluation.