High School Soccer?
Why does the Outlaws Soccer Club discourage its players from playing high-school soccer?
The Outlaws Soccer Club doesn’t require its players not to play high school soccer. We just believe that high school soccer does not always meet the needs of our players. We want to make sure that our players play soccer at only the highest level of competition and instruction. Often, such instruction cannot be met by non-varsity high school coaches/programs. The outlaw’s players are encouraged to participate in their high-school soccer for varsity experience only.
The Outlaws is the place for those players who want more than what a high school program can offer.
Americans compete with the world’s best soccer players up until the age of 14 years. The rest of the world graduates their high-school students around the age of 14. At that time children who have soccer ability begin playing at a higher and more serious level. Many are signed to professional contracts to ensure their soccer growth. Here in America our player’s abilities decline. Players choose to play high-school soccer for personal popularity.
High schools squeeze in 20 or so games in a short three months season.
Many high school coaches are fabulous teachers. They teach any subject, from science to history and may be required to coach as well. Therefore, they do not know what to teach soccer players. Or worse yet, they teach the wrong things. Such coaches tend to know or believe it is safe to focus on “fitness”. They know (or learn) how to “run” an athlete. There is repetitive training and mental fatigue over a three month period. During this time, 20 or more games are squeezed into a season. Does this describe your coach and your high school soccer season?
Most high-school players return to their club, disillusioned from the unchallenging, undemanding and unrewarding soccer they experienced in high school. In the worst case scenario, they become injured from over-training or over-playing too many games in too short of time without sufficient recovery time. Sometimes, small injuries become large and long lasting. Do you wish to place that kind of trust upon a science teacher or professional coach?
My 16 years of club experience and 9 years of college coaching have shown that a significant number of players quit soccer altogether after their freshman high school experience. Their high school experience negates their excellent club experience and club team. Too much emphasis is placed on high school soccer. I have seen high school soccer do more damage than good!
Here are some additional facts to bolster the Outlaws’ opinion:
1. Quality College Programs Do Not Select From High School. College selections are made from premier teams, not high-school teams. College coaches know that high-school coaches’ references are not the same as a professional club coach’s references. If a college coach recruits from a high school, he has knowledge of that particular players club experience. Most college coaches do not have the time to recruit from the high-school program because their college season is concurrent with the high-school season. College coaches recruit in their off-season, which coincides with club soccer.
2. Many High school coaches are not qualified coaches. Many do not have extensive playing and coaching backgrounds. Their college references do not carry the same weight of a professional club coach.
3. Level of play in high school is below that of club. Many high-school teams are made up of players who participate only as an extra curricular activity.
4. Many players quit soccer due to high school politics. Because so many high-school coaches lack soccer knowledge, they are forced to rely upon other means of choosing players.
5. College coaches only care about varsity. You will not see college coaches at junior varsity games. College coaches are not going to use a player’s C or D or JV team experience as in measuring tool. C and D team and junior varsity are not positive college references.
6. Most parents who have reached the club level have already made a monetary and time commitment to their son or daughter’s playing ability. They may not wish to waste all of that hard work for high-school recreation.
7. Almost all club players by the age of 14 have made a commitment to themselves to play at the varsity high school and or college. The serious player knows to reach that level will not be achieved by playing high-school C or D team.
8. Many high school coaches have anonymously endorsed the idea that players continue to train with their professional coaches and club year round. Here are some of the comments made to me.
“The club teams have less restrictions than high school teams do. It’s better for my players to continue to train with their club because I don’t have the experienced coaches on my junior varsity or younger teams to develop my future varsity team.”
“I’m tired of other high school coaches taking credit for their teams, made up of premier players. They’re already great players and even myself, a high school teacher, can assemble them on to a team. The players do the rest. Thanks premier coaches!”
The Outlaws is the place for those players who want more than what a high school program can offer.
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