u/General_Chain_4531

So previous post here

Went to the tryouts, son liked the team. He was offered a position on the second team. So was his buddy.

Objectively they both played really well. However, we have found out that the A team was already decided pre-tryout. This seems pretty obvious because his teammate played amazingly well...and yet, he was placed on the B team.

A couple things I noticed during the tryout:

• An alarming lack of ball mastery by all levels of the club; juggling was...sad.
• Very little dribbling of the ball, technical moves, etc. Just lots of passes and pushing.
• Most of the kids on the A team were very large. Not necessarily large and fit, though. Like big husky kids. Some were overweight.
• We played many of these same kids the weekend before in a 3v3 tournament and beat them--largely because as soon as you forced them to dribble the ball, they would kick it away.

The coach was nice and complimentary about my son. We found out very fast--but the kicker is he will be playing a division lower than his current team. I talked to his current coach and we spoke at length about philosophy of development at his age, etc. I worry that the new club doesn't care as much about that, basically--big kids, lots of pushing, passes...and wins. In that case, my son will never make the top flight team. He is small, shifty, and technical. At his current team, they see his potential.

Now, on the other hand, teammate has committed and my son has verbally committed. He wants to go...Me, having my doubts.

Any words to the wise?

Advice and/or perspective?

My U12 kid is a quiet, introverted kid. When he plays, he is fine. We are looking for a way out of his current situation as his team seems to be circling the drain and after their last kickaround he expressed frustration and that 'if he wants to get better he can't stay on this team." If you have anxious kids, you know how hard it is for them to leave their comfort zone so I saw this as desperation on his part.

We signed up for an ID session at another club in town that is much more competitive. He was extremely nervous, and it took him about halfway through to start to loosen up a bit. This is typical for him; I would expect that the next time he played with this group he would have been his usual self.

That said, I worry that this temporary anxiety can prevent him from getting a good look. During the scrimmage, he came alive. He ended up on defense though he never plays those positions (the returning kids took their usual spots and he was left with what he got).

As a defender, he landed a long progressive pass over the middle to the forward for an assist, and then scored a goal by settling a kick from the goalie and taking it down the field. After that, the coach for the top team asked him to move to winger. Unfortunately, his team played the ball on the other side of the field for the rest of the possessions and he didn't get a chance on the ball. He was ready, in the right spot for an easy goal, though.

My son said he was the only kid that coach interacted with.

I guess, I'm looking for some hope. I think the tryouts will be highly competitive and I think my son is good enough to play with these kids but I wonder if his quiet nature will keep him from getting a good look.

Is having decent vision up the field and the ability to capitalize on the ball for a goal enough to pique a coach's interest? We don't care about A or B team, just want to find a place where he continues to grow as a player.

I appreciate your perspective or advice I can give him ahead of the tryout.

Howdy folks,

My 11yo is objectively one of best on his team. He has been with the club for 3 years. The past few years his team has struggled. Coach is great, nice guy. Club is smaller, disorganized but OK. Parents are nice. Only 2 clubs in town. Kid came in from ID session tonight upset because it seemed like his club was not drawing in more talented kids (to paraphrase). I offered the right things to say, asked him what he wanted, pointed out that if he is on this team that he must be supportive of his teammates and lift them up, etc. He offered that he wants to get to the premier league (yes, yes, I know...but let the kid dream) and to get better he needs to move up.

That said, he has lots of friends on his current team. He has considered attending an ID session for the other club, but the chance that he would lose friendships with his best friend on the team has him a bit distraught and unable to make a decision. He says he wants to get better and has his own goals but I do understand why he is upset.

We have settled on attending the other clubs ID session and then go from there. I suggested that he might stay with his team and friend one more year and really push hard on his individual work.

Thoughts on this fork in the road? I feel sad for him, and oddly like we are betraying his teammates. I know that he would need to make the other team, but I feel confident he would be able to make the squad.

Hey there-

Before I start, I will say that my children are both seeing a pediatric endocrinologist. Neither child is clinically short (<3% ) but they are both shorter kids (9th and 17th percentile respectively). Their MPH is close to the 50th percentile. I'm short (61.25in), dad is not (72in).

Long story short, I'm trying to understand a growth mystery. Around age 8 I noticed a drop in growth in both of my children. They would grow less than the 5cm/year minimum, and dropped in percentiles. This prompted a visit to the doctor and referral to endo. At one point, son got down to the 7th percentile and nearly a stim test but bounced back up with growth at the next visit and it was not recommended.

What is interesting is that if I look back on my own growth records, I too, had a dip in growth velocity around the same age. I had a normal timed puberty (12 years old) and am shorter than my mom and dad (62in and 68 in respectively). On my dad's side, his brother and father are 72 in and his mom was 64in.

My daughter is now 8 and had the same pattern. We went to the doctor and she was dx hypothyroid and we ended up having the stim test due to growth velocity. Her peak was 10.4 on Clonidine; every other reading on tests (Glucagon and Clonidine) were below 6.

Anyway, what is frustrating is that my son will likely not reach the height of his shortest male relative (5'8), my father. Right now he has a slight bone age delay that was in theory getting him to his MPH but that gap has been closing and now he is trending lower. My daughter will reach my height if lucky. This is with having an above average height dad.

The doctor thinks it may be GH resistance, and I don't have much to look at that hints at resistance unless the child is severely undersized or has certain genetic disorders that my children do not have.

Any insight or theories as to what might be the issue?

Anyone have any insight into the Rush pathway program? Is it even worth considering or have any value for recruiting?

Thanks!