Advice on Getting My Son into Select Soccer

There are many select teams in the area i played select for 8 years in the dfw area and it was a great experience the actual select teams do not start until they are 11 but many of the clubs now have teams that play in a training type program from when they are little until they hit the actual select age. all the clubs have websites and will require a tryout but the best thing is to contact the club/coach a few you may look into is the dallas texans, andromeda, solar, fc texas they are the bigger names in the boys division but if you have any questions feel free to ask i will be glad to help.

Kristi,

I have a 6 yrs old boy too... The funny thing is that he has been playing for a yr, the coach and anybody that see him plays thinks he has alot of talent for his age. I had a few people suggesting for him to be in select also. Be in my opinion, I would not put any kid at his age in select. Because I want him to learn about soccer, like the positions on the field and what its all about, before I will put him in select. I think around age 8 or 9, would be reasonable age. I do know that in the summer time there are a tons of soccer camps. And my son attended a few this past summer and loved it. They were Bobby Moffat and British Challenger soccer camp. If you want to put him in select the FC Dallas has a youth program. And just remember its more money and more time.

Perhaps things have changed in recent years, but a few years back, select didn't start until 3rd grade.

Also, make sure you know what you're getting into. Select is expensive and VERY time consuming. It's great if you want that, but some parents are pretty surprised by the high dollar amount and time commitment.

What area do you live in? At this age he would play academy soccer (pre-select). There are many teams to choose from but I would suggest at this age that you find a club that is close to you. Here are a few clubs to look up their websites FC Dallas, Texans, Solar. I have a daughter that plays academy so I really don't know the boys teams but you can also go to http://forums.turfmonster.com and there is a Boys Academy section that you may be able to get some more information from. Good luck.

Okay....I may be the only negative voice about select sports, but here goes. First, I notice that you have 3 children, so it won't be long before you are running the taxi service for all 3 of them....to school activities, sports, dance, theatre, friends'parties, etc. Select sports not only demand a lot of time, but they are a lot of money. If you have unlimited funds, then no problem....but most people have to suffer somewhere else to pay for kids' select sports.

Then comes the question - are you only going to let the first child participate? What if the next two are good at their activities too? If older sibling is playing select, why can't they?

I have rarely seen children who go on to compete at high school or adult level when they have played so much in childhood. They tend to get burned out on the sport.

My son started playing soccer at age 3. He was on a team of boys...most of whom also played other sports year-round. The team stayed together and played all sports together (soccer, baseball, basketball) until they were in 7th grade. There were a few who were standouts in a sport, but the parents all agreed that the boys had developed a great team comraderie (and only a few of them went to the same school....so it was a nice mix....one boy was Jewish and shared his heritage and traditions with the other boys) and all parents decided not to move any of the kids to select sports (some of them would have qualified; others not).

Interestingly enough, a few of them played high school sports, but none of them went on to play after that. The great thing is, though, that they are all still friends (my son is now 25). In fact, he just said that for his next birthday, he would like to have a party and invite the old team to get together.

So, my point is that maybe the friendships developed are more important in the long run than the sport. There is not a great chance that any kid (whether on select team or not) will go on to play professional sports. In fact, if you look at many of the professional athletes, many of them didn't even start playing until later (either junior high or high school). When kids start sports early, they learn friendship and comradery (and good sportsmanship if they have a good coach)....but it is unlikely to cause them to go on to professional sports.

So, if you have the money to spend and if you are willing to invest the time AND if your child really REALLY wants to do it (and it isn't just your encouragement pushing them to do it), then go ahead. But I hope you will consider that not all kids need to play sports at such an intense level...in fact, most don't need to do so. In my opinion, select sports have gotten out of control and parents seem to be the ones competing, rather than the children.

I hope you will consider and not just push your kids because everyone else is doing it.

I just read this, you must must must check out Andromeda, they have their own fields in Plano and they have won a few national championships at different age levels. Go into search engine--look for Andromeda Soccer Academy and talk to them. They are the nicest people in the world and my son played since he was 4, he is 17 and on the Academy team now. They won their division last year, finished number 1 in the US! You will never be disappointed!

Most academy teams don't have groups built for 03-04 children. I have a daughter on an 01 team, and there are a few 02 children on it, and I have a son who is 03 - there is no team for his age group yet...One will probably start in the spring/summer. In rec soccer much depends on the coach you have, but you can augment what your child gets through skills nights (most rec leagues have them once a week for a nominal fee) and private lessons. Your child will be in academy soccer for several years before select is an option. That starts at age 10.

My 17 year old son has played select soccer since he was 10. If you'd like to "pick my brain" on this, PM me and we can discuss all the pros and cons.

R.