[Addick]

Originally Posted by browna

To be honest, this latest issue is a direct result of the pie in the sky promises and money makers that have taken over in youth club soccer.

Thanks for the insight.

Originally Posted by browna

Now, clubs are hosting events for kids as young as 4 (kids plays community soccer until about 10). Our daughter is having fun and doing well with at 4 years old, but a shudder to think about clubs trying to recruit her (if she continues with this) as she enters Grade 3 in a few years to sik their teeth into her (and our wallets) for a outcome (nevermind having to be exposed to politics at an early age) in 15 years that can't be any better than I had growing up.

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It's disgraceful and a shame. There isn't a big pot at the end of the rainbow, for what these clubs try to promise to help you achieve...over the past 15 years, guys Owen Hargreaves, Kevin McKenna, Lars Hisrschfeld Christine Lathom, Stephanie O'Neill and other Calgary/Alberta products that gained National caps, came out of that youth club regional system in this city, with regular coaches and having fun playing soccer on good teams with good friends...each and didn't need academies and thousands of dollars to a club to run extraneous programs to get to where they got.

I hope to start getting my coaching badges this year. My 5 year-old nephew is playing house league right now and I've been wondering if it would be better to just start a team for him and his friends.