Mom Speaks Out Against Youth Soccer

The following is an approved synopsis of a conversation that occurred between this writer (BSP) and a parent (Mom) of an athlete (Son) at Bath Schools:

Setting: Two parents standing together under cover from the rain at the Bath Football Game. 

BSP: So, how is everything going with Son's soccer?

Mom: They aren't very good but he is having fun.  That's what's important right?

BSP: Yeah. How bad is it?

Mom: They just can't win.  Every game is close but there isn't any defense when it counts.

BSP: They'll be better next year.

Mom: I heard that last year.  We were expecting things to get mixed up a little more but the coach of the other team got all of the better players.  He keeps them together so that they will always be the winners that they were last year.

BSP: You do know that in these younger soccer leagues that the coaches hold a draft and choose their players in the fairest way possible.
Mom: Have you looked at the rosters?  You can't tell me that team A and team B weren't picked to intentionally keep the better players together and put the losers together.

BSP: Have you asked the coach about this?

Mom: No.  I can see it on the field.  I've been around long enough to know that coach A is going to get the team he wants.

BSP: Go on, let it out.  I want to hear it all and then I'm going to ask you to act.
Mom: Okay.  There are certain family names that get passes.  Their kids always get the best coaches and get to play on the better teams.  Other kids whose parents drop a bunch of money on private lessons or elite leagues get their kids on the better teams or they'll take their kids out of the program altogether and just keep them in theses travel teams.  These parents demand that their kids all play together from Kindergarten on.  These kids will be the high school team when they get there.  It always happens this way.  My kids, if they got the right coaching now, could be the best by high school, but I can't afford the time or money to give my kids what the other kids get to be the better players.

BSP: How would you fix this?

Mom: I don't know.  It would be nice if somebody who knew the sport, knew how to help kids, and didn't have their own kid involved would coach.  And, I want the teams of younger kids to be more mixed up.  Winning and losing isn't the most important things, but somethings wrong if  one team always wins and the other always loses.

BSP: Are you willing to get involved in the organization that runs youth sports?
Mom: I don't have the time.

BSP: Would you coach or help coach?

Mom: No, I don't know anything about soccer.

BSP: What will you do?

Mom: I want to see some changes and will support whoever will make those changes, or I'll steer Son out of soccer.