Our youngest of three is 4 but we’ve had every dresser, bookshelf, or other type of furniture that could tip bolted since the oldest could walk. It takes about 5-10 minutes per piece and isn’t difficult. At one point we even had the flat screen secured from falling.

She looks quite a bit like a psycho Mrs. Brady.

I like it! And yes, my son’s U7 travel team has had about 4 weeks of practice and it was all individual skills, which while needed neglects the team aspect. No one flowed, they all stayed in the small diameter of where the coach put them. They have just started positional work now and it shows as yesterday they…

I totally agree with the relegation part to the point that all sports could benefit from it. As for the team concept, I believe you are correct in the coaching being lacking, but I think that given top tier coaching, the players I’ve mentioned would make a huge difference. Of course this is all bar room arguments…

You’ve got it right there I guess from what I’ve heard and what I’ve seen and the entry level travel teams. The focus is on individual skills while the overall tactical scheme of the game is completely ignored. I hope I can find a place where my kids can get that type of training soon.

We would, but our 6 year old has U7 rec and our 4 year old has station based skills training/fun games which takes up most of our fall mornings. We do try to watch a few matches when we can though. And about the only Eagles game I watch in full anymore is the one game I go to with a buddy each year. And even then…

Same here. I played from 3rd grade through to freshman college and used to live and die with the Eagles. Now, this Sunday I’m going to miss the entire opener for my son’s travel soccer game and I really don’t care that I’m gonna miss it. I’m hoping the less interested I am in it the less he is into it, and thereby…

Makes sense since most of the parent teams are in fact sporting clubs that have various aged teams playing in more than one sport.

It must be. My kid is in U8 travel for our township club and we had our first tournament playing against proper sporting clubs and we got killed. Our guys didn’t know where to position themselves and in fact had never played a practice let alone a game with a goalie so none of them knew what to do. I go to the…

Fair enough. Where does this change start then? Do we need better coaches/organizational people from outside the country to make our players better or does it start with better results bringing in more people to sport thereby making the coaching/GM’s pool bigger with the hope that one of them brings about the change?

You’re correct. This was just a question that popped into my head while reading this post. That’s really all it was and he answered so I’m good.

I can’t say your wrong since I’m not that in tune with soccer in general having not played since 3rd grade so your assessment of the youth soccer is probably a hell of a lot more accurate than mine. But if you are an elite athlete you can pick up any soccer skill the way these athletes have picked up basketball or…

I don’t know. I’d take an in his athletic prime Lebron to play goalie or to come up from the back line for corner kick headers over just about anyone on the team or in the pipeline. And that’s just one example. I mean he’s what, 6'8"? How many soccer players in the world are that tall to be able to defend a header…

Ok. So it then is also the size of the country and socio-economic issues as well. Also, the professional league here is a bit of a joke.

Not sure I understand the “sell” term the way you are using it. Is it a reference to the transfer fees that are charged for one team to purchase the rights to negotiate with a player?

If nothing else, as less and less people allow their boys to play football, the pool from which soccer can pull talent from should expand over the next 5-10 years.

Fair enough. Thanks for answering my question.

Hamilton, I’m legitimately curious why don’t you ever seem to level any criticism directly at individual union leadership. A cursory search found that at many of the distinct union headquarters more than 10 people were each making more than $200,000 a year with more than a few into the mid $300's. These people are…

I think you’re correct. But in my defense it is Friday afternoon prior to the holiday weekend and I’m STILL at work. My eyes glazed over around 10am this morning.

Thank you Drew. Tell Albert to get fucked by a beautiful red, green, and yellow leaved oak tree. I actually like him, but that take is terrible. The only thing that keeps fall from being a completely shit season (the season when 90% of all flora and a bunch of fauna suffer DEATH) is footbaw; and even that is losing…