The WORST Environment for Soccer

 

    Millions of soccer organizations take to the field every year, providing all ages with the opportunity to compete in the World’s Game. With this surplus of opportunity in the United States, it can be difficult to determine the environments that claim the top and bottom spots for overall experience. Throughout my twelve years of soccer participation, I have competed with multiple teams, each possessing an individuality that can be ranked from worst to best. They are scaled based on their atmospheres, schedules, coaches, teammates, training sessions, facilities, and levels of competition. The teams in question are a small private school, a club team, a small public school, and a college team.

               The first to be ranked is club soccer. This was the worst experience I had throughout my career. With that said, it was not a bad experience at all. The level of competition was high. Each player was there for one reason: to hone their skills for the chance to play at a higher level of competition. There were very few people who played “just for fun”. Club soccer was competitive, which is a positive point to make. The training was organized, and the coaches maintained a high intensity in the structure of games and training. They were well versed in the game, furthering each players’ development. Unfortunately, the high level of competition is not enough to place it higher in the ranking.

               One of the reasons behind this is due to the cost of club soccer. Each player must pay a fee to play to cover the cost of facilities, referees, and more. Additionally, each player must purchase their own uniform, which can cause the total cost to jump dramatically without the participant’s choice. On top of that, they also must pay for travel fees, including gas money, hotels, and any other expenses that come with that. These prices are typically non-negotiable, forcing the player to pay if they want a chance to play. With the high price for playing, one would think that the facilities would be well maintained, but this is not the case. There was always a possibility of the grass being dead or uncut when we arrived for practice. There were many days when we practiced on fields that were more dirt than grass.

               A busy schedule can be expected with such a high price for playing, but this is also inaccurate. With training only taking place twice a week, and one game per week, it did not feel like I was getting enough for what I paid. Club soccer should be a commitment, taking up most of the time outside of school and the season that came with that. While it was a commitment for a few hours a week, it was not the 5-6 day per week commitment that I expected when registering.

               One benefit of the light schedule, however, is spending less time with teammates. Maybe it was a personal experience, but most teammates I had in club were not enjoyable to be around. Almost every person had an ego that shaped their interactions with others. They believed they were greater than every other player, which often translated to their playstyle. They would often opt to dribble the ball over passing to an open player if it made them look better. There was minimal encouragement and team comradery, affecting the overall feel when arriving for training and games.

               Ultimately, club soccer was not a bad experience, but it was the worst out of the few that I have experienced. Because of all the reasons listed above, club soccer takes the bottom spot on the list.