10 Ways For Tri-Valley Parents to Find the Right Youth Soccer Club
Whether you are starting your kids on soccer in and around Dublin, CA for the first time, or have just moved to the area, choosing the right soccer club for your child is not a trivial task. The coaches have different personalities, and the programs are not run the same way. Asking the right questions is the first step toward finding the right soccer club for your child. Teri Jones of MovingTips.org has some tips for you to consider during the search:
- Check the web. Do a quick Google search to see if your area has an active youth soccer league. Find out if the league is affiliated with the US Youth Soccer National League. Take the time to learn about the benefits of being part of an official league. The Dublin United Soccer League is registering kids until June 1st.
- Consult with the local parks and recreation department. Your local parks and recreation department is a good place to start when looking for information on who to contact regarding soccer programs for kids. The staff may also give you some useful information about the differences among the available club.
- Talk to other soccer parents. A good resource for finding the right group for your kids may be other soccer parents in town. Veteran soccer parents most likely have had some experience in dealing with the various soccer teams in the area. Seek out their advices and leverage their experiences in making the best decision for your child.
- Determine the player-to-coach ratio. Ask about the ratio of kids to coaches when checking out soccer clubs. Eight to ten kids per coach is ideal. You definitely would not want it to be higher than 14 kids per coach.
- Evaluate the coaches. The coach is the key to the whole program. How long have the coaches been coaching youth soccer? What are their credentials? A new and inexperienced coach could mean a year of chaos for your child.
- Attend the practices. If you really want to know whether you have made the right choice in a soccer club for your child, you need to attend the practices. Seeing how the players are being taught and are being treated means you will not have to rely on your child for accurate reporting.
- Know the lesson plans. Ask the coach about the team’s training program. Is the structure for younger players different from that for the more experienced players? It should be. Will the coach mentor the assistant coaches, or are the assistant coaches expected to pick up everything on their own?
- Widen your search. If you are not satisfied with the selection of teams in your area, take the time to check out the teams in other cities in the Tri-Valley. Enrolling your child in a better program is worth a little extra drive time.
- Interview the players. Check with players who have been part of the soccer club in previous years. What were their experiences? What do they have to say about the coach?
- How often does the club meet? Ask about how many weekly sessions there are for the different levels. Introductory clubs should practice only once or twice a week. The more advanced clubs should meet more frequently.
5:07 PM on May 7th, 2011
John – next time you write an article about find a kids sport team, you might want to try getting a little first-hand experience via having a child on a team in that sport. This article reads like one about finding the right car, but written by someone that’s never purchased or driven a car.
6:02 PM on May 7th, 2011
I hate the signs one Dublin soccer program plasters all over town (road medians, in front of Dublin Ranch signage,etc)—- Whoever is in charge of that program please realize that you’re making our nice town look like a ghetto with your signs all over the roads! Not sure why Dublin City Code enforcement hasn’t cracked down on them (make any illegal signage have to pay a $1000 fine when they don’t have permits)—
http://www.dublinsoccer.org/
Before you go bashing me “Oh, lighten up, it’s for a good cause!”, please realize that we will likely see signs all over town now (without some sort of crackdown)..
Youth Football
Youth Basketball
Youth Baseball
Youth Badmiton
Youth Tennis
Youth Cheer Squad
Youth Piano
Youth VIolin
Youth Vollyball
Youth Swimming
Get the picture? Stop with the signs all over our city DUBLIN YOUTH SOCCER!
2:51 PM on May 12th, 2011
We’re just trying to get the word out to the people. We’re glad people are noticing.
The signs are professionally made and all have been posted with permission from the land owners or tennants and approval from the city. None have been posted without proper approval.
I’d be interested in visiting this “ghetto” you liken our city to. It sounds like a nice place to me with vibrant youth programs.
I welcome people to check out the comprehensive and programs offered with Dublin United Soccer League. Compare our pricing and programs offered with any other club in the area and I think you’ll be pleased.
3:03 PM on May 12th, 2011
Yo HATER… Get a LIFE!!!
12:03 PM on May 9th, 2011
If you don’t mind, right here in Dublin I recommend Futsal to anyone playing soccer. It’s fast, fun, and extremely competitive. I have coached it for a couple of years and frankly it’s more fun than playing on the grass. Plus the kids get medals based on ranking i.e. play-offs (1st, 2nd, etc) and not for participation.
Here is a link to learn more.
http://www.tri-valleyfutsal.com
7:42 PM on May 9th, 2011
Looks like fun!
11:50 AM on May 13th, 2011
I agree with the comment about Futsal being fun however I must add that I have two children that have played for DUSL for over 11 years so I can speak from experience that not only has DUSL provided a great program for all Dublin Youth. It has continued to grow and become competitve will all the leagues in the Tri-Valley area.
In addition, the competive programs earn the medals by participating in tournaments and in League play. They are not given participation trophies as indicated above.
I fully agree with participation trophies as well though as both my kids have played Rec soccer and competitive and nothing means more to a young player than to display that trophy at the end of the season.
Keep up the great work DUSL your doing a fantastic job!!!!
8:09 PM on May 14th, 2011
11:50 — Not sure where you got the idea that I was capping on DUSL? I did not even mention DUSL.
But let me say DUSL is a very good program. Nick L has built a solid program and I like the 4×4 configuration. It’s much better than past programs.
My comment on “kids get medals based on ranking” was based on U8 and under where we don’t keep score (this goes for other leagues not just DUSL). In Futsal, we do. Look there is nothing wrong with *not* keeping score, but for my kids I want them to know the feeling of winning or loosing at an early age. That’s why I like Futsal.