Capital Area Soccer League - U5? (renting, YMCA, versus)

[boocake]

We are thinking about signing up my almost-4 year old for for the CASL fall 2011 season. I was just wondering if anyone has any experiences to share, particularly with that age group! Thanks!

[WeLuvNC]

At that age group - it can be hit or miss with the coach with CASL - at least from what I have heard.

We were steered toward kickin' for the cross. Even the YMCA offers short term nice soccer sessions versus year-log commitments.

If you have a choice and the drive time isn't too far, kickin' for the cross usually vets their coaches pretty thoroughly so it is a good experience for both. They play at Bayleaf Baptist Church and I am not sure where else these days.

Mostly, it doesn't matter too much at that age. All soccer depends on the parenting on the sidelines. Are you supporting your kids with 'adjectives' or screaming 'nouns' at them. eg: 'Great kick' vs 'kick the ball NOOOOWWWWW'. Are you out there kicking the soccer ball to them & playing in the yard or telling them to go kick the ball outside somewhere....

:-)

[GarnerMama]

My son played U5 soccer with CASL. It was an experience. The coaches were parent volunteers. Unfortunately none of the parents on our team had soccer experience. My husband and another dad served as coaches. You would think for the money that you pay, you'd get something...Anywho...the kids did learn some basics and had fun.

[leighbhe]

Here are the basics, at least how we experienced it. Yes, at that age level in RECREATION soccer (which is what it is) the coaches are parent volunteers, and please note, they can take coaching clinics, etc My husband has coached CASL teams for the past 4 years, and is now coaching 2 teams, and it is a lot of work! That being said, I am biased, because his goal is for the kids to have fun and to learn the basics about soccer, and I have seen that not all of the coaches are like that.

Anyhow, at the U5 level, there will be about 20 kids on the team. What we did at that level was we had one head coach and three assistant coaches. We split the team up, and always practiced and "played games" separately, so each team had ten kids. For us, that worked because the kids got more attention, etc. So one team had the head coach and an assistant and the other team had two assistants.

Anyhow, what to expect: there are warm up "drills" where the kids play games that help them learn the foot skills, how to kick the ball, etc. That lasts about 45 minutes (or should) with the games and drills. Then the last 45 minutes the kids play a game, and they play each other. The kids continue to "play each other" until they finish U6 - basically during this time, it is when the kids are learning how to not run after the ball like a clump of bees chasing after one flower!

If you get into the season and you do not like the coach, then the next season you have the option of not signing up with that coach again.

Leigh