The idea of “pay to play” in competitive youth soccer is resulting in potentially talented players not getting to fully develop their talents.
Many parents love signing their kids up for recreational soccer leagues, but they seem to be unaware of the problems that arise as their kid gets older. Today, for kids to move up to competitive soccer, their parents are going to have to pay a lot of money.
These youth soccer clubs can charge up to $1,000 to $2,000 per year for kids who aren’t even 10 years old.
Many families cannot afford to pay this ridiculous price. This cost can also scare the parents and make them discourage their kids from playing soccer.
This is forming a barrier between the kids whose families have this extra money and the kids whose families don’t have the funds. This separation is excluding many young athletes who have a desire to play.
The athletes who are left out of competitive leagues tend to fall behind and lose motivation in the sport.
These costs do not get any lower as the players get older. Extremely competitive teen leagues, such as MLS NEXT or ECNL, cost up to $3,500 to $4,500 per year.
Teenagers with dreams of playing pro or college soccer are losing hope due to this extreme price.
Although the price is ridiculous, the training that these soccer clubs offer is intense and can help players develop their skills tremendously.
For the families who are paying this money, stress and pressure can be a major factor. Many parents become worried about their child’s skill level as they are paying thousands of dollars.
Almost all of these problems could be eliminated if competitive clubs started to make it more affordable and easy to play.
This way players could continue to chase their ambitious dreams while not breaking the bank.
