Don’t confuse visibility with credibility. -Harvey Mackay
Rarely does a week go by where a parent does not ask me, “How do we pick the right club for our son/daughter?” With my daughter playing club sports, that question often comes up in my own house. There is no real trick to picking the right club or travel team, but there are 3 keys to giving your family the best chance for a positive outcome.
- PLAYING TIME: These days, it is rare to be on an out-of-high school team and invest less than $4000 for just being a part of that team for one season. Parents will normally spend another $4000-$5000+ to travel with their child to see them play. For every dollar the club makes you pay, parents will usually end up spending twice that amount in total because they want to see their kid play for the money they are spending (i.e. airfare, rental car, hotel, restaurants, etc.). When looking at clubs and travel teams, it is important that there is a clear, written expectation that every player who makes the team will play. There is not a college coach in the country who is going to be impressed that you are on a Nationally ranked travel team when you never play nor do you have good film to show your ability while playing for this great team. Reputation of a club means nothing to a college if they cannot see your skill set and see you compete against top level competition. If your club is not guaranteeing close to equal playing time for all kids on the roster, you will be flushing your money down the toilet. There is one exception to this rule. When it comes time to play in a national qualifier or a tournament that gives an automatic bid to Nationals, parents should accept that the better players will get more playing time in those situations. Although college coaches may not give a ton of value to a club’s reputation, parents who are looking to join the club do value that reputation. Clubs needs to advance and win, so they can remain credible in their community to keep the club full of paying customers. For that level of competition, it is good for your son or daughter to have to earn those opportunities.
- TEACHING OVER COACHING: There are a lot of travel teams who simply recruit the best athletes and then throw them together and say “Go perform.” If you are going to spend thousands of dollars for your child to play their sport in the off-season, your child should be getting taught how to be a much better player and their coach should be a high level teacher of the game with a focus on making every kid better. If it is clear that the club only cares about winning over player development, run away and don’t look back. There are better options out there for you. Teaching and player development should be every club’s number one priority.
- THE LOVE OF THE GAME: My daughter has chosen to play club volleyball the past 5 years outside of her school team. She has gotten better each year, made great friends and has been able to compete each year at a high level both regionally and nationally. However, we make it clear to her before every season that if we ever have to make her go to practice or motivate her to work on her game out of practice, then we will stop making the investment. If the club does not offer good coaches and work hard to put good teams together and your child is not excited about going to practice every day to be around the coaches and the players, then it is not a healthy club for your child, and again, it is not worth the money. Playing soccer, basketball, volleyball, baseball, softball, lacrosse, ice hockey, etc. year round is too hard on the body and the mind of a teenager if it not enjoyable. School teams are free or come with a limited one-time activity fee. You are paying big dollars for club. Make sure they are enjoying that experience.
Just remember…at the end of the day, college coaches will only recruit individuals who fit their roster and can make their program better. Being a bench warmer on a great team only makes your child’s life and your life miserable. Always choose playing over sitting when you have options!
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