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THIS IS THE PERSONAL VIEW OF THE COMMISH, AND DOES NOT REFLECT ANY OFFICIAL VIEWPOINT OF AYSO.

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This is the time of year for club tryouts, and many of you have already asked me some version of the question, “Will my kid have a better experience in AY or CY?” Here is my personal take on the situation, based on 5 years of coaching and 2+years of running Region 25 AYSO, as well as 3 kids of my own who have participated and are participating in a mix of CY and AY teams.

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So here’s my very personal “Top 10 Considerations when thinking about CY” list:

1. Look at the division your child will be in NEXT year. If you were U8 and moving on up to U10, you know that the fields at ORM or WES are too small by the end of the season. Next year in U10 they will be on WES Turf-sized fields—that will make a huge difference in itself. If your child was in U10 moving on up to U12, they will play on full sized fields next year: Rosotti’s, CMS and PVTC, and a ninth player will be added to larger rosters, but more importantly,

2. They will begin interregional play. If you want more competitive play, you will notice the difference immediately when we interlock with Los Altos, Sunnyvale, etc.

3. I do not believe that any child should play club soccer without having played at least one AYSO season in U10, unless they are running circles around all other players at their age level. I see fewer than a handful of these players per division each year.

4. If your kids are at this elite skill level, do they have the level of intensity and passion to devote to a more serious pursuit of soccer? Bottom line—for a kid to play CY successfully, soccer needs to be his/her passion – are they willing to potentially give up whatever other activities they do, in order to focus on soccer?

5. As a half way step, you can take advantage of Soccer summer camps, or local coaches like Carlos Perez who do small group sessions. A caveat-- If all of your kids’ friends are on a club team, then do consider the social aspect of the game.

6. Club soccer is expensive. At age 9 the yearly club fees are $1500 per year, $750 per season, plus you need to buy the uniform at approximately $150.00. There are also optional between season practices that cost approximately $400 per session if you attend all practices in the winter and summer.

7. There is greater peer pressure to perform at the club level, and some kids are not ready for this kind of pressure, either physically or emotionally. Teaching support for your teammates as Job #1 is the key at the younger ages.

8. Clubs vary in their quality, and are managed by parents who hire the coach, therefore, although they are screened, there is still variability in coaching style and quality. My son would walk over me for his coach, but my daughter disliked hers on day 1—so interview the team parents and the coach as well.

9. Bottom line—think about your child as an individual and make an informed decision. Inform yourself through the Positive Coaching Alliance and online AYSO training as to the appropriate level of emotional and physical development that your child can handle at their particular age.

10. In any case, I hope all of your kids develop a life long love of Soccer, whichever program you and they decide to participate in.

Remember, if you are volunteering as a coach, division coordinator, or referee, you must also register as a Volunteer in eAYSO.com. You will be assigned an AYSO ID. Even if you did it last year, you need to roll through the form again to confirm references, etc. First timers-call me if you need help.

For questions please contact Michael Sterns at 650-888-6406 or email michael@stemcorsystems.com