Why did the club change from traditional recreation teams to the YDP?
There are a number of compelling reasons for this change. But all of the reasons answer one question: Are we putting the needs of the children first? Between the ages of 12 and 14, approximately one-half to three-quarters of our countrys youth quit organized sports. And because of the physical and mental challenges and necessary maturity required to play soccer at the highest level, were losing players before anyone knows whether they will truly excel in the sport of soccer. Our job as soccer coaches is to keep our players in the game and keep them playing as long as possible. So we are joining a national trend that drastically reduces the emphasis on short-term gain (an overemphasis on winning) and instead focuses on long-term benefits. In other words, we are going to focus on the reasons children play sports. Children play sports because its challenging, because they learn new things, because they get to be with their friends and meet new friends and because its just plain fun.
