Soccer sign-ups just ended for the fall’s soccer session. Advertisements that appeared in soccer store windows and at indoor facilities for tryouts with premier soccer teams are now coming down.

What does this yearly ritual mean? What is the difference between recreational and premier soccer? And, most importantly, which is best for my children? These questions are best answered by looking at the four C’s: 

Competition, Coaching, Commitment and Cost.

Competition

The foundation of recreational programs is that everyone plays. There are no tryouts. Playing time is to be equally divided between all players on a team. The emphasis is on having fun.

Premier programs are rooted in competition and this starts with the tryout process. Starting June 15, and running through July 15, in both Kansas and Missouri, any child may tryout for a premier soccer team, even if they have already signed up to play in the fall with a recreational club. Prior to June 15, and after July 15, a child may participate in tryouts only if that child has not signed a commitment with another soccer club or has permission from the team to which they are already committed. 

The tryout process in both states is regulated by either the Kansas State Youth Soccer Association or the Missouri Youth Soccer Association. These organizations set the dates and have imposed rules restricting how premier clubs advertise or how they may contact prospective players. For example, a premier team is not allowed to advertise that their coach has an “A” license or that the team has won certain tournaments or boasts a particular record.

Tryouts can be a challenging time for children, their parents and the coaches. Coaches will seek the best players. They want winning teams and eager players. Pressure may be applied to parents to have their children commit to a team early in the process, even though any commitment made before July 15, is invalid for the succeeding season. When a child is not selected for a team the rejection will be painful. Just as painful can be the waiting for the call, even if your child is offered a position on a team.

Every premier soccer coach will tell you that their objective is the development of the player. To be successful these programs must also be fun and exciting for the kids who join. But the pressure of competition involved in the tryouts does not end when a team is chosen. How effective a coach is in the development process is tested each week with league games and tournaments. Parents in particular put pressure on the children and coaches to have a winning program.

Premier games tend to be more competitive than recreational games. This does not mean that the games are cutthroat, intense matches with rabid fans. The contrary is true. Many local premier teams have won “Fair Play” awards. Instead, the competition stems from the quality of the players involved. Premier attracts the best players from recreational teams and tryouts serve as a further screening process. The player who was the top scorer on their recreational team may find that they are only an average premier player. 

Premier coaches value this type of competition. Players are constantly challenged to improve to stay competitive with their teammates and the opposition. This pressure, inherent in the competitive nature of premier soccer, can either be good or bad, depending on the child involved. A child who is not challenged by recreational soccer may become bored and quit the game, where they would thrive in a premier program. Another child may be skilled and a good athlete, but not ready to leave friends on his recreational team to risk the possible rejection in the tryout process.

Coaches

Recreational programs rely on volunteer coaches, often Dad, Mom, a neighbor or older sibling. These coaches bring enthusiasm, but inconsistent levels of knowledge of soccer. Many local recreational clubs offer coaching clinics that teach the very basics, but the recreational coaches can only rarely match the experience and skill of premier coaches.

This difference in the quality of coaching is illustrated by looking at the credentials of area coaches. Many premier coaches are former professional players with experience at the national team level. Two such examples are Edmund Rugova, Director of Coaching with the six-team KC Cosmos organization, and Emilio John, Director of Coaching with the 18-team Attack Soccer Club.

Rugova grew up in Yugoslavia, played professionally in Europe and then came to the United States where he played with the New York Cosmos and the Kansas City Comets. John is a former member of the Nigeria National and Olympic Teams, the runner up for the Herman Trophy (the college soccer equivalent of the Heisman Trophy), and played professionally throughout the United States ending with the Kansas City Comets. John’s club over the last three years has produced four players who have been selected to United States Youth National Teams and two of the last three boys selected as Kansas City All-Metro Players of the Year.

Other premier coaches have extensive experience coaching at the college level. Carl Eaton, a coach with KCFC Alliance, was the University of Kansas Men’s Club coach for a number of years. Fatai Ayoade, a coach with the Attack Soccer Club, is the men’s soccer coach at Johnson County Community College. Rick Benben has coached the Galaxy girls for a number of years and for the last two years has been the men’s soccer coach at UMKC. Charlie Satchwell, an assistant coach with the Kansas City Kansas Community College men’s program, coaches Coventry City. There is little doubt that the coaching on most premier teams is far superior to that found on almost any recreational team.

Commitment

Recreational teams demand very little from their players. There may be a practice, usually once a week, eight games in the fall and eight games in the spring. There are no restrictions on pursuing other activities, including other sports.

The amount of commitment required by premier teams is greater, but varies from club to club. Almost all premier teams practice twice a week, some three times. They expect players to practice every day at home, just as your fourth grade violin teacher did. Most premier clubs play year-round soccer. Once the fall outdoor season ends, the winter indoor soccer starts, and the conclusion of the indoor season coincides with the start of the spring outdoor season. 

At younger ages, premier teams will tolerate a player who misses an occasional practice or game for football or basketball. Some clubs will excuse players involved in high school varsity sports, others do not.  However, any premier player missing too many practices or games will face significantly reduced playing time and will probably be cut from their team. 

Certain premier clubs demand more time from players than other clubs. These demanding clubs travel to tournaments across the country, play in national leagues, and are dedicated to producing elite players. Other premier teams will play in the highest divisions of local premier leagues, but are not as ambitious in travel or have such lofty goals for their players’ development.

In selecting a premier team it is essential that a player learn what that team’s expectations are concerning the player’s level of commitment. It is unfair to the player and the team for a player to join a traveling premier team when that player is unwilling to travel, or will not play in tournaments over holidays due to family plans. It is equally unfair to commit to a premier team when a player is aware that he will miss half the practices and games due to conflicts with other activities.

One question every parent should pursue at tryout time is the level of commitment expected. If the child is involved in other sports or activities, the time required for those sports or activities should be discussed with the premier coach prior to joining the team. The coach may be willing to take a player with significant other commitments, but if the coach feels “burned” by a player, you can be certain that coach will complain to other coaches, ruining the chance for the player to play for another club.

Costs

Recreational teams generally cost between $100 to $150 a year per player. Premier teams will cost between $600 to $1,200 a year. Some traveling premier teams can add an additional $2,000 to $3,000 per year in traveling expenses.

A major part of the expense is the coaching fee. Premier coaches charge between $25 to more than $60 per player per month. On an hourly basis the coaches do not make much more than minimum wage for their time, when the hours required for practices, telephone calls from parents, weekly games and days spent at out of town tournaments are factored in.

There are also premier coaches like Bob Hensley with the KC Wildcats, who have never charged a coaching fee, but have still produced players who have been selected to Kansas State Select Teams. Hensley has coached such notables as Tara Nott, who won the gold medal in Olympic Weight Lifting last September in Australia.

When evaluating the cost of premier versus recreational it is important to keep in mind that the old adage, “you get what you pay for,” is often true. What is the cost of a free coach who cannot teach basic fundamentals as compared to the cost of premier coach who charges $40 a month per player? The premier coach has seen each of his players play varsity soccer in high school as sophomores or juniors, and most players receive scholarship offers to play soccer in college.

If a child’s only interest in soccer is social, a chance to hang with friends; there is no value in premier. If a child lives and breathes soccer and dreams of playing on a high school or college team, premier is a good investment.

Some typical expenses associated with any premier team for the individual player, excluding coaching, include: leagues year round ($180 for two outdoor league sessions and two indoor league sessions); registration fees ($10); uniforms ($80); tournaments $(140); and, rental of indoor practice space for practices during winter ($80). 

Many clubs offer scholarship programs or will waive coaching fees for families that could not otherwise afford the cost of premier programs.

Which is best for you?

If you are interested in a fun sport, but want your child to experience every activity; if your player likes soccer only because every other child in the neighborhood is playing; if your son or daughter is not aggressive or athletic, but enjoys running around and playing sports; or, if your child is dedicated to another sport and only mildly interested in soccer - recreational soccer is best for your player.

If your son or daughter would rather go to soccer practice than watch the cartoon channel; if your player is tearing up their recreational league, especially if they are faster than most other players on their team and the other teams he or she plays against; if your player is motivated by challenges and competition - then you should have them try premier soccer.

David Morrow, a coach with the KCFC Alliance Pumas and a former Kansas Coach of the Year, claims that unless a girl begins playing premier soccer by the time she is 13-years-old, it is probably too late.

Emilio John urges players to start with premier soccer no later than 8-years-old and as early as age 6. “An early start is very important. The later the start the more bad habits that have to be corrected.” John said. “It takes years to teach the basics. A player who starts playing premier at U9 (8-years-old) is a year behind the player who started when he was 7-years-old. That year difference in training is significant and is visible during tryouts. A player starting premier as a U10 (9-years-old) has a two-year gap to make up. Ultimately the gap becomes too large to jump.”

Each year the number of premier teams has continued to increase with age divisions in both the Kansas Premier League and the Western Missouri League up to the U14 age level. However, in both leagues, premier teams that formed at the U8 age level dominated their league championships. 

A review of varsity players on local high school teams in the Sunflower League, East Kansas League and at Rockhurst, Pembroke Hill, Notre Dame de Sion, and St. Teresa’s high schools revealed that 90 percent of the players played with premier teams.

Matt Pritchett, boys and girls soccer coach at Pembroke Hill and a coach with Odyssey Soccer Club said, “It is very difficult for a player who has not played at the premier levels to make a varsity team. Recreational players do not have the experience and skills to handle the speed and pressure.” 

There is an exception to every rule. Wes Wade, the multi-year NPSL all-star selection of the Kansas City Attack did not start playing soccer, let alone premier soccer, until he was a teenager.

© Kansas City Soccer Scene