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[2muchsoccer]

So many of us parents have heard it before from coaches, the "bubble" word.
You get to pick, play on the 'A' team and get the glory of being on the 'A' team and get a few mintues here and there
OR
pick the 'B' team, get all the play time in the world and hope some day your kid improves enough to get out of the stereo type "bubble" word and gets moved up.

You see the two choices and most of the kids would pick the 'B' team, work hard and prove themselves for the following season. I mean after all play time is learning too and all kids want to play!

So, how do you really get your kid out of this "bubble"? The coach keeps saying it will take time, but you see all the 'A' players advancing -- is this because they play with "better" players/teams?
NOT knocking ANY of the 'B' teams, but c'mon seriously, WHAT DO YOU DO?

This is what I see from the "bubble" players -- they work hard, do extra trainings, privates, guest playing, etc..
Some get moved up to the 'A' team, following year back to 'B' team...yo-yo each year. Finally just stuck at 'B' team.

Has anyone ever just picked the other route and went with being on the 'A' team, stuck it out with sitting on bench to get the training under that 'A' team to prove yourself that way? or in the end it just doesn't really matter?
 
Just curious.

[vms]

The "bubble' kid is a tweener. Seemingly not quite good enough for significant minutes in the starting 11 on the A team, but probably too good for the B team. Don't fret...tell your DD to go to the B team, play lights out then move to another Club's A team. Sometimes it is impossible to get back to the original A team if the coach just doesn't think they have "it". And sitting and playing minimal reserve minutes does not let a kid grow!!! HAppened to my kid...and now his old coach wishes he had him back!

[yote19]

This is where the mental part of the game takes over too.   Physically kids are all about the same as they grow older, it is the mental aspects of the game and what they put into the sport outside of practice which is key.  For example, if I have a kid (say player A) who does everything they can do outside of practice and is always trying to improve, but just doesn't have the A game yet and then I have player B who has the athletic skills, but is a looney tune in everything they do....player A is going to get the kudo's from this coach.  I love kids who think the game and have good skills that takes the place of excellant athleticism and no heart or passion.

[breakaway]

So many of us parents have heard it before from coaches, the "bubble" word.
You get to pick, play on the 'A' team and get the glory of being on the 'A' team and get a few mintues here and there
OR
pick the 'B' team, get all the play time in the world and hope some day your kid improves enough to get out of the stereo type "bubble" word and gets moved up.

You see the two choices and most of the kids would pick the 'B' team, work hard and prove themselves for the following season. I mean after all play time is learning too and all kids want to play!

So, how do you really get your kid out of this "bubble"? The coach keeps saying it will take time, but you see all the 'A' players advancing -- is this because they play with "better" players/teams?
NOT knocking ANY of the 'B' teams, but c'mon seriously, WHAT DO YOU DO?

This is what I see from the "bubble" players -- they work hard, do extra trainings, privates, guest playing, etc..
Some get moved up to the 'A' team, following year back to 'B' team...yo-yo each year. Finally just stuck at 'B' team.

Has anyone ever just picked the other route and went with being on the 'A' team, stuck it out with sitting on bench to get the training under that 'A' team to prove yourself that way? or in the end it just doesn't really matter?
 
Just curious.

So what if... ( I like that game)    there is no 'B' team?  What happens to them?

[EWSoccer64]

>>>So what if... ( I like that game)    there is no 'B' team?  What happens to them?<<<

They go somewhere else or they stop playing club ball.



And in regards to the salient question of this thread, I really have no answers.  I have see each of the various ways work, and fail. 

It may be trite, but truely it depends on the individual situation.  The player, the coach, the quality of the team, the availability and inclination to do non-team soccer, and the player pool that will be available in the future.

[rosiegirl]

So many of us parents have heard it before from coaches, the "bubble" word.
You get to pick, play on the 'A' team and get the glory of being on the 'A' team and get a few mintues here and there
OR
pick the 'B' team, get all the play time in the world and hope some day your kid improves enough to get out of the stereo type "bubble" word and gets moved up.

You see the two choices and most of the kids would pick the 'B' team, work hard and prove themselves for the following season. I mean after all play time is learning too and all kids want to play!

So, how do you really get your kid out of this "bubble"? The coach keeps saying it will take time, but you see all the 'A' players advancing -- is this because they play with "better" players/teams?
NOT knocking ANY of the 'B' teams, but c'mon seriously, WHAT DO YOU DO?

This is what I see from the "bubble" players -- they work hard, do extra trainings, privates, guest playing, etc..
Some get moved up to the 'A' team, following year back to 'B' team...yo-yo each year. Finally just stuck at 'B' team.

Has anyone ever just picked the other route and went with being on the 'A' team, stuck it out with sitting on bench to get the training under that 'A' team to prove yourself that way? or in the end it just doesn't really matter?
 
Just curious.

I think some of the answer depends on the type of bubble player you have. What I mean is this: kids go through growth spurts, burn out, moves, hard year at school--whatever, and their game can slide off. Suddenly your little stud is a bubble player. Better at that point to stick with the A team and get back into form. Coaches know this happens and often will carry a child for a while, waiting forthe child to get back in the game. One of our daughter's had an injury and this happened to her. Now she is back in top form and a key member of the team again.

Although it is true that good competition makes for good players, I don't really think that this is what keeps all B team players from advancing. There are too many other factors such as speed, skill, touch, attitude, agressiveness, etc. One year we had two girls who moved from our B team to our A team. No question that their speed of play was behind. About 6 months into the year, one girl had bascially "caught up." She just needed a little time to get there, but all the other factors were in place. The other girl never got there. After 12 months on the A team, she was still struggling. 

But we had a friend whose daughter was truly a bubble player--every year she was the top 3 on the B team and the bottom 3 on the A team. She started on the A team at U11, got cut, guest played up, made the A team the next year, sat on the bench, etc.  She did private training TWICE EVERY week to try and break through to that next level, but it just never happened. This was really hard. Eventually she left the club looking for a team (A or B) where she would not be on the bubble and finally found it. So some of the "bubble" designation is dependent on the team/club where you play. Leaving your particular club is one way "out" of the bubble.

My gut instinct, however, if your child is one of these types of bubble players, however, is to join the team where you play. I cannot imagine my kids being in an activity where they don't participate in the game on a steady and regular basis. For me, this would be a waste of time, money and their childhood.

[breakaway]

So many of us parents have heard it before from coaches, the "bubble" word.
You get to pick, play on the 'A' team and get the glory of being on the 'A' team and get a few mintues here and there
OR
pick the 'B' team, get all the play time in the world and hope some day your kid improves enough to get out of the stereo type "bubble" word and gets moved up.

You see the two choices and most of the kids would pick the 'B' team, work hard and prove themselves for the following season. I mean after all play time is learning too and all kids want to play!

So, how do you really get your kid out of this "bubble"? The coach keeps saying it will take time, but you see all the 'A' players advancing -- is this because they play with "better" players/teams?
NOT knocking ANY of the 'B' teams, but c'mon seriously, WHAT DO YOU DO?

This is what I see from the "bubble" players -- they work hard, do extra trainings, privates, guest playing, etc..
Some get moved up to the 'A' team, following year back to 'B' team...yo-yo each year. Finally just stuck at 'B' team.

Has anyone ever just picked the other route and went with being on the 'A' team, stuck it out with sitting on bench to get the training under that 'A' team to prove yourself that way? or in the end it just doesn't really matter?
 
Just curious.

I think some of the answer depends on the type of bubble player you have. What I mean is this: kids go through growth spurts, burn out, moves, hard year at school--whatever, and their game can slide off. Suddenly your little stud is a bubble player. Better at that point to stick with the A team and get back into form. Coaches know this happens and often will carry a child for a while, waiting forthe child to get back in the game. One of our daughter's had an injury and this happened to her. Now she is back in top form and a key member of the team again.

Although it is true that good competition makes for good players, I don't really think that this is what keeps all B team players from advancing. There are too many other factors such as speed, skill, touch, attitude, agressiveness, etc. One year we had two girls who moved from our B team to our A team. No question that their speed of play was behind. About 6 months into the year, one girl had bascially "caught up." She just needed a little time to get there, but all the other factors were in place. The other girl never got there. After 12 months on the A team, she was still struggling. 

But we had a friend whose daughter was truly a bubble player--every year she was the top 3 on the B team and the bottom 3 on the A team. She started on the A team at U11, got cut, guest played up, made the A team the next year, sat on the bench, etc.  She did private training TWICE EVERY week to try and break through to that next level, but it just never happened. This was really hard. Eventually she left the club looking for a team (A or B) where she would not be on the bubble and finally found it. So some of the "bubble" designation is dependent on the team/club where you play. Leaving your particular club is one way "out" of the bubble.

My gut instinct, however, if your child is one of these types of bubble players, however, is to join the team where you play. I cannot imagine my kids being in an activity where they don't participate in the game on a steady and regular basis. For me, this would be a waste of time, money and their childhood.

Very well said.

[Love the Lefty]

I think it does depend on the individual situation, but are you really "playing" on an A team if you aren't playing much?  I want my kid to PLAY at the highest level possible.  I don't want her to BE on the A team ... I want her to PLAY at the appropriate level for her skills.  Who cares if the A team's competition is better if DK isn't get much opportunity to play and compete?  If DK is a bubble player, he/she might be getting most of his/her playing time when the A team is playing a B team or a lower level A team anyway.  On the other hand, if DK is a go-to player for a good B team  .... he/she gets best of both worlds:  lots of playing time every game, and gets CHALLENGED when B team competes with A teams.

You've gotta play to improve.

[2muchsoccer]

All good points to consider. However, here is another one --
So you know how you hear playing on a "better" team makes the player "better"? TRUE or FALSE?

So your kid is the top tier of the 'B' team. Can't cut it on the 'A' team, flat bottom. I get if the coach pulls from other clubs to get their "better" players than move up from their 'B' & 'C' teams -- move to another club to get out of the stereotype.
But in the end do you look for "better" teams or do you just look for the same kind of team to get the play time?

[TheWarpedDog]

All good points to consider. However, here is another one --
So you know how you hear playing on a "better" team makes the player "better"? TRUE or FALSE?

IMHO regardless of the sport, athletes surrounded with overall better athletes (attitude, mental prep and physical performance) raises the level of all.

[Sage Dancer]

What does the player want for themselves?  And, how does the player think about themselves? If you tell a kid they are a "B" team player, many kids believe you, adjust, and find a home on the "B" team that fits.  Others don't.  As soon as you say, "You are a "B" team player, " they say, "Oh, no, I'm not" and they do what they have to do to improve the level of their game.  Some kids are deflated by tough competition, and others need the pressure to perform their best.  And kids change all the time.

So, you have to know your kid.  Once you know your kid, what they want and how they think, then you are in a better position to find a good fit for them.

[gr8cgar]

So, you have to know your kid.  Once you know your kid, what they want and how they think, then you are in a better position to find a good fit for them.

You mean I must talk to them How will we ever understand each other 
And here it is I thought I was just the wallet having to pay or taxi driver getting them to and from 

[breakaway]

If the kid is a bubble player who should be the ones to tell them, the parents or the coach.  Or a meeting with coach, player and parents?

[yote19]

If this is something that needs to be brought up with the player, a quick meeting with the parents, coach and player would be ideal.  Let the coach talk to the player, let the player ask questions and let the parent be the intermediary who clarifies the conversation for the understanding of the player.  In other words clarify by saying, what I am hearing coach say is that you can earn playing time by increasing your ball skills or you may find yourself with less playing time if you don't improve on this/that skill.   Or say, you may find more opportunity to play with team BCDXY where you might enjoy soccer more that you currently do.  I would speak with the coach prior to the meeting and make sure you let them know that honesty is going to be a huge part of this conversation.  No smoke signals.