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[EWSoccer64]

^seems to me you are being overly cynical.

I'll play devil's advocate for a minute. Isn't the HS coach undermining the club coach with the feedback he is giving them??

That makes zero sense. The kid signed up for High School soccer knowing that the high school coach would train him. So the high school coach is doing his job. If the high school coach goes to a club game and gives feedback at the club game then I would agree.

I don't really know who is who in Washington soccer coaching but my daughters high school coach is probably as good or better than most club coaches anyways so maybe my perspective is a little skewed. But I would put Oostrom at Hanford up against any coach in the local club (no offense to the local club, I think he is just that good)

That is not really a fair comparison, Archie.
Oostrom is a former Dutch professional player, came up through a Dutch academy, holds a UEFA "B" liscense among other things, and more than once turned down the position of DoC at the local club.  I'd be surprised if there were more than half a dozen coaches in this state at any level who matched his qualifications.  He is not some guy with an accent who could not complete his schooling back home and came to America to impress the locals with his accent and lack of dissertation.
Aside from his qualifications, he really "gets it".  He understands how to develop and motivate both teams and individuals.  He knows what the end picture should look like, and knows how to get there.
It is unfortunate that his research work is so time consuming, otherwise he could spend more time coaching.  His PhD is in something like nuclear physics or plasma mathematics.  He probably loses many, many times his HS coaching salary every year in foregone speaking fees.  (just since the HS season ended he has had speaking engagements from Boston to Asia).
So yes, Archie, count your blessing for having Oostrom as your coach, but realise he is such an exception that you really cannot consider him a "HS coach".   

[KC_Dad]

DD has been back training with her team for two weeks.   IMHO almost all the girls who played HS soccer have lost speed, touch and fitness.   Not a little but in stark contrast to the girls who participated in the academy training.   DD told me she isn’t sure she wants to play HS soccer next year and lose the skills.

I would like to hear about other people’s experience.   

I've not read anyone's responses yet, so here is my unvarnished comment.

I would agree completely with your analysis of the adverse effects of high school soccer on speed, touch and fitness. All true and obvious upon seeing  the return of high school players to the pitch.

Would I ever try to keep my daughter from playing high school soccer. No! There is far, FAR more to life than club soccer. Once in high school, the vast majority of club soccer players have 3-4 years of soccer left at club level and then it's over. But for those kids who put the importance of premier soccer above the friendships and new relationships they'll make playing in high school, they'll never get that back.

If a premier player is in that top 1% of premier players looking for a D1 college, maybe it's worth giving up high school soccer. But for the 99% who aren't, or for whom it's unrealistic regardless, high school is a highly beneficial break from year-round club soccer and kids need, on occasion, to just have fun where winning isn't life or death.

[CROCK]

I went to one of my niece's club soccer games this fall, GU-14 and an RCL league.  I also attended two H.S. soccer games this fall.  There wasn't one player on either of the two RCL teams who would ever be likely to make the high school teams I watched, not next year as freshmen, not in two years as sophomores, not in three years as juniors, and not even when they're seniors.  

There are good club teams, there are crummy club teams.  There are good high school teams, there are crummy high school teams.

If you want to take the top five club teams, yes most high school teams are going to be crummy in comparison.  If you take the top five high school teams, then most of the 250-300 or so club teams at any age group are going to be crummy in comparison.  Maybe it's different on the east side of the state, from another thread I hear their high school soccer, e.g. Southridge, isn't quite up to the level of the west side.  Maybe that's why EWSoccer 64 makes disparaging comments about high school soccer.

Oh, and while we throw out Oostrom as a H.S. coach because he's not really a H.S. coach, we should also throw out H.S. coaches who also coach club or are even club DOC's becuse they aren't really H.S. coaches.

[drarcher]

That is not really a fair comparison, Archie.
Oostrom is a former Dutch professional player, came up through a Dutch academy, holds a UEFA "B" liscense among other things, and more than once turned down the position of DoC at the local club.  I'd be surprised if there were more than half a dozen coaches in this state at any level who matched his qualifications.  He is not some guy with an accent who could not complete his schooling back home and came to America to impress the locals with his accent and lack of dissertation.
Aside from his qualifications, he really "gets it".  He understands how to develop and motivate both teams and individuals.  He knows what the end picture should look like, and knows how to get there.
It is unfortunate that his research work is so time consuming, otherwise he could spend more time coaching.  His PhD is in something like nuclear physics or plasma mathematics.  He probably loses many, many times his HS coaching salary every year in foregone speaking fees.  (just since the HS season ended he has had speaking engagements from Boston to Asia).
So yes, Archie, count your blessing for having Oostrom as your coach, but realise he is such an exception that you really cannot consider him a "HS coach".   

I have only been in Washington for 1 year and the quality of Oostrom is what I am use to for High School coaches. Where I moved from the high school coach had played on the Brazil national team, one of our chief rivals had played Premier league soccer. All had foreign licensing and all were excellent coaches who coached competitive soccer and/or were DoC's of local clubs. Our rival here, Richland High School, must have a decent coach as I know kids who transfer out of Hanford's district to play soccer at Richland.

[drarcher]

Oh, and while we throw out Oostrom as a H.S. coach because he's not really a H.S. coach, we should also throw out H.S. coaches who also coach club or are even club DOC's becuse they aren't really H.S. coaches.

Not sure if this is a serious comment, but why would you throw out the good high school soccer coaches to come up with the definition of a high school soccer coach? You could do the same thing in clubs as clubs are full of bad coaches as well. The clubs in Washington are filled with average coaches who rely on their playing experience to sell parents who don't know better on the merits of paying big money for their services. 

[CROCK]

I'm not sure why you would throw out the good high school coaches to come up with the definition of a high school soccer coach - you would have to ask EWSoccer64 whom I was paraphrasing.  (I was being facetious with my coach comments, but that wasn't very clear on my part.)

Not sure if this is a serious comment, but why would you throw out the good high school soccer coaches to come up with the definition of a high school soccer coach? You could do the same thing in clubs as clubs are full of bad coaches as well.

[Left Foot]

I'm not sure why you would throw out the good high school coaches to come up with the definition of a high school soccer coach - you would have to ask EWSoccer64 whom I was paraphrasing.  (I was being facetious with my coach comments, but that wasn't very clear on my part.)

Not sure if this is a serious comment, but why would you throw out the good high school soccer coaches to come up with the definition of a high school soccer coach? You could do the same thing in clubs as clubs are full of bad coaches as well.

I'm not so sure that the issue is necessarily HS coaches. Kids who are accustomed to a bit higher level of play are dispersed (sometimes widely so) amongst kids who aren't. And before we get the diatribe about club kids not being able to take physical play, HS wasn't necessarily more physical, but physical in a way more akin to tackle football with seemingly little regard from the referee for the beautiful game. Nonetheless, a good opportunity to play faster and move!

That being said, DD loved every minute of it. As a Freshman and somewhat as a sophomore, going up against kids 3 - 4 years older made up for the overall difference in technical skill. And there is something about playing for your school that you just don't get in club ball.

I don't understand the problem with the club coach dropping in to watch his players in a high school game. Shoot, DD's old club coach goes to watch his former players in college when he can. Does the college coach get mad? Maybe it's just really insecure HS coaches who get upset -- or maybe really arrogant ones....