I’ve seen so many parents post thoughts like: “The entire selling point of youth club soccer was to get your kid a scholarship” If that’s the case then parents and clubs have completely lost the plot!! The plot was never “get my kid a scholarship.” The plot was always: Help them grow into someone who can handle pressure, show up when it’s hard, stay decent when they lose, keep working when nobody is clapping, and still love the game when the spotlight is gone. Scholarships are rare. Most kids will never get one. That does not make the years a waste! Those years are the point, the friendships, the standards, the habits, the identity they build when they are 12, 14, 16 etc If the only reason a family is driving across the state every weekend is a future roster spot, the adults have already lost the plot. The kids feel it. They start playing for the adults instead of for themselves. Joy leaves. Retention drops. The game becomes a job they never signed up for! Youth sport should stay wholesome and whole-person first: • Character before highlights • Effort before outcomes • Love of the game before leverage • Best-fit next step before “highest level possible” Do that well and some kids will still earn scholarships. But most will walk away with something better: they know who they are, they know how to work, and they still want to play. That’s the actual selling point. Need help? Just ask @SRUSA_Official