Parents

WBSC is committed to providing a community-oriented soccer program that emphasizes opportunities for players at all ability levels. We recognize that it can be difficult for parents to shift through all the options and make good, educated choices for their children. Did you know...

• Nearly 63% of youngsters aged 6 to 17 participate in team sports.

• The participation rate hit its highest point at the age of 11 at 72%.

• By age 17, the participation rate dipped to 49%, and continues to drop rapidly after that.

• Soccer participation peaks at the age of 8.

Emphasizing Having Fun, Developing Skills, and Striving to Win

The reason you should emphasize fun is quite simple: Without it, your child may not want to keep playing. Children don’t have fun when they stand around in practice or sit on the bench during games, when they feel pressure to win, and when they don’t improve or learn new skills. Conversely, they do have fun when practices are well organized, they get to play in games, they develop new skills, and the focus is on striving to win. A focus on developing skills and striving to win takes the pressure off winning, which as we say, no one child is in control of. But all children can improve their skills. And when they see that improvement, they are usually motivated to improve more. Developing skills is one of the most satisfying aspects of playing a sport.