Families with experience in multiple clubs. Thoughts?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Arlington, McLean, Springfield and Bethesda - none of these clubs develop players. They all recruit natural talent. If someone better comes along you get bumped.

PPs are correct, focus is usually on the top teams. You are wasting your money for second team down at most clubs.* If your kid is placed on a second team, have them start training on their own and look for first team placement at a different club next season. I have very very rarely seen a second team player move to first team within the same club.

*Anything under second team should be playing rec. Why people pay thousands of dollars for 3rd and 4th teams is unexplainable.

This last line is such a dumbass take. Might as well say “Why people pay thousands of dollars for an ATV is unexplainable”. Or more similarly “Why people let their kid take ballet/art/theatre when they aren’t going to be a professional is unexplainable”.

But for a very specific reason - fields. Rec teams at least in Arlington play on just absolute trash fields. Rutted expanses that alternate between mud pits and clay as hard as concrete in the baking sun with dodgy nets are the norm.

Also, again your “no one moves up” is also BS. Taking a look at the current 07 and 08 girls at Arlington, there are several who had been on white (second team) and a few that had been on blue at some point. I don’t know the 05/06 team as well, but I am pretty sure there’s a couple of players that got moved up in the last few years - I think one may have actually been on the 4th team as a uLittle.

I see I've hit a nerve. Cry harder. Bankrolling a club's 3rd/4th team for 'better fields' is the real dumbass take.

Don't know what club you have experience with but my neighbor's kid is on MYS gold team which is third team down. They practice at Lewisville Park, Holladay, Police Field, and a field off Jones Branch Drive. All fields are turf and they share the same times as ECNL teams.


Clearly, you don't know what you're talking about.

Anyone involved in youth soccer in this area is familiar with those fields. If you think that the quality of the field will improve your player's ability, you are far more lost in this discussion than can be helped.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Arlington, McLean, Springfield and Bethesda - none of these clubs develop players. They all recruit natural talent. If someone better comes along you get bumped.

PPs are correct, focus is usually on the top teams. You are wasting your money for second team down at most clubs.* If your kid is placed on a second team, have them start training on their own and look for first team placement at a different club next season. I have very very rarely seen a second team player move to first team within the same club.

*Anything under second team should be playing rec. Why people pay thousands of dollars for 3rd and 4th teams is unexplainable.

This last line is such a dumbass take. Might as well say “Why people pay thousands of dollars for an ATV is unexplainable”. Or more similarly “Why people let their kid take ballet/art/theatre when they aren’t going to be a professional is unexplainable”.

But for a very specific reason - fields. Rec teams at least in Arlington play on just absolute trash fields. Rutted expanses that alternate between mud pits and clay as hard as concrete in the baking sun with dodgy nets are the norm.

Also, again your “no one moves up” is also BS. Taking a look at the current 07 and 08 girls at Arlington, there are several who had been on white (second team) and a few that had been on blue at some point. I don’t know the 05/06 team as well, but I am pretty sure there’s a couple of players that got moved up in the last few years - I think one may have actually been on the 4th team as a uLittle.

I see I've hit a nerve. Cry harder. Bankrolling a club's 3rd/4th team for 'better fields' is the real dumbass take.

Don't know what club you have experience with but my neighbor's kid is on MYS gold team which is third team down. They practice at Lewisville Park, Holladay, Police Field, and a field off Jones Branch Drive. All fields are turf and they share the same times as ECNL teams.


Clearly, you don't know what you're talking about.

Anyone involved in youth soccer in this area is familiar with those fields. If you think that the quality of the field will improve your player's ability, you are far more lost in this discussion than can be helped.

Do you even know what PP was replying to? Someone was saying only the best teams get the best practice times and fields. PP proved it wasn't correct. No mention of players being better from playing on turf fields.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is not 100% true. Our club predetermine the tournaments.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^ we noticed that only the mid-level teams on the girls side went to tournaments for preseason the spring. The lower level girls teams were not even even asked if they wanted to go.

Tournaments are not selected by the club. They are selected by the coach of the team. I'm a team manager. In the fall the team staff and coach discuss what tournaments they want to enter. It has nothing to do with the club at all. The coach chooses which ones to enter.

Again, been a team manager for three years. Coaches have even asked me which tournament I wanted to sign up for. Some coaches don't want out of town tournaments. Some do. Yes, there certain tournaments that are required but it's only 1-2 (depending on the clubs). The remaining 3-4 are up to the coaches.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is not 100% true. Our club predetermine the tournaments.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^ we noticed that only the mid-level teams on the girls side went to tournaments for preseason the spring. The lower level girls teams were not even even asked if they wanted to go.

Tournaments are not selected by the club. They are selected by the coach of the team. I'm a team manager. In the fall the team staff and coach discuss what tournaments they want to enter. It has nothing to do with the club at all. The coach chooses which ones to enter.

Again, been a team manager for three years. Coaches have even asked me which tournament I wanted to sign up for. Some coaches don't want out of town tournaments. Some do. Yes, there certain tournaments that are required but it's only 1-2 (depending on the clubs). The remaining 3-4 are up to the coaches.

Different p, and I’m also a team manager for many years. Our club picks the tournaments, not the coaches. I’m sure the coaches have some say but the decision comes down from the club.

[Anonymous]

LOL why the bloody hell is a coach asking the team manager what tournaments to play in?

Arlington, VSA, PWSI, ASA, VDA all have set tournaments they participate in.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is not 100% true. Our club predetermine the tournaments.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^ we noticed that only the mid-level teams on the girls side went to tournaments for preseason the spring. The lower level girls teams were not even even asked if they wanted to go.

Tournaments are not selected by the club. They are selected by the coach of the team. I'm a team manager. In the fall the team staff and coach discuss what tournaments they want to enter. It has nothing to do with the club at all. The coach chooses which ones to enter.

Again, been a team manager for three years. Coaches have even asked me which tournament I wanted to sign up for. Some coaches don't want out of town tournaments. Some do. Yes, there certain tournaments that are required but it's only 1-2 (depending on the clubs). The remaining 3-4 are up to the coaches.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Arlington, McLean, Springfield and Bethesda - none of these clubs develop players. They all recruit natural talent. If someone better comes along you get bumped.

PPs are correct, focus is usually on the top teams. You are wasting your money for second team down at most clubs.* If your kid is placed on a second team, have them start training on their own and look for first team placement at a different club next season. I have very very rarely seen a second team player move to first team within the same club.

*Anything under second team should be playing rec. Why people pay thousands of dollars for 3rd and 4th teams is unexplainable.

McLean and Bethesda both develop plenty of excellent players that have been with the club from 6 years old all the way through...if someone comes along that is better than your kid at the try outs they should not take them? "They all recruit natural talent"...what does this even mean?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Arlington, McLean, Springfield and Bethesda - none of these clubs develop players. They all recruit natural talent. If someone better comes along you get bumped.

PPs are correct, focus is usually on the top teams. You are wasting your money for second team down at most clubs.* If your kid is placed on a second team, have them start training on their own and look for first team placement at a different club next season. I have very very rarely seen a second team player move to first team within the same club.

*Anything under second team should be playing rec. Why people pay thousands of dollars for 3rd and 4th teams is unexplainable.

This last line is such a dumbass take. Might as well say “Why people pay thousands of dollars for an ATV is unexplainable”. Or more similarly “Why people let their kid take ballet/art/theatre when they aren’t going to be a professional is unexplainable”.

But for a very specific reason - fields. Rec teams at least in Arlington play on just absolute trash fields. Rutted expanses that alternate between mud pits and clay as hard as concrete in the baking sun with dodgy nets are the norm.

Also, again your “no one moves up” is also BS. Taking a look at the current 07 and 08 girls at Arlington, there are several who had been on white (second team) and a few that had been on blue at some point. I don’t know the 05/06 team as well, but I am pretty sure there’s a couple of players that got moved up in the last few years - I think one may have actually been on the 4th team as a uLittle.

I see I've hit a nerve. Cry harder. Bankrolling a club's 3rd/4th team for 'better fields' is the real dumbass take.

Don't know what club you have experience with but my neighbor's kid is on MYS gold team which is third team down. They practice at Lewisville Park, Holladay, Police Field, and a field off Jones Branch Drive. All fields are turf and they share the same times as ECNL teams.


Clearly, you don't know what you're talking about.

Anyone involved in youth soccer in this area is familiar with those fields. If you think that the quality of the field will improve your player's ability, you are far more lost in this discussion than can be helped.

Do you even know what PP was replying to? Someone was saying only the best teams get the best practice times and fields. PP proved it wasn't correct. No mention of players being better from playing on turf fields.

Absolutely no one said the best teams get the best fields. That poster said that they pay thousands for the third team to access better fields. Why that would b relevant to the discussion other than some connection to playing ability is the question.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Arlington, McLean, Springfield and Bethesda - none of these clubs develop players. They all recruit natural talent. If someone better comes along you get bumped.

PPs are correct, focus is usually on the top teams. You are wasting your money for second team down at most clubs.* If your kid is placed on a second team, have them start training on their own and look for first team placement at a different club next season. I have very very rarely seen a second team player move to first team within the same club.

*Anything under second team should be playing rec. Why people pay thousands of dollars for 3rd and 4th teams is unexplainable.

McLean and Bethesda both develop plenty of excellent players that have been with the club from 6 years old all the way through...if someone comes along that is better than your kid at the try outs they should not take them? "They all recruit natural talent"...what does this even mean?

LOL. I can tell you actually believe this.

They recruit natural talent meaning the kids come to these clubs with natural soccer IQ or in some cases been developed by other clubs and they've come to MYS and Bethesda looking for ECNL competition. MYS was recently threatened with getting booted from ECNL for terrible performance so who do you think they are developing?

[Anonymous]

Just saying rec is $160, practice twice a week, one game and got a coach that knows what they are doing. Pretty sure this is the same training as the 3-6th teams at most clubs.
The difference between rec and bottom travel is that half the team has no idea what they are doing. The other half could easily play travel but are multi-sport athletes or have other things going on. So you have to deal with kids who know nothing about soccer. But for $160, I can afford private training and guest playing... maybe it is a better option.

[Anonymous]

As others have stated, Syc is good option if your kid can make the first or second team. Below that it is wise to consider other options.

[Anonymous]

Traffic in the area is a nightmare. Try out for both Arlington and McLean and see what comes of it. See what coach seems better.

I disagree with the lower level teams being the same as rec - that's not always the case. I have a kid that plays Rec and one on a Mid-Lower travel team. Both meets the needs of my player and they enjoy it.

I do agree that the highest team gets the most love, however we have had some exceptional coaches at the lower level that have really motivated and helped develop my travel player.

[Anonymous]

Only the older boy teams are good.

Anonymous wrote:As others have stated, Syc is good option if your kid can make the first or second team. Below that it is wise to consider other options.

[Anonymous]

We have a great coach who is coaching the third and fourth team. Why? It was a personal choice because the coach does not want to travel. In this rare instance, the third and fourth team is getting great coaching.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As others have stated, Syc is good option if your kid can make the first or second team. Below that it is wise to consider other options.

Not from a commute perspective based on where OP lives.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just saying rec is $160, practice twice a week, one game and got a coach that knows what they are doing. Pretty sure this is the same training as the 3-6th teams at most clubs.
The difference between rec and bottom travel is that half the team has no idea what they are doing. The other half could easily play travel but are multi-sport athletes or have other things going on. So you have to deal with kids who know nothing about soccer. But for $160, I can afford private training and guest playing... maybe it is a better option.

Bro you are trying too hard to pretend to be right. NP here. You are right when it comes to "Rec" for baseball. Always impressed by the volunteer parents, usually dads, skill and familiarity. not enough kids want to play baseball these days and more baseball parents who played or watched enough to know what they're doing.

But for uLittles Soccer is the UMC participatory sport of choice in the white-collar world of the DMV which means that almost every kid signs up for rec once at some point. Coaches are a volunteer parent who never played the beautiful game themselves, even at the high school varsity benchwarmer level, though they played some other sport in flyover country and watch a lot of EPL on Peacock.

Nobody knows what they are doing and nobody can improve playing rec past U9. It's doggy day care. One weekly disorganized practice on a torn-up mud field at best, half of the kids don't make it because they prioritize other activities or supplementals.