FCGB?
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Anonymous
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In terms of training, FCGB provides an incredible product. From what I've seen in the MoCo area, the big name clubs (BSC, Potomac, MSI Academy) each have their individual coaches who are great but they don't really have a club system. FCGB has grown to about 5-6 coaches whose chosen career is coaching. They are friends outside of the club so they are likely talking about how to improve each player and team with high frequency outside of practice or official meetings. At each practice, you are likely going to see at least 3 coaches, sometimes all of them. At games there are often multiple coaches. So, you have about 6 coaches seeing your daughter's strengths and weaknesses throughout the year. That helps to develop her as a well rounded player. While they all have a similar philosophy of preferred playing style, each provide a little different perspective.
No club is perfect and one of the weaknesses at FCGB is that the coaches are still learning the college recruiting process and provide less guidance with that than the big name clubs. But if your daughter is U12, you have plenty of time before you need to think about that. Over the last couple of years very few players have left. Usually only because they are looking for a less serious training environment or because they want to play in a specific league, not because the training was lacking. |
Anonymous
| OP here - thanks everyone for your advice. To answer PP's question, the team I saw was the U13 West team that played in Germantown over the weekend. My DD is one who just loves the sport - when she's not playing, she's watching. She's ready for a bigger challenge and I want to find her an environment where she can build her technical skills while still fostering that love of the game. My focus is not on finding her the best avenue to a college scholarship and I don't think we would do well as parents in a club where every other parent has that often cut-throat focus. I want her to realize her full potential and enjoy putting in the work. |
Anonymous
FCGB could be a great fit for her then! The coaches will LOVE that she enjoys watching games. They believe that is fundamental. |
Anonymous
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OP, I have experience at rec, classic/select, travel and elite travel (ECNL/DA). FCGB is probably the best club I have seen at training core skills. I would agree with what PP wrote -- Club does not get the most dedicated players and the coaching staff is not as focused college recruiting.
U12 is probably the best age. You give your DD time to develop and the younger teams will compete with the top clubs in tournaments. Depending what your DD wants at u15, you can take a look outside of the club. My guess is that by then, the club will be in ECNL or DA. |
Anonymous
| Any input regarding FCGB for rising Girls’ U13 (ie U13 for the upcoming fall season)? |
Anonymous
The way things are going they could get DA because there will be no other DA in Maryland. Would be interesting to have a DA club that was committed to technical train in the u- littles. |
Anonymous
| highly doubt it. |
Anonymous
Ever have a look at the DA club map? There are tons of states with no DA clubs. I don't think that is a valid criteria. |
Anonymous
 yes not need for DA in Maryland...
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Anonymous
excellent response! It appears you can neither read, nor write. |
Anonymous
| This whole thread reads like one of those advertising supplements. |
Anonymous
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PROS:
(1) This is a club that TRAINS their younger kids well. For any child up to 12 years old, this is a friendly club, with caring coaches, and they do focus on technical drills and development. (2) Everyone gets equal playing time, so if your kid needs to develop, this is a good place. CONS: (1) Don't listen to any talk about a prior '99 "ranked" team. They won during their senior year at an inferior level of play and after most good players (from other teams) have been accepted to college teams. FCGB has never won the top-flite of tournaments. (2) Since they had a winning '99 team, they have not been able to put together another winning team - this is because of the coaches (NOT because of the talent on the team). (3) They coach to the lowest denominator, so if you have a talented child, they will stall pretty quickly - they will teach the same thing over and over as the less skilled kids develop. (4) Although this club does well for "training", they cannot coach a game to save their lives. They do bizarre things (like implement new formations, and play kids out of position, and play the worst players during critical parts of a tournament), to ensure the teams lose. (5) The coaches love to lose games. They do everything possible to handicap the teams play. They have no idea how to rotate players. Sometimes, they put in all the worst players at the same time for an entire shift (during tournaments) (6) For one tournament, our kids made it to the championship finals. They lost to a team they previously beat by over 5 goals. This happened, because on the day of the finals, the coach implemented a new formation the kids had never played before, and switched the positions of all the players. Nobody knew what was going on and the entire team looked lost and stupid. (7) The coaches are stubborn. They will hold "Parent/Player" meetings periodically, but say the exact same things: "This is our way, and we are not going to change anything". (8) FCGB teaches a slow style of play that, oddly enough, always ends up with the players kicking it back to the goalie 1000 times. We have played many games where our goalie received 10X more passes than any other player. It just looks stupid. (9) If you have a kid with any talent at all, you have to leave after 12 years old and learn to play how every other competitive club plays. Hope this helps. |
Anonymous
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^^who are you trying to "help"? no one has asked since January 2020. you're obviously someone with an axe to grind. ready to move on? why try and take the club down before you go?
my dd's ECNL team has played against them, the coaches know what they are doing. one of the best coached teams i've seen. we're bigger and faster. coaches can't do anything about that. |
Anonymous
+1. Being a small club, the coaches care for the players. I’ve watched them train & play as I was interested to have my DD join them a few years ago. They are really good coaches. Unfortunately, their practice locations were a little too far to get to during pre-COVID rush hour for us. |
Anonymous
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The 06team imploded- does well in edp games and lower level tourneys but up against ecnl teams they failed.
Players leaving in droves from that team and it all comes down to stubborn coaches. |