Travel Soccer teams around NOVA let's discuss Part II

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know girls who made DA who were on the B team at our club previously. I'm not impressed with the DA rosters so far. Its just watering down the top teams in the area. Which is good for my child because now they are on the A team I guess.

Could it be that your club didn't do a good job of evaluating players and she was incorrectly placed on the B team. It's also possible that player had an excellent coach and did extra training on the side to get better. It's also possible that your club was more focused on politics and butt kissing parents than promoting someone new to the A team. Players change year to year and it does not mean that a player on a B team can't get better than a player on A. Not saying that DA rosters are great or anything but your logic that it's based on A and B is dumb. Seems like your only focus is now being able to brag about your kid being on the shinny A team. SMH.

Kids change. If you haven’t seen a kid play, but 6 months, a year ago you have no idea what they are presently like. It’s not linear.

[Anonymous]

Is it better for a boy to do ODP or DA?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is it better for a boy to do ODP or DA?

Also—can one do both?

[Anonymous]

Looking for summer camp Recs. Can a non-travel player do a travel camp? Can you attend travel camps run by other Clubs?

Thanks. New to the area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know what the BRYC 2005 Boys A team is doing this year?

They are in NCSL.

That's their A team? With a mediocre record in D4?

Hereeee we go. Blowing a gasket over the record of a U12 team...

There are quite a few at FCB.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Listen, I myself don't like Quan, but the training is very good.

Agree with this 100%. A very good trainer....problem is, he's not a very good game coach. Parents also question his personal relationships with those who pay him for HP Elite training. The kids/parents who pad his wallet have a leg up with regards to the DA team. I've seen this play out the last several years, and that is a total conflict of interest. US Soccer DA decision makers would not be happy with this type of arrangement.

This is absolutely not true. The only reason the kids might have a leg up is because they are TRAINING. Quan does not make decisions based on personal relationships. He doesn't even poach kids who do the training not already at PWSI. You don't have to like Quan but his decisions are always soccer decisions. You don't have to like his selections but nobody is buying their way onto VDA through him.

I like and respect Quan. I think he's a good coach and has integrity. I don't think he would consciously show favoritism to a kid just because his parents pay extra for HP Elite Training.

However, ...

It is definitely a conflict of interest for a DA coach to be running a for-profit supplemental training company within the same geographic area as that coach's DA program.

The training company has a clear financial incentive for it's customers to make DA teams and do well in those teams. When the "training company" and the DA coach are in fact the same person, the conflict is inherent in the situation. I've never seen a COI policy that wouldn't be violated by that sort of relationship.

That being said, ... Ken Kreiger was doing the same thing with DCA / Arlington; Phillip Gyau does the same thing with Bethesda / PG Young Boys; James Meyers was doing the same with Bethesda / Joga/SMI. That's not intended to be a smear on any of them. I believe they are all good people, trying to do the right thing, providing good training and opportunities for players. But conflict of interest policies are designed to address the appearance of impropriety just as much as the reality of it - in part because the reality can be nearly impossible to prove (especially in a sport as subjective as soccer).

The real problem is that US Soccer does not seem to care all that much about conflict of interest policies, from the top down. Hopefully that will start to change with some new leadership after the February election.

My kids, a boy and a girl, really liked HP. We had no problems with Quan. They improved a lot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Listen, I myself don't like Quan, but the training is very good.

Agree with this 100%. A very good trainer....problem is, he's not a very good game coach. Parents also question his personal relationships with those who pay him for HP Elite training. The kids/parents who pad his wallet have a leg up with regards to the DA team. I've seen this play out the last several years, and that is a total conflict of interest. US Soccer DA decision makers would not be happy with this type of arrangement.

This is absolutely not true. The only reason the kids might have a leg up is because they are TRAINING. Quan does not make decisions based on personal relationships. He doesn't even poach kids who do the training not already at PWSI. You don't have to like Quan but his decisions are always soccer decisions. You don't have to like his selections but nobody is buying their way onto VDA through him.

I like and respect Quan. I think he's a good coach and has integrity. I don't think he would consciously show favoritism to a kid just because his parents pay extra for HP Elite Training.

However, ...

It is definitely a conflict of interest for a DA coach to be running a for-profit supplemental training company within the same geographic area as that coach's DA program.

The training company has a clear financial incentive for it's customers to make DA teams and do well in those teams. When the "training company" and the DA coach are in fact the same person, the conflict is inherent in the situation. I've never seen a COI policy that wouldn't be violated by that sort of relationship.

That being said, ... Ken Kreiger was doing the same thing with DCA / Arlington; Phillip Gyau does the same thing with Bethesda / PG Young Boys; James Meyers was doing the same with Bethesda / Joga/SMI. That's not intended to be a smear on any of them. I believe they are all good people, trying to do the right thing, providing good training and opportunities for players. But conflict of interest policies are designed to address the appearance of impropriety just as much as the reality of it - in part because the reality can be nearly impossible to prove (especially in a sport as subjective as soccer).

The real problem is that US Soccer does not seem to care all that much about conflict of interest policies, from the top down. Hopefully that will start to change with some new leadership after the February election.

My kids, a boy and a girl, really liked HP. We had no problems with Quan. They improved a lot.

Is HP only offered in Loudoun? Do they ever hold it in other locations?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Listen, I myself don't like Quan, but the training is very good.

Agree with this 100%. A very good trainer....problem is, he's not a very good game coach. Parents also question his personal relationships with those who pay him for HP Elite training. The kids/parents who pad his wallet have a leg up with regards to the DA team. I've seen this play out the last several years, and that is a total conflict of interest. US Soccer DA decision makers would not be happy with this type of arrangement.

This is absolutely not true. The only reason the kids might have a leg up is because they are TRAINING. Quan does not make decisions based on personal relationships. He doesn't even poach kids who do the training not already at PWSI. You don't have to like Quan but his decisions are always soccer decisions. You don't have to like his selections but nobody is buying their way onto VDA through him.

I like and respect Quan. I think he's a good coach and has integrity. I don't think he would consciously show favoritism to a kid just because his parents pay extra for HP Elite Training.

However, ...

It is definitely a conflict of interest for a DA coach to be running a for-profit supplemental training company within the same geographic area as that coach's DA program.

The training company has a clear financial incentive for it's customers to make DA teams and do well in those teams. When the "training company" and the DA coach are in fact the same person, the conflict is inherent in the situation. I've never seen a COI policy that wouldn't be violated by that sort of relationship.

That being said, ... Ken Kreiger was doing the same thing with DCA / Arlington; Phillip Gyau does the same thing with Bethesda / PG Young Boys; James Meyers was doing the same with Bethesda / Joga/SMI. That's not intended to be a smear on any of them. I believe they are all good people, trying to do the right thing, providing good training and opportunities for players. But conflict of interest policies are designed to address the appearance of impropriety just as much as the reality of it - in part because the reality can be nearly impossible to prove (especially in a sport as subjective as soccer).

The real problem is that US Soccer does not seem to care all that much about conflict of interest policies, from the top down. Hopefully that will start to change with some new leadership after the February election.

My kids, a boy and a girl, really liked HP. We had no problems with Quan. They improved a lot.

Is HP only offered in Loudoun? Do they ever hold it in other locations?

It’s in Chantilly this summer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Looking for summer camp Recs. Can a non-travel player do a travel camp? Can you attend travel camps run by other Clubs?

Thanks. New to the area.

Me too. Are Golden boot or Uk elite any good?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know girls who made DA who were on the B team at our club previously. I'm not impressed with the DA rosters so far. Its just watering down the top teams in the area. Which is good for my child because now they are on the A team I guess.

Could it be that your club didn't do a good job of evaluating players and she was incorrectly placed on the B team. It's also possible that player had an excellent coach and did extra training on the side to get better. It's also possible that your club was more focused on politics and butt kissing parents than promoting someone new to the A team. Players change year to year and it does not mean that a player on a B team can't get better than a player on A. Not saying that DA rosters are great or anything but your logic that it's based on A and B is dumb. Seems like your only focus is now being able to brag about your kid being on the shinny A team. SMH.

Kids change. If you haven’t seen a kid play, but 6 months, a year ago you have no idea what they are presently like. It’s not linear.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looking for summer camp Recs. Can a non-travel player do a travel camp? Can you attend travel camps run by other Clubs?

Thanks. New to the area.

Me too. Are Golden boot or Uk elite any good?

My kids had fun at UK Elite, they were young and it was several years ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it better for a boy to do ODP or DA?

Also—can one do both?

DA would not allow a kid to do ODP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is it better for a boy to do ODP or DA?

Also—can one do both?

DA would not allow a kid to do ODP.

?--does ODP have open tryouts? Or is it mostly invite only like DA?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Question for people with more experience in travel soccer.

My daughter is currently playing travel soccer on a good travel 2nd team, and they have not faced much competition in the past year and a half. We don't want to change leagues at this point.

Are there many kids who play up a year? I know some kids do this at u9, but do they continue to play up? DC would possibly make a lower team in an older age group, but would probably face harder competition.

We've thought about having her try out for the boys team, any thoughts?

I would not think they would let her play up. Unless a player is maxed out on the top team--not getting enough---most Clubs have very little movement with players playing up.

There are often kids that start a full year early---they are playing U9 and then drop back down. The only players I know that have been allowed to play up an age group were off of the top/A team.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looking for summer camp Recs. Can a non-travel player do a travel camp? Can you attend travel camps run by other Clubs?

Thanks. New to the area.

Me too. Are Golden boot or Uk elite any good?

My kids had fun at UK Elite, they were young and it was several years ago.

Anyone do the camp run by Arsenal?