Valor

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sometimes current parents don't want more kids competing for spots on the team.

I find this forum very useful for getting the real dirt people won't tell you about non-anonymously.

Issue is you have parents with an axe to grind from experiences years ago. They can't seem to move on.

People are posting about fairly recent tryout experiences. Valor has only been around a few years, right?

YES. The CYA and SYA travel teams merged a couple of years ago. This is their third season.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So it seems the feedback on Valor is almost all negative. We will look at Burke and maybe FPYC or BRYC for tryouts this spring.

Here is some insight into DMV soccer. Everyone criticizes clubs they are not "currently" affiliated with. Take your question and replace the name of the club with any other club and you will get the same exact answers. Team competition level, coaches, parents, etc. You are the parent, do your homework! Go to a practice and observe, go to a game and watch the behavior of the coach and kids. Coming on here and asking an open ended question is a recipe for disaster.

I have 3 travel players at 3 different clubs because they all needed something different from a coaching and team environment. I bring this up because there isn't one club that is perfect for everyone and unlike in Europe, each team within a club tends to have their own style of play and culture. My best suggestion is to go to practices and games and talk to the parents that are there now, they won't hold back on the +/-s.

this should be stickied

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sometimes current parents don't want more kids competing for spots on the team.

I find this forum very useful for getting the real dirt people won't tell you about non-anonymously.

Issue is you have parents with an axe to grind from experiences years ago. They can't seem to move on.

People are posting about fairly recent tryout experiences. Valor has only been around a few years, right?

YES. The CYA and SYA travel teams merged a couple of years ago. This is their third season.

My child plays for Valor. Before tryouts last year I heard that they were only going to take new players if they really stood out because a) the entire spring season is basically a tryout for the kids already playing for the club -- they have so much more data on those kids as compared to the ones who just show up to a couple of tryouts and b) there are already so many kids in the age group. It's easier to slot a new player into a lower team because that's where the open spots are. Kids on those teams realize travel soccer isn't for them or their parents don't want to pay anymore. I can't imagine this is unique to Valor. If a player is placed on a lower team and then turns out to actually be really good, they get moved up. We have seen it with multiple kids. Moves are even made mid-season if coaches agree to it. Kids have also been moved down. You can argue Valor should do a better job running tryouts, but to their credit they seem more open to moving kids than maybe some other clubs based on what I've seen here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sometimes current parents don't want more kids competing for spots on the team.

I find this forum very useful for getting the real dirt people won't tell you about non-anonymously.

Issue is you have parents with an axe to grind from experiences years ago. They can't seem to move on.

People are posting about fairly recent tryout experiences. Valor has only been around a few years, right?

YES. The CYA and SYA travel teams merged a couple of years ago. This is their third season.

My child plays for Valor. Before tryouts last year I heard that they were only going to take new players if they really stood out because a) the entire spring season is basically a tryout for the kids already playing for the club -- they have so much more data on those kids as compared to the ones who just show up to a couple of tryouts and b) there are already so many kids in the age group. It's easier to slot a new player into a lower team because that's where the open spots are. Kids on those teams realize travel soccer isn't for them or their parents don't want to pay anymore. I can't imagine this is unique to Valor. If a player is placed on a lower team and then turns out to actually be really good, they get moved up. We have seen it with multiple kids. Moves are even made mid-season if coaches agree to it. Kids have also been moved down. You can argue Valor should do a better job running tryouts, but to their credit they seem more open to moving kids than maybe some other clubs based on what I've seen here.

This is common practice among most DMV clubs

[Anonymous]

The problem is people don't want to pay $3000 and gamble on a vague promise that their kid could move up (and if there are no spots on higher teams, they can't move up). The lower teams are truly terrible and its not good for skill development to practice with weaker players.

It is easier just to go across the street and play on the correct level team from the start.

[Anonymous]

That's why the 3rd, 4th, 5th teams at these soccer factory clubs are always terrible. They just completely turn over every season and are rosters full of kids who could make teams anywhere else and who are basically average rec-level players.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So it seems the feedback on Valor is almost all negative. We will look at Burke and maybe FPYC or BRYC for tryouts this spring.

if you want real negaitve feedback- ask about BRYC. FPYC can barely field teams at the older ages and is a rec club.

[Anonymous]

The only difference between Valor and FPYC is Valor has financially separated itself from its community rec sports side in order to not have to share the cash they rake in. FPYC has a much smaller rec program so they field fewer travel teams.

[Anonymous]

As a previous poster noted. Ive had 4 kids in travel and had experience with 5 clubs in the region. You will hear the same complaints from parents no matter what club. But in my experience Arlington and VSA in the U12 and under does a better job developing kids. Loudoun and Valor are pure money grabs if your kid is not on top team. Regardless you generally have to jump clubs if your kid is improving but not standing out to move up.

[Anonymous]

Valor’s talent pool and coaching slates are capable of developing good players and teams. I think if they get a better system of getting rid of team manages and having: age group coordinators, general manager, assistant general manager, and technical director. That could control parent engagement with the coaches so the coaches can focus more on developing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I heard DS didn’t leave on good terms from VRSC?

does anyone know the mystery behind him leaving?

[Anonymous]

Someone above mentioned that valor was a pyramid scheme and that is the best way to describe the club.

ALL they care about is MONEY, MONEY and more MONEY. They do not care about player development at all.

We pulled our kids out last year and could not be happier. Best decision we made.

I disagree with the comment about their top team players getting better coaching. My kid scrimmaged for an entire year. No foot work skills, no 2v2 1v1 skill taught, no finishing practice, NOTHING.

Although my kids are a little bit behind we are working with there new teams to get them where they need to be. Personally i would not recommend this team to any one who has a kid that is hungry for soccer. If you have a kid that just enjoys the game but wants to be on a travel team then go for it. Valor is an expensive rec league club.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Someone above mentioned that valor was a pyramid scheme and that is the best way to describe the club.

ALL they care about is MONEY, MONEY and more MONEY. They do not care about player development at all.

We pulled our kids out last year and could not be happier. Best decision we made.

I disagree with the comment about their top team players getting better coaching. My kid scrimmaged for an entire year. No foot work skills, no 2v2 1v1 skill taught, no finishing practice, NOTHING.

Although my kids are a little bit behind we are working with there new teams to get them where they need to be. Personally i would not recommend this team to any one who has a kid that is hungry for soccer. If you have a kid that just enjoys the game but wants to be on a travel team then go for it. Valor is an expensive rec league club.

I’ve witnessed the same.

[Anonymous]

They have two large rec leagues for shopping for players and funneling younger players into their travel money pipeline. So they have a never ending parade of clueless parents ("My kid made a travel soccer team!"--they don't realize everyone makes a team), which is why they have so many teams at the younger ages. The people who run it pay themselves six figures.

[Anonymous]

I heard a lot of their players are joining the NVA top team and pushing the loudoun players out.