Field hockey clubs feedback

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is the most toxic youth sports forum on the planet. Go to any other site around the country and they're all positive, helpful and offer advice. What is wrong with you people? This must be a DMV thing. Living in that area blows - terrible congestion and traffic, cost of living, etc. Maybe you all should move to a more peaceful part of the country and chill the eff out!

It is an amazing place to live, at least can speak for Montgomery County. A few bad apples on this forum though...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tech has one of the better club teams; but they would not be at all competitive with any D1 program and would lose to all the Top 20 D3. Let's be serious.

Seriously who cares. If a kid is a good fit for a D1 or D3 school, great. If not, great. The discipline, physical benefits and most importantly fun can be found through many different programs, including club sports.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yet, many of these parents have no problem destroying coaches on this exact same forum. Not a sermon, just a thought.

Coaches are adults and an important factor to choosing a club, so hearing people’s experiences are valid and there are so many questionable coaches in kids sports. Criticizing children when you don’t understand or know anything about them is cruel. Their accolades may not always seem fair but it depends on their league and coach.
Stop attacking kids but the coaches are fair game. Just my opinion.

I kind of disagree, to a point. MANY of these kids know the preferences, the favoritism, etc. that they are receiving. I'm not pointing to anyone but this applies to several of the "all met" kids in the DMV. EVERY club has this. You know it. Coaches know it. The kids know it. The kids receiving the benefits know it. They share it on social, with the public, and use it to score the best opportunities. So give me a break, here.

While it's not cool to personally attack them, pointing out their preferential treatment relative to their skills is fair game.

Many, I repeat many, of these “all state” and “all met” players will not play in college. Some instances, they are D1 or bust. Some instances, they believed their high school accolades should’ve gotten them noticed to be recruited. Mostly, though, they are just not good enough and not at collegiate-level ability because they received their accolades as their high school coaches’ favorite. These are facts not because I am writing this down but because historically this has happened time and time again and will continue as long as most accolades continue to be achieved not by ability. Of course, there are exceptions but not many!

I know it's mean to point out that so many of those All-Met players were simply their coach's favorite. But as the parent of a player, who was heavily recruited and went D1--one of a very few from the immediate DC area at the time--who was left off all of those lists because her ISL coach had a preference for "misfits" and gave all the accolades to another player, it's a very hard pill to swallow. Though my daughter wound up right where she wanted to be, it's still hard to see this happening--and especially at her former high school, where it still does.

[Anonymous]

Also, the all-met players from the DMV are nowhere at the level as players from PA, NJ, DE, etc... We just don't produce the same level of players, especially in VA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also, the all-met players from the DMV are nowhere at the level as players from PA, NJ, DE, etc... We just don't produce the same level of players, especially in VA.

The all-met is for the DMV and has nothing to do with PA, NJ, etc. You're kind of a dick for moving the goalposts and not allowing these kids to enjoy their moment in the DMV, which is what. "all met" is for.

[Anonymous]

anyone know what happened to southeast storm? I believe they were affiliated with beyond sticks but it doesn't look like the club exists anymore..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:anyone know what happened to southeast storm? I believe they were affiliated with beyond sticks but it doesn't look like the club exists anymore..

They merged with/became mustangs several years before mustangs partnered with perfect performance.

[Anonymous]

What happened to Rampage too?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What happened to Rampage too?

RIP. Stopped operating about 2 years ago. Not sure why.

[Anonymous]

Thanks to Whomever pointed out the value in merit.

[Anonymous]

My daughter has the honor of playing with a highly decorated academic student on this club and is also recruited for her merit and academic achievement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank you for your kind words. It was a very difficult year. She was so angry at me for not letting her go to Fairfax HS. She (we) are convinced she would have been treated better by the club if she had. I just wanted her to get a good education.
Anyway, it turned out fine. After a year of playing D3, she recognized that fh just wasn't that interesting anymore. She dropped out got a job at SeaWorld in Florida. She performs with the dolphins-- all those years of ballet paid off I guess.

I feel you so much for this post. My daughter played for two years but was constantly upstaged by international graduate students. She quit the team but now does competitive hobbyhorse riding. Her years of getting low for block tackles have paid off so much! She know clears the bar with her noble steed.

Just goes to show don’t let the naysayers get you down!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t get why club coach preferential treatment of a certain player consequently leads to a D-1 scholarship at Northwestern or UNC. The college coaches must still evaluate and recruit the player. They’re not just going to take a random club coach’s word for it! The player will be watched multiple times by the college coaches at tournaments and showcases. The player will attend college ID camps and clinics. The player will go to Nexus, Lineup, etc. Some random DMV club coach telling a top D-1 coach that one of their players is a star doesn’t mean jack. The player still has to prove it!

Not 💯 accurate. As just one example, if 2 kids are being evaluated and one is from, say, Freedom and one from a lesser club or a club that doesn’t have direct coach involvement, the Freedom kid is going to get it. That doesn’t mean that kid isn’t talented. But it’s not purely merit.

Nexus? It’s well known that is HIGHLY political.

Lastly, the coaches who are coaching family members/friends will put those kids on the best teams, promote them, push them forward for accolades etc.

The players that benefit absolutely know this. So do the families. So do the talented, nonfavored kids. Where’s the concern for them?

This is my last post on this. You don’t have to believe me or like my opinion.

Completely agree with this, USA field hockey has a Nexus problem and allowing club coaches to select for their national tournaments etc is a disservice to all athletes.

[Anonymous]

Does anyone know any good u10 clubs in the area? My baby girl wants to play ever since watching the Olympics and I would love for her to have a team that’s supportive!

How are the coaches with the younger girls? Who is building the best culture?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know any good u10 clubs in the area? My baby girl wants to play ever since watching the Olympics and I would love for her to have a team that’s supportive!

How are the coaches with the younger girls? Who is building the best culture?

If your daughter just wants to start by learning the basics and deciding if she wants to continue, I’d do Beyond Sticks. If she wants something more than that I’d do Next Level if you live in MD or Hammers or xtreme if you live in VA.

I’m not sure which clubs do the younger age groups so you may need to look around to figure that out first.