How competitive is ASA travel soccer team? Is it hard to make the team?

Anonymous
^^ also, almost none of that applies unless you are on 1st team. Most players at these large clubs are on the B, C, D, E, and F teams . . . the "cash cow" as others have called it.

Even on 1st team, we have been at big clubs where the development seemed to stagnate. Although the OP makes several good observations about the many problems playing soccer at a very small program, agree there.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:i'd be more curious to see how Usain Bolt fares...


Me too!! I love him.


It is a publicity stunt and he likely would not make a third team. But hopefully this will put to rest the notion that US Soccer sucks because "our best athletes" are not playing.

Think Michael Jordan and his pro baseball career.


don't matter. i hope he finds 2nd career in soccer, 3rd team or not.

plus bball and soccer aren't comparable when it comes to required athletic abilities.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:NP here. Interesting thread... For those with experience with ASA/Travel/ADP/Etc..., is there a benefit to doing the Academy program if DC is interested in Travel or ADP down the road? Curious if it's a good program or if they are trying to scam more $$ out of us?


Absolutely do academy. The coaches are excellent and it is definitely used as a "pre identification" (though by no means decisively) for travel. And if nothing else it is fun for motivated kids to play with others who have the same approach to soccer - my son loved it.


6-yo DD did the academy training thing and I'm not sure about the coaches are excellent part... I guess they are good just not for DD who thought it's not fun at all. The assistants ran most of the small group drills/games and the main coach mostly just watches. YMMV.


Just FYI, some kids get selected for ASA Advanced Academy for pre-travel. It is a good program, but do not assume your kids will be offered a top team selection after travel tryouts. Lots of unknown kids are already playing up a year at travel soccer at other leagues that will gravitate to Arlington. Lots of advanced academy kids are playing on lower teams. But you will find ASA is pretty strong for its top 3 team, so a good experience and competitive practices.


It's not uncommon for the Academy recommendations to not get followed. It has happened where Academy coaches will highly recommend a player for the first team, yet the travel coaches/TD that didn't seem them play all year will not put them on that team. Many kids in the 'first team' Academy group sometimes don't even make the top few teams when it comes to travel. All kinds of things come into play.


I can see the misplacement could easily happen the first year, i.e. kid makes a lower team but is better than kids who played well the day the coaches were watching at the tryout. Does that get better the 2nd year? after the kid has played on a lower team and does well, does that play into the evaluation the next time, or is it just how the kid plays at the tryout again? Is there much movement at Arlington, McLean, Alexandria at the younger ages?
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:^^its not the same on the boys side. Some of the best players I’ve seen did not start at the 3 big clubs in this area.


You all seem yo think the only way a child can learn to play soccer is by being on a soccer team and going to the 1.5 hour practices twice a week. Would you be saying the same thing about big vs small if the sport was basketball? I'd venture to think not.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:^^its not the same on the boys side. Some of the best players I’ve seen did not start at the 3 big clubs in this area.


You all seem yo think the only way a child can learn to play soccer is by being on a soccer team and going to the 1.5 hour practices twice a week. Would you be saying the same thing about big vs small if the sport was basketball? I'd venture to think not.


Nope, we wouldn't. Soccer is a wealthy man's sport in the U.S.. If you can't pay-to-play and you can't politic your way in---your chances are nil at being 'seen' by college coaches, much less National team and beyond.

If you aren't in a stupid feeder system, that's it. It is complete BS to tell any kid in this country 'if you are good enough, we will find you'. It does not work that way in this sport, in this country.

Even the HS teams in this area are direct feeders from the travel teams and some of the HS coaches are even travel coaches from the Clubs the students play for. Walk-ons not part of that travel team are unheard of.

That said, I've met some unbelievable soccer players whose parents know that's the story, but refuse to pay and be part of the feeder system when the training is inferior to what they could do on their own and with better trainers outside of the Big Club business. Hopefully, there will be a place where these kids at 16/17 can be seen and the 'cream theory' will hold. Who knows? You would hope if they got good enough they would actually be able to get a fair tryout somewhere---but they even determine who gets invited to those and which field the kids get put on (the one they watch, vs the one just for show/to say they held it).

And, yes, this is boys we are talking about. Girls soccer is very different.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:There are a number of teams. The bottom travel teams are all cash cows and the club doesn't care about them at all.

If she is a stronger player on the rec team, she'll probably make something.


You could have just left your comment at “There are a number of teams”. The rest was just your own bitterness.

I have a boy, and an ASA coach who also coaches travel told me not to do it unless my son made one of the top three teams.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:There are a number of teams. The bottom travel teams are all cash cows and the club doesn't care about them at all.

If she is a stronger player on the rec team, she'll probably make something.


You could have just left your comment at “There are a number of teams”. The rest was just your own bitterness.

I have a boy, and an ASA coach who also coaches travel told me not to do it unless my son made one of the top three teams.


Did the coach say that since it was a waste of money, or because the kid will never progress? My son is on an ASA bottom team, and no expectations he will make a top team or college scholarship. But he thinks Rec is not competitive, enjoys the practice and friends and games. Keeps him busy during the week and active. We can afford it and think it is productive for the team work. I think parents on bottom teams know the limitations, but still enjoy the sport and activity.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:There are a number of teams. The bottom travel teams are all cash cows and the club doesn't care about them at all.

If she is a stronger player on the rec team, she'll probably make something.


You could have just left your comment at “There are a number of teams”. The rest was just your own bitterness.

I have a boy, and an ASA coach who also coaches travel told me not to do it unless my son made one of the top three teams.


Did the coach say that since it was a waste of money, or because the kid will never progress? My son is on an ASA bottom team, and no expectations he will make a top team or college scholarship. But he thinks Rec is not competitive, enjoys the practice and friends and games. Keeps him busy during the week and active. We can afford it and think it is productive for the team work. I think parents on bottom teams know the limitations, but still enjoy the sport and activity.


I guess my only issue with this statement is the affordability. You're saying that you know nothing will probably come from the training, the kid might not ever be good enough to be on the top team, there is this nuanced teamwork virtue you hope your child recognizes, and that everyone else knows it as well, and yet you would still pay what many would consider 'tons of money' for shitty training. Why? Because you have so much discretionary income, why not... right?

I myself am not wealthy, have made a career and am in my early thirties, $2k over the course of 10 months would not be an issue, I just woudln't do it based on principle.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:There are a number of teams. The bottom travel teams are all cash cows and the club doesn't care about them at all.

If she is a stronger player on the rec team, she'll probably make something.


You could have just left your comment at “There are a number of teams”. The rest was just your own bitterness.

I have a boy, and an ASA coach who also coaches travel told me not to do it unless my son made one of the top three teams.


Did the coach say that since it was a waste of money, or because the kid will never progress? My son is on an ASA bottom team, and no expectations he will make a top team or college scholarship. But he thinks Rec is not competitive, enjoys the practice and friends and games. Keeps him busy during the week and active. We can afford it and think it is productive for the team work. I think parents on bottom teams know the limitations, but still enjoy the sport and activity.


I guess my only issue with this statement is the affordability. You're saying that you know nothing will probably come from the training, the kid might not ever be good enough to be on the top team, there is this nuanced teamwork virtue you hope your child recognizes, and that everyone else knows it as well, and yet you would still pay what many would consider 'tons of money' for shitty training. Why? Because you have so much discretionary income, why not... right?

I myself am not wealthy, have made a career and am in my early thirties, $2k over the course of 10 months would not be an issue, I just woudln't do it based on principle.


Some people consider $2,000 to be crumbs off their plate and are fine with the value proposition.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:There are a number of teams. The bottom travel teams are all cash cows and the club doesn't care about them at all.

If she is a stronger player on the rec team, she'll probably make something.


You could have just left your comment at “There are a number of teams”. The rest was just your own bitterness.

I have a boy, and an ASA coach who also coaches travel told me not to do it unless my son made one of the top three teams.


Did the coach say that since it was a waste of money, or because the kid will never progress? My son is on an ASA bottom team, and no expectations he will make a top team or college scholarship. But he thinks Rec is not competitive, enjoys the practice and friends and games. Keeps him busy during the week and active. We can afford it and think it is productive for the team work. I think parents on bottom teams know the limitations, but still enjoy the sport and activity.


I guess my only issue with this statement is the affordability. You're saying that you know nothing will probably come from the training, the kid might not ever be good enough to be on the top team, there is this nuanced teamwork virtue you hope your child recognizes, and that everyone else knows it as well, and yet you would still pay what many would consider 'tons of money' for shitty training. Why? Because you have so much discretionary income, why not... right?

I myself am not wealthy, have made a career and am in my early thirties, $2k over the course of 10 months would not be an issue, I just woudln't do it based on principle.


Some people consider $2,000 to be crumbs off their plate and are fine with the value proposition.


I sometimes think that the Supply/Demand issue with so many families considering $2k to be a bargain and so few "good" programs that the $3k-4k price range for one year for travel are those clubs recognizing many will pay it without thinking.
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