Washington Spirit VA ID sessions this Sunday

[Anonymous]

Correction: wins and records don't matter?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yup, and the YWNT is stocked with ECNL Alums too.

No argument there. Senior team will survive, even if they just got pounced by France. Let's talk the younger generation, like the U20s who lost at the group stage. or the U17s, who failed in 2014 to even qualify for the world Cup. The same U17 team who got pounced in Jordan by Japan. And if you saw that game, it showed Japan completely outclassed our side.

But I don't want to sidetrack the thread. I'm sure you have more Spirit bashing to attend to. So if you want to hash it out more, open a YNT thread, where you can sell us all on how the ECNL is doing a great job preparing the YNT players to compete on the international level. Or will you at that point suddenly say wins and records don't job

"yawn"

That's what I thought.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It comes down to a simple decision. If you like the DA version of elite soccer in NOVA, there are three options. Each has a bunch of good coaching on staff and training level is fairly consistent. There are pluses and minuses with each choice, but at the end of the day the place talented players decide to play will eventually rise to the top. FCV had been an ECNL club and Arlington has been a big youth soccer club for many years, no surprise their teams have had the advantage. But it only takes several talented kids to make the decision to join Spirit to even out the scale. The rest of this garbage is simply people trying to justify their decisions, including someone who has posted on this forum attacking Spirit for months. That individual is called the troll, and she is psychotic.

I'm quite certain there are a couple of Spirit trolls, but I think assuming they are all a "she" is a bit irritating. It's been said several times, and I always ignore it, but I'm asking nicely now for you to quit assuming you can read "gender" into an anonymous board.

Please.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yup, and the YWNT is stocked with ECNL Alums too.

No argument there. Senior team will survive, even if they just got pounced by France. Let's talk the younger generation, like the U20s who lost at the group stage. or the U17s, who failed in 2014 to even qualify for the world Cup. The same U17 team who got pounced in Jordan by Japan. And if you saw that game, it showed Japan completely outclassed our side.

But I don't want to sidetrack the thread. I'm sure you have more Spirit bashing to attend to. So if you want to hash it out more, open a YNT thread, where you can sell us all on how the ECNL is doing a great job preparing the YNT players to compete on the international level. Or will you at that point suddenly say wins and records don't job

"yawn"

That's what I thought.

Me big man. Me feel smart. Me care about YNT because my child plays on it (not) and my life is impacted by it (not) and it matters to this thread (not).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Guess we’ll have to see about the 2006 and 2007s over the next few years instead of speculating based on a pilot year that they didn’t heavily recruit for last year and one that doesn’t even start until fall.

Why is so much emphasis being placed on a non standard age group anyway? Part of the psychosis of the troll, I imagine.

What's all this troll garbage. I thought this whole thing (read between the lines) was to try to get some sort of idea as a parent as to what to do. I didn't play this nor did my husband. Based on a few years dealing with our older son we know most of these coaches just blow smoke and it's about money. But I also know I need to get her playing with better players than our small club. Next year is a big transition year so you acting like the 07 doesn't matter obviously doesn't have a kid that age. Spirit keeps telling me they will have the players but I see the 06 group and their unfortunate results and I see the GFRSC failing as the feeder club and I ask myself how is that possibly happening. There are just too many DA/ECNL for the girls how can this be good for the girls.

I think to answer your question - even for yourself - is what matters to you in a club. Make the list objectively and prioritize. That list may change from year to year, which is ok, but you do need a list. Then find the club objectively that best matches it.

You can include talent pool, roster size, coach, league/competition the player will face. I think every year counts. What counts though varies. Younger years are developmental, so focus for her on where you think she will get the best development. Then check back when she approaches recruitment years.

Also, what does she actually want? What matters to her? It's worth asking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yup, and the YWNT is stocked with ECNL Alums too.

No argument there. Senior team will survive, even if they just got pounced by France. Let's talk the younger generation, like the U20s who lost at the group stage. or the U17s, who failed in 2014 to even qualify for the world Cup. The same U17 team who got pounced in Jordan by Japan. And if you saw that game, it showed Japan completely outclassed our side.

But I don't want to sidetrack the thread. I'm sure you have more Spirit bashing to attend to. So if you want to hash it out more, open a YNT thread, where you can sell us all on how the ECNL is doing a great job preparing the YNT players to compete on the international level. Or will you at that point suddenly say wins and records don't job

"yawn"

That's what I thought.

Me big man. Me feel smart. Me care about YNT because my child plays on it (not) and my life is impacted by it (not) and it matters to this thread (not).

Oh, good boy. Now here's a bone for you to gnaw on and think it still has meat on it (*head patting commences*)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It comes down to a simple decision. If you like the DA version of elite soccer in NOVA, there are three options. Each has a bunch of good coaching on staff and training level is fairly consistent. There are pluses and minuses with each choice, but at the end of the day the place talented players decide to play will eventually rise to the top. FCV had been an ECNL club and Arlington has been a big youth soccer club for many years, no surprise their teams have had the advantage. But it only takes several talented kids to make the decision to join Spirit to even out the scale. The rest of this garbage is simply people trying to justify their decisions, including someone who has posted on this forum attacking Spirit for months. That individual is called the troll, and she is psychotic.

I'm quite certain there are a couple of Spirit trolls, but I think assuming they are all a "she" is a bit irritating. It's been said several times, and I always ignore it, but I'm asking nicely now for you to quit assuming you can read "gender" into an anonymous board.

Please.

It’s true, there may be two. But the one who is most bizarre and baffling with her anti-Spirit obsession inadvertently gave herself away with some posts several weeks ago. That one is definitely a she, and knowing the individual at hand, she is a bit on the crazy side.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It comes down to a simple decision. If you like the DA version of elite soccer in NOVA, there are three options. Each has a bunch of good coaching on staff and training level is fairly consistent. There are pluses and minuses with each choice, but at the end of the day the place talented players decide to play will eventually rise to the top. FCV had been an ECNL club and Arlington has been a big youth soccer club for many years, no surprise their teams have had the advantage. But it only takes several talented kids to make the decision to join Spirit to even out the scale. The rest of this garbage is simply people trying to justify their decisions, including someone who has posted on this forum attacking Spirit for months. That individual is called the troll, and she is psychotic.

I'm quite certain there are a couple of Spirit trolls, but I think assuming they are all a "she" is a bit irritating. It's been said several times, and I always ignore it, but I'm asking nicely now for you to quit assuming you can read "gender" into an anonymous board.

Please.

It’s true, there may be two. But the one who is most bizarre and baffling with her anti-Spirit obsession inadvertently gave herself away with some posts several weeks ago. That one is definitely a she, and knowing the individual at hand, she is a bit on the crazy side.

I think you are seeing what you want to see. And if you do know who this "she" is, talk to her. But constantly guessing every anti-Spirit post is from some "she" you think you have identified grates on my nerves. I'm asking nicely. Please, don't assume gender.

[Anonymous]

I am sutured people do not compare WSVA and WSMD. Clearly the MD side is doing something better. It could be that the MD side has a relationshup with Pipeline and SAC, two elite MD clubs, that feed into WSMD.

Also, there is less competition in MD. WSMD only competes with Bethesda and MD United for elite players. There are a number of elite independent teams in the state. At the U14 level both Pipeline and rush would destroy any ECNL or DA team.

It seems like WSVA is not sustainable.

[Anonymous]

Back on topic. If WS wants to fix the issue of not having the pipeline others do permanently, offer material incentives. More interaction with the pro team, to include actual training, gifting of sponsored products, subsidizing smaller costs in the short term (for example, uniforms and travel costs/meals), growing to partial and full subsidy as time and profitability emerges/grows. The tangible benefit of being associated with the pro team has to be larger than the two GAP sessions and wearing the same kit/sharing the same name as the pro team and having training that is the rough equivalent of the competing elite environments. Making these small but material changes at the margins should be able to help grab the 3-4 players per age group needed to level the field, and more significant subsidies would help elevate the club to DCU like status on the boys side. It's really not that complicated, nor is the reason for the current struggle that deep.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Go to BRYC or McLean and save the headache. They have proven themselves worthy

06 McLean is even more of a disaster than 06 Spirit-recently lost to the only team they previously had previously beat, the Wilmington Hammerheads, 0-4. So, make sure you study up on which age group you are talking about at these clubs. BRYC 06 fine but too many in the player pool and you don't have a regularly assigned team.

Ahhh, Coach Jaon Ahmad’s legacy.... He has run more players out of Mclean Soccer than Clyde has brought in. Multiple girls opted out of the MYS 06 player pool back when Jaon took over the 06 ‘pre ECNL’ team. This includes the current goalie for the Arlington 06 DA team and a player who went to Bethesda ECNL. Nobody wanted to play for him and now the current talent on the 06 team is just plain weak. While Jaon doesn’t coach the ECNL team—it has his fingerprints (and lack of development) written all over them. He had the players for the previous 2-3 years and he was more focused on having the player’s uniforms tucked in then developing them. Rumor is that the TD has had enough of him and he will be gone in May. The current u9s and u10s can be so lucky.

We remember Jaon well. Whether berating the refs, his own players or punting an 8 year old's not properly inflated size 3 soccer ball into the woods--what a character. Surprised that he has made it this long. How does McLean (and the current set of parents) even allow him to be around these younger girls? He was (and apparently still is) a complete embarrassment to the club.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Back on topic. If WS wants to fix the issue of not having the pipeline others do permanently, offer material incentives. More interaction with the pro team, to include actual training, gifting of sponsored products, subsidizing smaller costs in the short term (for example, uniforms and travel costs/meals), growing to partial and full subsidy as time and profitability emerges/grows. The tangible benefit of being associated with the pro team has to be larger than the two GAP sessions and wearing the same kit/sharing the same name as the pro team and having training that is the rough equivalent of the competing elite environments. Making these small but material changes at the margins should be able to help grab the 3-4 players per age group needed to level the field, and more significant subsidies would help elevate the club to DCU like status on the boys side. It's really not that complicated, nor is the reason for the current struggle that deep.

Except for the fact that Spirit's profit margins are likely razor thin.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Back on topic. If WS wants to fix the issue of not having the pipeline others do permanently, offer material incentives. More interaction with the pro team, to include actual training, gifting of sponsored products, subsidizing smaller costs in the short term (for example, uniforms and travel costs/meals), growing to partial and full subsidy as time and profitability emerges/grows. The tangible benefit of being associated with the pro team has to be larger than the two GAP sessions and wearing the same kit/sharing the same name as the pro team and having training that is the rough equivalent of the competing elite environments. Making these small but material changes at the margins should be able to help grab the 3-4 players per age group needed to level the field, and more significant subsidies would help elevate the club to DCU like status on the boys side. It's really not that complicated, nor is the reason for the current struggle that deep.

Except for the fact that Spirit's profit margins are likely razor thin.

Offering more interaction and practice time with the pro players costs them nothing, as does other events with the pro players. That can be a big draw for many young women who are in DA precisely for that reason. It's a big positive factor hardly being exploited right now. Ditto for the sponsored product offerings. I imagine they could work a deal with Nike for free kits and shoes for the entire team as part of a marketing strategy. It would be a pittance in cost from Nike's perspective. I'm sure there are other, similar business alignments/sponsorships that can be arranged. Larry's a creative guy, I'm sure he'll come up with something,

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Back on topic. If WS wants to fix the issue of not having the pipeline others do permanently, offer material incentives. More interaction with the pro team, to include actual training, gifting of sponsored products, subsidizing smaller costs in the short term (for example, uniforms and travel costs/meals), growing to partial and full subsidy as time and profitability emerges/grows. The tangible benefit of being associated with the pro team has to be larger than the two GAP sessions and wearing the same kit/sharing the same name as the pro team and having training that is the rough equivalent of the competing elite environments. Making these small but material changes at the margins should be able to help grab the 3-4 players per age group needed to level the field, and more significant subsidies would help elevate the club to DCU like status on the boys side. It's really not that complicated, nor is the reason for the current struggle that deep.

Except for the fact that Spirit's profit margins are likely razor thin.

Offering more interaction and practice time with the pro players costs them nothing, as does other events with the pro players. That can be a big draw for many young women who are in DA precisely for that reason. It's a big positive factor hardly being exploited right now. Ditto for the sponsored product offerings. I imagine they could work a deal with Nike for free kits and shoes for the entire team as part of a marketing strategy. It would be a pittance in cost from Nike's perspective. I'm sure there are other, similar business alignments/sponsorships that can be arranged. Larry's a creative guy, I'm sure he'll come up with something,

Sounds to me like ore work for the pro players, so you got to pay them something. When you do you just increased the cost again and the costs here are too much ad it is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Back on topic. If WS wants to fix the issue of not having the pipeline others do permanently, offer material incentives. More interaction with the pro team, to include actual training, gifting of sponsored products, subsidizing smaller costs in the short term (for example, uniforms and travel costs/meals), growing to partial and full subsidy as time and profitability emerges/grows. The tangible benefit of being associated with the pro team has to be larger than the two GAP sessions and wearing the same kit/sharing the same name as the pro team and having training that is the rough equivalent of the competing elite environments. Making these small but material changes at the margins should be able to help grab the 3-4 players per age group needed to level the field, and more significant subsidies would help elevate the club to DCU like status on the boys side. It's really not that complicated, nor is the reason for the current struggle that deep.

Except for the fact that Spirit's profit margins are likely razor thin.

Offering more interaction and practice time with the pro players costs them nothing, as does other events with the pro players. That can be a big draw for many young women who are in DA precisely for that reason. It's a big positive factor hardly being exploited right now. Ditto for the sponsored product offerings. I imagine they could work a deal with Nike for free kits and shoes for the entire team as part of a marketing strategy. It would be a pittance in cost from Nike's perspective. I'm sure there are other, similar business alignments/sponsorships that can be arranged. Larry's a creative guy, I'm sure he'll come up with something,

Sounds to me like ore work for the pro players, so you got to pay them something. When you do you just increased the cost again and the costs here are too much ad it is.

Not if you align the practices.