Nations Capital Cup

[Anonymous]

U12 youth soccer that happened days ago and still some people are worked up over this? seriously?

[Anonymous]

Refs can be so bad. My younger child played in a rec U9 game this weekend and a teammate was given a yellow card for normal aggressive play. A yellow card in a rec game for 8 year olds!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Refs can be so bad. My younger child played in a rec U9 game this weekend and a teammate was given a yellow card for normal aggressive play. A yellow card in a rec game for 8 year olds!

That's part of the sport, though, isn't it. Learning to move on and move forward even when you think the ref has made a bad call. Even when EVERYONE thinks the ref made a bad call. It's going to happen now and then -- you have to learn to deal with it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not sure what' I'm missing, but I don't see any issues with the referee there.

Watch the McLean player who runs over to stand next to the ref before the kick is taken - at about the 16:12 mark. Right after the FPYC player taps the ball over to her teammate for the shot, it looks like the McLean player takes like half a step, then stops and hesitates for a second before continuing. After the play you can see the ref talking to this player and making a circle motion with his arms - which looks like he's explaining that she was inside the 10yd radius to the ball and that's why he didn't let her go right away.

So yes, the ref was wrong.

As for the parent's conduct? I don't know. If all he did was question the call - like "Hey ref, you can't tell a player to stop once the ball's been put in play," I wouldn't really have a problem with it. Similarly if the kick was blocked and one of the FPYC parents complained because it should have been awarded as a direct kick to begin with. If refs don't want any criticism they should do a better job. And if they also get criticized by idiot parents who obviously don't know the rules, those people are only embarrassing themselves anyway, whether they know it or not. To me there's a difference between questioning - or expressing disagreement - with a call, and being disrespectful. Questioning the ref's motives or impartiality, calling them names, or even just being really over the top (aggressive, sarcastic, etc...) in the way that disagreement is expressed, those are the sort of things that cross the line IMO.

I know some will say any questioning of the ref should be forbidden and sets a bad example for the kids. I disagree. Questioning authority is not always a bad thing. In fact I think good coaches can set an example for how to do so appropriately, respectfully, and within the rules.

Having said all that, when a ref gives the "One more word!" warning, if you're not going to honor that you might as well just start walking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

FPYCparent wrote:I am not going to argue whether the opposing team (my DD's team in this instance, no less) got an advantage in that particular moment. Yes, the play ultimately resulting in a goal scored.

However, I look at this from a bigger perspective. What did the players really learn in that moment? For one player, she probably saw her dad disrespect someone who she's supposed to respect. (I think these girls are too young to simply yell out, "Dad, please stop! You are embarrassing me!" ) Her dad was told to leave and didn't have the opportunity to see her perform the remainder of the game. Whether the parent/adult was right or wrong, that was not the moment to push any further after the ref's warning. Maybe the parent could have taken it to the coach at halftime and work it at that level.

There was also a younger female AR on the parent's sideline. I like that the head ref came over and conferred with her before talking to the parents. I like that the head ref was able to making this incident a teaching moment for the AR as well.

Let's say these players (and young ARs) are continually exposed to moments like that for the next 10+ years (and that is assuming this episode hasn't already repeated itself a few times). When they're 25 and living on their own or with a partner, they'll think it's OK for a man (or any adult, really) to show outright disrespect … towards them or anyone else. Speaking just for myself, that's not what I want my daughters to consider normal **and** acceptable behavior.

This incident in this game did not determine the final outcome. We're still talking about a November soccer game between 11-year-olds where the final score will be forgotten in two months, if not two weeks. However, none of the girls will forget witnessing an adult being thrown out.

And, yes, I would have no problem seeing that ref at any of my DD's matches in the future. Having sat through two or three U12 season games this fall with no refs, I'd welcome him.

Well, the PP said that the parent wasn't disrespectful, he just called out that the ref shouldn't have held up one of the players. I mean silent soccer is no fun and I see no harm in basically saying...Come on Ref, you missed that one. And maybe the girls got to witness what happens when you do actually disrespect a referee which is getting sent to the parking lot. I don't think these girls will be traumatized over this. On a different note...by having a talk with this girl, did this ref save the girl the embarrassment of getting a yellow card for failure to respect the distance or delaying the restart? Maybe look at it from that point as well. Also, couldn't someone else in the wall realize Mary was missing and they charge the free kick? Lots of lessons learned here.

No one is saying it should be silent soccer, but parents have a role which is to root for the team in a positive manner and not try to make the game about themselves and their frustrations. It’s a youth game after all, not a Clasico at the Santiago Bernabeu. Rather than trying to pick his daughter’s team up and be a positive influence, they lost perspective and got themselves sent off for something that will never get reversed. That’s not okay, whether the ref made the right decision or not.

[Anonymous]

Sad state of affairs that we have tell adults how to behave like adults.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Refs can be so bad. My younger child played in a rec U9 game this weekend and a teammate was given a yellow card for normal aggressive play. A yellow card in a rec game for 8 year olds!

Well I doubt it was “normal” play.

[Anonymous]

A LMVSC parent got ejected from a U12 girls game on Sunday. She tried to go up and watch from above after being ejected from the sidelines, and the ref booted her from there too. Pretty crazy that all of these parents are getting ejected!

[Anonymous]

Are the Arlington Boys U12 DA teams the same as the Arlington Red team. I was a bit confused. At the Bethesda tournament, Arlington had 2 teams - ARLINGTON SA 2008B DA1, ARLINGTON SA 2008B DA2 and at the Nations Cup they have a ARLINGTON SA 08B RED team.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are the Arlington Boys U12 DA teams the same as the Arlington Red team. I was a bit confused. At the Bethesda tournament, Arlingtonhad 2 teams - ARLINGTON SA 2008B DA1, ARLINGTON SA 2008B DA2 and at the Nations Cup they have a ARLINGTON SA 08B RED team.

No. All different teams. The DA teams are not DA teams, and cannot be given the start of DA is at U13. They are more like red and white. The red 08 team is more like the blue team for U9-11. Loudoun created the same confusion with pre-ECNL teams at U12, but give them credit for not calling them ECNL teams. Arlington clearly knows what kind of parent they are trying to attract - those who want to say their kid plays for Arlington DA. It just U12 first team and second team. Most of those kids will be out at U13 for the actual DA given the bigger player pool that actual DA teams attract.

[Anonymous]

Arlington red played well and this was likely due to the old coach’s presence. McLean Green goalkeeper was fantastic and carried McLean through the game with Arlington.

DA will be interesting to watch depending where the talent goes from Arlington and McLean!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Arlington red played well and this was likely due to the old coach’s presence. McLean Green goalkeeper was fantastic and carried McLean through the game with Arlington.

DA will be interesting to watch depending where the talent goes from Arlington and McLean!

So didn’t arlington start losing last year under the “old” coach? Arlington tied and lost to Loudoun...guess that is playing well?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Arlington red played well and this was likely due to the old coach’s presence. McLean Green goalkeeper was fantastic and carried McLean through the game with Arlington.

DA will be interesting to watch depending where the talent goes from Arlington and McLean!

So didn’t arlington start losing last year under the “old” coach? Arlington tied and lost to Loudoun...guess that is playing well?

People treat U9 and U10 coaches like they are gurus. It is preposterous. The cult surrounding some of them is ridiculous. Kids change, some get better and some do not, and what we are seeing is (1) the usual decline from certain clubs with large pools of players who pick big, athletic kids on teams and don't develop them as much, and (2) bumps in tourney performance based on willingness of clubs to give more playing team to the top of the roster to get results. Some clubs will do it at this age, some won't. I don't think our latest cult coach is quite the colt whisperer that people assume.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Arlington red played well and this was likely due to the old coach’s presence. McLean Green goalkeeper was fantastic and carried McLean through the game with Arlington.

DA will be interesting to watch depending where the talent goes from Arlington and McLean!

So didn’t arlington start losing last year under the “old” coach? Arlington tied and lost to Loudoun...guess that is playing well?

That's not quite right. Last year, Arlington was a finalist in the Southampton Cup (losing in the finals in PKs to Baltimore Union), won their bracket in the top flight at WAGs (before losing in the semifinals), and was a finalist at the ASIST. They won a lot of tournament games, even if they didn't win the last game. Everyone points to Jeff Cup, without acknowledging that Jeff Cup is top flight competition, that two of those games were one goal loses, and that Arlington had two players with the flu and a player who broke her arm in the middle of the second game after being taken down from behind. I don't think it is fair to say that last year was a "losing" season.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Arlington red played well and this was likely due to the old coach’s presence. McLean Green goalkeeper was fantastic and carried McLean through the game with Arlington.

DA will be interesting to watch depending where the talent goes from Arlington and McLean!

So didn’t arlington start losing last year under the “old” coach? Arlington tied and lost to Loudoun...guess that is playing well?

That's not quite right. Last year, Arlington was a finalist in the Southampton Cup (losing in the finals in PKs to Baltimore Union), won their bracket in the top flight at WAGs (before losing in the semifinals), and was a finalist at the ASIST. They won a lot of tournament games, even if they didn't win the last game. Everyone points to Jeff Cup, without acknowledging that Jeff Cup is top flight competition, that two of those games were one goal loses, and that Arlington had two players with the flu and a player who broke her arm in the middle of the second game after being taken down from behind. I don't think it is fair to say that last year was a "losing" season.

So the Jeff Cup followed by the Columbia Memorial Tournament were the spring season. Both were dispointing not getting out of the bracket. The ASIST was the best performance for the spring but you say that was not a good showing. At the other tournaments that year did you win or just get out of the bracket? The teams playing well will win tournaments in a year.