Post-DA future - Boys
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Anonymous
Absolutely right. See rankings above. |
Anonymous
Arlington is #17: http://home.gotsoccer.com/rankings/results.aspx?Level=National&Country=USA&Gender=Boys&Age=15&state=VA&search=&pos=1 So obviously rankings don't mean anything. When in one instance you are ranked 3rd and in another you are 17th in the State. There are a lot of great teams and training in the DMV and many aren't all the 'big' names. Teams without a long history have to work themselves up from the bottom brackets and work to get into tournaments. Everyone knows that the bigger Clubs often intimidate and black ball smaller Clubs from their leagues and tournaments. Everything should go pro/rel. I agree that the ranking thing is horsesh*t. The talent is too diluted. There are too many different leagues and barriers for smaller Clubs. However, the idea that some of the biggest in the area do it best is just plain untrue. The coaching often is stretched thin and unless your kid is put on a track with the top 15 kids in a 100 kid age group, you just might be better off elsewhere. It's often completely impersonal. |
Anonymous
I have been looking at rankings on both different websites and Alexandria boys are consistenly in the top 1-2 under both parameters/ranking systems and across age groups--yet they get a lot less press on this board than the big boys. |
Anonymous
OK, these are different Arlington teams you are looking at - the DA is not in the gotsoccer rankings (only Red, which is ranked #17). The DA and Red are both in the youth soccer rankings (#3 and #14). Otherwise I agree down the line with everything you say. |
Anonymous
^ ok, thanks for the clarification. I can't keep up with changing terminology and turnover that happens every couple of years...changing of color systems and calling red, pre-DA and having two pre-DAs  . At least we are in agreement on the salient points!
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Anonymous
Yes we do. This is why I don't understand all of the talk about the FCV talk about moving to Springfield. There's BRYC, Alexandria, SYC, and FCV won't have a DA patch to lure kids away. It's going to be difficult to compete with Loudoun and McLean, but it's going to be difficult to compete with the clubs out here. That's a lot of driving to train. I do hope TSJ building gets reopened smoothly, though. |
Anonymous
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FWIW Gotsoccer is a business. Tournaments and leagues 'buy' points to award at their events. Some teams specifically go out an play in tournaments that award the most points, or run around playing in only these tournaments to push up their rankings. Some leagues don't buy enough to award (so finishing say third in a league is worth less point than a one off win over a team XX points higher than you in a tournament).
There was an effort by someone to create a ranking based on the development of players--how many made it to the US MNT from a club. Personally I'd like to see a club->college pathway tracking to better assess how clubs are at pushing kids to the next level, but in looking into it there are huge database and reliability issues in creating something like this. |
Anonymous
SYC is consistently strong. |
Anonymous
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That's why I never bothered with names/reputations for my boys.. Tried it with firstborn U9/10 since it was the closest option. Been there. Done that. Watch trainings sessoins and coaching..and catch teams in action. It's easy to do at tournaments with many teams playing at the same time. Also, if you see a talented player don't be shy in talking to the parents. Many are very nice and helpful and a great source of information. I learned a lot from doing that and about opportunities in the area.
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Anonymous
What teams? which smaller clubs? We all know the big names...I'm looking for a hidden gem! |
Anonymous
| Richmond United, VDA and Bethesda will most likely join ECNL. They have an inside track because their girls programs are already in ECNL. Arlington might be in trouble since they lost thier DA patch and burned some bridges with ECNL by placing thier girls program in DA, a league that was designed to kill ECNL. I would say there is 50-50 chance that they will be accepted to ECNL. If they are not accepted or decide not to apply to ECNL, their top teams will most likely end up with EDP. |
Anonymous
Where do you live? |
Anonymous
Richmond and VDA already did. Bethesda need not. And Arlington should not. See many other and earlier posts. On the boys side, you have better competition right here and these clubs may lose top players if they start going to South Carolina to play teams no better and sometimes worse than clubs right here like Pipeline, Achilles, SAC, Total Fiutbol, Alexandria, and SYC. For whatever reason, there is a lot less tolerance on the boys side for the league and club-based rubbish that we see in girls soccer. Keep it over there, please. We've already seen enough on the boys side to know it's unnecessary and counterproductive, assuming you want to see competition on the merits, not on the basis of wallets. |
Anonymous
Near #8 on the list |
Anonymous
Doradus is really good near there as a lower-profile, smaller club. They've sent some players to DCU. If your objective is more modest, and you don't mind driving, PAC is solid and practice in Merrifield. More ambitious, more travel would be required. |