Challenge Rec soccer (Loudoun) vs club

[Anonymous]

Hi,

We are moving to the area late summer but missed all the club tryouts. We will also have to decide on Rec soccer before we move.

I'm wondering if it's better to sign my DS (would be u10 this season) up for loudoun challenge Rec soccer instead of trying for club soccer where all of the teams are already formed. It seems like the same amount of practice time and games. Just no tournaments.

For context my son was going to be moved to the A team next year (from B) in the state and club we are leaving. He's a competitive kid and abnormally enjoys soccer.

I've reached out to clubs and they've really been non-responsive so I imagine they are full. I would not be interested in paying thousands for him to be on a C/D team because teams are already formed. Rather him just have fun playing and/or dominate playing challenger if that makes sense

Thoughts or experiences with Loudoun Rec Challenge program?

[Anonymous]

Challenge is fun but it’s not travel level. He will probably play with a mix of 9 and 10 year olds and the practices aren’t as long.

I’d recommend keep knocking on those doors for travel. Worst case you can transfer in spring season. They probably can’t/won’t evaluate your son until he’s here in the area.

[Anonymous]

I have know players who started in the challenge program and are now playing on the top team. U10 is still very young.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Challenge is fun but it’s not travel level. He will probably play with a mix of 9 and 10 year olds and the practices aren’t as long.

I’d recommend keep knocking on those doors for travel. Worst case you can transfer in spring season. They probably can’t/won’t evaluate your son until he’s here in the area.

Agree with this. When you get here, ask for an ID. Keep in mind that Challenge is still parent volunteers. There is a boatload of debate on this forum about the value of paid coach vs parent volunteer. Loudoun is a very big club.

[Anonymous]

Challenge but reach out to TD and director of the age group for your player with the travel clubs. They'll respond, full or not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Challenge but reach out to TD and director of the age group for your player with the travel clubs. They'll respond, full or not.

Challenge is still rec, don't be fooled by the name. They would like it to be a true in-between for rec and travel but it's not there yet. Your son can still end up on a team where some of the kids still don't know how to pass or shoot.

Save your money and him play regular rec. Then have him tryout for Allstars, if he is very good they will invite him to play travel mid-season.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Challenge but reach out to TD and director of the age group for your player with the travel clubs. They'll respond, full or not.

Challenge is still rec, don't be fooled by the name. They would like it to be a true in-between for rec and travel but it's not there yet. Your son can still end up on a team where some of the kids still don't know how to pass or shoot.

Save your money and him play regular rec. Then have him tryout for Allstars, if he is very good they will invite him to play travel mid-season.

You can try out for allstars from challenge. You could probably ask the rec director to let him play in challenge a year up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Challenge but reach out to TD and director of the age group for your player with the travel clubs. They'll respond, full or not.

Challenge is still rec, don't be fooled by the name. They would like it to be a true in-between for rec and travel but it's not there yet. Your son can still end up on a team where some of the kids still don't know how to pass or shoot.

Save your money and him play regular rec. Then have him tryout for Allstars, if he is very good they will invite him to play travel mid-season.

Regular rec will be no difficulty and score many goals a game. Some other teams won't even field a full team on the field.

Challenge you will get travel level players on other teams combined with rec level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Challenge but reach out to TD and director of the age group for your player with the travel clubs. They'll respond, full or not.

Challenge is still rec, don't be fooled by the name. They would like it to be a true in-between for rec and travel but it's not there yet. Your son can still end up on a team where some of the kids still don't know how to pass or shoot.

Save your money and him play regular rec. Then have him tryout for Allstars, if he is very good they will invite him to play travel mid-season.

Regular rec will be no difficulty and score many goals a game. Some other teams won't even field a full team on the field.

Challenge you will get travel level players on other teams combined with rec level.

The difficulty doesnt matter, what matters is that he tryout and makes the red allstar team to get in front of travel coaches for his age group. They won't care if he is rec or challenge, just that he is good.

[Anonymous]

At U10, if you get him onto a 3rd or 4th team of a large club (let’s say Loudoun), and he’s clearly good enough to be on their first team, he will likely get moved up mid season.

Having said that, I suspect if he was already that good, he would have played first team at your old club this spring. My guess is he would be one of the better players on Loudoun’s 3rd or 4th team, but not the best.

Top teams are great, but kids can still develop and improve on third and fourth teams.

[Anonymous]

It's also worth emailing /or taking a look at the social media pages of any travel teams you're interested in. Some kids still swap teams throughout the summer and supplemental tryouts pop up every once in a while.

[Anonymous]

OP, your U10 is 2015, right? Are you going to be in Western (Purcellville, Leesburg, Waterford, Lovettsville) or Eastern Loudoun (Ashburn, Sterling, Brambleton)

[Anonymous]

We joined the Loudoun program this year. If you can, get on a 3rd/4th team and work your way up. My kid jumped up two colors this year alone. U10 is very young, and there will be big roster shakeups at U13 as they move to 11v11.

[Anonymous]

If you kids is competitive choose Challenge over Rec. It’s still Rec but with slightly better players who are more into sports.

If he is serious about advancing in soccer even a 3rd/4th travel team might be more enjoyable just due to the commitment level of the other players and the coach. In Challenge/Rec many of the kids don’t want to be there and the better players are often more committed to another sport. If soccer is a casual activity for him then Challenge is good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi,

We are moving to the area late summer but missed all the club tryouts. We will also have to decide on Rec soccer before we move.

I'm wondering if it's better to sign my DS (would be u10 this season) up for loudoun challenge Rec soccer instead of trying for club soccer where all of the teams are already formed. It seems like the same amount of practice time and games. Just no tournaments.

For context my son was going to be moved to the A team next year (from B) in the state and club we are leaving. He's a competitive kid and abnormally enjoys soccer.

I've reached out to clubs and they've really been non-responsive so I imagine they are full. I would not be interested in paying thousands for him to be on a C/D team because teams are already formed. Rather him just have fun playing and/or dominate playing challenger if that makes sense

Thoughts or experiences with Loudoun Rec Challenge program?

Try having your son’s current club contact the clubs here directly. The club email handle may get their attention. Or maybe not. But doesn’t hurt to try.