What's going on with FCBEscola NOVA?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Barca needs to reduce its pricing by about $1500 or more to attract better talent and be consistently competitive against stronger teams. Otherwise, they will continue to have wildly inconsistent talent fluctuations within their player pool. They currently do well against low to mid-level competition, but get beat in higher level tournaments/leagues.

Seems like they are building teams at a reasonable rate. This is what - their second or third year? DS plays u-13 and I have noticed the Barca Academy team in some tournament brackets and they are performing respectably.

Barca is doing well in lower brackets of big tournaments and in lower to mid-level tournaments. To take the next step and start beating top teams, it needs better talent, which at its current price point is unlikely to happen.

[Anonymous]

Let's not over exaggerate the impact Barca has made. Most of these kids come from other clubs with experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Let's not over exaggerate the impact Barca has made. Most of these kids come from other clubs with experience.

Most of the kids were on B, C, and D teams though.

I think it is safe to say that Barca has done a nice job though

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Let's not over exaggerate the impact Barca has made. Most of these kids come from other clubs with experience.

Nah, just wearing the FCB badge increases their abilities more than the ECNL or DA badges worn at other area clubs. Just ask the two Barca parents in this thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Barca needs to reduce its pricing by about $1500 or more to attract better talent and be consistently competitive against stronger teams. Otherwise, they will continue to have wildly inconsistent talent fluctuations within their player pool. They currently do well against low to mid-level competition, but get beat in higher level tournaments/leagues.

Seems like they are building teams at a reasonable rate. This is what - their second or third year? DS plays u-13 and I have noticed the Barca Academy team in some tournament brackets and they are performing respectably.

Barca is doing well in lower brackets of big tournaments and in lower to mid-level tournaments. To take the next step and start beating top teams, it needs better talent, which at its current price point is unlikely to happen.

It's location, more than price point.

Some of the teams are just between the ability to beat first teams at Big Clubs. They are in brackets higher than these Clubs 2nd teams and beating them. I think in a year's time they will make the transition to holding their own. They are almost there. You also have many players not even playing in their age group and when it all comes together and those kids move back to birth year at a later date--look out. I find a lot of older teams have kids that are primarily in the last few months of the birth year, which is why there is a size difference in the puberty years. A lot of the problem is going up against teams when you only come up to their waist--which will also work itself out naturally over time.

In the younger years, you just aren't going to get families driving a great distance for a young player. Most families don't make that commitment until the kid is older and it's clear they want to focus on soccer. Most of the younger players coming from a great distance are there because of older siblings. You do get a case of 5-6 out of 10 players that are some of the best technically in their age group in the local area and have played for top teams with 3-4 that are very new players and haven't developed proper touch/trapping/passing, etc. That means the team can do really well until the competition is in the Finals, etc. because of missed opportunity when played to players that just aren't with the rest of the team technically---they have gotten almost all of the players there tactically though and they are in the right place on the field. These kids will catch up. As a parent, I don't think that in any way hinders the development of the more advanced younger players. In fact, having to field errant balls and get them under control and not being played perfect balls each and every time just serves to develop your touch even more and carrying along teammates allows for leadership and increased confidence.

They are developing players at a fairly rapid rate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let's not over exaggerate the impact Barca has made. Most of these kids come from other clubs with experience.

Nah, just wearing the FCB badge increases their abilities more than the ECNL or DA badges worn at other area clubs. Just ask the two Barca parents in this thread.

I'm not sure about improved ability, but it's definitely worth more money than ECNL and DA put together, probably more valuable to than the MLS brand.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Barca needs to reduce its pricing by about $1500 or more to attract better talent and be consistently competitive against stronger teams. Otherwise, they will continue to have wildly inconsistent talent fluctuations within their player pool. They currently do well against low to mid-level competition, but get beat in higher level tournaments/leagues.

Seems like they are building teams at a reasonable rate. This is what - their second or third year? DS plays u-13 and I have noticed the Barca Academy team in some tournament brackets and they are performing respectably.

Barca is doing well in lower brackets of big tournaments and in lower to mid-level tournaments. To take the next step and start beating top teams, it needs better talent, which at its current price point is unlikely to happen.

It's location, more than price point.

Some of the teams are just between the ability to beat first teams at Big Clubs. They are in brackets higher than these Clubs 2nd teams and beating them. I think in a year's time they will make the transition to holding their own. They are almost there. You also have many players not even playing in their age group and when it all comes together and those kids move back to birth year at a later date--look out. I find a lot of older teams have kids that are primarily in the last few months of the birth year, which is why there is a size difference in the puberty years. A lot of the problem is going up against teams when you only come up to their waist--which will also work itself out naturally over time.

In the younger years, you just aren't going to get families driving a great distance for a young player. Most families don't make that commitment until the kid is older and it's clear they want to focus on soccer. Most of the younger players coming from a great distance are there because of older siblings. You do get a case of 5-6 out of 10 players that are some of the best technically in their age group in the local area and have played for top teams with 3-4 that are very new players and haven't developed proper touch/trapping/passing, etc. That means the team can do really well until the competition is in the Finals, etc. because of missed opportunity when played to players that just aren't with the rest of the team technically---they have gotten almost all of the players there tactically though and they are in the right place on the field. These kids will catch up. As a parent, I don't think that in any way hinders the development of the more advanced younger players. In fact, having to field errant balls and get them under control and not being played perfect balls each and every time just serves to develop your touch even more and carrying along teammates allows for leadership and increased confidence.

They are developing players at a fairly rapid rate.

Very well said.

[Anonymous]

Location may be part of it, but the price point is the difference maker. Even in the older age groups, Barca is a step behind the top teams from big clubs, as McLean Premier Cup demonstrated this week-end. Don't get me wrong, Barca does a lot of things well, but they have priced themselves out of the top level talent. Having 5-6 top level players per team is not enough against the top tier teams. If Barca lowered its rates significantly, it would be more competitive in attracting the top or near the top talent. Otherwise, most parents take their kids to higher ranked, more consistent teams, which charge a lot less $$$.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Location may be part of it, but the price point is the difference maker. Even in the older age groups, Barca is a step behind the top teams from big clubs, as McLean Premier Cup demonstrated this week-end. Don't get me wrong, Barca does a lot of things well, but they have priced themselves out of the top level talent. Having 5-6 top level players per team is not enough against the top tier teams. If Barca lowered its rates significantly, it would be more competitive in attracting the top or near the top talent. Otherwise, most parents take their kids to higher ranked, more consistent teams, which charge a lot less $$$.

You realize 5-6 players for teams that roster 9-10 players and play 7v7 and 9v9 is much different than the 17, 18, and 19 year old tournament you are referencing? You need to take that entire post in context. There are a lot of reasons why a kid almost done with US soccer isn't switching teams right before leaving for college and says little about development.

I agree with what was stated in that other post and with a kid on an ECNL team, I am paying a lot less a year for the kid at Barca. But, the kid at Barca is much younger and I don't care about jumping ship to go to a 'winning' team at that age.

The player pool out by Leesburg is very limited compared to locating it in a much denser area close-in (they initially wanted to but couldn't find a facility). I don't find it wildly out of price point when you add up the extended season, full time employees, the amount of review and documentation of each and every player, filming all kids training at certain points for review, etc. It's apples and oranges from a Coach that would miss games because he was coaching too many teams. And TDs that didn't know 3/4ths of the player in the program and never saw them play.

[Anonymous]

Charging approximately $3500+ per year that does not even include league fees is significantly higher than what you normally pay for non-DA or non-ECNL teams in our area. Keep in mind for some Barca parents it is the cost of playing in ODSL while for others it is the cost of EDP.

ECNL/girls DA costs could easily escalate above that amount with showcases, etc, but the parents do it because they think ECNL/DA provides a superior platform for college recruitment.

As for location, I don't think it is much of a handicap.
Barca has kids that commute from Maryland, Arlington, Woodbridge, etc. DCU and Loudoun are also targeting the same location, so the lack of talent in the area is not an excuse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let's not over exaggerate the impact Barca has made. Most of these kids come from other clubs with experience.

Nah, just wearing the FCB badge increases their abilities more than the ECNL or DA badges worn at other area clubs. Just ask the two Barca parents in this thread.

I'm not sure about improved ability, but it's definitely worth more money than ECNL and DA put together, probably more valuable to than the MLS brand.

So what? It's just another set of badge chasers, that was the point. Some chasing domestic badges, others international.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Charging approximately $3500+ per year that does not even include league fees is significantly higher than what you normally pay for non-DA or non-ECNL teams in our area. Keep in mind for some Barca parents it is the cost of playing in ODSL while for others it is the cost of EDP.

ECNL/girls DA costs could easily escalate above that amount with showcases, etc, but the parents do it because they think ECNL/DA provides a superior platform for college recruitment.

As for location, I don't think it is much of a handicap.
Barca has kids that commute from Maryland, Arlington, Woodbridge, etc. DCU and Loudoun are also targeting the same location, so the lack of talent in the area is not an excuse.

Agree with the talent point. Lots of talent in that area. That's not a good excuse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let's not over exaggerate the impact Barca has made. Most of these kids come from other clubs with experience.

Nah, just wearing the FCB badge increases their abilities more than the ECNL or DA badges worn at other area clubs. Just ask the two Barca parents in this thread.

I'm not sure about improved ability, but it's definitely worth more money than ECNL and DA put together, probably more valuable to than the MLS brand.

So what? It's just another set of badge chasers, that was the point. Some chasing domestic badges, others international.

Um, you missed the point. It was a joke about the Barca Trademark. Easy there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Charging approximately $3500+ per year that does not even include league fees is significantly higher than what you normally pay for non-DA or non-ECNL teams in our area. Keep in mind for some Barca parents it is the cost of playing in ODSL while for others it is the cost of EDP.

ECNL/girls DA costs could easily escalate above that amount with showcases, etc, but the parents do it because they think ECNL/DA provides a superior platform for college recruitment.

As for location, I don't think it is much of a handicap.
Barca has kids that commute from Maryland, Arlington, Woodbridge, etc. DCU and Loudoun are also targeting the same location, so the lack of talent in the area is not an excuse.

Agree with the talent point. Lots of talent in that area. That's not a good excuse.

As the pp stayed in the really well-written post/analysis a few posts back, you aren’t getting parents that are going to drive that far (from Maryland, Arlington, West VA, etc)with little kids , e.g., below U12/13, unless they have an older sibling/siblings in the program. When just starting out- 99% of kids go to their home Club with school and neighborhood friends and parents aren’t going to drive that far until the kid shows it’s something they want to specialize in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Charging approximately $3500+ per year that does not even include league fees is significantly higher than what you normally pay for non-DA or non-ECNL teams in our area. Keep in mind for some Barca parents it is the cost of playing in ODSL while for others it is the cost of EDP.

ECNL/girls DA costs could easily escalate above that amount with showcases, etc, but the parents do it because they think ECNL/DA provides a superior platform for college recruitment.

As for location, I don't think it is much of a handicap.
Barca has kids that commute from Maryland, Arlington, Woodbridge, etc. DCU and Loudoun are also targeting the same location, so the lack of talent in the area is not an excuse.

Agree with the talent point. Lots of talent in that area. That's not a good excuse.

As the pp stayed in the really well-written post/analysis a few posts back, you aren’t getting parents that are going to drive that far (from Maryland, Arlington, West VA, etc)with little kids , e.g., below U12/13, unless they have an older sibling/siblings in the program. When just starting out- 99% of kids go to their home Club with school and neighborhood friends and parents aren’t going to drive that far until the kid shows it’s something they want to specialize in.

Who cares about younger ages recruitment? Most of these kids will get replaced by better players once they get older.