Riverbend FC

[Anonymous]

Assuming they are actually able for form teams, I sincerely hope some of these R(b)FC Aspire teams are in our brackets at area tournaments next year…

[Anonymous]

Why are people so interested in this club? Who really cares, let them try to be successful. They have leadership from Arlington Soccer, one of the strongest clubs in the region and enough capital to build something the right way in a area where it seems another option is not a bad idea.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why are people so interested in this club? Who really cares, let them try to be successful. They have leadership from Arlington Soccer, one of the strongest clubs in the region and enough capital to build something the right way in a area where it seems another option is not a bad idea.

Melissa already left this train wreck, actually

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why would Loudoun remain connected to NVA now that they have their own GA and Aspire? Wouldn't they be better suited keeping all of their talent going forward? Are NVA employees still part of Loudoun staff and therefore the partnership. How can the pathway to NVA be Loudoun top teams and RBFC Aspire. Does Loudoun receive kickbacks for allowing NVA to use their fields? If the partnership broke, how would NVA get fields? Does Loudoun also have MLSN homegrown on the boys side or only NVA? This is all a bit confusing the way it is currently set-up.

Im pretty sure the ED and TD of Loudoun are the ones that run NVA

Still boggles the mind that folks don't understand Loudoun/NVA are two separate brands operated by the same people/organization. There is zero daylight between the too. Just look at your registration receipts.

Loudoun is becoming more like a feeder club to NVA and customers are catching on. and NVA can't financially operate on its own so brought Riverbend as another feeder club but more as extra revenue. Nothing more than that.

It’s kind of comical how confidently people post on here without actually understanding the structure.

Loudoun and NVA are already operated under the same ownership umbrella and share a lot of the same resources. But because both clubs compete in GA, there can’t just be free roster movement between them during the season.

Riverbend is different. It’s being positioned as an Aspire pathway club, which does allow in-season player movement with NVA. It also gives NVA a stronger footprint in a different county and creates a more direct pathway for Fairfax-area players into the system.

This isn’t some overnight “2027 season” play. They’re clearly building a long-term player development pipeline and regional structure that will probably take a few years to fully develop.

You lost me at "aspire pathway"

That’s fine, but that’s literally how the structure works.

GA clubs in the same league can’t freely move players back and forth in-season, which is why the Aspire designation matters here. Riverbend gives them a development and movement pathway that Loudoun can’t provide under current GA rules.

You don’t have to like the strategy, but there’s a difference between disagreeing with it and pretending it doesn’t exist.

Again I ask, how is Riverbend giving them anything when they have no players?

The Riverbend Aspire setup actually creates something that a lot of clubs in the area currently don’t have: a real internal pathway for girls who develop later or want to push to a higher level.

Right now at GFR, the highest level on the girls side is ECNL-RL, which depending on the team is probably comparable to Aspire anyway. But if a player there outgrows that environment and wants GA-level opportunities, the only real option is usually leaving the club and trying out somewhere else.

With Riverbend being connected into the NVA structure through Aspire, their top players will likely have opportunities to train with, guest play, and potentially move into the NVA GA environment over time. That’s a very different model than just being capped at one level inside your own club.

People keep acting like this is only about branding or league labels, but from a player development standpoint, the pathway piece is the real story. And it will take a few seasons to build I think, but who knows.

Every single club in the area has a pathway for girls that "develop later or want to push to a higher level." It's called NCSL. NCSL is the Aspire equivalent. In fact, Aspire teams are playing in NCSL right now and LOSING. If an east-side Fairfax County girl wants to play GA (and who knows why as MAS GA is not appreciably better than VA ECNL-RL) they are going to go to McLean, not rolling the dice on this clown show. There is also zero chance any RbFC Aspire girl will be promoted to NVA ever. NVA will take Loudoun's NCSL girls for in-season emergencies before promoting RbFC Aspire because otherwise the Loudoun parents, who are paying the bills, will be out with pitchforks. Nothing about RbFC Aspire makes any business sense at all, other than as a vanity project.

I've never seen NVA pull from Loudoun NCSL in-season, ever. If NVA had an Aspire team, I would bet money there would have been call ups this past year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why are people so interested in this club? Who really cares, let them try to be successful. They have leadership from Arlington Soccer, one of the strongest clubs in the region and enough capital to build something the right way in a area where it seems another option is not a bad idea.

Probably some combination of GFR parents enjoying schadenfreude (as mentioned) and the contrast between “integrity” platitudes and dirty underhanded tactics, if I were to hazard a guess.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are people so interested in this club? Who really cares, let them try to be successful. They have leadership from Arlington Soccer, one of the strongest clubs in the region and enough capital to build something the right way in a area where it seems another option is not a bad idea.

Probably some combination of GFR parents enjoying schadenfreude (as mentioned) and the contrast between “integrity” platitudes and dirty underhanded tactics, if I were to hazard a guess.

Sprinkle in a handful of GFR coaches whose teams initially seemed to look like they were going to suffer, but apparently that is no longer the case

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are people so interested in this club? Who really cares, let them try to be successful. They have leadership from Arlington Soccer, one of the strongest clubs in the region and enough capital to build something the right way in a area where it seems another option is not a bad idea.

Probably some combination of GFR parents enjoying schadenfreude (as mentioned) and the contrast between “integrity” platitudes and dirty underhanded tactics, if I were to hazard a guess.

Sprinkle in a handful of GFR coaches whose teams initially seemed to look like they were going to suffer, but apparently that is no longer the case

Yeah, DB posts on this site like its a part time job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why would Loudoun remain connected to NVA now that they have their own GA and Aspire? Wouldn't they be better suited keeping all of their talent going forward? Are NVA employees still part of Loudoun staff and therefore the partnership. How can the pathway to NVA be Loudoun top teams and RBFC Aspire. Does Loudoun receive kickbacks for allowing NVA to use their fields? If the partnership broke, how would NVA get fields? Does Loudoun also have MLSN homegrown on the boys side or only NVA? This is all a bit confusing the way it is currently set-up.

Im pretty sure the ED and TD of Loudoun are the ones that run NVA

Still boggles the mind that folks don't understand Loudoun/NVA are two separate brands operated by the same people/organization. There is zero daylight between the too. Just look at your registration receipts.

Loudoun is becoming more like a feeder club to NVA and customers are catching on. and NVA can't financially operate on its own so brought Riverbend as another feeder club but more as extra revenue. Nothing more than that.

It’s kind of comical how confidently people post on here without actually understanding the structure.

Loudoun and NVA are already operated under the same ownership umbrella and share a lot of the same resources. But because both clubs compete in GA, there can’t just be free roster movement between them during the season.

Riverbend is different. It’s being positioned as an Aspire pathway club, which does allow in-season player movement with NVA. It also gives NVA a stronger footprint in a different county and creates a more direct pathway for Fairfax-area players into the system.

This isn’t some overnight “2027 season” play. They’re clearly building a long-term player development pipeline and regional structure that will probably take a few years to fully develop.

You lost me at "aspire pathway"

That’s fine, but that’s literally how the structure works.

GA clubs in the same league can’t freely move players back and forth in-season, which is why the Aspire designation matters here. Riverbend gives them a development and movement pathway that Loudoun can’t provide under current GA rules.

You don’t have to like the strategy, but there’s a difference between disagreeing with it and pretending it doesn’t exist.

Again I ask, how is Riverbend giving them anything when they have no players?

The Riverbend Aspire setup actually creates something that a lot of clubs in the area currently don’t have: a real internal pathway for girls who develop later or want to push to a higher level.

Right now at GFR, the highest level on the girls side is ECNL-RL, which depending on the team is probably comparable to Aspire anyway. But if a player there outgrows that environment and wants GA-level opportunities, the only real option is usually leaving the club and trying out somewhere else.

With Riverbend being connected into the NVA structure through Aspire, their top players will likely have opportunities to train with, guest play, and potentially move into the NVA GA environment over time. That’s a very different model than just being capped at one level inside your own club.

People keep acting like this is only about branding or league labels, but from a player development standpoint, the pathway piece is the real story. And it will take a few seasons to build I think, but who knows.

Every single club in the area has a pathway for girls that "develop later or want to push to a higher level." It's called NCSL. NCSL is the Aspire equivalent. In fact, Aspire teams are playing in NCSL right now and LOSING. If an east-side Fairfax County girl wants to play GA (and who knows why as MAS GA is not appreciably better than VA ECNL-RL) they are going to go to McLean, not rolling the dice on this clown show. There is also zero chance any RbFC Aspire girl will be promoted to NVA ever. NVA will take Loudoun's NCSL girls for in-season emergencies before promoting RbFC Aspire because otherwise the Loudoun parents, who are paying the bills, will be out with pitchforks. Nothing about RbFC Aspire makes any business sense at all, other than as a vanity project.

I've never seen NVA pull from Loudoun NCSL in-season, ever. If NVA had an Aspire team, I would bet money there would have been call ups this past year.

If NVA had an Aspire team in the Loudoun ecosystem where girls that did not make NVA or Loudoun GA were parked at the time of GA tryouts, perhaps. But that is way different from how this is being rolled out. Any girl that is even remotely capable of playing ECNL-RL or GA was long gone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why would Loudoun remain connected to NVA now that they have their own GA and Aspire? Wouldn't they be better suited keeping all of their talent going forward? Are NVA employees still part of Loudoun staff and therefore the partnership. How can the pathway to NVA be Loudoun top teams and RBFC Aspire. Does Loudoun receive kickbacks for allowing NVA to use their fields? If the partnership broke, how would NVA get fields? Does Loudoun also have MLSN homegrown on the boys side or only NVA? This is all a bit confusing the way it is currently set-up.

Im pretty sure the ED and TD of Loudoun are the ones that run NVA

Still boggles the mind that folks don't understand Loudoun/NVA are two separate brands operated by the same people/organization. There is zero daylight between the too. Just look at your registration receipts.

Loudoun is becoming more like a feeder club to NVA and customers are catching on. and NVA can't financially operate on its own so brought Riverbend as another feeder club but more as extra revenue. Nothing more than that.

It’s kind of comical how confidently people post on here without actually understanding the structure.

Loudoun and NVA are already operated under the same ownership umbrella and share a lot of the same resources. But because both clubs compete in GA, there can’t just be free roster movement between them during the season.

Riverbend is different. It’s being positioned as an Aspire pathway club, which does allow in-season player movement with NVA. It also gives NVA a stronger footprint in a different county and creates a more direct pathway for Fairfax-area players into the system.

This isn’t some overnight “2027 season” play. They’re clearly building a long-term player development pipeline and regional structure that will probably take a few years to fully develop.

You lost me at "aspire pathway"

That’s fine, but that’s literally how the structure works.

GA clubs in the same league can’t freely move players back and forth in-season, which is why the Aspire designation matters here. Riverbend gives them a development and movement pathway that Loudoun can’t provide under current GA rules.

You don’t have to like the strategy, but there’s a difference between disagreeing with it and pretending it doesn’t exist.

Again I ask, how is Riverbend giving them anything when they have no players?

The Riverbend Aspire setup actually creates something that a lot of clubs in the area currently don’t have: a real internal pathway for girls who develop later or want to push to a higher level.

Right now at GFR, the highest level on the girls side is ECNL-RL, which depending on the team is probably comparable to Aspire anyway. But if a player there outgrows that environment and wants GA-level opportunities, the only real option is usually leaving the club and trying out somewhere else.

With Riverbend being connected into the NVA structure through Aspire, their top players will likely have opportunities to train with, guest play, and potentially move into the NVA GA environment over time. That’s a very different model than just being capped at one level inside your own club.

People keep acting like this is only about branding or league labels, but from a player development standpoint, the pathway piece is the real story. And it will take a few seasons to build I think, but who knows.

Every single club in the area has a pathway for girls that "develop later or want to push to a higher level." It's called NCSL. NCSL is the Aspire equivalent. In fact, Aspire teams are playing in NCSL right now and LOSING. If an east-side Fairfax County girl wants to play GA (and who knows why as MAS GA is not appreciably better than VA ECNL-RL) they are going to go to McLean, not rolling the dice on this clown show. There is also zero chance any RbFC Aspire girl will be promoted to NVA ever. NVA will take Loudoun's NCSL girls for in-season emergencies before promoting RbFC Aspire because otherwise the Loudoun parents, who are paying the bills, will be out with pitchforks. Nothing about RbFC Aspire makes any business sense at all, other than as a vanity project.

I've never seen NVA pull from Loudoun NCSL in-season, ever. If NVA had an Aspire team, I would bet money there would have been call ups this past year.

If NVA had an Aspire team in the Loudoun ecosystem where girls that did not make NVA or Loudoun GA were parked at the time of GA tryouts, perhaps. But that is way different from how this is being rolled out. Any girl that is even remotely capable of playing ECNL-RL or GA was long gone.

I think thats why they wanted to have this Aspire team in Fairfax, to avoid the Loudoun pool which they already have eyes on. This is just an attempt to spread their territory.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why would Loudoun remain connected to NVA now that they have their own GA and Aspire? Wouldn't they be better suited keeping all of their talent going forward? Are NVA employees still part of Loudoun staff and therefore the partnership. How can the pathway to NVA be Loudoun top teams and RBFC Aspire. Does Loudoun receive kickbacks for allowing NVA to use their fields? If the partnership broke, how would NVA get fields? Does Loudoun also have MLSN homegrown on the boys side or only NVA? This is all a bit confusing the way it is currently set-up.

Im pretty sure the ED and TD of Loudoun are the ones that run NVA

Still boggles the mind that folks don't understand Loudoun/NVA are two separate brands operated by the same people/organization. There is zero daylight between the too. Just look at your registration receipts.

Loudoun is becoming more like a feeder club to NVA and customers are catching on. and NVA can't financially operate on its own so brought Riverbend as another feeder club but more as extra revenue. Nothing more than that.

It’s kind of comical how confidently people post on here without actually understanding the structure.

Loudoun and NVA are already operated under the same ownership umbrella and share a lot of the same resources. But because both clubs compete in GA, there can’t just be free roster movement between them during the season.

Riverbend is different. It’s being positioned as an Aspire pathway club, which does allow in-season player movement with NVA. It also gives NVA a stronger footprint in a different county and creates a more direct pathway for Fairfax-area players into the system.

This isn’t some overnight “2027 season” play. They’re clearly building a long-term player development pipeline and regional structure that will probably take a few years to fully develop.

You lost me at "aspire pathway"

That’s fine, but that’s literally how the structure works.

GA clubs in the same league can’t freely move players back and forth in-season, which is why the Aspire designation matters here. Riverbend gives them a development and movement pathway that Loudoun can’t provide under current GA rules.

You don’t have to like the strategy, but there’s a difference between disagreeing with it and pretending it doesn’t exist.

Again I ask, how is Riverbend giving them anything when they have no players?

The Riverbend Aspire setup actually creates something that a lot of clubs in the area currently don’t have: a real internal pathway for girls who develop later or want to push to a higher level.

Right now at GFR, the highest level on the girls side is ECNL-RL, which depending on the team is probably comparable to Aspire anyway. But if a player there outgrows that environment and wants GA-level opportunities, the only real option is usually leaving the club and trying out somewhere else.

With Riverbend being connected into the NVA structure through Aspire, their top players will likely have opportunities to train with, guest play, and potentially move into the NVA GA environment over time. That’s a very different model than just being capped at one level inside your own club.

People keep acting like this is only about branding or league labels, but from a player development standpoint, the pathway piece is the real story. And it will take a few seasons to build I think, but who knows.

This will never happen with Riverbend. They have no ability to attract this level of player and the players that they are attempting to strong arm into the GA Aspire teams from LE are mid-level NCSL players AT BEST. There will never be an opportunity for those players to train with, guest play or move into the NVA GA environment. There is not enough patience in the world to see that happen.

You may be right, but who knows how this pans out. I've seen some strong players on GFR teams with no where to go, ECNL teams in the area won't even let them try out. I do know this, there is a lot of talent in Fairfax who do not have access to travel soccer because of the cost. Perhaps that will be RBFC's plan, to tap into that pool. I have heard that they have very deep pockets and are committed to building for the long haul.

This has to be one of the most ridiculous assertions I have seen in the 89 pages of this thread so far. Considering that RBFC is charging more in club fees and player fees than any other GA Aspire team in NOVA with absolutely no history or even guarantee of having a fully rostered team, there is no way they are giving out free rides. RBFC is the least accessible club cost-wise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why would Loudoun remain connected to NVA now that they have their own GA and Aspire? Wouldn't they be better suited keeping all of their talent going forward? Are NVA employees still part of Loudoun staff and therefore the partnership. How can the pathway to NVA be Loudoun top teams and RBFC Aspire. Does Loudoun receive kickbacks for allowing NVA to use their fields? If the partnership broke, how would NVA get fields? Does Loudoun also have MLSN homegrown on the boys side or only NVA? This is all a bit confusing the way it is currently set-up.

Im pretty sure the ED and TD of Loudoun are the ones that run NVA

Still boggles the mind that folks don't understand Loudoun/NVA are two separate brands operated by the same people/organization. There is zero daylight between the too. Just look at your registration receipts.

Loudoun is becoming more like a feeder club to NVA and customers are catching on. and NVA can't financially operate on its own so brought Riverbend as another feeder club but more as extra revenue. Nothing more than that.

It’s kind of comical how confidently people post on here without actually understanding the structure.

Loudoun and NVA are already operated under the same ownership umbrella and share a lot of the same resources. But because both clubs compete in GA, there can’t just be free roster movement between them during the season.

Riverbend is different. It’s being positioned as an Aspire pathway club, which does allow in-season player movement with NVA. It also gives NVA a stronger footprint in a different county and creates a more direct pathway for Fairfax-area players into the system.

This isn’t some overnight “2027 season” play. They’re clearly building a long-term player development pipeline and regional structure that will probably take a few years to fully develop.

You lost me at "aspire pathway"

That’s fine, but that’s literally how the structure works.

GA clubs in the same league can’t freely move players back and forth in-season, which is why the Aspire designation matters here. Riverbend gives them a development and movement pathway that Loudoun can’t provide under current GA rules.

You don’t have to like the strategy, but there’s a difference between disagreeing with it and pretending it doesn’t exist.

Again I ask, how is Riverbend giving them anything when they have no players?

The Riverbend Aspire setup actually creates something that a lot of clubs in the area currently don’t have: a real internal pathway for girls who develop later or want to push to a higher level.

Right now at GFR, the highest level on the girls side is ECNL-RL, which depending on the team is probably comparable to Aspire anyway. But if a player there outgrows that environment and wants GA-level opportunities, the only real option is usually leaving the club and trying out somewhere else.

With Riverbend being connected into the NVA structure through Aspire, their top players will likely have opportunities to train with, guest play, and potentially move into the NVA GA environment over time. That’s a very different model than just being capped at one level inside your own club.

People keep acting like this is only about branding or league labels, but from a player development standpoint, the pathway piece is the real story. And it will take a few seasons to build I think, but who knows.

This will never happen with Riverbend. They have no ability to attract this level of player and the players that they are attempting to strong arm into the GA Aspire teams from LE are mid-level NCSL players AT BEST. There will never be an opportunity for those players to train with, guest play or move into the NVA GA environment. There is not enough patience in the world to see that happen.

You may be right, but who knows how this pans out. I've seen some strong players on GFR teams with no where to go, ECNL teams in the area won't even let them try out. I do know this, there is a lot of talent in Fairfax who do not have access to travel soccer because of the cost. Perhaps that will be RBFC's plan, to tap into that pool. I have heard that they have very deep pockets and are committed to building for the long haul.

This has to be one of the most ridiculous assertions I have seen in the 89 pages of this thread so far. Considering that RBFC is charging more in club fees and player fees than any other GA Aspire team in NOVA with absolutely no history or even guarantee of having a fully rostered team, there is no way they are giving out free rides. RBFC is the least accessible club cost-wise.

You'd be surprised with the amount of scholarships given out to top players. RBFC is in the initial stages and who knows if it even works out, but I wouldn't be surprised, and you wont know a thing about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why would Loudoun remain connected to NVA now that they have their own GA and Aspire? Wouldn't they be better suited keeping all of their talent going forward? Are NVA employees still part of Loudoun staff and therefore the partnership. How can the pathway to NVA be Loudoun top teams and RBFC Aspire. Does Loudoun receive kickbacks for allowing NVA to use their fields? If the partnership broke, how would NVA get fields? Does Loudoun also have MLSN homegrown on the boys side or only NVA? This is all a bit confusing the way it is currently set-up.

Im pretty sure the ED and TD of Loudoun are the ones that run NVA

Still boggles the mind that folks don't understand Loudoun/NVA are two separate brands operated by the same people/organization. There is zero daylight between the too. Just look at your registration receipts.

Loudoun is becoming more like a feeder club to NVA and customers are catching on. and NVA can't financially operate on its own so brought Riverbend as another feeder club but more as extra revenue. Nothing more than that.

It’s kind of comical how confidently people post on here without actually understanding the structure.

Loudoun and NVA are already operated under the same ownership umbrella and share a lot of the same resources. But because both clubs compete in GA, there can’t just be free roster movement between them during the season.

Riverbend is different. It’s being positioned as an Aspire pathway club, which does allow in-season player movement with NVA. It also gives NVA a stronger footprint in a different county and creates a more direct pathway for Fairfax-area players into the system.

This isn’t some overnight “2027 season” play. They’re clearly building a long-term player development pipeline and regional structure that will probably take a few years to fully develop.

You lost me at "aspire pathway"

That’s fine, but that’s literally how the structure works.

GA clubs in the same league can’t freely move players back and forth in-season, which is why the Aspire designation matters here. Riverbend gives them a development and movement pathway that Loudoun can’t provide under current GA rules.

You don’t have to like the strategy, but there’s a difference between disagreeing with it and pretending it doesn’t exist.

Again I ask, how is Riverbend giving them anything when they have no players?

The Riverbend Aspire setup actually creates something that a lot of clubs in the area currently don’t have: a real internal pathway for girls who develop later or want to push to a higher level.

Right now at GFR, the highest level on the girls side is ECNL-RL, which depending on the team is probably comparable to Aspire anyway. But if a player there outgrows that environment and wants GA-level opportunities, the only real option is usually leaving the club and trying out somewhere else.

With Riverbend being connected into the NVA structure through Aspire, their top players will likely have opportunities to train with, guest play, and potentially move into the NVA GA environment over time. That’s a very different model than just being capped at one level inside your own club.

People keep acting like this is only about branding or league labels, but from a player development standpoint, the pathway piece is the real story. And it will take a few seasons to build I think, but who knows.

Every single club in the area has a pathway for girls that "develop later or want to push to a higher level." It's called NCSL. NCSL is the Aspire equivalent. In fact, Aspire teams are playing in NCSL right now and LOSING. If an east-side Fairfax County girl wants to play GA (and who knows why as MAS GA is not appreciably better than VA ECNL-RL) they are going to go to McLean, not rolling the dice on this clown show. There is also zero chance any RbFC Aspire girl will be promoted to NVA ever. NVA will take Loudoun's NCSL girls for in-season emergencies before promoting RbFC Aspire because otherwise the Loudoun parents, who are paying the bills, will be out with pitchforks. Nothing about RbFC Aspire makes any business sense at all, other than as a vanity project.

I've never seen NVA pull from Loudoun NCSL in-season, ever. If NVA had an Aspire team, I would bet money there would have been call ups this past year.

If NVA had an Aspire team in the Loudoun ecosystem where girls that did not make NVA or Loudoun GA were parked at the time of GA tryouts, perhaps. But that is way different from how this is being rolled out. Any girl that is even remotely capable of playing ECNL-RL or GA was long gone.

I think thats why they wanted to have this Aspire team in Fairfax, to avoid the Loudoun pool which they already have eyes on. This is just an attempt to spread their territory.

But dropping an Aspire team in eastern Fairfax county that is the fourth (or even third) team in the Loudoun/NVA hierarchy makes no business or soccer sense for NVA in this diluted environment. No one is going to go to RbFC Aspire that has a spot at GFR or VYS RL or McLean GA. And no one that does not make one of those teams that ends up on RbFC Aspire will have any realistic shot at moving up the Loudoun/NVA hierarchy as the talent gulf will be too wide.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are people so interested in this club? Who really cares, let them try to be successful. They have leadership from Arlington Soccer, one of the strongest clubs in the region and enough capital to build something the right way in a area where it seems another option is not a bad idea.

Melissa already left this train wreck, actually

Wait, the one competent person they had bailed?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why would Loudoun remain connected to NVA now that they have their own GA and Aspire? Wouldn't they be better suited keeping all of their talent going forward? Are NVA employees still part of Loudoun staff and therefore the partnership. How can the pathway to NVA be Loudoun top teams and RBFC Aspire. Does Loudoun receive kickbacks for allowing NVA to use their fields? If the partnership broke, how would NVA get fields? Does Loudoun also have MLSN homegrown on the boys side or only NVA? This is all a bit confusing the way it is currently set-up.

Im pretty sure the ED and TD of Loudoun are the ones that run NVA

Still boggles the mind that folks don't understand Loudoun/NVA are two separate brands operated by the same people/organization. There is zero daylight between the too. Just look at your registration receipts.

Loudoun is becoming more like a feeder club to NVA and customers are catching on. and NVA can't financially operate on its own so brought Riverbend as another feeder club but more as extra revenue. Nothing more than that.

It’s kind of comical how confidently people post on here without actually understanding the structure.

Loudoun and NVA are already operated under the same ownership umbrella and share a lot of the same resources. But because both clubs compete in GA, there can’t just be free roster movement between them during the season.

Riverbend is different. It’s being positioned as an Aspire pathway club, which does allow in-season player movement with NVA. It also gives NVA a stronger footprint in a different county and creates a more direct pathway for Fairfax-area players into the system.

This isn’t some overnight “2027 season” play. They’re clearly building a long-term player development pipeline and regional structure that will probably take a few years to fully develop.

You lost me at "aspire pathway"

That’s fine, but that’s literally how the structure works.

GA clubs in the same league can’t freely move players back and forth in-season, which is why the Aspire designation matters here. Riverbend gives them a development and movement pathway that Loudoun can’t provide under current GA rules.

You don’t have to like the strategy, but there’s a difference between disagreeing with it and pretending it doesn’t exist.

Again I ask, how is Riverbend giving them anything when they have no players?

The Riverbend Aspire setup actually creates something that a lot of clubs in the area currently don’t have: a real internal pathway for girls who develop later or want to push to a higher level.

Right now at GFR, the highest level on the girls side is ECNL-RL, which depending on the team is probably comparable to Aspire anyway. But if a player there outgrows that environment and wants GA-level opportunities, the only real option is usually leaving the club and trying out somewhere else.

With Riverbend being connected into the NVA structure through Aspire, their top players will likely have opportunities to train with, guest play, and potentially move into the NVA GA environment over time. That’s a very different model than just being capped at one level inside your own club.

People keep acting like this is only about branding or league labels, but from a player development standpoint, the pathway piece is the real story. And it will take a few seasons to build I think, but who knows.

This will never happen with Riverbend. They have no ability to attract this level of player and the players that they are attempting to strong arm into the GA Aspire teams from LE are mid-level NCSL players AT BEST. There will never be an opportunity for those players to train with, guest play or move into the NVA GA environment. There is not enough patience in the world to see that happen.

You may be right, but who knows how this pans out. I've seen some strong players on GFR teams with no where to go, ECNL teams in the area won't even let them try out. I do know this, there is a lot of talent in Fairfax who do not have access to travel soccer because of the cost. Perhaps that will be RBFC's plan, to tap into that pool. I have heard that they have very deep pockets and are committed to building for the long haul.

This has to be one of the most ridiculous assertions I have seen in the 89 pages of this thread so far. Considering that RBFC is charging more in club fees and player fees than any other GA Aspire team in NOVA with absolutely no history or even guarantee of having a fully rostered team, there is no way they are giving out free rides. RBFC is the least accessible club cost-wise.

You'd be surprised with the amount of scholarships given out to top players. RBFC is in the initial stages and who knows if it even works out, but I wouldn't be surprised, and you wont know a thing about it.

I thought R(b)FC was organized as a for-profit. Tapping all the possible scholarship players seems contrary to that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why are people so interested in this club? Who really cares, let them try to be successful. They have leadership from Arlington Soccer, one of the strongest clubs in the region and enough capital to build something the right way in a area where it seems another option is not a bad idea.

Melissa already left this train wreck, actually

Wait, the one competent person they had bailed?

I heard she got fired, actually. Butted heads with some folks.....