Soccer - avoid Kids Pro Soccer
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Anonymous
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Anonymous
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Yes, Kids Pro Soccer is really as bad as these reviews say it is. I too, was charmed by the slick website with pictures of happy looking children. It all appeared quite professional. We paid our $170 registration fee online and patiently waited for the season to start. Then the season by delayed by 2 weeks -- ok, we got that, the weather was bad (it snowed on March 14th). Then 2 days before our class at Candy Cane Park was supposed to begin, we get an email saying that the class has been cancelled and we now have the choice to go to St Albans School or Norwood Park in Chevy Chase for the class. We felt this was an inconvenience and last minute, but we maintained an open mind. That Sunday, we showed at Norwood Park @ 10:50 for our 11am class. At 11:05, all of the parents were looking back and forth at each other (at least 20 families in attendance), perplexed about where our instructors were. I grabbed my phone to try to to find the phone number for Kids Pro and I saw and email come through that abruptly said that the 11am class time is now 11:15. The coaches rolled in on two wheels at 11:15 and stared barking at everyone, with minimal apology, and screamed at us that the 11am class will now begin at 11:15 because they have to come from Georgetown and there are too many traffic lights. They ended their announcement with "and if anyone has a problem with it, they should say so now." There were a variety of people present -- some who received emails about cancellations of other classes and redirected to Norwood Park, others who received no communication and received word of mouth. The instructors then took more time away from practice to continue to bark at families and challenge adults whose children were not on their roster, after taking roll TWICE, rather than spending time instructing the children on the fundamentals of the game. They yelled at an African American mom who was only trying to encourage them to handle business later and just focus on the frustrated kids standing in front of them, many of whom had been waiting 30 minutes to begin the class. Then there was the actual instruction, which consisted of coaches simply yelling "kick, kick, kick" at a group of 4 & 5 year olds and did not even bother to breakdown the basics of the game (i.e. - "this is what it looks like to kick a soccer ball. This is how you do it"). It was all around a horrific scene. This might be the most incompetent and rudest group of coaches I have ever seen, and I have 2 older children who have played league sports in DC, MD and VA.
We wrote to them and asked for a refund of our $170 enrollment fee.They will not reply to my emails or phone calls, so I will be taking them to small claims court and filing with the Better Business Bureau. Avoid these people at ALL COSTS! You can find other reputable programs through Brit-Am, your local YMCA, Takoma Soccer, Stoddard Soccer, DC Parks & Rec or Montgomery County Parks & Rec. Do not support these scam and con artists!. |
Anonymous
| Funny, the fields got snow indeed and were closed so we started with a delay too, but we enroll for Kids Pro Soccer classes all the time and the instructiors are fantastic. We are also at Chevy chase parks area. |
Anonymous
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STAY AWAY - SAVE YOOUR MONEY
Worst experience ever. Constant issues. Rude coaches especially no respect for the parents. bought into a 6 week class session ~$120, 11-11:45am they said - apparently, the coach that day (and owner of the company) Marcel D Nkoulou when questioned why he had turned up at 11:15am - in a rather aggressive manner - he made it clear that 11:15am is the time. To this day the website states 11-11:45am, and the receipt for the payment of these classes states 11-11:45am. The classes are disorganized, he takes photos of your children without permission. Had I found this information prior I would not have sign up. Parents be aware. Nasty nasty man and poorly run business with extremely rude customer service. If you do a whois on kidsprosoccer here is the information it gives you --> https://who.is/whois/kidsprosoccer.com If you want to choose a properly run soccer business do some research first, but also check out Brit Am Soccer, Bethesda. |
Anonymous
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We completely disagree with the previous post. That person is out of line and is unprofessional for mischaracterizing Coach Marcel and his team of stellar coaches. Our son has been taking the class since he was 2 and he absolutely loves it as do we. He is now 5 and is growing tremendously. In addition to the weekly class he takes at St. Albans on Saturday, he also plays in the DC Stoddert Soccer League with his classmates at school on Saturdays. There, we get to see him implement the fundamentals and teamwork effort that he has been learning with Kids Pro Soccer. Our 3 year old daughter has also been taking the class since she was 2 and we have also seen her develop a liking for soccer and looks forward to attending class each Saturday with Coach George. She also re-creates the drills at home.
We are most appreciative of the seriousness, passion, commitment, and dedication of Coach Marcel, Coach George and the other coaches our children have had. Let's be clear - this is an opportunity for children to learn, grow and develop fundamental skills that they can use as they begin to play competitively. We have personally seen children run around pulling their shirts up and rolling around in the grass and on the floor (when it is held indoor) as if they are barnyard animals and as if this is a wrestling class. This class is for parents who are serious about exposing their children to soccer and want them to be taught by trained, former college and professional soccer players. They are not babysitters and it is unfair for the coaches to have to stop and correct your children. Do not bring them simply because you want to find something for your untrained children to do. These coaches are not babysitters. Train your children at home and then evaluate whether they want to play a sport that requires dedicated attendance in order to learn and grow. If not, find a class that is taught by babysitters. You cannot simply pay the fee for the program, realize your untrained child is not wired for the class and then expect the coaches to turn your child into Pele after one appearance and then demand a refund. Coaches are not rude - they are fun, yet serious and will work with children who want to learn and grow. The classes our son and daughter take have been run consistently and on time. If there is bad weather, the class is cancelled with PLENTY of notice and a makeup is scheduled with notice. The company communicates via email effectively all necessary information about registering, makeups and cancellations. Should there be any additional concerns, you should address them with the coach instead of trying to defame a reputable program that our children and other children enjoy immensely. |
Anonymous
Your kids are 4 and 2!! OMG. |
Anonymous
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Seems lots agree with the negatives:
https://www.yelp.com/biz/kids-pro-soccer-alexandria |
Anonymous
+1 Ok, 5 and 2. But honestly, two-year-olds are the definition of "untrained". Did you start "training" soccer skills at age one? |
Anonymous
| I am surprised to read this post, since we have had a great experience with the program. Kids Pro Soccer program along with the coaches and the management team has been very courteous and professional in discussing the program, expectations and schedule of the practices. I am not yet familiar with the classes of other age categories but having my 2.5 year old learn basic soccer skills and most importantly interact with other kids has been beyond satisfactory. I used to be a professional athlete myself and a coach at a Division I school and I know a thing or two about coaching. The coaches at this program are professional and caring. Just because they are not fake-smiling the entire time does not mean they don't care. My son has really improved his interaction and playing skills in just few lessons and is enjoying the time at practice tremendously. I think that's what matters most. On the notices regarding cancellations and make-up sessions I have not had any issues. I am very happy with the program and will continue to have my kid attend. |
Anonymous
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Same here! People complain about refunds-normal and will always twist just to get it.
We absolutely enjoy the program and and facilities are first class. Completely false accusation towards the Coaches. A few posts mentioned Brit Am-I wonder if these nasty posts come from their affiliates.... |
Anonymous
Hahaha, most likely! Pictures with no permission? I signed a waiver when I registered, and nobody ever took any pictures, but was your child's picture used? You should really evaluate your tactics-parents are not fools! |
Anonymous
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wow, I'm really surprised to read this!
We had a GREAT experience with kids pro soccer! My twins started with coach George when they were 3 years old. A lot of kids in the class, some of them running around and really not interested in playing...the coaches did a great job in keeping the group of young ones focused! I was amazed by how much they have learned in the first couple of months! And it's not about soccer, really, anonymous 4/3/2017...it's about stay focused, listen to instruction, and...HAVE FUN!! Then in the winter season they had coach Marcel...they LOVED HIM! He is strict with them, but in a sweet way, in the way that a coach needs to be...the kids followed him, ...we didn't have to do anything. they kicked the ball, they stopped using their hands to score...we saw them improving at every class! They kept talking about the soccer class (from 4 to 5 at at Cathedral School on sunday...they couldn't wait to go very weekend!). We took a break for a season and played with a group organized by the parents in our school, but we regretted and we are going back to kids pro soccer in fact! I think some parents expect too much from their 2-3 years old...the frustration about the school may be simply frustration about the kids not enjoying the game...do you have to wait 15 minutes? why don't you play with your kids instead, accidents can happen...your kids would have probably enjoyed the time and not even care about the delay if you had plaid with him/her instead instead of stressing out! I know that the BBB does a good investigation before posting a bad report and hopefully will reach out to all the previous clients to check the experience and the quality of the school! |
Anonymous
| We have knows Kids Pro Soccer for about 13 years-my younger son started 10 years ago!!! and we are still getting the same and fantastic experience with my preschooler right now. Especially, coach Marcel has been a highlight for my kids: "tough cookie and tough banana" -love it! |
Anonymous
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Completely agree with some of the positive comments. Coaches are really great. My 2 year old daughter started with coach George few months ago and I'm surprised how well she already handles the ball. Kids always get distracted and coaches are doing great job of keeping them focused.
Yes, disruptions happen due to weather conditions, but we find it totally normal and we are getting notices in time. |
Anonymous
| I have never used them, but a friend of mine told me both of her sons went to coach Marcel at that he was great! |