Bethesda Soccer On Way Down

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Actually, I don't even care about being on a team that wins the league or whatever. I just don't want to put my kid on a team that goes 0-20 for the year. I'm in Maryland and heard the northern VA teams are dominant. So if my put my kid on Potomac or PPA or MSI (the 3 MD teams I see registered in top division in spring 2025) in NCSL, is it going to be a 10-0 loss every weekend? I'm an NOT trying to get on "the best" team. I agree with prior poster that 100% agree that the important thing is learning how to play. But getting clobbered nonstop also isn't fun and I don't want my girl to quit on it.

My experience is that NOVA teams are good and they are big at the younger ages. Maryland teams tend to be smaller. But that's only for a few years, until around u13 when some boys start growing. Things even out by U15 or U16.

If you want to be on a good team, generally potomac and Bethesda will have good players. You will be placed with kids similar to your kid's talent.

What a weird thing to say. Are you for real? Virginia kids are larger than kids born a few miles away?

The fact that you don't understand this tells me you're probably an NFL person. The point they are making is that the MD teams are rostering kids based on skills and projected development for the long run and Virginia clubs are adopting the win now philosophy. SYC without a doubt finds the biggest fastest kids they can. Their 14 year olds are bigger than the average male adult. It's everything that's wrong with youth soccer in the U.S.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Actually, I don't even care about being on a team that wins the league or whatever. I just don't want to put my kid on a team that goes 0-20 for the year. I'm in Maryland and heard the northern VA teams are dominant. So if my put my kid on Potomac or PPA or MSI (the 3 MD teams I see registered in top division in spring 2025) in NCSL, is it going to be a 10-0 loss every weekend? I'm an NOT trying to get on "the best" team. I agree with prior poster that 100% agree that the important thing is learning how to play. But getting clobbered nonstop also isn't fun and I don't want my girl to quit on it.

My experience is that NOVA teams are good and they are big at the younger ages. Maryland teams tend to be smaller. But that's only for a few years, until around u13 when some boys start growing. Things even out by U15 or U16.

If you want to be on a good team, generally potomac and Bethesda will have good players. You will be placed with kids similar to your kid's talent.

What a weird thing to say. Are you for real? Virginia kids are larger than kids born a few miles away?

Yes. MD kids tend to be smaller.

This makes 0 sense, but I think what you are trying to say is that certain MD teams will favor smaller technical players whereas VA teams prefer pure size/athleticism. I do agree with this a bit seeing how Bethesda usually tries to play more possession/building out of the back. Bethesda still loves the fast athletic striker when push comes to shove in close games.

This isn’t true either. I’ve seen plenty of small talented Bethesda players get cut for less talented kids that are bigger and purely athletic. The prior posters rationale makes 0 sense.

Speed of play also comes in, especially when you are smaller. So you can be technical, but not make decisions fast enough.

[Anonymous]

I think there is a thread regarding how every club is falling apart. Just in the first page Valor, gfr, ac Milan, vrsc, and more are going down. I guess ppl need a place to vent.

Anonymous wrote:We are in the process of moving from Bethesda to another club for next fall. The organization of the new club is night and day better compared to Bethesda. I'm now wondering why we tolerated such disorganization and chaos for years. We all know the draw is the platforms of BSC and the college recruiting potential, but at what cost? There are no planning meetings, no evaluations of players, zero accountability, favoritism and nepotism, and the practice schedule...where to start there? It's a pure mess. Don't be fascinated by the so-called almighty Bethesda. You can get a better experience elsewhere and be treated like a human.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think there is a thread regarding how every club is falling apart. Just in the first page Valor, gfr, ac Milan, vrsc, and more are going down. I guess ppl need a place to vent.

Yeah it's this exactly. Absolutely no way to please everyone and the loudest are usually a small portion. I still find these threads helpful because there are nuggets that that certainly apply to our current situation.

[Anonymous]

Raise of social media, everyone is an expert and Monday morning qb anything.

Agreed the loudest and sometimes craziest sound like the majority, but it’s not.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think there is a thread regarding how every club is falling apart. Just in the first page Valor, gfr, ac Milan, vrsc, and more are going down. I guess ppl need a place to vent.

Yeah it's this exactly. Absolutely no way to please everyone and the loudest are usually a small portion. I still find these threads helpful because there are nuggets that that certainly apply to our current situation.

[Anonymous]

Bump

[Anonymous]

Tryouts were packed !! Tons of kids coming our way! If BSC was on its way down, it isn’t happening anytime soon.

[Anonymous]

Roster 25 kids per team! Everyone wins!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tryouts were packed !! Tons of kids coming our way! If BSC was on its way down, it isn’t happening anytime soon.

Interesting, I thought some of the age groups had less tryout participant than last year. Maybe BSC was just better at managing sign-ins this year.

[Anonymous]

Who said McKennie was the B team? And how does a club have two A teams? Do the same kids play on both teams? I'm genuinely interested in what Bethesda soccer is doing differently than our kids team. I would take my kid there for a tryout but it is too far away.

Anonymous wrote:U9 bethesda parent here. Pulisic and McKennie are both first teams. Please stop saying B team. My son is on McKennie and he’s first team not second.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Who said McKennie was the B team? And how does a club have two A teams? Do the same kids play on both teams? I'm genuinely interested in what Bethesda soccer is doing differently than our kids team. I would take my kid there for a tryout but it is too far away.

Anonymous wrote:U9 bethesda parent here. Pulisic and McKennie are both first teams. Please stop saying B team. My son is on McKennie and he’s first team not second.

As an example, the U8 girls have an A team, but it's not an official A team (they have 3 named teams with no official distinction). Their "A" team, however, plays up against U9 kids and has been dominating. I have noticed that starting last year, but much more this year, they have been putting in more effort into technical skills within their U7/8 program - things that I have only seen older teams practice in other clubs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Tryouts were packed !! Tons of kids coming our way! If BSC was on its way down, it isn’t happening anytime soon.

Not the 08s or 09s

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Who said McKennie was the B team? And how does a club have two A teams? Do the same kids play on both teams? I'm genuinely interested in what Bethesda soccer is doing differently than our kids team. I would take my kid there for a tryout but it is too far away.

Anonymous wrote:U9 bethesda parent here. Pulisic and McKennie are both first teams. Please stop saying B team. My son is on McKennie and he’s first team not second.

They are both labeled as Academy I and given some different name such as a color or name. For example, Bethesda 2013 Academy I White plays in the 1st divison of the National Academy League (NAL). This is in between EDP and MLS Next and they play other MLS Next badged clubs before officially moving to MLS Next. Bethesda 2013 Academy I Silver plays in the 2nd division of the NAL.

They probably do this to satisfy the parents.

[Anonymous]

For U-Littles on boys side, BSC players now train as a "cohort."

Coaches try to create multiple, even-strength teams at top for league/tournament play. Hence, two top teams.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Who said McKennie was the B team? And how does a club have two A teams? Do the same kids play on both teams? I'm genuinely interested in what Bethesda soccer is doing differently than our kids team. I would take my kid there for a tryout but it is too far away.

Anonymous wrote:U9 bethesda parent here. Pulisic and McKennie are both first teams. Please stop saying B team. My son is on McKennie and he’s first team not second.

It's all a marketing gimmick. Everyone in the know is aware of why the tiering system was changed for the current U9 boys. Everyone also knows who the top players are.