Valor

[Anonymous]

Agree, but trust is earned through example and demonstration. Nothing wrong in engaging with the coach and providing your feedback.

-Are you saying we should all sit back and wait for improvement to come? Waiting to address an issue doesn’t make it better.

If the dialog is maintained in a professional and respectful manner then it can be productive. No one, coaches or parents like to feel dismissed or totally disregarded. Its important to understand both perspective’s. If not, the conversation becomes a little muddy.

-In my experience: discussion with other parents, through other coaches, their guidance and other input, do not oversell your product. I think thats why some people might be overly frustrated with Valor and even similar institutions that market a higher level of play and development when it clearly not.

Also agree with your last point, most of the folks here will take they’re $3K and find better service.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One of my dc plays CYA rec (I am not the CYA rec hating poster, he has had a good experience) and a teammate tried out for the rising 2011 team. She said they were told there wasn't a coach yet but they would be sent offers within a day. I told her the coach was the most important part and how could she take an offer for a team without knowing the coach? How can they have a team with no coach?

Tell her to reach out to Burke and Herndon

+1. Or BRYC. I don't thnk FPYC has a 2011 team but its worth checking.

[Anonymous]

Reading this forum makes me realize our club isn't that bad. We have our issues but this club sounds like a mess.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Valor is not worth the 3000 that it costs.

FWIW thats the going price for most clubs in the area for that level. Valor just includes all the fees, club and team, in the price. A lot of clubs don't give you the team fees up front.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Valor is not worth the 3000 that it costs.

FWIW thats the going price for most clubs in the area for that level. Valor just includes all the fees, club and team, in the price. A lot of clubs don't give you the team fees up front.

Its not, there was another thread about this and 3k was substantially higher especially considering its location (Centreville, not Arlington or DC) and that they charge that fee for the really young teams as well. Including other leagues team fees. Its neighboring clubs out there charge way less.

[Anonymous]

https://dt5602vnjxv0c.cloudfront.net/portals/28638/docs/travel/2024-25%20travel%20docs/24-25%20travel%20fees%203.pdf

https://herndonyouthsoccer.org/travel/travel-fees/

https://www.gfrsoccerclub.org/Default.aspx?tabid=1278593

Loudoun soccer isn't too far, neither is Herndon or GFR, all three play ECNL-RL and $3050 is a lot all in, they should probably evaluate that cost for ages U9-U12 but for U13+ they're not THAT far off when you add club and team fees together. GFR being at about $2500 of club dues, add in team fees and you're likely at $3k if not a little more depending on the team.

[Anonymous]

That is a substantial difference in price between Herndon's top team and Valor for under U13s. And at least a 10% difference in price for the older teams. That's a lot.

Its interesting that Herndon charges less for each team you go down in terms of level.

Burke Soccer charges $2k all in including team fees. FPYC charges even less.

BRYC is too complicated but a quick glance shows they seem way less expensive as well.
https://www.brycsoccer.com/sample-homepage/club-fees/2024-2025-bryc-academy-club-fees-new-team-fee

[Anonymous]

I'm shocked at how much cheaper Loudoun is than Valor! Loudoun is a higher tier club than Valor (no, my kids don't play for Loudoun).

[Anonymous]

We paid $2200 for ASA last year

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That is a substantial difference in price between Herndon's top team and Valor for under U13s. And at least a 10% difference in price for the older teams. That's a lot.

Its interesting that Herndon charges less for each team you go down in terms of level.

Burke Soccer charges $2k all in including team fees. FPYC charges even less.

BRYC is too complicated but a quick glance shows they seem way less expensive as well.
https://www.brycsoccer.com/sample-homepage/club-fees/2024-2025-bryc-academy-club-fees-new-team-fee

I kind of agree with their fee structure in terms of receiving a more qualified and experienced coach.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://dt5602vnjxv0c.cloudfront.net/portals/28638/docs/travel/2024-25%20travel%20docs/24-25%20travel%20fees%203.pdf

https://herndonyouthsoccer.org/travel/travel-fees/

https://www.gfrsoccerclub.org/Default.aspx?tabid=1278593

Loudoun soccer isn't too far, neither is Herndon or GFR, all three play ECNL-RL and $3050 is a lot all in, they should probably evaluate that cost for ages U9-U12 but for U13+ they're not THAT far off when you add club and team fees together. GFR being at about $2500 of club dues, add in team fees and you're likely at $3k if not a little more depending on the team.

Yes, I recently compared prices for these and a couple other clubs and it seems like the difference is not that big by the time you add in team fees which are a bit uncertain. It’s not enough of a difference to cancel out the longer drive.

My own child has had a good experience at Valor, but it’s very age group and coach dependent I think. Every year at this time we re-evaluate and our child has gotten offers from other clubs, but decides to stay because they like their team.

That being said, we keep our expectations realistic. We followed our child’s lead when signing up for travel
soccer and signed them up because they stood out and needed more, not because we thought travel can make an ok player into a great player. Training with and competing against strong players has had the biggest impact on improving our child’s play. I would not pay Valor prices (or the price of most of these clubs) for a bottom team thinking it’s going to make my child a good player. At the end of the day all these clubs will say whatever in order to get your check. You have to be skeptical and go into it knowing that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Reading this forum makes me realize our club isn't that bad. We have our issues but this club sounds like a mess.

Yup.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm shocked at how much cheaper Loudoun is than Valor! Loudoun is a higher tier club than Valor (no, my kids don't play for Loudoun).

What are you looking at? For younger ages, sure. I am a bit curious why Loudoun has their U17-U19 prices as cheaper than U13-U16, unless they're not doing a whole lot at those ages.

[Anonymous]

If Burke is $2000 inc fees and Valor is $3000 inc fees, that seems like a huge difference to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://dt5602vnjxv0c.cloudfront.net/portals/28638/docs/travel/2024-25%20travel%20docs/24-25%20travel%20fees%203.pdf

https://herndonyouthsoccer.org/travel/travel-fees/

https://www.gfrsoccerclub.org/Default.aspx?tabid=1278593

Loudoun soccer isn't too far, neither is Herndon or GFR, all three play ECNL-RL and $3050 is a lot all in, they should probably evaluate that cost for ages U9-U12 but for U13+ they're not THAT far off when you add club and team fees together. GFR being at about $2500 of club dues, add in team fees and you're likely at $3k if not a little more depending on the team.

Yes, I recently compared prices for these and a couple other clubs and it seems like the difference is not that big by the time you add in team fees which are a bit uncertain. It’s not enough of a difference to cancel out the longer drive.

My own child has had a good experience at Valor, but it’s very age group and coach dependent I think. Every year at this time we re-evaluate and our child has gotten offers from other clubs, but decides to stay because they like their team.

That being said, we keep our expectations realistic. We followed our child’s lead when signing up for travel
soccer and signed them up because they stood out and needed more, not because we thought travel can make an ok player into a great player. Training with and competing against strong players has had the biggest impact on improving our child’s play. I would not pay Valor prices (or the price of most of these clubs) for a bottom team thinking it’s going to make my child a good player. At the end of the day all these clubs will say whatever in order to get your check. You have to be skeptical and go into it knowing that.

On your comments “ I would not pay Valor prices (or the price of most of these clubs) for a bottom team thinking it’s going to make my child a good player. At the end of the day all these clubs will say whatever in order to get your check. You have to be skeptical and go into it knowing that” …I

-I think this is the issue with Valor and maybe other clubs. Its a bit disingenuous to communicate that during the tryout that they will deliver a high level of performing players/upper division class teams.