New to McLean- what are soccer options

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Agree with 16:43. If convenience is important, it depends on where in McLean you live. Where I live, Arlington practices in late afternoons/evenings would be real hassle due to traffic. Great Falls would be worse. The most reasonable distances for us are with: McLean, Premier AC, Vienna. All are good options depending on what you want. Different personalities, all have some good teams.

If you live north of 123, Great Falls is an easy commute. If you live south of 123, Arlington or Premier AC are better options.

If you are new to McLean, the soccer club there is excellent and getting your kids involved in it will also open up lots of new potential social relationships for you and your kids. Good luck!

McLean is a good club, but you should look at all options (considering level of the team offered, who is the coach, how long is commute, quality of the player pool, cost of training, etc) and pick the one that is the best fit for your kid and your family.

[Anonymous]

NP-piggybacking follow on questions since I have a similar/related Mclean question but for U10 girls - we live near Falls Church City area and have DD U9 playing ADP this year. Did day 1 Arlington Travel tryouts for U10 and registered for Mclean tryouts that start next week. Have been scouring the forums for more info on the U-Littles but harder to find buried under all the ECNL/DA discussions on Mclean.

Any insight on the following:
1) what are the roster sizes for Mclean at this age?
2) how is the younger (U10) girls coaching? Has it been spotty like some posters have mentioned or is that older, other or boys etc? Development or win at all costs based on physical size etc?
3) where are practices typically?

Admittedly we are flying blind on Mclean and most colleagues either only know Arlington, Vienna, PAC or Mclean Rec but not Mclean Travel. Trying to find a program with good development but saw a few posts mentioning that Mclean might have rosters much larger than other clubs (eg Arlington) and while it may seem they make a team, they really won't play much because the rosters are so large. Have survived the commute to South Arlington but admittedly only trying to figure out if Mclean would provide any driving reprieve as I work in Pentagon City and do the crazy race home for school bell at 4:05pm to then get back for 5pm practices just for ADP. Not sure what travel practice schedules look like (and potential earlier than 5pm practices) and which options would be the lesser of evils. Our fallback would be ADP again or consider PAC for proximity and development depending on how tryouts go as DD is really good on her ADP team and asked by her pro coach about trying out for travel. However, have read enough forum posts to anticipate being auto-slated to the middle at best but likely bottom half for not having done U9 travel with Arlington. Just trying to get more informed as tryouts approach/finish and do not have any inside direct leads to Mclean U-littles. The closest feedback I have gotten is from a friend whose DD is a HS senior from Mclean going to UNC next year but her dad's insight and memory by his own admission is spotty and dated for U-little ages and he doesn't know about Arlington at this age for comparison.

[Anonymous]

Depending on your daughters personality if you think she will be top team at McLean you should know that the coach (Jaon) is very tough and yells at girls during the games. He's a perfectionist and demands it. IMO would be a better fit for older kids because he kills the fun of soccer which is too bad when you are dealing with 8 and 9 year olds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Depending on your daughters personality if you think she will be top team at McLean you should know that the coach (Jaon) is very tough and yells at girls during the games. He's a perfectionist and demands it. IMO would be a better fit for older kids because he kills the fun of soccer which is too bad when you are dealing with 8 and 9 year olds.

Thank you for some insight on the coach. That is very good to know. My DD has always had really laid back coaches and has thrived. I'm not sure how she would do with someone yelling - could go either way. I think she could take the yelling and still perform but if she stops having fun it would likely be the end of soccer after that year and push for something else at her age. She is not at the point of live and breath soccer. and would prefer joy over top team, especially when she has enjoyed her current ADP team and coaches despite less challenge.

Do you have a sense for roster sizes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Depending on your daughters personality if you think she will be top team at McLean you should know that the coach (Jaon) is very tough and yells at girls during the games. He's a perfectionist and demands it. IMO would be a better fit for older kids because he kills the fun of soccer which is too bad when you are dealing with 8 and 9 year olds.

Thank you for some insight on the coach. That is very good to know. My DD has always had really laid back coaches and has thrived. I'm not sure how she would do with someone yelling - could go either way. I think she could take the yelling and still perform but if she stops having fun it would likely be the end of soccer after that year and push for something else at her age. She is not at the point of live and breath soccer. and would prefer joy over top team, especially when she has enjoyed her current ADP team and coaches despite less challenge.

Do you have a sense for roster sizes?

Ok - have re-read the prior post (thank you for the heads up) and have searched further for more info on the Mclean U9/U10 coach and we are now most likely going to bail out of the Mclean 2010 travel tryouts Monday. It may be a lot of the unknown since we were originally at least go and see for ourselves to get a feel at the tryouts, but think we may opt for one last pool practice with her pro coach in Arlington before the 2nd tryout day for 2010 Arlington. Would any MYS parent say different for 2010 girls Mclean travel tryouts and say go to U10 tryout anyway?

[Anonymous]

Absolutely go to the McLean tryout and check it out for yourselves! We had coach Jaon and he is technically an excellent coach and really cares about the game. Don’t just believe a lot of haters on this board. The more options you create for yourself and DD, the better. Soccer is a small community and the clubs and coaches get to know the better girls quickly. Keep options open!

[Anonymous]

And if your girl ever has Jaon, he will support her forever, even if she leaves the club. Jaon was always excited to see my DD play even when she was in a different club. My DD didn’t mind the yelling, he was fair and did a good job training. He still high fives her many years later.

[Anonymous]

Plus, although it's not set in stone, I don't think Jahon will coach your DD next year anyway, at least according to the coaching roster:
http://www.mcleansoccer.org/home.php?layout=4351885

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Plus, although it's not set in stone, I don't think Jahon will coach your DD next year anyway, at least according to the coaching roster:
http://www.mcleansoccer.org/home.php?layout=4351885

She said her kid is 2010, right? 2011 and 2010 both list Jaon as coach of Green/White.

OP, he is definitely known as a yeller. That approach works for some kids but not others--my kids are split. No one likes being yelled at obviously, but one of them shrugs it off and can recognize that his coach (not Jaon) gets the best out of his players. The other kid is very sensitive and it makes him shrink, play terribly, and want to quit with coaches like that.

[Anonymous]

PPs are incorrect about Arlington. We switched there and drive is against traffic from McLean down to Long Bridge. Best decision ever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And if your girl ever has Jaon, he will support her forever, even if she leaves the club. Jaon was always excited to see my DD play even when she was in a different club. My DD didn’t mind the yelling, he was fair and did a good job training. He still high fives her many years later.

Anyone who has played in McLean knows this is a lie. Ask the many parents who have stayed and they still avoid Coach Jaon like the plague. He is in charge of all the U9 to U12 girls and Keith actually promoted him when DD left!

[Anonymous]

Coach Jaon is tough - similar to a tough teacher. My DD has been coached by him and it was a fantastic experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Coach Jaon is tough - similar to a tough teacher. My DD has been coached by him and it was a fantastic experience.

For you or your DD?

[Anonymous]

DD - for her tough was good and he is an excellent coach.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And if your girl ever has Jaon, he will support her forever, even if she leaves the club. Jaon was always excited to see my DD play even when she was in a different club. My DD didn’t mind the yelling, he was fair and did a good job training. He still high fives her many years later.

Anyone who has played in McLean knows this is a lie. Ask the many parents who have stayed and they still avoid Coach Jaon like the plague. He is in charge of all the U9 to U12 girls and Keith actually promoted him when DD left!

I think that's a parent issue.