Pros/Cons of a small (tiny) soccer club

[Anonymous]

The PAC U10 boys team is really strong, if that's who you're looking at. I am the poster who mentioned this club above and they are one of the younger teams I was referring to. My kid is older but I have a friend's son on this team and have seen them play. They're quick and aggressive and move the ball around really well. They are a lot of fun to watch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The PAC U10 boys team is really strong, if that's who you're looking at. I am the poster who mentioned this club above and they are one of the younger teams I was referring to. My kid is older but I have a friend's son on this team and have seen them play. They're quick and aggressive and move the ball around really well. They are a lot of fun to watch.

That was in response to pp from Falls Church

[Anonymous]

Small club until the teen years. Development minded.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The PAC U10 boys team is really strong, if that's who you're looking at. I am the poster who mentioned this club above and they are one of the younger teams I was referring to. My kid is older but I have a friend's son on this team and have seen them play. They're quick and aggressive and move the ball around really well. They are a lot of fun to watch.

That was in response to pp from Falls Church

Yes, have definitely considered them, seems like interesting option. Ability wise, seems on par with Arlington's 4th team, don't know anything about coaching, development, etc. The viable options in this area seems to be ASA, PAC, McLean, Vienna, and maybe Alexandria. Maybe they are substantially better options than the Arlington Blue/Black teams like a pp was arguing, but seems pretty similar from the outside.

[Anonymous]

PAC U10 is great. I have seen them play.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PAC U10 is great. I have seen them play.

Half of that team played up a year three years ago and went through tough times for a group of smaller 7-year-olds. They have really developed nicely with great coaching and kids who really like playing with each other. Same with their U12s, and their older/younger brothers on each of those teams. Really good environment and kids. A lot of those kids could be playing first team on other bigger clubs.

[Anonymous]

Got to be totally honest , PAC has some really talented teams for being a smaller club. They do a great job of developing kids without a lot of hype. Obviously if your in this for a pro contract or full ride scholarship. You should be aiming for Arlingtons" DA. PAC is more interested in the whole overall development of the kid as they grow rather than the how can they help my program win fictitious titles.

[Anonymous]

It's not a bad option --- can be less pressure, less ego driven parents.

Concerns: Field and field availability, coaches (how many of them are good or is this just for one year), and what happens if the team falls apart during or at the end of the year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a kid at two clubs - one BIG and one Little. Very different experiences. One is on a top team at a Big club - for him it's a good fit. But I really don't see that the club has done a great job of developing players. At the top teams they really mostly try to steal kids from other top teams. The players on the second team and below rarely get a look for the top team. The little club doesn't start with the same quality and depth of kids, so they have to develop them. He has had the same coach the last couple of years and developed nicely. The team is a nice friendly feel and not cut throat and stressful like at the big club.

The way you are breaking it down makes it seem like: competitive players belong in big club vs mid-tier/less serious players in small club. I can kind of see what you mean. Bug clubs have a more obvious "pathways" to elite soccer as they like to say. But it hasn't been my experience that the big club is all serious and the small club is relaxed. My experience of having two kids in two clubs, one big and one little, is that the kid in big club has pretty much remained C-team level and his team is so-so. The kid in the small club started out with a mix (some very strong players and some ok) players who have all grown and improved and compete against the big club's A team. So, over all, I not only have seen more personal growth but a lot more team growth with the small club.

Maybe i didn't quite get across what i was trying to convey, but what you said was exactly what i have seen as well. The smaller clubs (generally) take the time to invest in players and invest in the team. Those kids get years of practicing and developing together and can become amazing teams.