Are you scared of your club?

[Anonymous]

It would be very interesting to know how many of the commenters on this thread have older players (ninth grade and above) who have been playing soccer for many years .....

[Anonymous]

Scared - no.

Frustrated and disappointed would be my main sentiment toward our club - Mclean. Like a lot of other organizations, they spend a lot of time patting their own back, but if you ever deal with them up close, you realize how flawed they are. Mclean, which has "professional" administration, has had a completely incoherent strategy for boys. In the last half dozen years, they have been in (and out) of DA, CCL, EDP, Pre-Academy, National League, and now ECNL. With every lurch from one league to the next, it's communicated as the next great thing, only to be quietly abandoned with a couple years.

This is all the result of vaunted "professional" staff who seem to have no ability to set any kind of strategic direction. And if you ever run into one of these "soccer professionals", you will realize that communicating to a parent is about the last thing they ever want to do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Scared - no.

Frustrated and disappointed would be my main sentiment toward our club - Mclean. Like a lot of other organizations, they spend a lot of time patting their own back, but if you ever deal with them up close, you realize how flawed they are. Mclean, which has "professional" administration, has had a completely incoherent strategy for boys. In the last half dozen years, they have been in (and out) of DA, CCL, EDP, Pre-Academy, National League, and now ECNL. With every lurch from one league to the next, it's communicated as the next great thing, only to be quietly abandoned with a couple years.

This is all the result of vaunted "professional" staff who seem to have no ability to set any kind of strategic direction. And if you ever run into one of these "soccer professionals", you will realize that communicating to a parent is about the last thing they ever want to do.

This is such a great post. I laughed at the bolded in particular; every club I have been at does this. The most blatant example I recall from a few years back was Potomac. When they had a boys DA, all they talked about is how they should be a destination for all Maryland boys because DA was indisputably the top league. When they were kicked out of the DA for under performing, they talked about how DA was just a waste of time and money, and they were pleased to offer a much better alternative, the Atlantic Soccer League. It was so laughable we started looking for a new club. I was amused, but not surprised, when they trumpeted their involvement in CCL a few years later. You are also 100% correct about parent communication, though I don't always blame them on that front.

That being said, Potomac had a few very good coaches that the leadership allowed to do their own thing. I imagine that's true of McLean too--we have friends who have raved about both Jamil Walker and Alan Portillo. Vince Carter was at Potomac when we were there, and we thought he was very good too.

[Anonymous]

This thread is pathetic

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It would be very interesting to know how many of the commenters on this thread have older players (ninth grade and above) who have been playing soccer for many years .....

Easy....the ones who aren't scared, but jaded. The more jaded, the older the kid. The scared ones have young kids. Most of those are too afraid to post on these topics because they are afraid of giving themselves away and retribution.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It would be very interesting to know how many of the commenters on this thread have older players (ninth grade and above) who have been playing soccer for many years .....

Easy....the ones who aren't scared, but jaded. The more jaded, the older the kid. The scared ones have young kids. Most of those are too afraid to post on these topics because they are afraid of giving themselves away and retribution.

I'm one of the PPs with an older kid. I guess I'm jaded and not scared. I'm not afraid to rock the boat, I don't think there is much point and it is a pain to start again. It isn't about being an adult, but at some point, you can't keep fighting the same battle at multiple clubs. The disposition of club managment is not inclined to consider parental feedback, even if the feedback is reasonable. But after you've changed clubs one, or maybe even twice, you realize there's nothing better out there and deal with what is.

I appreciate the PP with the star who stood up for the non-star players. I've often felt that if I were a better person, I'd stand up for that kid who never gets to play. But I don't, because I don't want that kid to be my kid and there really isn't any point to starting over again at a new club where the same thing will probably happy.

[Anonymous]

happen, not happy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It would be very interesting to know how many of the commenters on this thread have older players (ninth grade and above) who have been playing soccer for many years .....

Easy....the ones who aren't scared, but jaded. The more jaded, the older the kid. The scared ones have young kids. Most of those are too afraid to post on these topics because they are afraid of giving themselves away and retribution.

I'm one of the PPs with an older kid. I guess I'm jaded and not scared. I'm not afraid to rock the boat, I don't think there is much point and it is a pain to start again. It isn't about being an adult, but at some point, you can't keep fighting the same battle at multiple clubs. The disposition of club managment is not inclined to consider parental feedback, even if the feedback is reasonable. But after you've changed clubs one, or maybe even twice, you realize there's nothing better out there and deal with what is.

I appreciate the PP with the star who stood up for the non-star players. I've often felt that if I were a better person, I'd stand up for that kid who never gets to play. But I don't, because I don't want that kid to be my kid and there really isn't any point to starting over again at a new club where the same thing will probably happy.

So true. By the time I got to late HS with my kids, I just lost any desire to fight the system, even when I saw some really sketchy stuff. It's very sad how kids and parents are used. I see it now with the move over to Boys ECNL. I want to tell the younger parents that it's the same show that's been going on for years, and that it's another shiny object to distract people for the next couple years. But the parents of 12 - 14 yr/olds don't want to listen - they are buying in to the BS from the coaching staff. They too will get to the same spot.

[Anonymous]

No

[Anonymous]

Why do you ask? If your a coach asking, then the writing is on the wall.