Alexandria

[Anonymous]

PP you are correct in that Alex is a very decent club. Love their fields, coaches and training (for the most part).

However, we missed the entire spring season and they delayed in formally recognizing this until basically today.

We've known since March time frame that there would realistically not be a spring season given the decision until 6/10 to stay at home by Governor. So, yeah a few of us aren't happy getting a small refund after this wait. I am very suspicious of their delay as I think they were just trying to pro-rate and keep as much money as possible.

You can suggest that they need to pay their staff but any and all organizations would be required to pay back in full the cost of services not rendered. I don't know how many of us would not have minded zoom/check ins the past couple months for our kids as substitutes for not playing because let's face it, it's just not the same. I would have preferred they were honest and called the season in April and gave us a reasonable refund. Our coaches are great but again, let's face it, there are small businesses including summer camps which are impacted by losing business but they've all done the right thing and refunded customers. I'm not sure why soccer coaches get a break from doing the right thing? I'd entertain helping support the staff by way of fundraisers or other methods if they are truly seeking funds to pay staff, but to do what they did in order to keep the organization running is simply not the right way to go about a business, and travel soccer is ultimately a business. I was going to sign my kid up for next season but I'd be throwing money away.

[Anonymous]

You can suggest that they need to pay their staff but any and all organizations would be required to pay back in full the cost of services not rendered. I don't know how many of us would not have minded zoom/check ins the past couple months for our kids as substitutes for not playing because let's face it, it's just not the same. I would have preferred they were honest and called the season in April and gave us a reasonable refund. Our coaches are great but again, let's face it, there are small businesses including summer camps which are impacted by losing business but they've all done the right thing and refunded customers. I'm not sure why soccer coaches get a break from doing the right thing? I'd entertain helping support the staff by way of fundraisers or other methods if they are truly seeking funds to pay staff, but to do what they did in order to keep the organization running is simply not the right way to go about a business, and travel soccer is ultimately a business. I was going to sign my kid up for next season but I'd be throwing money away.

I'm OP and I don't really agree. I want my child's coach to get paid because he is great and will be with ASA again next year, and with one of my kids next year. But I really, really doubt he is getting paid $500 per kid per season. If he is, ok, then I am satisfied with the credit and will move on.

[Anonymous]

25% financial assistance seems low in comparison to surrounding clubs. oh yeah, director's money. let's go!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

You can suggest that they need to pay their staff but any and all organizations would be required to pay back in full the cost of services not rendered. I don't know how many of us would not have minded zoom/check ins the past couple months for our kids as substitutes for not playing because let's face it, it's just not the same. I would have preferred they were honest and called the season in April and gave us a reasonable refund. Our coaches are great but again, let's face it, there are small businesses including summer camps which are impacted by losing business but they've all done the right thing and refunded customers. I'm not sure why soccer coaches get a break from doing the right thing? I'd entertain helping support the staff by way of fundraisers or other methods if they are truly seeking funds to pay staff, but to do what they did in order to keep the organization running is simply not the right way to go about a business, and travel soccer is ultimately a business. I was going to sign my kid up for next season but I'd be throwing money away.

I'm OP and I don't really agree. I want my child's coach to get paid because he is great and will be with ASA again next year, and with one of my kids next year. But I really, really doubt he is getting paid $500 per kid per season. If he is, ok, then I am satisfied with the credit and will move on.

I too don't mind giving Tommy some money. Maybe we can start a gofundme page

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP you are correct in that Alex is a very decent club. Love their fields, coaches and training (for the most part).

However, we missed the entire spring season and they delayed in formally recognizing this until basically today.

We've known since March time frame that there would realistically not be a spring season given the decision until 6/10 to stay at home by Governor. So, yeah a few of us aren't happy getting a small refund after this wait. I am very suspicious of their delay as I think they were just trying to pro-rate and keep as much money as possible.

You can suggest that they need to pay their staff but any and all organizations would be required to pay back in full the cost of services not rendered. I don't know how many of us would not have minded zoom/check ins the past couple months for our kids as substitutes for not playing because let's face it, it's just not the same. I would have preferred they were honest and called the season in April and gave us a reasonable refund. Our coaches are great but again, let's face it, there are small businesses including summer camps which are impacted by losing business but they've all done the right thing and refunded customers. I'm not sure why soccer coaches get a break from doing the right thing? I'd entertain helping support the staff by way of fundraisers or other methods if they are truly seeking funds to pay staff, but to do what they did in order to keep the organization running is simply not the right way to go about a business, and travel soccer is ultimately a business. I was going to sign my kid up for next season but I'd be throwing money away.

they arent doing anything any other club isnt doing.

[Anonymous]

the refund or credit seems pretty fair to me- much more than many clubs are doing

[Anonymous]

the refund or credit seems pretty fair to me- much more than many clubs are doing

OP here. I don't agree at all. We had a kid join my child's team in the spring. That child's family paid half of the year's fees. The family got almost nothing out of the season.

[Anonymous]

We have been offered $200 credit or $150 refund for our Alexandria player. We have players with other club as well and this is a little less, but not that far off what we have been offered by that club. Not ideal obviously, but fair enough I think.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

the refund or credit seems pretty fair to me- much more than many clubs are doing

OP here. I don't agree at all. We had a kid join my child's team in the spring. That child's family paid half of the year's fees. The family got almost nothing out of the season.

We’re getting back more from a much more competitive program in the region. The issue with Alexandria is not the coaching, they are all on par with most of the clubs in the area. The Alexandria problem is club management. Simple example, they started a pro futsal team. But, professional sports teams can’t be formed as non-profits - this is like non-profit management 101 stuff. So than you have to ask, how are they funding this program? I suspect they are taking money from all the youth programs to pay the player, coach, facility, etc... expenses of the pro team. As you would suspect, the players and coaches of the pro team are all club staff. They are essentially using the community’s money to pay themselves (bloated club staff) more while hiding under the Alexandria non-profit umbrella. Any knowledgeable Board or Director of a non-profit would never have allowed this to happen. It appears to be a Blind leading the Blind situation between the Board and the Director. So although their fees are similar to other clubs, the portion of your fee directly benefitting your kid is lower.

[Anonymous]

Arlington offered the same -- $400 credit after paying $2,400 for the full year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Arlington offered the same -- $400 credit after paying $2,400 for the full year.

McLean only refunded 12% for travel and nothing for ECNL.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

You can suggest that they need to pay their staff but any and all organizations would be required to pay back in full the cost of services not rendered. I don't know how many of us would not have minded zoom/check ins the past couple months for our kids as substitutes for not playing because let's face it, it's just not the same. I would have preferred they were honest and called the season in April and gave us a reasonable refund. Our coaches are great but again, let's face it, there are small businesses including summer camps which are impacted by losing business but they've all done the right thing and refunded customers. I'm not sure why soccer coaches get a break from doing the right thing? I'd entertain helping support the staff by way of fundraisers or other methods if they are truly seeking funds to pay staff, but to do what they did in order to keep the organization running is simply not the right way to go about a business, and travel soccer is ultimately a business. I was going to sign my kid up for next season but I'd be throwing money away.

I'm OP and I don't really agree. I want my child's coach to get paid because he is great and will be with ASA again next year, and with one of my kids next year. But I really, really doubt he is getting paid $500 per kid per season. If he is, ok, then I am satisfied with the credit and will move on.

He is probably getting paid about that much per kid, maybe a tad more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Arlington offered the same -- $400 credit after paying $2,400 for the full year.

So a larger percentage of total. Alexandria is less expensive in part because they tend to play half their tourneys in house.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Kids don't play for Alexandria, but, from what I know, they charge the amount per year as just about all the other clubs. They provide as much training for the teams as all the other clubs. They have as much quality coaching coaching as just about all the other clubs. They play in good leagues. They are taght to play good soccer. They have great fields to train on. I can understand that they might not do as many "away" tournaments as others, but that is often a good thing if they get quality competition to attend. My point is...yeah, the director gets way over paid, but I don't understand what people are belly aching over? The kids are getting just as good as experience (or better) as anyone else for a similar cost. So what the hell is the problem? If the Director made it any cheaper to play there, it would probably draw even better talent and they would knock some of your kids off their teams. Then you'd be bitching about that.

But that's exactly the point - it is just as good as anywhere else, not better, but the director is paid more than anywhere else. I'm not asking it to be cheaper for my kid, but I am annoyed that they don't offer scholarships to kids who fall in the middle (low paid but not qualifying for free lunch). If they have money to burn, how about doing that instead of paying the director so much. I have a right to have a view on how the money that I pay the club is spent, right?

Two VYSA coaches of the year on the boys side and numerous top ranked top boys teams - I would say the coaching is much better than average of boys side. If your kid isn’t playing on those teams, perhaps fairer point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I cannot believe that they are offering either a $400 credit or $300 refund for the spring season when the total per year cost is just shy of $2K. We had no tournaments, no games, two 30 minute zoom sessions in lieu of three 90 minute to two hour practices per week. WTF?

OK. I am not saying you are wrong, but the point above is incomplete. You played half the season. So the question is how much they should refund out of the near $1k you paid.

It was not $1k. It was $1500 for the season for girls, higher for the boys.

Please read carefully. If you paid two k, but played half, you paid 1K for the half you did not play. Do you follow now?