Travel Soccer teams around NOVA let's discuss

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Somewhere in this thread (maybe its removed now) someone was talking about "destination" clubs and implying McLean, Arlington, and BRYC are those clubs to name a few. Why is BRYC a destination club. What do they have that say Vienna doesn't. I realize that VYS might be chaotic at the moment but let's say even 3 years ago when it was more stable or even a month or so ago when they brought in new leadership. Anyway...I don't want it to be about what VYS doesn't have, the question is what does BRYC have to make it a destination club. Is their pre-U9 rec league quality? I don't think their U9s or U10s have much going for them, but their older teams are quality, correct?

I think BRYC is considered a "destination" club because the club as a whole had 7 state cup finalist teams in 2014-2015 -- more than any other NoVA club. And BRYC is currently behind only Loudon, Arlington and Beach FC in the CCL league standings among the 16 CCL clubs across all ages (both M and F). And there is also the fact that their U16 girls won THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP in 2012.

These types of results contribute to making BRYC a desireable club for kids looking for more competitive play.

I agree with your comment that BRYC's teams become more competitive as they get older, in part because the club-wide focus on a possession style of play starts to pay off competitively at the older ages.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Somewhere in this thread (maybe its removed now) someone was talking about "destination" clubs and implying McLean, Arlington, and BRYC are those clubs to name a few. Why is BRYC a destination club. What do they have that say Vienna doesn't. I realize that VYS might be chaotic at the moment but let's say even 3 years ago when it was more stable or even a month or so ago when they brought in new leadership. Anyway...I don't want it to be about what VYS doesn't have, the question is what does BRYC have to make it a destination club. Is their pre-U9 rec league quality? I don't think their U9s or U10s have much going for them, but their older teams are quality, correct?

In BRYC, the coaching at U9 and U10 for both boys and girls is strong. They teach foot skills and the fundamentals of possession style play. This means these U9 and U10 teams won't always win against bigger/faster/stronger teams or kick-and-run teams. But for those players who stick around (even when the game results aren't there at an early age), they emerge as skillful/solid teams/players at U12 and up. The coaches emphasize to parents that at these young ages, it's not about winning, it's about learning to play the game correctly. Doesn't mean every team is great across all age groups at BRYC, and that some coaches aren't better than others, but, overall, I think they have a solid curriculum that is followed club-wide. My kids haven't played in Arlington or McLean, but I get the sense from playing against them, that they have similar strengths as evidenced by the teams that emerge at the middle school ages. I also get the sense that all 3 clubs have strong club infrastructure (which contributes to consistency) and sheer volume which helps them weather staff and player turnover better than other clubs. Not sure what's gone awry in VYS as they have both size and structure but I guess that's what's covered in the past 100+ pages.

[Anonymous]

And...in BRYC (at least in my experience), there is very little interaction between the rec/house side and the travel side of the club. At least on the girls' side, players seem to come from other travel clubs versus from the BRYC rec pool.

[Anonymous]

Agree that the BRYC brand is extremely strong, and sorry to shift back to VYS for a minute . . . just wish that the grownups in our fragmented community could find a way to work together and rebuild so we have a club that's worthy of the soccer-loving kids in Vienna, house and travel, travel and house, who, like other young athletes, need caring, focused coaches and places to play and the chance to have fun and be part of the global game in their own neighborhoods. A lot to ask.

[Anonymous]

Maybe the strategy at VYS is to irritate the current Vienna people into leaving and then recruiting new players from outside the club. I wish I was kidding. Sigh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Somewhere in this thread (maybe its removed now) someone was talking about "destination" clubs and implying McLean, Arlington, and BRYC are those clubs to name a few. Why is BRYC a destination club. What do they have that say Vienna doesn't. I realize that VYS might be chaotic at the moment but let's say even 3 years ago when it was more stable or even a month or so ago when they brought in new leadership. Anyway...I don't want it to be about what VYS doesn't have, the question is what does BRYC have to make it a destination club. Is their pre-U9 rec league quality? I don't think their U9s or U10s have much going for them, but their older teams are quality, correct?

In BRYC, the coaching at U9 and U10 for both boys and girls is strong. They teach foot skills and the fundamentals of possession style play. This means these U9 and U10 teams won't always win against bigger/faster/stronger teams or kick-and-run teams. But for those players who stick around (even when the game results aren't there at an early age), they emerge as skillful/solid teams/players at U12 and up. The coaches emphasize to parents that at these young ages, it's not about winning, it's about learning to play the game correctly. Doesn't mean every team is great across all age groups at BRYC, and that some coaches aren't better than others, but, overall, I think they have a solid curriculum that is followed club-wide. My kids haven't played in Arlington or McLean, but I get the sense from playing against them, that they have similar strengths as evidenced by the teams that emerge at the middle school ages. I also get the sense that all 3 clubs have strong club infrastructure (which contributes to consistency) and sheer volume which helps them weather staff and player turnover better than other clubs. Not sure what's gone awry in VYS as they have both size and structure but I guess that's what's covered in the past 100+ pages.

In addition to all the points already made about the high performing older BRYC teams, good college placement record, good coaching, lots of state finalists/nationally ranked teams, and a focus on possession style of play, I think BRYC also benefits from being centrally located in Northern Virginia. The practice fields in Fairfax are probably reachable for most families in Northern Virginia.

Based on where we lived, we had to rule out Loudoun, PWSI, McLean and some other strong teams/clubs because it would be an hour round trip to their practice locales during the afternoons/evening. But BRYC was in our realistic "driving zone". I would venture that of the kids/parents looking to change teams, a relatively lower percentage have to rule out BRYC based on geography as compared to other clubs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Somewhere in this thread (maybe its removed now) someone was talking about "destination" clubs and implying McLean, Arlington, and BRYC are those clubs to name a few. Why is BRYC a destination club. What do they have that say Vienna doesn't. I realize that VYS might be chaotic at the moment but let's say even 3 years ago when it was more stable or even a month or so ago when they brought in new leadership. Anyway...I don't want it to be about what VYS doesn't have, the question is what does BRYC have to make it a destination club. Is their pre-U9 rec league quality? I don't think their U9s or U10s have much going for them, but their older teams are quality, correct?

In BRYC, the coaching at U9 and U10 for both boys and girls is strong. They teach foot skills and the fundamentals of possession style play. This means these U9 and U10 teams won't always win against bigger/faster/stronger teams or kick-and-run teams. But for those players who stick around (even when the game results aren't there at an early age), they emerge as skillful/solid teams/players at U12 and up. The coaches emphasize to parents that at these young ages, it's not about winning, it's about learning to play the game correctly. Doesn't mean every team is great across all age groups at BRYC, and that some coaches aren't better than others, but, overall, I think they have a solid curriculum that is followed club-wide. My kids haven't played in Arlington or McLean, but I get the sense from playing against them, that they have similar strengths as evidenced by the teams that emerge at the middle school ages. I also get the sense that all 3 clubs have strong club infrastructure (which contributes to consistency) and sheer volume which helps them weather staff and player turnover better than other clubs. Not sure what's gone awry in VYS as they have both size and structure but I guess that's what's covered in the past 100+ pages.

In addition to all the points already made about the high performing older BRYC teams, good college placement record, good coaching, lots of state finalists/nationally ranked teams, and a focus on possession style of play, I think BRYC also benefits from being centrally located in Northern Virginia. The practice fields in Fairfax are probably reachable for most families in Northern Virginia.

Based on where we lived, we had to rule out Loudoun, PWSI, McLean and some other strong teams/clubs because it would be an hour round trip to their practice locales during the afternoons/evening. But BRYC was in our realistic "driving zone". I would venture that of the kids/parents looking to change teams, a relatively lower percentage have to rule out BRYC based on geography as compared to other clubs.

I meant to say that it would be an hour ONE WAY to those clubs!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe the strategy at VYS is to irritate the current Vienna people into leaving and then recruiting new players from outside the club. I wish I was kidding. Sigh.

Wrong.

[Anonymous]

How much does BRYC cost at like U9/U10? The website says $1650 for club fees PLUS team fees. Any idea how much the true total cost is per year including anything supplemental like maybe a futsal league that the kids join or a camp that most kids join, etc. Also team fees include tournaments...do they do many "far" tournaments that will require hotel stays and stuff? Can anyone provide an estimated "true" annual cost for BRYC at U9, U10, ages and how much it increases over time?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How much does BRYC cost at like U9/U10? The website says $1650 for club fees PLUS team fees. Any idea how much the true total cost is per year including anything supplemental like maybe a futsal league that the kids join or a camp that most kids join, etc. Also team fees include tournaments...do they do many "far" tournaments that will require hotel stays and stuff? Can anyone provide an estimated "true" annual cost for BRYC at U9, U10, ages and how much it increases over time?

I can't speak to current U9/U10 costs, but for the older very competitive BRYC teams, the true cost goes up dramatically. BRYC is rather conservative in the number of "far" tournaments their teams enter, but to play at the highest levels means trips to Florida for Disney Showcase, trips to Vegas and North Carolina for National League play, trips to Pennsylvania for FC Delco tournament, other trips to Pennsylvania for Region 1 Champions League play.

So if you add in all the hotel/flight/gas costs plus the annual team fees, the annual true cost at the older ages is probably $6-8k per year. I'm sure it is not much different at the other local clubs for teams playing at the same level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How much does BRYC cost at like U9/U10? The website says $1650 for club fees PLUS team fees. Any idea how much the true total cost is per year including anything supplemental like maybe a futsal league that the kids join or a camp that most kids join, etc. Also team fees include tournaments...do they do many "far" tournaments that will require hotel stays and stuff? Can anyone provide an estimated "true" annual cost for BRYC at U9, U10, ages and how much it increases over time?

I can't speak to current U9/U10 costs, but for the older very competitive BRYC teams, the true cost goes up dramatically. BRYC is rather conservative in the number of "far" tournaments their teams enter, but to play at the highest levels means trips to Florida for Disney Showcase, trips to Vegas and North Carolina for National League play, trips to Pennsylvania for FC Delco tournament, other trips to Pennsylvania for Region 1 Champions League play.

So if you add in all the hotel/flight/gas costs plus the annual team fees, the annual true cost at the older ages is probably $6-8k per year. I'm sure it is not much different at the other local clubs for teams playing at the same level.

Just to reiterate the poster's point, people should understand that this price is for a high-level, nationally-competitive team, and like the poster said, would not be that different from any other team competing at the same level. If you have a daughter doing ECNL for example, teams may go to showcase events in San Diego, Phoenix or beautiful Greer, SC, and enjoying bus rides to Indiana, Ohio and NC. If your DC is on the B team (BRYC or ECNL), travel expenses would be much less.

Top soccer players in the area also benefit from having very high level tournaments located nearby, such as Bethesda, Jeff Cup and WAGS (for girls), and with CASL and Delco being in driving distance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And lastly, i think its worth mentioning. If any family in the vienna area is searching for a soccer program/camp for their youngsters, I would highly recommend Jane Dawber. My daughter has worked with her and she still talks about her. Its a shame VYS drove her out. She was a great asset. They have driven out all of their quality employees. They cant even keep the individuals they put into place after they wiped out their entire technical staff. I know at least one director and executive director that couldnt even tolerate that dysfunction for a full year.

If VYS is having low parent participation in the house/rec program, they should decrease the size of the teams and create more teams. If there are no coach volunteers there is NO spot for your kid to play. House soccer should be a volunteer/parent led program. This worked in re-building our house program during the two years it took to rebuild our club following a TD swap.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Anyone have the scoop on what happened? Seems to have happened suddenly so I assume something cause such an abrupt departure (if he has in fact departed, which VYS has yet to confirm, despite rumors on here).

She's gone. Hear it had something to do generally with board behavior and specifically with allocation of travel/house resources and very strong/aggressive opinions on subject by some BOD members. BOD is dominated by active travel parents, and the money generated from house program is constantly being diverted to pay for travel staff salaries, so that may have something to do with it. Not sure where ED fell in that debate though or what exactly happened to cause resignation.

VYS will never achieve balance until house parents start participating in club and asserting themselves. Right now, a small circle of travel soccer dads controls everything. That's the problem. Board should be representative of club as a whole, not a small politically active subgroup looking out for their own interests.

House parents did make some comments, but there will just always be a minority of house parents compared to travel parents. At the time of Eddie's departure the focus was on travel and how to make it better. This thread I think had an effect on parents who were nervous travel wasn't as strong. We just have young kids, so I'm not sure what was going on with the older ages, but we saw parents of U8/U9 kids uncomfortable seeing their kids lose to kids in leagues where they started travel earlier. Even though they could see that Vienna had 4, sometimes even 5 travel teams per age while other clubs only had 1 or 2. So they put pressure to better the travel program at the expense I think of some of the crossover programs. Hopefully now the travel program is a bit better controlled and now they can focus on making the house and crossover programs better.

[Anonymous]

If VYS makes changes, I really hope they don't get rid of the weaker ODSL teams (the "D" or "E" teams) -- have heard idle chatter to this effect -- UNLESS they fix the House issues first. I'm happy to pay through the nose for "glorified House" just to avoid the harsh coaches, cheating commissioners, and, most of all, untrained, timid refs (no foul, however violent, was ever called; no mid-game concussion-type collision was ever noticed) we used to struggle with in VYS House. I'm not going to plaster my car with ODSL stickers like my neighbors seem to be doing, because the level of play is usually nothing to brag about (there are moments), but I'm excited for my kid to have found a pretty good soccer experience somewhere. So please keep offering the ODSL teams, VYS deciders.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If VYS makes changes, I really hope they don't get rid of the weaker ODSL teams (the "D" or "E" teams) -- have heard idle chatter to this effect -- UNLESS they fix the House issues first. I'm happy to pay through the nose for "glorified House" just to avoid the harsh coaches, cheating commissioners, and, most of all, untrained, timid refs (no foul, however violent, was ever called; no mid-game concussion-type collision was ever noticed) we used to struggle with in VYS House. I'm not going to plaster my car with ODSL stickers like my neighbors seem to be doing, because the level of play is usually nothing to brag about (there are moments), but I'm excited for my kid to have found a pretty good soccer experience somewhere. So please keep offering the ODSL teams, VYS deciders.

I think this goes for ALL clubs. ODSL is getting tiny -- CCL and others are taking teams away from NCSL, so NCSL now allows three teams per club in many age groups -- and I think that's a shame. It really serves a purpose. Some kids move up to NCSL and elsewhere. Others just get a good experience.