Travel Soccer teams around NOVA let's discuss

[Anonymous]

So every other player in the club will be charged $10-15 more so those players get to play for free and have priority on fields and club resources. How does the U12 boys DA help older kids? Help the girl players? And how many of those players are really hurting for money?

It's a great deal for those 20 or so kids who are chosen, but not so much for everybody else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Arlington, Loudoun and McLean awarded Boys Development Academies for U12 age group.

http://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2016/02/02/00/58/160201-academy-adds-56-clubs-at-under-12-division-for-2016-17-season

Because the DA kids receive reduced fees, it means everyone else in the club pays for the lucky kids who make the team.

Surprising that McLean was awarded a DA so soon after losing the DA for their older boys only a few years ago.

So how does it work? How many total kids are in it--just one team- the A team? Do they keep the same coach?

Even more motivation to leave a club that ignores the bottom 3/4s.

There will only be one U12 DA team per club. If it's structured like the current U13/U14 DA, the minimum roster size is 16, and the max is 23. That doesn't include Developmental Players (DPs) who can be added to the rosters throughout the year, and are not subject to the 25% minimum start time requirements that apply to regularly rostered players.

Typically clubs put their best coaches in DA roles, because the DA coaches and team performance is evaluated by US soccer and affect whether the club gets to stay in DA or add additional DA teams at older ages.

We have had a very positive experience with the DA for our son who is now in high school. If the logistics make sense, I'd definitely recommend that parents with serious players of the right age think about having their kids try out, especially given that the expansion means travel is unlikely to be onerous.

How do they scout/evaluate players ? Hold a couple tryouts and pick the biggest and fastest 12 year olds already in their club teams?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So every other player in the club will be charged $10-15 more so those players get to play for free and have priority on fields and club resources. How does the U12 boys DA help older kids? Help the girl players? And how many of those players are really hurting for money?

It's a great deal for those 20 or so kids who are chosen, but not so much for everybody else.

I'd be surprised if the U12 DA were free at any of these clubs; more likely, the DA kids will pay a reduced rate. In terms of older kids, some clubs that get one DA age group will later be awarded full DA status. No clue whether that would happen with these three clubs, and presumably there would need to be a merger of multiple clubs at the DA level for that to happen. Last year SAC had U13/U14 DA only, and they merged at the DA level with Baltimore Bays and Pipeline to get full DA status. Kids at those three clubs ended up with the bulk of the DA spots.

Who knows what will happen for the girls given that a girls' DA is coming but no one knows which clubs will get the nod.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Arlington, Loudoun and McLean awarded Boys Development Academies for U12 age group.

http://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2016/02/02/00/58/160201-academy-adds-56-clubs-at-under-12-division-for-2016-17-season

Because the DA kids receive reduced fees, it means everyone else in the club pays for the lucky kids who make the team.

Surprising that McLean was awarded a DA so soon after losing the DA for their older boys only a few years ago.

So how does it work? How many total kids are in it--just one team- the A team? Do they keep the same coach?

Even more motivation to leave a club that ignores the bottom 3/4s.

There will only be one U12 DA team per club. If it's structured like the current U13/U14 DA, the minimum roster size is 16, and the max is 23. That doesn't include Developmental Players (DPs) who can be added to the rosters throughout the year, and are not subject to the 25% minimum start time requirements that apply to regularly rostered players.

Typically clubs put their best coaches in DA roles, because the DA coaches and team performance is evaluated by US soccer and affect whether the club gets to stay in DA or add additional DA teams at older ages.

We have had a very positive experience with the DA for our son who is now in high school. If the logistics make sense, I'd definitely recommend that parents with serious players of the right age think about having their kids try out, especially given that the expansion means travel is unlikely to be onerous.

How do they scout/evaluate players ? Hold a couple tryouts and pick the biggest and fastest 12 year olds already in their club teams?

Because soccer is not about ball-skill---just physical size at least the way they pick players in the US.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

How do they scout/evaluate players ? Hold a couple tryouts and pick the biggest and fastest 12 year olds already in their club teams?

I'm sure there will be tryouts announced in the spring, but who gets picked totally depends on the club playing style (if there is one) and the coach. Some of last year's U14 teams had plenty of small, skillful, younger players (PWSI, DC United, and Bethesda among them) while others like SAC had mostly big, strong, older kids. It's hard to play at this level if you're not fast. US Soccer evaluates the style of play for each DA team and I gather clubs get negative feedback if the teams are playing ugly soccer.

Teams will likely end up having a mix of kids they see as the best in the club for the age group and the best of those who show up at tryouts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Arlington, Loudoun and McLean awarded Boys Development Academies for U12 age group.

http://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2016/02/02/00/58/160201-academy-adds-56-clubs-at-under-12-division-for-2016-17-season

Because the DA kids receive reduced fees, it means everyone else in the club pays for the lucky kids who make the team.

Surprising that McLean was awarded a DA so soon after losing the DA for their older boys only a few years ago.

Does this mean that McLean, Arlington and Loudoun will have to leave the CCL because they won't be putting their top U12 teams in it?? PWSI had to withdraw when it got a U14 DA team last year, right?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Arlington, Loudoun and McLean awarded Boys Development Academies for U12 age group.

http://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2016/02/02/00/58/160201-academy-adds-56-clubs-at-under-12-division-for-2016-17-season

Because the DA kids receive reduced fees, it means everyone else in the club pays for the lucky kids who make the team.

Surprising that McLean was awarded a DA so soon after losing the DA for their older boys only a few years ago.

Does this mean that McLean, Arlington and Loudoun will have to leave the CCL because they won't be putting their top U12 teams in it?? PWSI had to withdraw when it got a U14 DA team last year, right?

Why? McLean gets around the rule on the girls side with their ECNL teams unless they are dual rostering kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Arlington, Loudoun and McLean awarded Boys Development Academies for U12 age group.

http://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2016/02/02/00/58/160201-academy-adds-56-clubs-at-under-12-division-for-2016-17-season

Because the DA kids receive reduced fees, it means everyone else in the club pays for the lucky kids who make the team.

Surprising that McLean was awarded a DA so soon after losing the DA for their older boys only a few years ago.

Does this mean that McLean, Arlington and Loudoun will have to leave the CCL because they won't be putting their top U12 teams in it?? PWSI had to withdraw when it got a U14 DA team last year, right?

Why? McLean gets around the rule on the girls side with their ECNL teams unless they are dual rostering kids.

Not sure why there was an ECNL exception for McLean, but my understanding is that both PWSI and Bethesda withdrew from CCL once they got DA status because of the CCL top team rule.

[Anonymous]

McLean is saying there will be a 24-26 player pool composed of two teams and that McLean will continue to field "highly competitive CCL teams" in the U-12 age group.

[Anonymous]

"Surprising that McLean was awarded a DA so soon after losing the DA for their older boys only a few years ago. "

I am surprised about McLean also and it makes me wonder what all has gone on behind the scenes there from the time before they received the DA, to losing the DA, to the present. They do seem to have been rebuilding and have some strong teams in the younger age groups. This seems like a positive development towards rebuilding/creating their "brand" if they can do a better job this time around.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

How do they scout/evaluate players ? Hold a couple tryouts and pick the biggest and fastest 12 year olds already in their club teams?

I'm sure there will be tryouts announced in the spring, but who gets picked totally depends on the club playing style (if there is one) and the coach. Some of last year's U14 teams had plenty of small, skillful, younger players (PWSI, DC United, and Bethesda among them) while others like SAC had mostly big, strong, older kids. It's hard to play at this level if you're not fast. US Soccer evaluates the style of play for each DA team and I gather clubs get negative feedback if the teams are playing ugly soccer.

Teams will likely end up having a mix of kids they see as the best in the club for the age group and the best of those who show up at tryouts.

It will be filled with Jan-June birthdays---very few end of the year birthdays. Historically, the DA teams have always been filled with the oldest players.

[Anonymous]

I am a bit confused about the age groups, as it is not clear whether next year the DA teams will use the same age groups as the travel teams.
In 2016-17, will the U12 DA teams be composed of 2004 players or 2005 ones?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a bit confused about the age groups, as it is not clear whether next year the DA teams will use the same age groups as the travel teams.
In 2016-17, will the U12 DA teams be composed of 2004 players or 2005 ones?

I was told my 2005 son will be U-11 next year. The 2006 will play another year of U-10

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am a bit confused about the age groups, as it is not clear whether next year the DA teams will use the same age groups as the travel teams.
In 2016-17, will the U12 DA teams be composed of 2004 players or 2005 ones?

I was told my 2005 son will be U-11 next year. The 2006 will play another year of U-10

Although- this goes against what was published by US soccer today which shows 2005 as U-12 next year. I'm not sure if my club will revise their answer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

How do they scout/evaluate players ? Hold a couple tryouts and pick the biggest and fastest 12 year olds already in their club teams?

I'm sure there will be tryouts announced in the spring, but who gets picked totally depends on the club playing style (if there is one) and the coach. Some of last year's U14 teams had plenty of small, skillful, younger players (PWSI, DC United, and Bethesda among them) while others like SAC had mostly big, strong, older kids. It's hard to play at this level if you're not fast. US Soccer evaluates the style of play for each DA team and I gather clubs get negative feedback if the teams are playing ugly soccer.

Teams will likely end up having a mix of kids they see as the best in the club for the age group and the best of those who show up at tryouts.

It will be filled with Jan-June birthdays---very few end of the year birthdays. Historically, the DA teams have always been filled with the oldest players.

Again, depends on the club. Look at The rosters for Bethesda and DC United. You'll see a broad range of birth months as well as significant numbers of kids playing up a year or two.