VYS Soccer - better or worse?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In some age groups, VYS had huge turnouts this year, particularly the 2010 girls who had over 65 girls try out, which is enough to field 5 teams at that age group (they’re fielding 4). So, they were aggressive on their response times because they had a number of girls waiting on those slots. I feel bad for the girls who didn’t even make a team but probably would in any other age group.

I think they know exactly what they are doing, and are happy to keep the deposit from families that try out, don’t like the team placement, but don’t want to turn it down for an offer from another club.

Who is willing to pay $400 deposit - particularly if they are not on the top team and are looking elsewhere? If there is more than one family doing this, I need to be a financial advisor in Vienna.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My family have had good experiences with VYS at the younger travel ages recently; less good at the U12/U13 range several years ago, although I know coaches and staff have mostly changed since then, so it seems to be that VYS is better than it might have been in the past.

I do think it's disappointing (and sharp practice) for clubs to stagger their tryout/offer/acceptance periods rather than agree to a more coordinated approach that would provide players with the opportunity to tryout with multiple clubs, talk with multiple coaches, see what spots they are offered, and choose the club that's best for them.

For example, VYS has tryouts tonight, and will be sending out offers shortly thereafter asking parents to respond within 48 hours. Some other nearby clubs haven't even held tryouts yet. One has to assume that these clubs know exactly what they're doing to parents when they create these tryout schedules.

If you have other tryouts scheduled just tell them that, and let them know when you will respond.

Haaaaa...tried that. They stuck to their guns of 48 hours. After the FIRST of TWO tryouts. In other words, they weren't even willing to wait until tryouts were over. THIS is how you lose families.

You don't know whether they stuck to their guns - they just repeated their position but you haven't called their bluff yet. Ignore what they say and just let them know when you will tell them your decision. My money says the spot will still be there if you still want it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My family have had good experiences with VYS at the younger travel ages recently; less good at the U12/U13 range several years ago, although I know coaches and staff have mostly changed since then, so it seems to be that VYS is better than it might have been in the past.

I do think it's disappointing (and sharp practice) for clubs to stagger their tryout/offer/acceptance periods rather than agree to a more coordinated approach that would provide players with the opportunity to tryout with multiple clubs, talk with multiple coaches, see what spots they are offered, and choose the club that's best for them.

For example, VYS has tryouts tonight, and will be sending out offers shortly thereafter asking parents to respond within 48 hours. Some other nearby clubs haven't even held tryouts yet. One has to assume that these clubs know exactly what they're doing to parents when they create these tryout schedules.

If you have other tryouts scheduled just tell them that, and let them know when you will respond.

Haaaaa...tried that. They stuck to their guns of 48 hours. After the FIRST of TWO tryouts. In other words, they weren't even willing to wait until tryouts were over. THIS is how you lose families.

You don't know whether they stuck to their guns - they just repeated their position but you haven't called their bluff yet. Ignore what they say and just let them know when you will tell them your decision. My money says the spot will still be there if you still want it.

Asked for decision on May 17. Told point blank spot wouldn't be reserved. At some point you have to take people at their word. This is kids soccer, not Russian Roulette. Signed elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In some age groups, VYS had huge turnouts this year, particularly the 2010 girls who had over 65 girls try out, which is enough to field 5 teams at that age group (they’re fielding 4). So, they were aggressive on their response times because they had a number of girls waiting on those slots. I feel bad for the girls who didn’t even make a team but probably would in any other age group.

I think they know exactly what they are doing, and are happy to keep the deposit from families that try out, don’t like the team placement, but don’t want to turn it down for an offer from another club.

Who is willing to pay $400 deposit - particularly if they are not on the top team and are looking elsewhere? If there is more than one family doing this, I need to be a financial advisor in Vienna.

Have you seen the median home price in Vienna? I know 4 families that are doing this as we speak. None of the offers are for the top team.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In some age groups, VYS had huge turnouts this year, particularly the 2010 girls who had over 65 girls try out, which is enough to field 5 teams at that age group (they’re fielding 4). So, they were aggressive on their response times because they had a number of girls waiting on those slots. I feel bad for the girls who didn’t even make a team but probably would in any other age group.

I think they know exactly what they are doing, and are happy to keep the deposit from families that try out, don’t like the team placement, but don’t want to turn it down for an offer from another club.

Who is willing to pay $400 deposit - particularly if they are not on the top team and are looking elsewhere? If there is more than one family doing this, I need to be a financial advisor in Vienna.

Have you seen the median home price in Vienna? I know 4 families that are doing this as we speak. None of the offers are for the top team.

Guess it's not robbery if people are dumb enough to hand their money away.

[Anonymous]

If VYS is better than a few years ago, why more families are leaving now than before? It is time for VYS to realize that it is an expensive Rec. club that doesn’t have quality directors, coaches, league, and programs compared to the neighbor clubs. If you don't agree, just compare with Mclean, BRYC, Arlington, and SYC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If VYS is better than a few years ago, why more families are leaving now than before?

They all died of covid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In some age groups, VYS had huge turnouts this year, particularly the 2010 girls who had over 65 girls try out, which is enough to field 5 teams at that age group (they’re fielding 4). So, they were aggressive on their response times because they had a number of girls waiting on those slots. I feel bad for the girls who didn’t even make a team but probably would in any other age group.

I think they know exactly what they are doing, and are happy to keep the deposit from families that try out, don’t like the team placement, but don’t want to turn it down for an offer from another club.

Who is willing to pay $400 deposit - particularly if they are not on the top team and are looking elsewhere? If there is more than one family doing this, I need to be a financial advisor in Vienna.

Have you seen the median home price in Vienna? I know 4 families that are doing this as we speak. None of the offers are for the top team.

It is too bad. Some parents think these travel soccer "professionals" hold all the cards when they are really holding nothing. These clowns could not organize their way out of a paper bag.

[Anonymous]

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If VYS is better than a few years ago, why more families are leaving now than before? It is time for VYS to realize that it is an expensive Rec. club that doesn’t have quality directors, coaches, league, and programs compared to the neighbor clubs. If you don't agree, just compare with Mclean, BRYC, Arlington, and SYC.

What proof do you have that "more families re leaving now than before"? I suspect none.

In the younger years that I'm familiar with at least, VYS is competitive with Mclean and BRYC (my son's team has beaten both of those teams multiple times over the past year). We lost to SYC, but they play dirty and I'm confident most of those kids will fail to progress in later years.

VYS may not be the best fit for every player, but it's a good club where I've seen improvement over the last few years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If VYS is better than a few years ago, why more families are leaving now than before? It is time for VYS to realize that it is an expensive Rec. club that doesn’t have quality directors, coaches, league, and programs compared to the neighbor clubs. If you don't agree, just compare with Mclean, BRYC, Arlington, and SYC.

What proof do you have that "more families re leaving now than before"? I suspect none.

In the younger years that I'm familiar with at least, VYS is competitive with Mclean and BRYC (my son's team has beaten both of those teams multiple times over the past year). We lost to SYC, but they play dirty and I'm confident most of those kids will fail to progress in later years.

VYS may not be the best fit for every player, but it's a good club where I've seen improvement over the last few years.

Agreed. The previous post is just plain and obviously wrong with respect to what I saw on boys side U9-12. The underlying assumption - that VYS can be just like Arlington and loudoun if only it just put a little elbow grease into it, is ludicrous on its face. For a limited service area and player pool, it is an excellent club and better than a lot of surrounding clubs at earlier ages. Nobody has explained or addressed that, but I am all ears.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In some age groups, VYS had huge turnouts this year, particularly the 2010 girls who had over 65 girls try out, which is enough to field 5 teams at that age group (they’re fielding 4). So, they were aggressive on their response times because they had a number of girls waiting on those slots. I feel bad for the girls who didn’t even make a team but probably would in any other age group.

I think they know exactly what they are doing, and are happy to keep the deposit from families that try out, don’t like the team placement, but don’t want to turn it down for an offer from another club.

Who is willing to pay $400 deposit - particularly if they are not on the top team and are looking elsewhere? If there is more than one family doing this, I need to be a financial advisor in Vienna.

Have you seen the median home price in Vienna? I know 4 families that are doing this as we speak. None of the offers are for the top team.

It is too bad. Some parents think these travel soccer "professionals" hold all the cards when they are really holding nothing. These clowns could not organize their way out of a paper bag.

So.... they’re cats

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If VYS is better than a few years ago, why more families are leaving now than before? It is time for VYS to realize that it is an expensive Rec. club that doesn’t have quality directors, coaches, league, and programs compared to the neighbor clubs. If you don't agree, just compare with Mclean, BRYC, Arlington, and SYC.

What proof do you have that "more families re leaving now than before"? I suspect none.

In the younger years that I'm familiar with at least, VYS is competitive with Mclean and BRYC (my son's team has beaten both of those teams multiple times over the past year). We lost to SYC, but they play dirty and I'm confident most of those kids will fail to progress in later years.

VYS may not be the best fit for every player, but it's a good club where I've seen improvement over the last few years.

Agreed. The previous post is just plain and obviously wrong with respect to what I saw on boys side U9-12. The underlying assumption - that VYS can be just like Arlington and loudoun if only it just put a little elbow grease into it, is ludicrous on its face. For a limited service area and player pool, it is an excellent club and better than a lot of surrounding clubs at earlier ages. Nobody has explained or addressed that, but I am all ears.

Actually I don't see any reason VYS could not grow to the size of Arlington or even Loudoun. The service area and player pool are not fixed - they depend largely on the club's ability to attract customers to a greater extent than its competitors. It won't happen overnight obviously - but it could happen over a multi-year period given the right coaching staff. That said, there's no reason that the club should have this goal, and it probably doesn't. It is a perfectly good small club which provides a more than adequate option for >90% of players who live nearby, and has absolutely nothing to apologize for or be ashamed of.

[Anonymous]

The reason it won't grow beyond a certain geographical area is because of the fields they use. Yeah sure players in Reston could go play for vys, why not but why would you do that when you can just practice 10 minutes from home instead of 30. at U13+ VYS only really offers two different levels of play with two teams per age group going forward, you can find a comparable level at your own club which may have more options with three or four teams for 1 age group.. so vys doesn't offer anything unique that you can't get in your nearby closest club.

That's what it really comes down to, what does vys offer at u13+ that you can't get anywhere else nearby? Can't think of anything

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The reason it won't grow beyond a certain geographical area is because of the fields they use. Yeah sure players in Reston could go play for vys, why not but why would you do that when you can just practice 10 minutes from home instead of 30. at U13+ VYS only really offers two different levels of play with two teams per age group going forward, you can find a comparable level at your own club which may have more options with three or four teams for 1 age group.. so vys doesn't offer anything unique that you can't get in your nearby closest club.

That's what it really comes down to, what does vys offer at u13+ that you can't get anywhere else nearby? Can't think of anything

PP here. I didn't say they would just grow by accident. They would have to put in place a plan to address various issues which would include coaching staff, field space, choice of league etc. My point was merely that such a plan is possible. I also said that I doubt they intended to make any such attempt.