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Travel Soccer teams around NOVA let's discuss
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Anonymous
| Be careful, though, because some clubs (most clubs?) will brand you a trouble-maker if you complain, even if it's about something serious. They don't want drama, just parents who go along with anything. |
Anonymous
I wish travel soccer parents in this area would quit be such pussies (and I'm a woman, btw). Take a gddamn stand. So what if they label you--leave. Who wants to play for an organization like that. Everyone is so, so afraid to do the right thing. |
Anonymous
If it is with a club there should be a formal process for escalating complaints. Good luck. |
Anonymous
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How in the world is no one talking about this?
http://www.soccerwire.com/news/clubs/youth-girls/former-wags-president-urges-members-to-question-ncsl-merger-plans/ |
Anonymous
I see that this lady has some questions but she didn't pose any real thoughts as to why it shouldn't merge. So it loses it's identity. |
Anonymous
I am 46. I was around and played in WAGS in its infancy. My first years of soccer, my uniform had "Boys Club" in its name. WAGS was such a highly successful program and produced so many World Class girl players in this area in the 80s. I picked up that she is peeved that we worked so hard for the girls to get their program since NCSL and boys leagues wanted absolutely nothing to do with girls. I think this is why founders question the merge now. |
Anonymous
She also believes it is an acquisition, not a merger. I tend to agree. I'm not sure girls best interest will be front and foremost. Currently, women in this country are encouraged to play High School soccer and still end up winning a World Cup more than once. I think women in this country are doing damn well and it's not their best interest to follow the male model which had not achieved similar successes. I have sons and the layer of bureaucratic shit in their leagues, etc. is astounding. I will say I prefer NCSL to CCL because it allows for competitive matches and earning spot in top divisions. I'm not sure though what is best. I haven't been following the girls programs since the early 90s. |
Anonymous
I think she's refighting the last war. From the article, citing the letter WAGS sent to clubs:
Note that she left WAGS about a year ago. I don't know if it will be good or bad. The efficiencies cited re scheduling don't seem to be ones that require a merger - it seems like the systems are already integrated. That said, it's also not clear to me why NCSL will start screwing over girls soccer. Unless there are unique rules for girls that don't make sense for boys (or vv) having a single league seems to be more efficient. And to the extent there are differences, it's not clear why they can't accommodate them (e.g., perhaps boys should begin promotion/relegation at a younger age). |
Anonymous
I get why WAGS was necessary and important 40 years ago, but not why anyone thinks it's doing anything uniquely useful for girls now, other than perhaps operating the WAGS tournament. My kids have played in both WAGS and NCSL, and would say that playing in WAGS offered zero benefits that my son didn't get from NCSL. It's just a league. Now that there are plenty to choose from, it's the clubs and teams that shape the kids' experiences with soccer. NCSL has always seemed much more transparent than WAGS overall, and the clear promotion/relegation component of it is wonderful in my view. Also not sure what PP means in saying that girls should not follow the male model. The youth soccer model is pretty much the same for boys and girls in this country, except that the boys' have a lot more opportunities to have a successful professional career than girls do, as is true of most women's v. men's sports. Not sure how the fact that the women's senior national team has been more successful than the men's has anything to do with WAGS either. I agree with the poster who said the author seems to be refighting the last war, and she also seems to be carrying big grudge about a slight that happened 40 years ago. I think most of her questions are worth considering though--if she's portrayed the situation correctly, it's not clear why there wasn't more consultation with those who would be voting on the change. |
Anonymous
| the crazy thing is we are talking about u9-u10 soccer ... hate to break the news to everyone but the parents worrying about whats the best team for their kid are blind,, there are no young Messi or Ronaldos out there with parents seeking out clubs to pay to make their kids the next pro player. those kids will be found long before you try to find a team to get them to the next level. the truth is 99.9% of travel parents need to understand just because you have money for pay to play doesn't make your kid talented. 99.9% of the kids that make even $1.00 as a pro are either A. from a less than average family income level or B. they are children of either former high level college or professional athletes. Travel soccer is a great way for your kids to learn teamwork and the proper way to play the game but to even think that by paying to play in the club system your kid is getting that scholarship or paycheck is just as bad as the person buying lottery tickets every week waiting to win..Hate to tell most of the upper class travel parents out there. but you can take the best u9 travel team in the area and put them up against a group of u9 lower income central american imigrant kids who play pick up soccer together regularly and i think you would be disappointed in the return your getting for your $2000.00 travel fees. |
Anonymous
Valid point and I am from the camp understanding that my son may not be a professional player however just like any investment I will do my diligence to make sure my 2k is well invested to a club with good coaches and with a focus on player development. Wouldnt want to invest it in a club where my son won't grow or to be yelled at by a coach to punt the ball across the field. With that said I aint driving 2 counties over to find the best club..all within a reasonable distance. Also like I tell my son every day...studies first..soccer second. |
Anonymous
Well, my kids aren't Central American, and neither is Christian Pulisic. As a former D1 player married with an NCAA record married to a former Professional player, I'd warn you to be careful to rush to judgement about the "upper class" parents on your sidelines. Many of us don't broadcast our credentials. I lament the quality of the programs and coaches out there. Since both my kids parents have professional degrees and work long hours, we don't have time to coach them ourselves. This is the US after all. However, we aren't willing to throw $3k out the window to a program or people that don't know what they are doing. And it's a long stress to accuse every parent out there that demands more for their $ as somebody as delusional in thinking their kid is Pele. No, we would at least like them to get the quality training we were able to get in our youth. Unfortunately, nowadays the system is so incredibly diluted and f-ed up. Nothing you say is news. Unless we uproot our children there is no way they would be exposed to the soccer culture that produces greatness. They can't even find a decent pickup game after school. |
Anonymous
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^+1
I actually found a pick up game spot filled with talented immigrant children. My blonde children beg me to drive them there every night they don't have a formal practice. They have street cred on that pitch now and our often first picks. You want to know what my oldest asks me: why does my club pay $/scholarship for the fat slow ones when we could have one of these kids? Politically incorrect, but very astute. 
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Anonymous
| I wish I can find an honest poll about how many parents do travel soccer because they think their kid will be the next Messi or expect him to become pro or even get a scholarship. I know I don't. Just because my son isn't born of professionals or isn't of Latin decent, he shouldn't try? My son loves soccer. I'm fortunate enough to be able to afford travel soccer and supplemental training. If he's willing to work hard at it and continues to improve and love it, I'll support him whether he ends up in SFL, ODSL, NCSL, CCL, DA, HS team, College, or whatever. I really don't want to hear the...your kid won't be pro so why do the little things matter. They matter because I know that I'm trying to do the best for my kid because he's trying his best. |
Anonymous
I'm the poster 2 posts up (pro and college playing parents) and I so agree. There is a huge degree of difference between thinking you have a Messinand helping your child navigate this screwed up US soccer system. It's such a defeatist attitude and I think perpetuated by frustrated low level travel coaches to write every parent off as delusional. As a woman, I find I played at a higher level and accomplished more than 98% of the coaches at my children's club. If my kids want to be the best they can be and are passionate, (and mine have a long family history of high level success in the family, including National team player/pro), then I will find them the best training in a reasonable travel distance and it may not be our home club. But, hey, I'm just some "soccer mom", a term I find so insulting and derogatory to former players like myself, especially when it comes out of the mouth of some guy whose highest level played was HS and his coaching accolades are "JV HS soccer coach". And, plenty of none poor kids all over the world are having success in soccer. Just look at Bayern Munich, those German/European players did not come from dirt poor backgrounds/third world. They did have great coaching young though! |