Travel Soccer teams around NOVA let's discuss

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Yes. I will suggest a 'sick out' with the other parents who all are bitching about the drive. Nobody wants to leave because the club is local and practices are 10 min away so they put up with this sh*t, but if 95% of the team calls out sick on VA Beach game day maybe they will start making change. Teamsters unite!

NO NO NO.
Parents do not get to dictate to the club or the league what decisions get made. If you don't want to drive and put in the time commitment, DO NOT JOIN THAT TEAM and take the spot away from another kid who IS WILLING to commit. THAT IS LETTING DOWN THE WHOLE TEAM and is a morale buster. You go where it is a good fit for you, you don't join a club then start bitching and moaning and wanting to change things to suit your priorities. If your priority isn't soccer, then soccer isn't for you. END OF STORY.

I wonder what would happen if no one was willing to play for the "A" team. I've seen a lot of good players either depart the club or ask to be on a "B" team so they won't have to travel. After a while, the "B" teams in NCSL can easily end up surpassing the "A" team in VPL!

Operative word being TRAVEL. If you don't want to TRAVEL, don't play TRAVEL SOCCER.

I'm not sure which I find more amusing, that they didn't look into the league the team plays in before joining the team, or that somehow their leaving for a NCSL team would suddenly make the NCSL team better somehow. They don't quite understand that the best kids on the NCSL team would simply move up and take their NPL spot.

You all may be shocked to hear this, but I've seen NPL teams substantially weakened by players departing for teams that travel less.

It DOES happen. There are plenty of parents who are not buying into this. (Just as there are some parents whose kids have the talent to play travel, but the family opts for rec league.)

And yet the team still didn't collapse. Just join another team where you will be happy.

No, but it went 0-8, mostly losing blowouts.

You are a Grade A Douche Bag. Just leave the team.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I don't understand why people are so resistant to DISCUSSING travel.

Simply put, there is nothing to "DISCUSS" about the traveling part of TRAVEL SOCCER. By it's very name and purpose, one must TRAVEL. I cannot fathom why this is a concept lost on you. IF you don't want to travel, THEN DON'T - your option is to participate with a team/club/league that doesn't travel. Stop thinking you can change the landscape and mission of COMPETITIVE TRAVEL SOCCER because your lazy ass isn't into traveling. People like you is what craps on the travel experience for people who ARE a part of the landscape and culture of TRAVEL SOCCER because people like you is what holds back the teams and players who WANT to travel and can't because so-and-so's parents are too lazy to travel somewhere over 30-minutes, so the away game has to be forfeited, or rescheduled to a closer venue, or another lower level tournament has to be picked because some lazy parent doesn't want to COMMIT TO THE TRAVEL and has to pitch a fit about it, therefore RUINING IT for the whole rest of the team.
[u][/b]

Don't parents have a right to ask whether traveling four hours each way for a league game is really productive?

NO. IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT GO SOMEWHERE ELSE.

Soccer is losing participants, and it's having a really tough time keeping the doors open for people who don't have unlimited time and money. Wouldn't SOCCER be better off if fewer resources went to the interstates and more went to the fields?

NO. IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT GO SOMEWHERE ELSE. If your kid needs a ride, THEN ASK, if you need financial aid, THEN ASK. If you don't want to travel to compete at a higher level, then play HOUSE/REC if you're such a home-body. Honestly, you CLEARLY don't understand what travel soccer is all about.

preach!!

[Anonymous]

Well I guess that's the end of THAT nonsense.

[Anonymous]

Dang tough crowd today. We finally dont have rain. Enjoy the weather.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well I guess that's the end of THAT nonsense.

No, I think the "QUIT WHINING ABOUT TRAVEL BLAH BLAH BLAH I'M NOT LISTENING" guy hangs out here a lot.

Meanwhile, soccer continues to be a rich person's sport, to US Soccer's detriment.

Look, Dude Who Called Me A Douchebag -- my kid isn't on that team. I just know a ridiculous situation when I see it. And I care about this SPORT. Not just how it reflects the Awesomeness of my Long-Distance Travel Family.

And when my friends tell me they're sick of soccer because of crap like this, I start questioning whether it's necessary.

And "just play in NCSL" doesn't help. NCSL and ODSL could be more regionalized than they are (there are some long drives in there, too), but it's difficult because we have so many different leagues now. If everyone played in one league, we could more readily have divisions that are 60 miles across instead of 340.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well I guess that's the end of THAT nonsense.

No, I think the "QUIT WHINING ABOUT TRAVEL BLAH BLAH BLAH I'M NOT LISTENING" guy hangs out here a lot.

Meanwhile, soccer continues to be a rich person's sport, to US Soccer's detriment.

Look, Dude Who Called Me A Douchebag -- my kid isn't on that team. I just know a ridiculous situation when I see it. And I care about this SPORT. Not just how it reflects the Awesomeness of my Long-Distance Travel Family.

And when my friends tell me they're sick of soccer because of crap like this, I start questioning whether it's necessary.

And "just play in NCSL" doesn't help. NCSL and ODSL could be more regionalized than they are (there are some long drives in there, too), but it's difficult because we have so many different leagues now. If everyone played in one league, we could more readily have divisions that are 60 miles across instead of 340.

It isn't necessary. You don't need to have your kid play soccer. Rec is available, challenge leagues are available. But you are arguing against the market on this one here. So, sure, while you may know parents that complain about the trave, well, play a house league then if you find EVERY league to be too regional.

I hate to say it, but it is becoming more and more clear, that TRAVEL SOCCER is not for you. Have your kid play in a developmental, challenge league.

[Anonymous]

About 100 percent of the time, across the United States, travel soccer means one neighborhood playing the next neighborhood over, or at most there's a drive to a distant exurb or the nearest urban center. It's a way to create competitive matches outside of a single sports organization's house league. It normally only means making eight-hour round trips or flying to Florida for a very, very small percentage of soccer players who have the potential to play in college and need exposure to college coaches. So I don't think the troll here has any idea what travel soccer is. It's just "my town against your town" except for 16-year-olds with Div. 1 talent. No one signs up for travel soccer to travel. That's what vacation is for. In the DMV, there is no need whatsoever for teams to travel anywhere other than around or beyond the Beltway to find excellent competition, and the youngest players by definition don't need college exposure, so it's in their interest especially to stay close to home.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:About 100 percent of the time, across the United States, travel soccer means one neighborhood playing the next neighborhood over, or at most there's a drive to a distant exurb or the nearest urban center. It's a way to create competitive matches outside of a single sports organization's house league. It normally only means making eight-hour round trips or flying to Florida for a very, very small percentage of soccer players who have the potential to play in college and need exposure to college coaches. So I don't think the troll here has any idea what travel soccer is. It's just "my town against your town" except for 16-year-olds with Div. 1 talent. No one signs up for travel soccer to travel. That's what vacation is for. In the DMV, there is no need whatsoever for teams to travel anywhere other than around or beyond the Beltway to find excellent competition, and the youngest players by definition don't need college exposure, so it's in their interest especially to stay close to home.

Bingo.

Not sure why that one guy is so belligerent. It's not about me. Some of us actually have something called "empathy," not to mention "concern over placing artificial barriers of entry to a great sport."

[Anonymous]

Anyone receive an email inviting your 05 player to a pre-tryout "kickaround" so the DA director can see them?

We did receive this from another club, also saying not to mention it to other interested 05s - they would contact players.

Heard of someone else getting this email, they went, they were scrimmaging against the club's existing 04/05s.

[Anonymous]

I'm a coach and I decide which tournaments we do. The club decides which league. Some of my parents want to go to NY or NC for tournaments. I'm like...their is plenty of competition right here. If we can't find competition here, then I'll "travel". I also don't like traveling far for league games. We have such great tournaments around here, all you have to do is travel to Bethesda or Columbia, MD to play teams from PA, NY, NJ, etc. I think if you love the coach and the program etc, maybe that's a discussion to have with your club as to why they are in that league. However, you may have parents who love the idea of going to VA Beach, Richmond, etc. There is a club and a league for everyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a coach and I decide which tournaments we do. The club decides which league. Some of my parents want to go to NY or NC for tournaments. I'm like...their is plenty of competition right here. If we can't find competition here, then I'll "travel". I also don't like traveling far for league games. We have such great tournaments around here, all you have to do is travel to Bethesda or Columbia, MD to play teams from PA, NY, NJ, etc. I think if you love the coach and the program etc, maybe that's a discussion to have with your club as to why they are in that league. However, you may have parents who love the idea of going to VA Beach, Richmond, etc. There is a club and a league for everyone.

How well is your club doing in terms of accommodating players who don't have a ton of money or time to travel?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm a coach and I decide which tournaments we do. The club decides which league. Some of my parents want to go to NY or NC for tournaments. I'm like...their is plenty of competition right here. If we can't find competition here, then I'll "travel". I also don't like traveling far for league games. We have such great tournaments around here, all you have to do is travel to Bethesda or Columbia, MD to play teams from PA, NY, NJ, etc. I think if you love the coach and the program etc, maybe that's a discussion to have with your club as to why they are in that league. However, you may have parents who love the idea of going to VA Beach, Richmond, etc. There is a club and a league for everyone.

I like your style.

I played for a National Champion/multiple State Champ team back in the 80s and this was how our coach operated. We did do a few away tournaments at older ages each summer or Memorial Day--but the most we drove for regular season was Columbia, MD from NoVA. There are enough quality teams in NoVA, MoCo and DC that driving 3-4 hours each way for single regular season games on a Sunday is just crazy.

I can't imagine the coaches like it either. I tend to think the few crazy parents that claim to love spending 8 hours on a Sunday sitting in traffic are the type that beat their chest at the water cooler Monday morning talking about how 11-year old Jimmy had an Elite game over the weekend. The response we aren't cut out for travel is equally as ridiculous. Travel soccer never used to mean 8 hour Sunday trips.

Parents that played tend to have a more reasonable attitude about the ridiculousness of driving so far for regular season games.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a coach and I decide which tournaments we do. The club decides which league. Some of my parents want to go to NY or NC for tournaments. I'm like...their is plenty of competition right here. If we can't find competition here, then I'll "travel". I also don't like traveling far for league games. We have such great tournaments around here, all you have to do is travel to Bethesda or Columbia, MD to play teams from PA, NY, NJ, etc. I think if you love the coach and the program etc, maybe that's a discussion to have with your club as to why they are in that league. However, you may have parents who love the idea of going to VA Beach, Richmond, etc. There is a club and a league for everyone.

I like your style.

I played for a National Champion/multiple State Champ team back in the 80s and this was how our coach operated. We did do a few away tournaments at older ages each summer or Memorial Day--but the most we drove for regular season was Columbia, MD from NoVA. There are enough quality teams in NoVA, MoCo and DC that driving 3-4 hours each way for single regular season games on a Sunday is just crazy.

I can't imagine the coaches like it either. I tend to think the few crazy parents that claim to love spending 8 hours on a Sunday sitting in traffic are the type that beat their chest at the water cooler Monday morning talking about how 11-year old Jimmy had an Elite game over the weekend. The response we aren't cut out for travel is equally as ridiculous. Travel soccer never used to mean 8 hour Sunday trips.

Parents that played tend to have a more reasonable attitude about the ridiculousness of driving so far for regular season games.

+100

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a coach and I decide which tournaments we do. The club decides which league. Some of my parents want to go to NY or NC for tournaments. I'm like...their is plenty of competition right here. If we can't find competition here, then I'll "travel". I also don't like traveling far for league games. We have such great tournaments around here, all you have to do is travel to Bethesda or Columbia, MD to play teams from PA, NY, NJ, etc. I think if you love the coach and the program etc, maybe that's a discussion to have with your club as to why they are in that league. However, you may have parents who love the idea of going to VA Beach, Richmond, etc. There is a club and a league for everyone.

How well is your club doing in terms of accommodating players who don't have a ton of money or time to travel?

Not sure I understand the question. We don't really travel that far. We play in NCSL. All the parents have been fine with current and previous schedules. Like I said, some ask me when we are going to do some destination tournaments. As for money, we offer financial assistance like everyone else. I was just thinking...some parents might just want to do a tournament where you have to stay over and the kids get that extra time together. I understand that, but that is definitely an extra expense and I try to keep the cost down as much as possible for all the parents because I know some parents struggle even though they don't get financial assistance. Drives me nuts when you have parents with money pushing expensive ideas. Reminds me of that Friends episode.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a coach and I decide which tournaments we do. The club decides which league. Some of my parents want to go to NY or NC for tournaments. I'm like...their is plenty of competition right here. If we can't find competition here, then I'll "travel". I also don't like traveling far for league games. We have such great tournaments around here, all you have to do is travel to Bethesda or Columbia, MD to play teams from PA, NY, NJ, etc. I think if you love the coach and the program etc, maybe that's a discussion to have with your club as to why they are in that league. However, you may have parents who love the idea of going to VA Beach, Richmond, etc. There is a club and a league for everyone.

How well is your club doing in terms of accommodating players who don't have a ton of money or time to travel?

Not sure I understand the question. We don't really travel that far. We play in NCSL. All the parents have been fine with current and previous schedules. Like I said, some ask me when we are going to do some destination tournaments. As for money, we offer financial assistance like everyone else. I was just thinking...some parents might just want to do a tournament where you have to stay over and the kids get that extra time together. I understand that, but that is definitely an extra expense and I try to keep the cost down as much as possible for all the parents because I know some parents struggle even though they don't get financial assistance. Drives me nuts when you have parents with money pushing expensive ideas. Reminds me of that Friends episode.

Good answer.