Will MU make it past this spring?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
However, players will travel once when they are committed enough to reach for the top level. There are so many examples, so MU doesn't have to stick to the player pool of GF and Reston. MU will be a destination for players looking for the top training environment, and a lot of players really don't care about high school soccer. They'd rather stay with their club teams.

And the DA is the top of the pyramid. A 10 month training program is better for players, and it is the only primary recruitment place of YNTs. That will draw the better players. Many of us saw that whole process unfold with the boys' DA. The CCL was formed to fight it, and it wasn't a good league in the beginning, but with the boys' DA, over time, everything changed. That is inevitable on the girls' side too. The ECNL teams will eventually become DA feeders. MU has former BRYC and McLean players, and the drive hasn't been an issue.

So, I assume coaches/loyalists who tell coaches what's being said on this forum are out there. If so, here's a question that insiders could answer and might help the process for next year:

Where will MU practice next year?

Do they have any intention of telling potential players (and current players, for that matter) before ID sessions? The easy answer is "oh, we don't know -- we are at the mercy of field scheduling and partner clubs" but I suspect leadership knows what they WANT. Do they want to keep things in Reston? Seems like signs are no given that Stoddart and Potomac players may complain the drive is too much... As PP said -- at the top level players ARE willing to travel, but everyone has a limit based on managing getting to practice with school and other family commitments. Seems like this issue would actually be the biggest at the youngest age groups where they are trying to build.... Kids can't drive themselves to practice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
However, players will travel once when they are committed enough to reach for the top level. There are so many examples, so MU doesn't have to stick to the player pool of GF and Reston. MU will be a destination for players looking for the top training environment, and a lot of players really don't care about high school soccer. They'd rather stay with their club teams.

And the DA is the top of the pyramid. A 10 month training program is better for players, and it is the only primary recruitment place of YNTs. That will draw the better players. Many of us saw that whole process unfold with the boys' DA. The CCL was formed to fight it, and it wasn't a good league in the beginning, but with the boys' DA, over time, everything changed. That is inevitable on the girls' side too. The ECNL teams will eventually become DA feeders. MU has former BRYC and McLean players, and the drive hasn't been an issue.

So, I assume coaches/loyalists who tell coaches what's being said on this forum are out there. If so, here's a question that insiders could answer and might help the process for next year:

Where will MU practice next year?

Do they have any intention of telling potential players (and current players, for that matter) before ID sessions? The easy answer is "oh, we don't know -- we are at the mercy of field scheduling and partner clubs" but I suspect leadership knows what they WANT. Do they want to keep things in Reston? Seems like signs are no given that Stoddart and Potomac players may complain the drive is too much... As PP said -- at the top level players ARE willing to travel, but everyone has a limit based on managing getting to practice with school and other family commitments. Seems like this issue would actually be the biggest at the youngest age groups where they are trying to build.... Kids can't drive themselves to practice.

It’s a good question. The same question could be asked of the St James/FCV staff.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
However, players will travel once when they are committed enough to reach for the top level. There are so many examples, so MU doesn't have to stick to the player pool of GF and Reston. MU will be a destination for players looking for the top training environment, and a lot of players really don't care about high school soccer. They'd rather stay with their club teams.

And the DA is the top of the pyramid. A 10 month training program is better for players, and it is the only primary recruitment place of YNTs. That will draw the better players. Many of us saw that whole process unfold with the boys' DA. The CCL was formed to fight it, and it wasn't a good league in the beginning, but with the boys' DA, over time, everything changed. That is inevitable on the girls' side too. The ECNL teams will eventually become DA feeders. MU has former BRYC and McLean players, and the drive hasn't been an issue.

So, I assume coaches/loyalists who tell coaches what's being said on this forum are out there. If so, here's a question that insiders could answer and might help the process for next year:

Where will MU practice next year?

Do they have any intention of telling potential players (and current players, for that matter) before ID sessions? The easy answer is "oh, we don't know -- we are at the mercy of field scheduling and partner clubs" but I suspect leadership knows what they WANT. Do they want to keep things in Reston? Seems like signs are no given that Stoddart and Potomac players may complain the drive is too much... As PP said -- at the top level players ARE willing to travel, but everyone has a limit based on managing getting to practice with school and other family commitments. Seems like this issue would actually be the biggest at the youngest age groups where they are trying to build.... Kids can't drive themselves to practice.

It’s a good question. The same question could be asked of the St James/FCV staff.

Yeah -- BOTH clubs could do something crazy and actually be transparent about what they want....

[Anonymous]

Will they tell parents at tryouts we don’t know if we will have the DA, and won’t know until May.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Will they tell parents at tryouts we don’t know if we will have the DA, and won’t know until May.

Since that's pure fiction on your part, of course not. MU is not in trouble with US Soccer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Will they tell parents at tryouts we don’t know if we will have the DA, and won’t know until May.

Since that's pure fiction on your part, of course not. MU is not in trouble with US Soccer.

That is misleading. MU is not impressing US Soccer, the GDA or very many top players. There is the crux of the issue.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Will they tell parents at tryouts we don’t know if we will have the DA, and won’t know until May.

Since that's pure fiction on your part, of course not. MU is not in trouble with US Soccer.

That is misleading. MU is not impressing US Soccer, the GDA or very many top players. There is the crux of the issue.

Unless a PDA, Richmond United or Matchfit join DA I'm pretty sure Metro will be safe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Will they tell parents at tryouts we don’t know if we will have the DA, and won’t know until May.

I'm less worried about them not having a DA and more worried about whether it's even an option for my DD. We have multiple kids and practice locations and times make a big difference -- if she were to be offered a spot, we can't commit to a team without knowing what we are committing to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Will they tell parents at tryouts we don’t know if we will have the DA, and won’t know until May.

I'm less worried about them not having a DA and more worried about whether it's even an option for my DD. We have multiple kids and practice locations and times make a big difference -- if she were to be offered a spot, we can't commit to a team without knowing what we are committing to.

I would hazard to guess that their practice locations will be based primarily upon the geographic makeup of the teams. The older teams are primarily VA based and the younger teams moving forward may be more evenly distributed between VA and Stoddert/Potomac kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Will they tell parents at tryouts we don’t know if we will have the DA, and won’t know until May.

I'm less worried about them not having a DA and more worried about whether it's even an option for my DD. We have multiple kids and practice locations and times make a big difference -- if she were to be offered a spot, we can't commit to a team without knowing what we are committing to.

I would hazard to guess that their practice locations will be based primarily upon the geographic makeup of the teams. The older teams are primarily VA based and the younger teams moving forward may be more evenly distributed between VA and Stoddert/Potomac kids.

Agree, but not knowing what that's going to mean before you commit is a circular problem. Do you commit living in MD only to find out they are going to train in Fairfax, for example? Or commit living in Leesburg only to find that all training is in Tysons at a time that doesn't allow your child the chance to get there from school? They need to indicate where and when practice will likely be at tryout time it seems to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Will they tell parents at tryouts we don’t know if we will have the DA, and won’t know until May.

I'm less worried about them not having a DA and more worried about whether it's even an option for my DD. We have multiple kids and practice locations and times make a big difference -- if she were to be offered a spot, we can't commit to a team without knowing what we are committing to.

I would hazard to guess that their practice locations will be based primarily upon the geographic makeup of the teams. The older teams are primarily VA based and the younger teams moving forward may be more evenly distributed between VA and Stoddert/Potomac kids.

Agree, but not knowing what that's going to mean before you commit is a circular problem. Do you commit living in MD only to find out they are going to train in Fairfax, for example? Or commit living in Leesburg only to find that all training is in Tysons at a time that doesn't allow your child the chance to get there from school? They need to indicate where and when practice will likely be at tryout time it seems to me.

I think you go in eyes wide open with the potential for any and all of the locations being a possibility.

If you can nail down a location with the coaches that is certainly the best but they simply may not honestly know where and when exactly. They, like most club coaches know where and when they would LIKE practice to be.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Will they tell parents at tryouts we don’t know if we will have the DA, and won’t know until May.

I'm less worried about them not having a DA and more worried about whether it's even an option for my DD. We have multiple kids and practice locations and times make a big difference -- if she were to be offered a spot, we can't commit to a team without knowing what we are committing to.

I would hazard to guess that their practice locations will be based primarily upon the geographic makeup of the teams. The older teams are primarily VA based and the younger teams moving forward may be more evenly distributed between VA and Stoddert/Potomac kids.

I doubt that. I think Tyson's Corner may become more used, but they aren't having issues picking up MD players, they are still in a pretty easy to access part of Northern Virginia, and Tyson's Corner is pretty central.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Will they tell parents at tryouts we don’t know if we will have the DA, and won’t know until May.

I'm less worried about them not having a DA and more worried about whether it's even an option for my DD. We have multiple kids and practice locations and times make a big difference -- if she were to be offered a spot, we can't commit to a team without knowing what we are committing to.

I don't think MU is going to make a dramatic geographic shift. It wouldn't make sense. There is no indication shifting beyond Tyson's Corner area would lead to a massive influx of high calibre players.

[Anonymous]

Of course, asking MU directly is never wrong. George probably already has an inkling of where things are headed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Will they tell parents at tryouts we don’t know if we will have the DA, and won’t know until May.

I'm less worried about them not having a DA and more worried about whether it's even an option for my DD. We have multiple kids and practice locations and times make a big difference -- if she were to be offered a spot, we can't commit to a team without knowing what we are committing to.

I would hazard to guess that their practice locations will be based primarily upon the geographic makeup of the teams. The older teams are primarily VA based and the younger teams moving forward may be more evenly distributed between VA and Stoddert/Potomac kids.

I doubt that. I think Tyson's Corner may become more used, but they aren't having issues picking up MD players, they are still in a pretty easy to access part of Northern Virginia, and Tyson's Corner is pretty central.

How often are they practicing in Tyson's currently?