Travel Soccer teams around NOVA let's discuss

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^^and parents agree there is too much travel to games when there is enough competition in a 15 mile radius.

Of course in your perfect little bubble a 15 mile radius would work, but as you move out of the beltway a bit you'd be surprised at how far clubs are from each other.

Not sure what your point is, but a 15 mile radius around my house in Annandale outside the beltway covers Manassas to the west, Woodbridge to the south, Potomac and Bethesda to the north, and RFK to the east. I'm pretty sure there's enough competition there.

But I don't think that parents agree there is too much travel to games. Otherwise, the CCL, which mandates a lot of unnecessary travel, wouldn't be so popular.

Sure, that is perfect and you made my point for me, it is based on your little bubble. What about Winchester, Frederick or even Loudoun?

Everyone's epicenter is different.

Not my problem. They want in--they can travel as the away team each weekend.

Not my problem either. You don't like the travel then put your kid in NCLS/WAGS, ODSL or Rec.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^^and parents agree there is too much travel to games when there is enough competition in a 15 mile radius.

Of course in your perfect little bubble a 15 mile radius would work, but as you move out of the beltway a bit you'd be surprised at how far clubs are from each other.

Not sure what your point is, but a 15 mile radius around my house in Annandale outside the beltway covers Manassas to the west, Woodbridge to the south, Potomac and Bethesda to the north, and RFK to the east. I'm pretty sure there's enough competition there.

But I don't think that parents agree there is too much travel to games. Otherwise, the CCL, which mandates a lot of unnecessary travel, wouldn't be so popular.

For example, Clubs further than 15 miles away from Loudoun include:
Arlington, 30 miles
Mclean, 26 miles
CYA, 17 miles
SYA, 20 miles
Bethesda Soccer Club, 40 miles
Vienna Youth Soccer, 25 miles
BRYC, 34 miles
Woodbridge, 41 miles
Potomac Soccer, 52 miles
Manassas, 27 miles
Even your Annandale Club is 33 miles from Loudoun Soccer

So please, get off your, "there is enough competition within 15 miles" high horse crap.

So instead, Loudoun has this ...

Arlington, 38 miles
Beach FC, 229 miles
Braddock Road, 34 miles
DC Stoddert, 42 miles
FC Frederick, 32 miles (very pretty drive!)
FC Richmond, 138 miles
Fredericksburg FC, 87 miles
Lee Mount Vernon, 40 miles
Maryland United, scattered locations -- we'll take the 36 miles to the Maryland SoccerPlex
McLean, 24 miles
Potomac, 30 miles
Roanoke, 212 miles
SOCA (Charlottesville), 98 miles
SYA, 19 miles
Virginia Legacy, 176 miles

If you were to look for clubs with a 40-mile radius, you'd have:
Annandale, 30 miles
Arlington (barely)
Barca (VA), 39 miles
Bethesda South, 17 miles
Braddock Road
Burke, 35 miles
Clarke County, 31 miles
Chantilly SC, 21 miles
Chantilly YA, 19 miles
Cougars, 33 miles
Cugini, 19 miles
Dynamite SC, 27 miles
FC Frederick
FC Virginia and anyone else at Evergreen, 3 miles
FPYC, 30 miles
Great Falls, 17 miles
Herndon, 15 miles
Lee Mount Vernon (right on the line)
Leesburg, 3 miles
whoever plays at the Maryland SoccerPlex (Bethesda, Md. United, Montgomery SC, )
McLean
Old Dominion, 14 miles
Potomac
Premier AC, 29 miles
Reston, 19 miles
Springfield SC YC, 38 miles
Sterling, 14 miles
SYA
Team America, 36 miles
Vienna, 24 miles
VISTA/Blackwatch (various)
VSA, 19 miles
Warrenton, 27 miles

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^^and parents agree there is too much travel to games when there is enough competition in a 15 mile radius.

Of course in your perfect little bubble a 15 mile radius would work, but as you move out of the beltway a bit you'd be surprised at how far clubs are from each other.

Not sure what your point is, but a 15 mile radius around my house in Annandale outside the beltway covers Manassas to the west, Woodbridge to the south, Potomac and Bethesda to the north, and RFK to the east. I'm pretty sure there's enough competition there.

But I don't think that parents agree there is too much travel to games. Otherwise, the CCL, which mandates a lot of unnecessary travel, wouldn't be so popular.

Sure, that is perfect and you made my point for me, it is based on your little bubble. What about Winchester, Frederick or even Loudoun?

Everyone's epicenter is different.

Not my problem. They want in--they can travel as the away team each weekend.

Not my problem either. You don't like the travel then put your kid in NCLS/WAGS, ODSL or Rec.

Is it your problem if a lot of good players leave (or never play) CCL because of the travel, watering down the competition.

Because ... that's happening.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^^and parents agree there is too much travel to games when there is enough competition in a 15 mile radius.

Of course in your perfect little bubble a 15 mile radius would work, but as you move out of the beltway a bit you'd be surprised at how far clubs are from each other.

Not sure what your point is, but a 15 mile radius around my house in Annandale outside the beltway covers Manassas to the west, Woodbridge to the south, Potomac and Bethesda to the north, and RFK to the east. I'm pretty sure there's enough competition there.

But I don't think that parents agree there is too much travel to games. Otherwise, the CCL, which mandates a lot of unnecessary travel, wouldn't be so popular.

For example, Clubs further than 15 miles away from Loudoun include:
Arlington, 30 miles
Mclean, 26 miles
CYA, 17 miles
SYA, 20 miles
Bethesda Soccer Club, 40 miles
Vienna Youth Soccer, 25 miles
BRYC, 34 miles
Woodbridge, 41 miles
Potomac Soccer, 52 miles
Manassas, 27 miles
Even your Annandale Club is 33 miles from Loudoun Soccer

So please, get off your, "there is enough competition within 15 miles" high horse crap.

So instead, Loudoun has this ...

Arlington, 38 miles
Beach FC, 229 miles
Braddock Road, 34 miles
DC Stoddert, 42 miles
FC Frederick, 32 miles (very pretty drive!)
FC Richmond, 138 miles
Fredericksburg FC, 87 miles
Lee Mount Vernon, 40 miles
Maryland United, scattered locations -- we'll take the 36 miles to the Maryland SoccerPlex
McLean, 24 miles
Potomac, 30 miles
Roanoke, 212 miles
SOCA (Charlottesville), 98 miles
SYA, 19 miles
Virginia Legacy, 176 miles

If you were to look for clubs with a 40-mile radius, you'd have:
Annandale, 30 miles
Arlington (barely)
Barca (VA), 39 miles
Bethesda South, 17 miles
Braddock Road
Burke, 35 miles
Clarke County, 31 miles
Chantilly SC, 21 miles
Chantilly YA, 19 miles
Cougars, 33 miles
Cugini, 19 miles
Dynamite SC, 27 miles
FC Frederick
FC Virginia and anyone else at Evergreen, 3 miles
FPYC, 30 miles
Great Falls, 17 miles
Herndon, 15 miles
Lee Mount Vernon (right on the line)
Leesburg, 3 miles
whoever plays at the Maryland SoccerPlex (Bethesda, Md. United, Montgomery SC, )
McLean
Old Dominion, 14 miles
Potomac
Premier AC, 29 miles
Reston, 19 miles
Springfield SC YC, 38 miles
Sterling, 14 miles
SYA
Team America, 36 miles
Vienna, 24 miles
VISTA/Blackwatch (various)
VSA, 19 miles
Warrenton, 27 miles

Moving the goal posts again. You said 15 miles and only 3 clubs listed meet that criteria.

Now, look at the number of teams that a typical age group for Loudoun has. U9-U12 Loudoun can have up to 6 teams per age group. We are not here to discuss the merit of a club having that many teams, it is simply a fact.

So, again, going through your list above who does Loudoun's Girls U10 third or fourth team team play after their first and second team have played all the available local teams?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^^and parents agree there is too much travel to games when there is enough competition in a 15 mile radius.

Of course in your perfect little bubble a 15 mile radius would work, but as you move out of the beltway a bit you'd be surprised at how far clubs are from each other.

Not sure what your point is, but a 15 mile radius around my house in Annandale outside the beltway covers Manassas to the west, Woodbridge to the south, Potomac and Bethesda to the north, and RFK to the east. I'm pretty sure there's enough competition there.

But I don't think that parents agree there is too much travel to games. Otherwise, the CCL, which mandates a lot of unnecessary travel, wouldn't be so popular.

Sure, that is perfect and you made my point for me, it is based on your little bubble. What about Winchester, Frederick or even Loudoun?

Everyone's epicenter is different.

Not my problem. They want in--they can travel as the away team each weekend.

Not my problem either. You don't like the travel then put your kid in NCLS/WAGS, ODSL or Rec.

Is it your problem if a lot of good players leave (or never play) CCL because of the travel, watering down the competition.

Because ... that's happening.

people will always do what they think is best for both their kid and their family. I certainly know quite a few skilled kids that have come to our CCL club from their non-CCL club. They have to travel quite far just for practice! Everyone has to make the choice that they feel most comfortable with at the end of the day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: There is enough competition if you keep within a one-hour driving radius of DC. Yes, Loudoun families may have to drive to Maryland and vice-versa, but it would keep everyone in the DC metro area from having to drive to Virginia Beach, Williamsburg, Richmond and Roanoke for regular Fall season games.

Just send your kid with the family of a teammate when there is a game (every other year) in VA Beach, Williamsburg, Richmond or Roanoke. Kid will love the road trip and your problem of driving to occasional "far away" games is solved.

[Anonymous]

I think the point is that it's ridiculous to travel to VA Beach, Williamsburg, Richmond, Roanoke, Charlottesville, etc for league games and clubs should be trying to find solutions to avoid this. I get the argument of...if you don't like traveling, join a club in a different league, but does it really have to come to that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the point is that it's ridiculous to travel to VA Beach, Williamsburg, Richmond, Roanoke, Charlottesville, etc for league games and clubs should be trying to find solutions to avoid this. I get the argument of...if you don't like traveling, join a club in a different league, but does it really have to come to that?

We're the family who usually ends up taking teammates to these places. Because we volunteer to be the team manager, or in charge of the tent, or whatever. So we are usually happy to go to every game but its a major haul to have to go somewhere far away for a normal game. And it sucks. Per this argument, in addition to our own kid, we now should expect to take someone else's too every time because the parents have better things to do (versus us who work full time also). My issue is more that the kids have better things to do than sit in the car for 2-3 hours each way on a Sunday. And they can't get out of going.

As for taking other kids, its always THAT family that asks us to take their child. The family who doesn't bother volunteering, who we have to beg to get dues paid, who doesn't bother telling the coach if they'll be absent. The ones who suck the fun out of being involved. And who never reciprocate. The kids are usually ok though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the point is that it's ridiculous to travel to VA Beach, Williamsburg, Richmond, Roanoke, Charlottesville, etc for league games and clubs should be trying to find solutions to avoid this. I get the argument of...if you don't like traveling, join a club in a different league, but does it really have to come to that?

We're the family who usually ends up taking teammates to these places. Because we volunteer to be the team manager, or in charge of the tent, or whatever. So we are usually happy to go to every game but its a major haul to have to go somewhere far away for a normal game. And it sucks. Per this argument, in addition to our own kid, we now should expect to take someone else's too every time because the parents have better things to do (versus us who work full time also). My issue is more that the kids have better things to do than sit in the car for 2-3 hours each way on a Sunday. And they can't get out of going.

As for taking other kids, its always THAT family that asks us to take their child. The family who doesn't bother volunteering, who we have to beg to get dues paid, who doesn't bother telling the coach if they'll be absent. The ones who suck the fun out of being involved. And who never reciprocate. The kids are usually ok though.

Yep. That's usually the same family that complains about the coach or that their kid isn't getting enough PT or isn't in the right position, etc. Then, the following week they forget to pick their kid up at practice! I've seen NCSL teams. I've seen CCL teams. In many cases, top NCSL are just as good as, if not better, than CCL teams. Stick with NCSL where no games are more than 40 minutes away and your kid will get the competition he needs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^^and parents agree there is too much travel to games when there is enough competition in a 15 mile radius.

Of course in your perfect little bubble a 15 mile radius would work, but as you move out of the beltway a bit you'd be surprised at how far clubs are from each other.

Not sure what your point is, but a 15 mile radius around my house in Annandale outside the beltway covers Manassas to the west, Woodbridge to the south, Potomac and Bethesda to the north, and RFK to the east. I'm pretty sure there's enough competition there.

But I don't think that parents agree there is too much travel to games. Otherwise, the CCL, which mandates a lot of unnecessary travel, wouldn't be so popular.

Sure, that is perfect and you made my point for me, it is based on your little bubble. What about Winchester, Frederick or even Loudoun?

Everyone's epicenter is different.

Not my problem. They want in--they can travel as the away team each weekend.

Not my problem either. You don't like the travel then put your kid in NCLS/WAGS, ODSL or Rec.

Is it your problem if a lot of good players leave (or never play) CCL because of the travel, watering down the competition.

Because ... that's happening.

people will always do what they think is best for both their kid and their family. I certainly know quite a few skilled kids that have come to our CCL club from their non-CCL club. They have to travel quite far just for practice! Everyone has to make the choice that they feel most comfortable with at the end of the day.

You are the biggest complainer about the travel and you haven't left CCL yet yourself. You see there are choices and you are free to exercise them. But the problem is you want the STATUS of having your kid play in a particular league, you just don't want the inconvenience of playing in a particular league.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the point is that it's ridiculous to travel to VA Beach, Williamsburg, Richmond, Roanoke, Charlottesville, etc for league games and clubs should be trying to find solutions to avoid this. I get the argument of...if you don't like traveling, join a club in a different league, but does it really have to come to that?

We're the family who usually ends up taking teammates to these places. Because we volunteer to be the team manager, or in charge of the tent, or whatever. So we are usually happy to go to every game but its a major haul to have to go somewhere far away for a normal game. And it sucks. Per this argument, in addition to our own kid, we now should expect to take someone else's too every time because the parents have better things to do (versus us who work full time also). My issue is more that the kids have better things to do than sit in the car for 2-3 hours each way on a Sunday. And they can't get out of going.

As for taking other kids, its always THAT family that asks us to take their child. The family who doesn't bother volunteering, who we have to beg to get dues paid, who doesn't bother telling the coach if they'll be absent. The ones who suck the fun out of being involved. And who never reciprocate. The kids are usually ok though.

The league schedule created a family that doesn't pay their dues on time?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the point is that it's ridiculous to travel to VA Beach, Williamsburg, Richmond, Roanoke, Charlottesville, etc for league games and clubs should be trying to find solutions to avoid this. I get the argument of...if you don't like traveling, join a club in a different league, but does it really have to come to that?

We're the family who usually ends up taking teammates to these places. Because we volunteer to be the team manager, or in charge of the tent, or whatever. So we are usually happy to go to every game but its a major haul to have to go somewhere far away for a normal game. And it sucks. Per this argument, in addition to our own kid, we now should expect to take someone else's too every time because the parents have better things to do (versus us who work full time also). My issue is more that the kids have better things to do than sit in the car for 2-3 hours each way on a Sunday. And they can't get out of going.

As for taking other kids, its always THAT family that asks us to take their child. The family who doesn't bother volunteering, who we have to beg to get dues paid, who doesn't bother telling the coach if they'll be absent. The ones who suck the fun out of being involved. And who never reciprocate. The kids are usually ok though.

Yep. That's usually the same family that complains about the coach or that their kid isn't getting enough PT or isn't in the right position, etc. Then, the following week they forget to pick their kid up at practice! I've seen NCSL teams. I've seen CCL teams. In many cases, top NCSL are just as good as, if not better, than CCL teams. Stick with NCSL where no games are more than 40 minutes away and your kid will get the competition he needs.

If you feel that NCSL is comparable in competition then have your kid play in NCSL and not CCL. It is called choice and you refuse to exercise that choice. Blame yourself, not the league.

[Anonymous]

I just don't think it's easy as saying...if your don't like CCL go play for a NCSL club team. Let's look at Arlington for example. Say they live in Clarendon. Where do they go to find an NCSL team? Alexandria? That commute sucks. Vienna? I don't see why Arlington or any NOVA team needs to drive to VA Beach, Williamsburg, Richmond, Roanoke, etc to find competition. It's ridiculous.

[Anonymous]

Any ideas one when ODP will announce where the Fairfax training location is going to be?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just don't think it's easy as saying...if your don't like CCL go play for a NCSL club team. Let's look at Arlington for example. Say they live in Clarendon. Where do they go to find an NCSL team? Alexandria? That commute sucks. Vienna? I don't see why Arlington or any NOVA team needs to drive to VA Beach, Williamsburg, Richmond, Roanoke, etc to find competition. It's ridiculous.

You continue to move the goal posts.

The argument has been made that there is lots of competition within 15 miles of clubs. If you play in NCSL you will never have to drive to VA beach for a league game ever again. So now we need to worry about the proximity of a club based on where you live? Virtually every club has some team in NCSL or ODSL and if not there is a club within reason that does. You also provided a long list of clubs within 40 minutes of Loudoun, virtually every club on your list has a team in NCSL. So exactly what is your problem?

Arlington is in NCSL, so is Vienna. Clearly you simply cannot stomach your kid not playing in CCL because of YOUR fear of a loss of perceived status. You have choice but you would rather change an entire league rather than choose a league that is simply more appropriate to your lifestyle.

CCL will be reducing travel for U9-U10 just don't complain if you have a U9 and a U13 playing in CCL and having U9's play on Saturdays while the older kids play on Sundays to accommodate coaches that might coach teams in the different age groups.