My Gripe with Arlington Soccer Association (ASA)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I understand that this is how the game is played among all these clubs these days. I'm just saying it's ridiculous.

Arlington recruits players from elsewhere. So those players go elsewhere. Eventually, you may have an "Arlington" team that's 1/3rd Arlington, 2/3 everywhere else. The "McLean" team will be about 1/3 McLean, with a few players from Arlington and a few from elsewhere. Hey, maybe the Arlington players can still find a home at Annandale!

And the CCL, which has all these clubs' "top" teams, claims they're all about building up from within the club! Ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!

If you're one of the 0.1 percent, by all means try ECNL, DA or a national title-contending club. Otherwise, you're just fooling yourself, spending time in your cars you could be spending on something productive, and robbing your kids of their childhoods.

Get ... a ... grip.

I have a kid on an highly competitive upper-age Arlington team who has played for Arlington since U11. In that time, we have seen players come and go - and the core of the team is still made up of Arlington players, like my son. I don't disagree that there are many players from other surrounding areas (who pay 3x the field use fee that residents pay), but Arlington started to really invest in the club and put together a quality product 4-5 years ago, and it has definitely attracted better players. Talented kids want to play on the best teams they can, and want to try out for Arlington because overall, we have great teams and great coaches. No one is twisting their arms, paying them off, or robbing another team to get them. Well over a thousand kids show up for tryouts at all ages - and do so at Annandale, and McLean, and Bethesda, and other clubs. How can coaches form competitive teams if the first consideration is where the players live? This is happening literally everywhere - Arlington is no worse, and is much better than some of its neighbors.

In case you haven't kept up, Arlington is already a national title-contending club. Not every soccer player in Arlington with the inclination to play can play at the level of the top teams there. That's why there are at least 3 teams in almost every age group - and many of Arlington's second teams compete in the top 1-2 divisions of NCSL and WAGS, which are very competitive.

The PP who said there is a lot of change in the soccer landscape now is absolutely right. There is all sorts of upheaval and it's unclear when it will settle down. But Arlington is not an outlier.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I understand that this is how the game is played among all these clubs these days. I'm just saying it's ridiculous.

Arlington recruits players from elsewhere. So those players go elsewhere. Eventually, you may have an "Arlington" team that's 1/3rd Arlington, 2/3 everywhere else. The "McLean" team will be about 1/3 McLean, with a few players from Arlington and a few from elsewhere. Hey, maybe the Arlington players can still find a home at Annandale!

And the CCL, which has all these clubs' "top" teams, claims they're all about building up from within the club! Ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!

If you're one of the 0.1 percent, by all means try ECNL, DA or a national title-contending club. Otherwise, you're just fooling yourself, spending time in your cars you could be spending on something productive, and robbing your kids of their childhoods.

Get ... a ... grip.

I have a kid on an highly competitive upper-age Arlington team who has played for Arlington since U11. In that time, we have seen players come and go - and the core of the team is still made up of Arlington players, like my son. I don't disagree that there are many players from other surrounding areas (who pay 3x the field use fee that residents pay), but Arlington started to really invest in the club and put together a quality product 4-5 years ago, and it has definitely attracted better players. Talented kids want to play on the best teams they can, and want to try out for Arlington because overall, we have great teams and great coaches. No one is twisting their arms, paying them off, or robbing another team to get them. Well over a thousand kids show up for tryouts at all ages - and do so at Annandale, and McLean, and Bethesda, and other clubs. How can coaches form competitive teams if the first consideration is where the players live? This is happening literally everywhere - Arlington is no worse, and is much better than some of its neighbors.

In case you haven't kept up, Arlington is already a national title-contending club. Not every soccer player in Arlington with the inclination to play can play at the level of the top teams there. That's why there are at least 3 teams in almost every age group - and many of Arlington's second teams compete in the top 1-2 divisions of NCSL and WAGS, which are very competitive.

The PP who said there is a lot of change in the soccer landscape now is absolutely right. There is all sorts of upheaval and it's unclear when it will settle down. But Arlington is not an outlier.

Do the 2nd and 3rd team pay the same fees?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I understand that this is how the game is played among all these clubs these days. I'm just saying it's ridiculous.

Arlington recruits players from elsewhere. So those players go elsewhere. Eventually, you may have an "Arlington" team that's 1/3rd Arlington, 2/3 everywhere else. The "McLean" team will be about 1/3 McLean, with a few players from Arlington and a few from elsewhere. Hey, maybe the Arlington players can still find a home at Annandale!

And the CCL, which has all these clubs' "top" teams, claims they're all about building up from within the club! Ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!

If you're one of the 0.1 percent, by all means try ECNL, DA or a national title-contending club. Otherwise, you're just fooling yourself, spending time in your cars you could be spending on something productive, and robbing your kids of their childhoods.

Get ... a ... grip.

+100 Well said. Do you think any of the crazies in this area will listen? I know high school kids who can barely get out of bed in the morning from all the "high-level" soccer they've been playing through the years. And the one's who don't make it (which is to say the majority) always lament so much time wasted for one thing and a crippled body to show for it.

Whoa. If the travel soccer scene in NOVA is resulting in crippled children who have been robbed of their childhoods, I'd advise people to try a club in Maryland or DC.

I'm not sure I've ever seen anyone miss the point in spectacular fashion that this. (Unless you're being ironic, in which case, major kudos.)

If you are referrying to my "Whoa..." comment, then yes. Sarcasm was intended.

Took me a second to get it, but well played. Nice one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I understand that this is how the game is played among all these clubs these days. I'm just saying it's ridiculous.

Arlington recruits players from elsewhere. So those players go elsewhere. Eventually, you may have an "Arlington" team that's 1/3rd Arlington, 2/3 everywhere else. The "McLean" team will be about 1/3 McLean, with a few players from Arlington and a few from elsewhere. Hey, maybe the Arlington players can still find a home at Annandale!

And the CCL, which has all these clubs' "top" teams, claims they're all about building up from within the club! Ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!

If you're one of the 0.1 percent, by all means try ECNL, DA or a national title-contending club. Otherwise, you're just fooling yourself, spending time in your cars you could be spending on something productive, and robbing your kids of their childhoods.

Get ... a ... grip.

I have a kid on an highly competitive upper-age Arlington team who has played for Arlington since U11. In that time, we have seen players come and go - and the core of the team is still made up of Arlington players, like my son. I don't disagree that there are many players from other surrounding areas (who pay 3x the field use fee that residents pay), but Arlington started to really invest in the club and put together a quality product 4-5 years ago, and it has definitely attracted better players. Talented kids want to play on the best teams they can, and want to try out for Arlington because overall, we have great teams and great coaches. No one is twisting their arms, paying them off, or robbing another team to get them. Well over a thousand kids show up for tryouts at all ages - and do so at Annandale, and McLean, and Bethesda, and other clubs. How can coaches form competitive teams if the first consideration is where the players live? This is happening literally everywhere - Arlington is no worse, and is much better than some of its neighbors.

In case you haven't kept up, Arlington is already a national title-contending club. Not every soccer player in Arlington with the inclination to play can play at the level of the top teams there. That's why there are at least 3 teams in almost every age group - and many of Arlington's second teams compete in the top 1-2 divisions of NCSL and WAGS, which are very competitive.

The PP who said there is a lot of change in the soccer landscape now is absolutely right. There is all sorts of upheaval and it's unclear when it will settle down. But Arlington is not an outlier.

Do the 2nd and 3rd team pay the same fees?

No, the base fees are less. They can participate in functional training for the first teams if they pay extra.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I understand that this is how the game is played among all these clubs these days. I'm just saying it's ridiculous.

Arlington recruits players from elsewhere. So those players go elsewhere. Eventually, you may have an "Arlington" team that's 1/3rd Arlington, 2/3 everywhere else. The "McLean" team will be about 1/3 McLean, with a few players from Arlington and a few from elsewhere. Hey, maybe the Arlington players can still find a home at Annandale!

And the CCL, which has all these clubs' "top" teams, claims they're all about building up from within the club! Ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!

If you're one of the 0.1 percent, by all means try ECNL, DA or a national title-contending club. Otherwise, you're just fooling yourself, spending time in your cars you could be spending on something productive, and robbing your kids of their childhoods.

Get ... a ... grip.

I have a kid on an highly competitive upper-age Arlington team who has played for Arlington since U11. In that time, we have seen players come and go - and the core of the team is still made up of Arlington players, like my son. I don't disagree that there are many players from other surrounding areas (who pay 3x the field use fee that residents pay), but Arlington started to really invest in the club and put together a quality product 4-5 years ago, and it has definitely attracted better players. Talented kids want to play on the best teams they can, and want to try out for Arlington because overall, we have great teams and great coaches. No one is twisting their arms, paying them off, or robbing another team to get them. Well over a thousand kids show up for tryouts at all ages - and do so at Annandale, and McLean, and Bethesda, and other clubs. How can coaches form competitive teams if the first consideration is where the players live? This is happening literally everywhere - Arlington is no worse, and is much better than some of its neighbors.

In case you haven't kept up, Arlington is already a national title-contending club. Not every soccer player in Arlington with the inclination to play can play at the level of the top teams there. That's why there are at least 3 teams in almost every age group - and many of Arlington's second teams compete in the top 1-2 divisions of NCSL and WAGS, which are very competitive.

The PP who said there is a lot of change in the soccer landscape now is absolutely right. There is all sorts of upheaval and it's unclear when it will settle down. But Arlington is not an outlier.

Do the 2nd and 3rd team pay the same fees?

No, the base fees are less. They can participate in functional training for the first teams if they pay extra.

Interesting. One of the things I dislike about the Bethesda Soccer Club is everyone pays the same (extremely high) fees, but the top teams definitely get better fields, better coaching, and more practice and play times.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I understand that this is how the game is played among all these clubs these days. I'm just saying it's ridiculous.

Arlington recruits players from elsewhere. So those players go elsewhere. Eventually, you may have an "Arlington" team that's 1/3rd Arlington, 2/3 everywhere else. The "McLean" team will be about 1/3 McLean, with a few players from Arlington and a few from elsewhere. Hey, maybe the Arlington players can still find a home at Annandale!

And the CCL, which has all these clubs' "top" teams, claims they're all about building up from within the club! Ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!

If you're one of the 0.1 percent, by all means try ECNL, DA or a national title-contending club. Otherwise, you're just fooling yourself, spending time in your cars you could be spending on something productive, and robbing your kids of their childhoods.

Get ... a ... grip.

I have a kid on an highly competitive upper-age Arlington team who has played for Arlington since U11. In that time, we have seen players come and go - and the core of the team is still made up of Arlington players, like my son. I don't disagree that there are many players from other surrounding areas (who pay 3x the field use fee that residents pay), but Arlington started to really invest in the club and put together a quality product 4-5 years ago, and it has definitely attracted better players. Talented kids want to play on the best teams they can, and want to try out for Arlington because overall, we have great teams and great coaches. No one is twisting their arms, paying them off, or robbing another team to get them. Well over a thousand kids show up for tryouts at all ages - and do so at Annandale, and McLean, and Bethesda, and other clubs. How can coaches form competitive teams if the first consideration is where the players live? This is happening literally everywhere - Arlington is no worse, and is much better than some of its neighbors.

Sure, and this thread has really evolved to where it's about more than just Arlington. It's all the CCL clubs (Arlington, Braddock Road, Annandale, Stoddert, McLean, SYA, Loudoun, Potomac, a couple more) and a few others.

And part of the issue is that CCL is built on a basic lie. They say it's about building from within rather than recruiting. That's obviously NOT true.

And part of it is the question I've put in bold. Unless, you're a really exceptional player, why is that the first priority? Why not just play for your local club and see how it does? And if you're a college or pro prospect, maybe supplement with ODP or a Super-Y team in the summer?

In case you haven't kept up, Arlington is already a national title-contending club.

I do follow pretty closely, despite my reservations about some of these competitions, and I know they have a couple of elite boys teams. That's fine. But what does it really mean?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I understand that this is how the game is played among all these clubs these days. I'm just saying it's ridiculous.

Arlington recruits players from elsewhere. So those players go elsewhere. Eventually, you may have an "Arlington" team that's 1/3rd Arlington, 2/3 everywhere else. The "McLean" team will be about 1/3 McLean, with a few players from Arlington and a few from elsewhere. Hey, maybe the Arlington players can still find a home at Annandale!

And the CCL, which has all these clubs' "top" teams, claims they're all about building up from within the club! Ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!

If you're one of the 0.1 percent, by all means try ECNL, DA or a national title-contending club. Otherwise, you're just fooling yourself, spending time in your cars you could be spending on something productive, and robbing your kids of their childhoods.

Get ... a ... grip.

I have a kid on an highly competitive upper-age Arlington team who has played for Arlington since U11. In that time, we have seen players come and go - and the core of the team is still made up of Arlington players, like my son. I don't disagree that there are many players from other surrounding areas (who pay 3x the field use fee that residents pay), but Arlington started to really invest in the club and put together a quality product 4-5 years ago, and it has definitely attracted better players. Talented kids want to play on the best teams they can, and want to try out for Arlington because overall, we have great teams and great coaches. No one is twisting their arms, paying them off, or robbing another team to get them. Well over a thousand kids show up for tryouts at all ages - and do so at Annandale, and McLean, and Bethesda, and other clubs. How can coaches form competitive teams if the first consideration is where the players live? This is happening literally everywhere - Arlington is no worse, and is much better than some of its neighbors.

Sure, and this thread has really evolved to where it's about more than just Arlington. It's all the CCL clubs (Arlington, Braddock Road, Annandale, Stoddert, McLean, SYA, Loudoun, Potomac, a couple more) and a few others.

And part of the issue is that CCL is built on a basic lie. They say it's about building from within rather than recruiting. That's obviously NOT true.

And part of it is the question I've put in bold. Unless, you're a really exceptional player, why is that the first priority? Why not just play for your local club and see how it does? And if you're a college or pro prospect, maybe supplement with ODP or a Super-Y team in the summer?

In case you haven't kept up, Arlington is already a national title-contending club.

I do follow pretty closely, despite my reservations about some of these competitions, and I know they have a couple of elite boys teams. That's fine. But what does it really mean?

Maybe you don't like the coach. Maybe you didn't gel with the kids. Maybe your club parents are obnoxious. Maybe you are a goalie but the goalie on your club team is better but you are still better than most.

It really means that kids are having fun, playing hard, working hard at something they love, with a coach they respect with kids they like and parents they are not embarrassing on the sidelines (for the most part, there is always that 1).

[Anonymous]

"And part of it is the question I've put in bold. Unless, you're a really exceptional player, why is that the first priority? Why not just play for your local club and see how it does? And if you're a college or pro prospect, maybe supplement with ODP or a Super-Y team in the summer? "

The kids on the top Arlington teams do want to play in college, do (or did) play ODP (and won championships), and play in the top tournaments in the country. What's wrong with that, when Arlington provides the opportunity for kids to play at all levels? Each level has its own goals, and the goal of the top level is to compete on a state, regional, or national level. The expectations for each team are set out publicly. If you can't play at that level, you will likely be offered a spot on another Arlington team, unless you have more inclination than ability to play travel soccer. There are far more players enjoying soccer and developing as players at Arlington than just the few who play on the top teams at the upper age groups.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I understand that this is how the game is played among all these clubs these days. I'm just saying it's ridiculous.

Arlington recruits players from elsewhere. So those players go elsewhere. Eventually, you may have an "Arlington" team that's 1/3rd Arlington, 2/3 everywhere else. The "McLean" team will be about 1/3 McLean, with a few players from Arlington and a few from elsewhere. Hey, maybe the Arlington players can still find a home at Annandale!

And the CCL, which has all these clubs' "top" teams, claims they're all about building up from within the club! Ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!

If you're one of the 0.1 percent, by all means try ECNL, DA or a national title-contending club. Otherwise, you're just fooling yourself, spending time in your cars you could be spending on something productive, and robbing your kids of their childhoods.

Get ... a ... grip.

I have a kid on an highly competitive upper-age Arlington team who has played for Arlington since U11. In that time, we have seen players come and go - and the core of the team is still made up of Arlington players, like my son. I don't disagree that there are many players from other surrounding areas (who pay 3x the field use fee that residents pay), but Arlington started to really invest in the club and put together a quality product 4-5 years ago, and it has definitely attracted better players. Talented kids want to play on the best teams they can, and want to try out for Arlington because overall, we have great teams and great coaches. No one is twisting their arms, paying them off, or robbing another team to get them. Well over a thousand kids show up for tryouts at all ages - and do so at Annandale, and McLean, and Bethesda, and other clubs. How can coaches form competitive teams if the first consideration is where the players live? This is happening literally everywhere - Arlington is no worse, and is much better than some of its neighbors.

Sure, and this thread has really evolved to where it's about more than just Arlington. It's all the CCL clubs (Arlington, Braddock Road, Annandale, Stoddert, McLean, SYA, Loudoun, Potomac, a couple more) and a few others.

And part of the issue is that CCL is built on a basic lie. They say it's about building from within rather than recruiting. That's obviously NOT true.

And part of it is the question I've put in bold. Unless, you're a really exceptional player, why is that the first priority? Why not just play for your local club and see how it does? And if you're a college or pro prospect, maybe supplement with ODP or a Super-Y team in the summer?

In case you haven't kept up, Arlington is already a national title-contending club.

I do follow pretty closely, despite my reservations about some of these competitions, and I know they have a couple of elite boys teams. That's fine. But what does it really mean?

Maybe you don't like the coach. Maybe you didn't gel with the kids. Maybe your club parents are obnoxious. Maybe you are a goalie but the goalie on your club team is better but you are still better than most.

It really means that kids are having fun, playing hard, working hard at something they love, with a coach they respect with kids they like and parents they are not embarrassing on the sidelines (for the most part, there is always that 1).

To an extent, I understand that. There are some really bad coaches and parents out there.

But how far do you have to go to find a good situation? If you're going to four or five clubs and traveling from Centreville to Arlington every day, is it possible that the problem isn't on the clubs' end, it's on yours?

And what message do we send kids with all this? If your spouse isn't perfect, dump her? If your boss isn't perfect, quit? If your neighbors aren't awesome, move?

Sports are supposed to build character (or, as Wooden said, reveal it) and teach us life lessons. What if we're just reinforcing a sense of perverse entitlement?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"And part of it is the question I've put in bold. Unless, you're a really exceptional player, why is that the first priority? Why not just play for your local club and see how it does? And if you're a college or pro prospect, maybe supplement with ODP or a Super-Y team in the summer? "

The kids on the top Arlington teams do want to play in college, do (or did) play ODP (and won championships), and play in the top tournaments in the country. What's wrong with that, when Arlington provides the opportunity for kids to play at all levels? Each level has its own goals, and the goal of the top level is to compete on a state, regional, or national level. The expectations for each team are set out publicly. If you can't play at that level, you will likely be offered a spot on another Arlington team, unless you have more inclination than ability to play travel soccer. There are far more players enjoying soccer and developing as players at Arlington than just the few who play on the top teams at the upper age groups.

This point, removed from the Arlington-specific context, is one that I think a lot of travel sport bashers miss. Many kids love playing sports at the highest level they can, even if they are not playing at the highest level available. My child playing on a WAGS division 1/2 team is just as crazy about soccer and her team as my child playing on a nationally ranked team. And my soccer-mad husband is equally thrilled to go to both kids' games over a decade into their playing careers. We have never been motivated by thoughts of a potential scholarship. I'm not sure what more productive way we could spend our time given that everyone in our family loves the soccer experience and we have all made life-long friends through it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I understand that this is how the game is played among all these clubs these days. I'm just saying it's ridiculous.

Arlington recruits players from elsewhere. So those players go elsewhere. Eventually, you may have an "Arlington" team that's 1/3rd Arlington, 2/3 everywhere else. The "McLean" team will be about 1/3 McLean, with a few players from Arlington and a few from elsewhere. Hey, maybe the Arlington players can still find a home at Annandale!

And the CCL, which has all these clubs' "top" teams, claims they're all about building up from within the club! Ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!

If you're one of the 0.1 percent, by all means try ECNL, DA or a national title-contending club. Otherwise, you're just fooling yourself, spending time in your cars you could be spending on something productive, and robbing your kids of their childhoods.

Get ... a ... grip.

I have a kid on an highly competitive upper-age Arlington team who has played for Arlington since U11. In that time, we have seen players come and go - and the core of the team is still made up of Arlington players, like my son. I don't disagree that there are many players from other surrounding areas (who pay 3x the field use fee that residents pay), but Arlington started to really invest in the club and put together a quality product 4-5 years ago, and it has definitely attracted better players. Talented kids want to play on the best teams they can, and want to try out for Arlington because overall, we have great teams and great coaches. No one is twisting their arms, paying them off, or robbing another team to get them. Well over a thousand kids show up for tryouts at all ages - and do so at Annandale, and McLean, and Bethesda, and other clubs. How can coaches form competitive teams if the first consideration is where the players live? This is happening literally everywhere - Arlington is no worse, and is much better than some of its neighbors.

Sure, and this thread has really evolved to where it's about more than just Arlington. It's all the CCL clubs (Arlington, Braddock Road, Annandale, Stoddert, McLean, SYA, Loudoun, Potomac, a couple more) and a few others.

And part of the issue is that CCL is built on a basic lie. They say it's about building from within rather than recruiting. That's obviously NOT true.

And part of it is the question I've put in bold. Unless, you're a really exceptional player, why is that the first priority? Why not just play for your local club and see how it does? And if you're a college or pro prospect, maybe supplement with ODP or a Super-Y team in the summer?

In case you haven't kept up, Arlington is already a national title-contending club.

I do follow pretty closely, despite my reservations about some of these competitions, and I know they have a couple of elite boys teams. That's fine. But what does it really mean?

Maybe you don't like the coach. Maybe you didn't gel with the kids. Maybe your club parents are obnoxious. Maybe you are a goalie but the goalie on your club team is better but you are still better than most.

It really means that kids are having fun, playing hard, working hard at something they love, with a coach they respect with kids they like and parents they are not embarrassing on the sidelines (for the most part, there is always that 1).

To an extent, I understand that. There are some really bad coaches and parents out there.

But how far do you have to go to find a good situation? If you're going to four or five clubs and traveling from Centreville to Arlington every day, is it possible that the problem isn't on the clubs' end, it's on yours?

And what message do we send kids with all this? If your spouse isn't perfect, dump her? If your boss isn't perfect, quit? If your neighbors aren't awesome, move?

Sports are supposed to build character (or, as Wooden said, reveal it) and teach us life lessons. What if we're just reinforcing a sense of perverse entitlement?

The message is don't marry the first guy that asks you. It's worth an extra 20 minute drive to be happy. If you are a club hopper that is different but if you choose 1 club over another and stay a while you want to be happy.

If your job sucks, find another one... Life is too short. There is nothing worse than a bad boss.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I understand that this is how the game is played among all these clubs these days. I'm just saying it's ridiculous.

Arlington recruits players from elsewhere. So those players go elsewhere. Eventually, you may have an "Arlington" team that's 1/3rd Arlington, 2/3 everywhere else. The "McLean" team will be about 1/3 McLean, with a few players from Arlington and a few from elsewhere. Hey, maybe the Arlington players can still find a home at Annandale!

And the CCL, which has all these clubs' "top" teams, claims they're all about building up from within the club! Ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!

If you're one of the 0.1 percent, by all means try ECNL, DA or a national title-contending club. Otherwise, you're just fooling yourself, spending time in your cars you could be spending on something productive, and robbing your kids of their childhoods.

Get ... a ... grip.

I have a kid on an highly competitive upper-age Arlington team who has played for Arlington since U11. In that time, we have seen players come and go - and the core of the team is still made up of Arlington players, like my son. I don't disagree that there are many players from other surrounding areas (who pay 3x the field use fee that residents pay), but Arlington started to really invest in the club and put together a quality product 4-5 years ago, and it has definitely attracted better players. Talented kids want to play on the best teams they can, and want to try out for Arlington because overall, we have great teams and great coaches. No one is twisting their arms, paying them off, or robbing another team to get them. Well over a thousand kids show up for tryouts at all ages - and do so at Annandale, and McLean, and Bethesda, and other clubs. How can coaches form competitive teams if the first consideration is where the players live? This is happening literally everywhere - Arlington is no worse, and is much better than some of its neighbors.

Sure, and this thread has really evolved to where it's about more than just Arlington. It's all the CCL clubs (Arlington, Braddock Road, Annandale, Stoddert, McLean, SYA, Loudoun, Potomac, a couple more) and a few others.

And part of the issue is that CCL is built on a basic lie. They say it's about building from within rather than recruiting. That's obviously NOT true.

And part of it is the question I've put in bold. Unless, you're a really exceptional player, why is that the first priority? Why not just play for your local club and see how it does? And if you're a college or pro prospect, maybe supplement with ODP or a Super-Y team in the summer?

In case you haven't kept up, Arlington is already a national title-contending club.

I do follow pretty closely, despite my reservations about some of these competitions, and I know they have a couple of elite boys teams. That's fine. But what does it really mean?

Maybe you don't like the coach. Maybe you didn't gel with the kids. Maybe your club parents are obnoxious. Maybe you are a goalie but the goalie on your club team is better but you are still better than most.

It really means that kids are having fun, playing hard, working hard at something they love, with a coach they respect with kids they like and parents they are not embarrassing on the sidelines (for the most part, there is always that 1).

To an extent, I understand that. There are some really bad coaches and parents out there.

But how far do you have to go to find a good situation? If you're going to four or five clubs and traveling from Centreville to Arlington every day, is it possible that the problem isn't on the clubs' end, it's on yours?

And what message do we send kids with all this? If your spouse isn't perfect, dump her? If your boss isn't perfect, quit? If your neighbors aren't awesome, move?

Sports are supposed to build character (or, as Wooden said, reveal it) and teach us life lessons. What if we're just reinforcing a sense of perverse entitlement?

The message is don't marry the first guy that asks you. It's worth an extra 20 minute drive to be happy. If you are a club hopper that is different but if you choose 1 club over another and stay a while you want to be happy.

If your job sucks, find another one... Life is too short. There is nothing worse than a bad boss.

To some extent, that's true. But when you take it to extreme, you breed quitters. "I left Club X because the coach made me work hard" is the precursor to "I quit a good job because my boss made me work hard."

[Anonymous]

I have two young kids who play with ASA, and I cannot bring myself to care even remotely as much about this as OP does, despite appearing to be similarly situated. Who knows if my kids will even still be interested in playing soccer in 5 or 6 years for any of this stuff to start mattering to us? And even if they do still want to play, all I care about is finding them a place they enjoy playing, regardless of which club they're playing for.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sure, and this thread has really evolved to where it's about more than just Arlington. It's all the CCL clubs (Arlington, Braddock Road, Annandale, Stoddert, McLean, SYA, Loudoun, Potomac, a couple more) and a few others.

And part of the issue is that CCL is built on a basic lie. They say it's about building from within rather than recruiting. That's obviously NOT true.

And part of it is the question I've put in bold. Unless, you're a really exceptional player, why is that the first priority? Why not just play for your local club and see how it does? And if you're a college or pro prospect, maybe supplement with ODP or a Super-Y team in the summer?

Accepting players from other clubs is not limited to CCL clubs. Every club will accept a player that’s good enough for their top team. For example, earlier in this thread, VYS was held up as a community-first team but VYS policy is that if a player is good enough for the A team then the player gets an offer, even if that means a long-time VYS player gets pushed down to a lower team or even house.

As for recruiting, some clubs recruit more than others and how successful they are depends on what they have to sell. Many clubs don’t have much to offer. And some clubs are shameless about recruiting individual players and whole teams (cough*Annandale and FC Virginia*cough).

As for why players move, most of the time it’s not because the player was recruited. Often players move because they want more competition, better training or their parents’ ego needed a boost, and they don’t need someone whispering in their ear to make that decision. As for where top players try out, it’s pretty clear which clubs in the DC area have the highest aspirations and all of those clubs are either in ECNL/Development Academy, CCL or the new VPL. So top teams don’t have to actively recruit because top players want to play for the best teams. In my experience, it’s often the next tier of teams and clubs that recruit because otherwise no one would not consider them as an option.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
To some extent, that's true. But when you take it to extreme, you breed quitters. "I left Club X because the coach made me work hard" is the precursor to "I quit a good job because my boss made me work hard."

I'm not the poster you were replying to immediately above, but wanted to respond to this point. I've never heard of a situation in which someone left Club X and switched to a new club because a coach made him work too hard. In that case, they just quit travel soccer. Most of the reasons kids commonly switch clubs are ones that I'd think most of us would respect in the job context: Kid is not being challenged and has ambitions beyond what the current team or club can help with; coach doesn't recognize kid's abilities and is promoting less talented people over him; or kid prefers a different soccer community or style of play.

If a child has little talent, and is club-hopping because he has parents who are delusional about his abilities, that's one thing, but I don't think that's very common at the older age groups.