Metro Utd + Potomac + DC Stoddert

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:3 average clubs geographically separated in a market saturated by better clubs...looks like all of MU’s problems are sorted.

US Soccer must be thrilled.

Actually, these sorts of relationships are exactly what US Soccer wants. They want as wide a net cast as possible at the younger ages while letting the local clubs handle the development without to much DA oversight. This is why they are eliminating the U12 age groups on the boys side. They want access to the players without the heavy handed approach that the DA as a league places at such young ages.

Clubs like Metro, VDA, Baltimore Armour essentially have first dibs on the players those clubs produce. The clubs will lose the talent either way but if they can demonstrate a built in pathway they stand a chance to attract more talent, not all of whom will make DA or ECNL but are still more likely to stay. The positives for the partnership clubs is the potential for larger rec and youth programs overall.

The advantage for the DA club is early access to the players as well as access to the fields.

FCV sat on top of Ashburn as well as had a similar relationship with South County. Neither of which where/are big clubs. FCV also had a short lived partnership with Loudoun. All of these partnerships fed quality players into FCV's ECNL and later DA teams.

VDA has produced a pretty successful program on the shoulders of VSA and PWSI. The younger age groups at VDA are proving that the model is successful at drawing talent in and retaining players within the system while each partner club has been able to maintain competitive NPL teams individually.

Baltimore Armour is certainly rounding the corner and clubs like Pipeline do not appear to be suffering the loss of players to DA as their EDP teams are quite good on their own.

All of this while casting the net wider to players who may often go overlooked.

So will a club/coach encourage their better players to move to DA? These clubs/coaches make money by keeping the good kids on their teams and winning. Seems like you are asking the club/coach to go against their own interest. Having experiences travel, let’s see if it works in practice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This makes no sense for a Potomac player to drive over the American Legion Bridge and back during the week for practice. It is always backed-up on the return trip even at non-rush periods and weekends. Plus Montgomery County HS soccer is very strong…Whitman made it to State Finals last year…WJ/Churchill/BCC/Wooton are all strong teams. Would they be allowed to play HS still? Why would you drive past McLean and BSC practices to sit in traffic and not play HS? Am I missing something?

HS players need not apply.

Not one single player needs to do a thing that they do not want to do. Just because Potomac is affiliated with Metro does not mean that Potomac players MUST play at Metro.

You are also forgetting that Metro being affiliated with these clubs also means potential access to their fields. As PP pointed out, these alliances could signal a geographic shift towards the MD side of the river.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:3 average clubs geographically separated in a market saturated by better clubs...looks like all of MU’s problems are sorted.

US Soccer must be thrilled.

Actually, these sorts of relationships are exactly what US Soccer wants. They want as wide a net cast as possible at the younger ages while letting the local clubs handle the development without to much DA oversight. This is why they are eliminating the U12 age groups on the boys side. They want access to the players without the heavy handed approach that the DA as a league places at such young ages.

Clubs like Metro, VDA, Baltimore Armour essentially have first dibs on the players those clubs produce. The clubs will lose the talent either way but if they can demonstrate a built in pathway they stand a chance to attract more talent, not all of whom will make DA or ECNL but are still more likely to stay. The positives for the partnership clubs is the potential for larger rec and youth programs overall.

The advantage for the DA club is early access to the players as well as access to the fields.

FCV sat on top of Ashburn as well as had a similar relationship with South County. Neither of which where/are big clubs. FCV also had a short lived partnership with Loudoun. All of these partnerships fed quality players into FCV's ECNL and later DA teams.

VDA has produced a pretty successful program on the shoulders of VSA and PWSI. The younger age groups at VDA are proving that the model is successful at drawing talent in and retaining players within the system while each partner club has been able to maintain competitive NPL teams individually.

Baltimore Armour is certainly rounding the corner and clubs like Pipeline do not appear to be suffering the loss of players to DA as their EDP teams are quite good on their own.

All of this while casting the net wider to players who may often go overlooked.

So will a club/coach encourage their better players to move to DA? These clubs/coaches make money by keeping the good kids on their teams and winning. Seems like you are asking the club/coach to go against their own interest. Having experiences travel, let’s see if it works in practice.

That depends on the club culture and their ability to buy into the affiliation. The club coaches are paid to coach, the club sets the metrics for what they consider to be a successful coach. If they measure success by how many players they develop then the development philosophy changes. If they measure success by tournament wins then that is a philosophy than may lend itself to be more self serving for the coach in regards to their players.

But, if a coach at any club is unwilling to encourage a deserving player to be challenged at a higher level for the sake of the team success then they are simply a selfish coach already.

[Anonymous]

The idea that people on this forum have reproduced terrifies me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The idea that people on this forum have reproduced terrifies me.

I think a lot of us moved into that neighborhood post-2016 election.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The idea that people on this forum have reproduced terrifies me.

Such as yourself?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Explain to us in laymans soccer terms what this means

In my experience with similar affiliate relationships for boys’ DA, it means practically nothing. DAs will take the best kids they can without regard to their home club. This announcement provides the partner clubs with the opportunity to brag about the relationship in the hopes of convincing club members or potential club members that there is a pathway to the DA if you are at the club. It gives Metro United the potential for more ticket sales to families at the affiliate clubs. There will be some free or reduced cost tickets for affiliate families and potentially a training with Spirit players. It’s basically just community building.

This comment makes no sense. Metro United is not affiliated with any team or their ticket sales.

Yep, no free tickets, no reduced tickets, no tickets at all.

My mistake. I thought they were associated with Washington Spirit. I don't have girl players, but have seen DC United and other MLS based DAs announce these sorts of partnerships for years. They tend to be meaningless other than for PR purposes for the member clubs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The idea that people on this forum have reproduced terrifies me.

Such as yourself?

Uh-oh did someone's nerve get stuck? Sucks to know your insufferable and may have contributed to the continuation of that problem in humanity.

[Anonymous]

The personal attacks and some political rhetoric is not necessary. Take it somewhere else please. Isn't there enough bickering without it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The personal attacks and some political rhetoric is not necessary. Take it somewhere else please. Isn't there enough bickering without it.

Have you seen the questions and answers on here? Do you not wonder how these people reach these conclusions? Why things are this hard to understand?

How do these people drive cars much less figure out if their kid has the tactical awareness to play the game vs them just giving money to coaches so they can run drills on the field every weekend and try to out athlete the other team? Seriously. How? Because that should be the only discussion. But lets argue about a possible commute for a family/player we know nothing about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The personal attacks and some political rhetoric is not necessary. Take it somewhere else please. Isn't there enough bickering without it.

Have you seen the questions and answers on here? Do you not wonder how these people reach these conclusions? Why things are this hard to understand?

How do these people drive cars much less figure out if their kid has the tactical awareness to play the game vs them just giving money to coaches so they can run drills on the field every weekend and try to out athlete the other team? Seriously. How? Because that should be the only discussion. But lets argue about a possible commute for a family/player we know nothing about.

God you are toxic.

[Anonymous]

This is a smart move. DC Stoddart, GFR and Potomac Soccer can focus on U8-U12/13 without worrying about competing with MU for these age groups since Metro does not have u littles. That is different than partnering with a DA or ECNL club that has u littles teams both competing with you for players and with an inside track at the top team. Now these 3 clubs have the inside track for families that want to play DA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm amazed at how no matter what MU does and no matter how it does it, people are itching to find something to complain about.

Take it as a compliment. People will always complain when another club makes a good move or does something right.

Who is MU’s competition for kids? Loudon, Arlington, McLean and now you add BSC...This looks good on paper but will be hard to do in reality. It will be an uphill fight for MU. You never know,

Part of it depends on how you and your DD choose where to play. For example, some MU players aren't at Loudoun or McLean because they want to play DA. They don't like the culture at FCV and Reston (for some, including me) is geographic a little farther but it's actually quicker to get to.

Beyond that, my DD likes the environment. She likes the coaches and her teammates. As a parent, I feel like MU cares about the players and I like the new filming cameras they have, where it simultaneously films from multiple angles. That's going to be some great recruitment film.

It just seems like one of the fewer higher level options that is doing it right. That may mean it takes time to catch on, but my DD isn't opposed to being a pioneer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Explain to us in laymans soccer terms what this means

In my experience with similar affiliate relationships for boys’ DA, it means practically nothing. DAs will take the best kids they can without regard to their home club. This announcement provides the partner clubs with the opportunity to brag about the relationship in the hopes of convincing club members or potential club members that there is a pathway to the DA if you are at the club. It gives Metro United the potential for more ticket sales to families at the affiliate clubs. There will be some free or reduced cost tickets for affiliate families and potentially a training with Spirit players. It’s basically just community building.

This comment makes no sense. Metro United is not affiliated with any team or their ticket sales.

Yep, no free tickets, no reduced tickets, no tickets at all.

My mistake. I thought they were associated with Washington Spirit. I don't have girl players, but have seen DC United and other MLS based DAs announce these sorts of partnerships for years. They tend to be meaningless other than for PR purposes for the member clubs.

No worries, and for Spirit, you are right. The partnerships were meaningless, and Spirit crapped on its youth program and then rather than fix it, dumped it. I guess Larry doesn't like having to actually work.

[Anonymous]

I’m a newbie, please be kind. Does this mean that we have better chances of making Mu Da team if we played for GFR’s top team from u9-U12s?