Baltimore Armour is First Class

[Anonymous]

We had a daughter at Baltimore Armour and Pipeline. We chose BA because she was with Pipeline, it was the "next level up", a few of her friends went as well, and BA was actually closer to us. It was either go to BA or find another team as Pipeline didn't really have a good avenue for elite play at the older years. If she was in the same spot today we would have stayed with Pipeline.

I've heard about some of the issues on the girls side, mainly the troubled 2006ish girls who have a couple wild animal of parents and players, but we didn't experience first hand on our teams. I mean, they had to disable teamsnap chat because parents were fighting with each other over the team messages...unbelievable. We have a son who plays there who is younger, but again, really haven't experienced any of the issues/fake rumors that go around.

In regards to the incident with the removal of kids from the team, it is once again twisted and we know people on the team. The parent was a known problem and had been warned previously for their actions. Calling what he did to the coach after the game "approached" is comical. It was threatening and he was asked to the leave the team as any organization would do. I don't know what happened with the other kids, but probably were told to leave because of the parent (the one child was definitely removed from the team), or the parents pulled the kids after the incident and then started rumors because they wanted a refund. I have no idea, but either way, the parent was a nightmare and they were probably eager to remove.

I've actually been really happy to have my kids at Pipeline and if I wasn't happy they wouldn't be playing there. The organization as a whole is definitely more arrogant than most and that can turn off some people, but we are happy there overall as no place is perfect. For what it's worth I really enjoyed BA as well. Just not sure how the girls or boys side will do with so many other options available.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We had a daughter at Baltimore Armour and Pipeline. We chose BA because she was with Pipeline, it was the "next level up", a few of her friends went as well, and BA was actually closer to us. It was either go to BA or find another team as Pipeline didn't really have a good avenue for elite play at the older years. If she was in the same spot today we would have stayed with Pipeline.

I've heard about some of the issues on the girls side, mainly the troubled 2006ish girls who have a couple wild animal of parents and players, but we didn't experience first hand on our teams. I mean, they had to disable teamsnap chat because parents were fighting with each other over the team messages...unbelievable. We have a son who plays there who is younger, but again, really haven't experienced any of the issues/fake rumors that go around.

In regards to the incident with the removal of kids from the team, it is once again twisted and we know people on the team. The parent was a known problem and had been warned previously for their actions. Calling what he did to the coach after the game "approached" is comical. It was threatening and he was asked to the leave the team as any organization would do. I don't know what happened with the other kids, but probably were told to leave because of the parent (the one child was definitely removed from the team), or the parents pulled the kids after the incident and then started rumors because they wanted a refund. I have no idea, but either way, the parent was a nightmare and they were probably eager to remove.

I've actually been really happy to have my kids at Pipeline and if I wasn't happy they wouldn't be playing there. The organization as a whole is definitely more arrogant than most and that can turn off some people, but we are happy there overall as no place is perfect. For what it's worth I really enjoyed BA as well. Just not sure how the girls or boys side will do with so many other options available.

That parent did not "threaten" DP. Not even close. DP completely lost it on the dad. Yes, the Dad is a known complainer, that I won't deny. It is known pretty well with the 07s. Still there was absolutely no reason for him to act that way towards the PP. He also told the player right on the spot that she was off the team. Is that how you would expect a coach to handle the situation. DP is a known right-wing conspiracy theorist who was also at the insurrection. Real "Classy" Coach there....

Pipeline settled out of court with Coppermine. Fact, like it or not.

The Elite Tournament rumor is not true. Pipeline was never banned. It is quite the opposite really. Many clubs do not enter Elite Tournaments because of how they have handled refunds among other things...

About TeamSnap...I guess there is three teams that have gotten banned or discouraged from using the chat function. 06,08, and 09. The 2010's aren't far behind from what I hear. Sorry, but the girls side 2006 and under is a disaster despite the results.

Lastly, Pipeline is known for rostering it's top kids down in EDP the "B" and "C" teams just to get results, robbing other teams of a fair chance to win. While it might be within the rules, it certainly isn't ethical. This has been happening for the past five years in order to get wins and get a higher rank with the hopes of recruiting kids.

I can't say anything about the Boys side as I have no clue.

[Anonymous]

Exactly why every coach should have a “don’t approach the coach within 12 hours of a game” policy. Too many emotions running high for too many parents.

[Anonymous]

We are very happy at Pipeline on the boys side and it has been a great club for our children who have played there for years. Every place has their issues, but we love it there. HOWEVER, I have definitely heard about the drama on the girls side and would probably want no part of that! I've found that most girls teams have way more drama than boys teams in general. You really see it here on this forum with the crazy soccer parents who fight over the most insane things for girls soccer.

I will say the knock against Pipeline being "shady" with their teams in age groups is somewhat true, and somewhat an exaggeration. They will move kids around and in my experience that really pisses off parents. We had a kid a few years ago who was playing up come back to play on his age group team for a tournament. It was most likely done to get a medal, but also to give the kid some on age experience because he wasn't getting as much time on the year up team as the parents had hoped for so they were considering moving him back down to his age. A lot of parents freaked out because he was taking time away from kids on the team, but the coaches were trying to see what was best for the kid (and frankly get a win). He was pretty dominant playing on age and people were suspicious so you start getting comments about "cheating". In the championship game the opposing coach asked for his playing card and it showed him on the team a year above, but he was rostered as a guest player for the on age team. Everyone lost their S and were calling the Pipeline kids cheaters after they lost. Was it illegal? No, he was rostered as a guest player and it was an opportunity for him to play on age group during his team's off week.

[Anonymous]

I kind of like that they kicked that family out on the spot. I bet they won't be subjected to that treatment by other parents again. I know I personally will avoid teams for my kids or not select kids on my own teams if a kid' parents are intense douchebags. Often, sadly, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree from what I've seen personally and I don't want my kids or family in that orbit, and as a coach I don't want to invite that into the team culture.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Exactly why every coach should have a “don’t approach the coach within 12 hours of a game” policy. Too many emotions running high for too many parents.

Probably, but the coach in this situation only invited certain players from the top team and did not contact other players on the same team and got caught. I agree the parent should not have approached the coach but one of his other kids was playing in the same tournament in a different age group. It was a poor decision by both parent and coach however, the coach created the whole issue by playing favorites inside of one team. He did himself no favors by creating the drama in the first place. Instead, four players lose out on friends, having to find a new club. Friends of the family lose respect for the Club. And now it's a subject here for whoever wants to read about it. Everybody lost. If Pipeline/Coaches had any respect for families and players, they could have approached the father and tell them they wanted to move said player to the 2nd team. Ball would have been left in Father's court. No drama, end of story...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are very happy at Pipeline on the boys side and it has been a great club for our children who have played there for years. Every place has their issues, but we love it there. HOWEVER, I have definitely heard about the drama on the girls side and would probably want no part of that! I've found that most girls teams have way more drama than boys teams in general. You really see it here on this forum with the crazy soccer parents who fight over the most insane things for girls soccer.

I will say the knock against Pipeline being "shady" with their teams in age groups is somewhat true, and somewhat an exaggeration. They will move kids around and in my experience that really pisses off parents. We had a kid a few years ago who was playing up come back to play on his age group team for a tournament. It was most likely done to get a medal, but also to give the kid some on age experience because he wasn't getting as much time on the year up team as the parents had hoped for so they were considering moving him back down to his age. A lot of parents freaked out because he was taking time away from kids on the team, but the coaches were trying to see what was best for the kid (and frankly get a win). He was pretty dominant playing on age and people were suspicious so you start getting comments about "cheating". In the championship game the opposing coach asked for his playing card and it showed him on the team a year above, but he was rostered as a guest player for the on age team. Everyone lost their S and were calling the Pipeline kids cheaters after they lost. Was it illegal? No, he was rostered as a guest player and it was an opportunity for him to play on age group during his team's off week.

Thanks for sharing your experiences. I feel like clubs are upfront that players can get moved up or down back to age. If people don't like it leave and try to find another club that uses a player pool to make its rosters where that doesn't happen but you won't. If the club wasn't clear that it could happen, that's one thing, but the parents would be naive to think it couldn't happen on their club or on other clubs and it sounds like Pipeline did it the legal way to get that kid to be able to play. How many players left that club afterwards? I bet none once they saw they got the medal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Exactly why every coach should have a “don’t approach the coach within 12 hours of a game” policy. Too many emotions running high for too many parents.

Probably, but the coach in this situation only invited certain players from the top team and did not contact other players on the same team and got caught. I agree the parent should not have approached the coach but one of his other kids was playing in the same tournament in a different age group. It was a poor decision by both parent and coach however, the coach created the whole issue by playing favorites inside of one team. He did himself no favors by creating the drama in the first place. Instead, four players lose out on friends, having to find a new club. Friends of the family lose respect for the Club. And now it's a subject here for whoever wants to read about it. Everybody lost. If Pipeline/Coaches had any respect for families and players, they could have approached the father and tell them they wanted to move said player to the 2nd team. Ball would have been left in Father's court. No drama, end of story...

This is new info and adds more context, thank you. Were the certain players from the top team that got invited invited to play up? If so, those parens need to suck it up. If not, it's still the club's prerogative about which players they think are the right ones for certain contests and pulling from the player pool as necessary.

[Anonymous]

Where is the Pipeline First Class thread? Can we merge it with this one?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are very happy at Pipeline on the boys side and it has been a great club for our children who have played there for years. Every place has their issues, but we love it there. HOWEVER, I have definitely heard about the drama on the girls side and would probably want no part of that! I've found that most girls teams have way more drama than boys teams in general. You really see it here on this forum with the crazy soccer parents who fight over the most insane things for girls soccer.

I will say the knock against Pipeline being "shady" with their teams in age groups is somewhat true, and somewhat an exaggeration. They will move kids around and in my experience that really pisses off parents. We had a kid a few years ago who was playing up come back to play on his age group team for a tournament. It was most likely done to get a medal, but also to give the kid some on age experience because he wasn't getting as much time on the year up team as the parents had hoped for so they were considering moving him back down to his age. A lot of parents freaked out because he was taking time away from kids on the team, but the coaches were trying to see what was best for the kid (and frankly get a win). He was pretty dominant playing on age and people were suspicious so you start getting comments about "cheating". In the championship game the opposing coach asked for his playing card and it showed him on the team a year above, but he was rostered as a guest player for the on age team. Everyone lost their S and were calling the Pipeline kids cheaters after they lost. Was it illegal? No, he was rostered as a guest player and it was an opportunity for him to play on age group during his team's off week.

Thanks for sharing your experiences. I feel like clubs are upfront that players can get moved up or down back to age. If people don't like it leave and try to find another club that uses a player pool to make its rosters where that doesn't happen but you won't. If the club wasn't clear that it could happen, that's one thing, but the parents would be naive to think it couldn't happen on their club or on other clubs and it sounds like Pipeline did it the legal way to get that kid to be able to play. How many players left that club afterwards? I bet none once they saw they got the medal.

I'd go further than this and say there is absolutely nothing wrong with what Pipeline did at all. Having had a DS who played up a year (not at Pipeline) I remember the discussion I had with the coaches when they wanted to move him up. They were very clear that they were moving him up because they felt he could be a starter on the older team and it would be good for him - but that if it turned out he wasn't good enough to be a starter on the older team it would be in nobody's interest for him to stay on that team and he would move back down. This made perfect sense to me - and to my DS. And it sounds like in the situation above the kid wasn't getting as much playing time as had been hoped on the older team - and therefore it is absolutely right and fair to give him playing time on his own age group team.

[Anonymous]

An earlier poster who has a son that pays for Pipeline. It is definitely not uncommon for kids to play a year up.

[Anonymous]

Thread is about BA being first class and caring about the total player, the way this spiraled into pipeline drama proves BA’s case.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thread is about BA being first class and caring about the total player, the way this spiraled into pipeline drama proves BA’s case.

Well, not really. This was a BA thread that was used to trash Pipeline which people affiliated with certain clubs do everything in their power to bring up lies and exaggerated stories 4th hand.

[Anonymous]

I will bet money Armour goes to SCNSL This will be the replacement DA league. I think it will work in the midwest and west (but east of CA) we shall see if it takes off on the east coast. I amdobtful because of the number of ecnl teams in the northeast

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I bring it up about BA - not to talk about results but to talk about and compliment coaches and club focused on the entire player - they do it well. Results may or may not come but each player has grown their love of the game and knowledge

I’ll pipeline bash elsewhere perhaps