Valor

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I can't speak for the boys side, but the lowest teams on the girls side are usually painfully weak. Rec level or worse b/c rec teams usually have at least a few talented athletes. So Valor gives them terrible coaches. If they get someone halfway decent, its a Valor miracle.

Maybe it's the players and not the coaches. Chicken salad made from chicken crap is still made of crap.

Yeah, but I'm talking really basic coaching expectations, like showing up on time, or showing up at all, not being crazy, etc.

Valor should seriously look at cutting the 3rd team program all together. Bad coaches, bad players... nothing more than a fundraiser

Their 3rd-5th teams are their moneymakers. They play in cheaper leagues, cheaper and fewer tournaments, have cheaper inexperienced coaches, but everyone pays the same fees. Basically their worse teams subsidize their first teams.

Insane how these entitled parents are okay with their kids being nothing more than monetary support for kids with actual talent.

if a kid wants to start playing soccer but more competitive than rec leagues. They get placed in 3rd or lower team. The parent agrees. This makes the parents "entitled" for agreeing to pay and give their child a starting point?

Entitled in general, not specifically in the soccer realm. This is NOVA, remember? Everyone's kid is better and deserves more than everyone else's.

Just funny how many people complain about the quality of coaches on 3-5 teams, when they players are terrible as well. As we both know, it's nothing more than a fundraiser for the kids with actual talent. Just hard to believe NOVA parents are okay with that, but then again, they all believe their kid is going to go from 5 to 1 and play for the USNT one day.

There is plenty to complain about regarding the coaches of certain first and second teams as well. No one wants to out themselves, so they aren't going to necessarily identify team/age group/coach.

Anyone who feels 3rd or lower teams should not exist are the ones who feel “entitled” that only higher level teams should exist. Some kids just want to play travel soccer even if they aren’t that good. Why are you so sold on this? You think denying kids a starting point or an opportunity to play , even at the lower levels, is how things should be? If so, you are the one with entitlement issues.

+1 there is a market for players that today are not at the top. There are reasons to play competitive sports and it's not just to become a pro as an adult. Perhaps there are so many complaints for this specific club because of the price structure. One set of parents are paying the exact same as others for a very different quality of product.

Exactly.
Just accepted our offer. Returning to the same team (top of age group) with same coach. Do I LOVE Valor - no. Do I hate it? Also no. It's fine. My kid has enjoyed it and the coach.
I started this thread a year plus ago as I was wondering really about outside perception. Like, if my kid said he played for Valor, would HS coaches turn up their nose and assume he was not good enough.
I worried for not. The coaches looked at my kid, his skills, and his attitude on and off the field. He made Varisty as a Freshman with stiff competition for his position.

And he's started, and he seems to be doing a fine job. Was it Valor training? Is it despite Valor training that he's performing? Who knows. But as the PP stated, there are more reasons to play organized sports than going pro (or even playing in college). We are lucky that we can "write the check" and it won't limit or negatively impact our daily or future life. The cost is what it is.

Thanks to those who have commented and since I know that a lot of the negative and obnoxious comments are from his current or former teammates' Dads (maybe moms??) perhaps didn't get the breadth of response I was looking for, but certainly did get enough!

High School soccer in NOVA is some of the worst in the country. Half the schools can barely field a Varsity and JV team.

Not sure where you live but FCPS publics
have 100-200 boys try out for soccer.
Soccer and basketball teams can be nearly impossible to make for boys.
No clue for girls side.

100-200 is a gross over exaggeration. You do realize that there are 28 high schools, right? That means 2800-5600 kids are trying out for boys soccer? I can assure you, that is not the case throughout the vast majority of high schools in the county. Get out of your bubble.

Soccer is the one sport where even poor kids try out.

Which high school doesn't have at least 100 boys trying out for soccer?

There are literally programs without a JV team...

Which FCPS publics don't have a boys JV team?

Google.com

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:It sucks for the players in an age grouo when the top team coach is the same for 3, 4 years. They deserve a coach with a fresh outlook. The top coaches get set views on kids and won't move up 2nd team kids over taking outsiders. The top team coach will have favorites.

According to a parent- 2014 girls top team is made up of only a handful of previous year top team players. The other half are made up of previous year second and third team, one from other Loudoun, and one who never played soccer before but is now the main striker.
If true this should dispel the myth that players never move up. But this begs the question of whether the team is so bad that a kid who never played soccer before is their main striker and half were players moved up from second and third team

Is this the team composition right now, or for next year? If for next year then it sounds like some are leaving.

If it’s for this year, you can look up their record. I don’t think they are that bad… middle of the pack maybe? I mean I guess if think your DD is good enough for one of the top ranked teams go ahead and move there. Everyone should find the team that is the right fit for them.

I don’t work for Valor, nor do I have any reason to stick up for them. Just seems a little over the top to say that team is “so bad” when objectively that doesn’t seem to be the case at least this year. It is all relative and depends on your kid’s ability and goals.

Rumor spreader was talking about 24-25 season. But was off in his/her details.

Yup. Some facts right, others not.

The Valor 24-25 14G top team has 12 players. 5 were on the top team for all of 23-24. 1 moved up from third team to top team during last season. 2 moved up from second team, 1 moved up from third team (and is probably who PP was thinking of when they said “star striker”). 3 came from outside valor - 2 from other clubs, 1 who had played rec.

Besides the 5/6 from last years top team on this years top team, 2 from last years top team moved down to this years second team, and 3 left valor for other clubs (SYC top team, LS top team, LS second team).

How many are staying?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It sucks for the players in an age grouo when the top team coach is the same for 3, 4 years. They deserve a coach with a fresh outlook. The top coaches get set views on kids and won't move up 2nd team kids over taking outsiders. The top team coach will have favorites.

According to a parent- 2014 girls top team is made up of only a handful of previous year top team players. The other half are made up of previous year second and third team, one from other Loudoun, and one who never played soccer before but is now the main striker.
If true this should dispel the myth that players never move up. But this begs the question of whether the team is so bad that a kid who never played soccer before is their main striker and half were players moved up from second and third team

Is this the team composition right now, or for next year? If for next year then it sounds like some are leaving.

If it’s for this year, you can look up their record. I don’t think they are that bad… middle of the pack maybe? I mean I guess if think your DD is good enough for one of the top ranked teams go ahead and move there. Everyone should find the team that is the right fit for them.

I don’t work for Valor, nor do I have any reason to stick up for them. Just seems a little over the top to say that team is “so bad” when objectively that doesn’t seem to be the case at least this year. It is all relative and depends on your kid’s ability and goals.

Rumor spreader was talking about 24-25 season. But was off in his/her details.

Yup. Some facts right, others not.

The Valor 24-25 14G top team has 12 players. 5 were on the top team for all of 23-24. 1 moved up from third team to top team during last season. 2 moved up from second team, 1 moved up from third team (and is probably who PP was thinking of when they said “star striker”). 3 came from outside valor - 2 from other clubs, 1 who had played rec.

Besides the 5/6 from last years top team on this years top team, 2 from last years top team moved down to this years second team, and 3 left valor for other clubs (SYC top team, LS top team, LS second team).

How many are staying?

Don’t know yet. Tryouts happening this week, offers will go out and be accepted or not, and we’ll see where people end up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Whether FCPS HS soccer is "good" or not is irrelevant to the fact that it is very hard to make the boys' teams at large publics.

The best boy players in FCPS don't even play for their HS bc the play is so poor. It's an extremely prevalent issue at a lot of FCPS schools.

My son talks about this frequently. The overall talent is so low due to gifted players playing for MLS developmental teams or leaving their school all together to play for international clubs. While it may be difficult to make boys varsity teams in the area, it's largely due to the majority of the kids are all at the same low talent level. Hard to choose 20ish players from a pool of a 100 kids at the same relative skill level. And because of this we see very little skill differentiation taking place among players in FCPS high school soccer. When was the last time FCPS had a stand out soccer star who was noticed from their play in FCPS soccer matches?

The same can be said for most soccer clubs also. Even most top club teams around hear don't have elite talent. Most of us have never seen a truly elite youth player play in this area unless you have been watching for a long time We just see players that are better than most of the other they play against. There are always levels

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Whether FCPS HS soccer is "good" or not is irrelevant to the fact that it is very hard to make the boys' teams at large publics.

The best boy players in FCPS don't even play for their HS bc the play is so poor. It's an extremely prevalent issue at a lot of FCPS schools.

My son talks about this frequently. The overall talent is so low due to gifted players playing for MLS developmental teams or leaving their school all together to play for international clubs. While it may be difficult to make boys varsity teams in the area, it's largely due to the majority of the kids are all at the same low talent level. Hard to choose 20ish players from a pool of a 100 kids at the same relative skill level. And because of this we see very little skill differentiation taking place among players in FCPS high school soccer. When was the last time FCPS had a stand out soccer star who was noticed from their play in FCPS soccer matches?

I mean, how many amazing players per high school are doing MLSNext or International academies? It can't be more than 1 or 2 per school?

Those 1-2 would be absolute game changers at an FCPS public

[Anonymous]

But the point of high school sports is not to
Provide elite level soccer. Its to provide an opportunity for kids who attend the same high school to play a game together after school. They practice for like a week before games start.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can't speak for the boys side, but the lowest teams on the girls side are usually painfully weak. Rec level or worse b/c rec teams usually have at least a few talented athletes. So Valor gives them terrible coaches. If they get someone halfway decent, its a Valor miracle.

Maybe it's the players and not the coaches. Chicken salad made from chicken crap is still made of crap.

Yeah, but I'm talking really basic coaching expectations, like showing up on time, or showing up at all, not being crazy, etc.

Valor should seriously look at cutting the 3rd team program all together. Bad coaches, bad players... nothing more than a fundraiser

Their 3rd-5th teams are their moneymakers. They play in cheaper leagues, cheaper and fewer tournaments, have cheaper inexperienced coaches, but everyone pays the same fees. Basically their worse teams subsidize their first teams.

Insane how these entitled parents are okay with their kids being nothing more than monetary support for kids with actual talent.

if a kid wants to start playing soccer but more competitive than rec leagues. They get placed in 3rd or lower team. The parent agrees. This makes the parents "entitled" for agreeing to pay and give their child a starting point?

Entitled in general, not specifically in the soccer realm. This is NOVA, remember? Everyone's kid is better and deserves more than everyone else's.

Just funny how many people complain about the quality of coaches on 3-5 teams, when they players are terrible as well. As we both know, it's nothing more than a fundraiser for the kids with actual talent. Just hard to believe NOVA parents are okay with that, but then again, they all believe their kid is going to go from 5 to 1 and play for the USNT one day.

There is plenty to complain about regarding the coaches of certain first and second teams as well. No one wants to out themselves, so they aren't going to necessarily identify team/age group/coach.

Anyone who feels 3rd or lower teams should not exist are the ones who feel “entitled” that only higher level teams should exist. Some kids just want to play travel soccer even if they aren’t that good. Why are you so sold on this? You think denying kids a starting point or an opportunity to play , even at the lower levels, is how things should be? If so, you are the one with entitlement issues.

+1 there is a market for players that today are not at the top. There are reasons to play competitive sports and it's not just to become a pro as an adult. Perhaps there are so many complaints for this specific club because of the price structure. One set of parents are paying the exact same as others for a very different quality of product.

Exactly.
Just accepted our offer. Returning to the same team (top of age group) with same coach. Do I LOVE Valor - no. Do I hate it? Also no. It's fine. My kid has enjoyed it and the coach.
I started this thread a year plus ago as I was wondering really about outside perception. Like, if my kid said he played for Valor, would HS coaches turn up their nose and assume he was not good enough.
I worried for not. The coaches looked at my kid, his skills, and his attitude on and off the field. He made Varisty as a Freshman with stiff competition for his position.

And he's started, and he seems to be doing a fine job. Was it Valor training? Is it despite Valor training that he's performing? Who knows. But as the PP stated, there are more reasons to play organized sports than going pro (or even playing in college). We are lucky that we can "write the check" and it won't limit or negatively impact our daily or future life. The cost is what it is.

Thanks to those who have commented and since I know that a lot of the negative and obnoxious comments are from his current or former teammates' Dads (maybe moms??) perhaps didn't get the breadth of response I was looking for, but certainly did get enough!

High School soccer in NOVA is some of the worst in the country. Half the schools can barely field a Varsity and JV team.

Not sure where you live but FCPS publics
have 100-200 boys try out for soccer.
Soccer and basketball teams can be nearly impossible to make for boys.
No clue for girls side.

100-200 is a gross over exaggeration. You do realize that there are 28 high schools, right? That means 2800-5600 kids are trying out for boys soccer? I can assure you, that is not the case throughout the vast majority of high schools in the county. Get out of your bubble.

Soccer is the one sport where even poor kids try out.

Which high school doesn't have at least 100 boys trying out for soccer?

There are literally programs without a JV team...

Which FCPS publics don't have a boys JV team?

Google.com

Um you made the claim, you back it up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It sucks for the players in an age grouo when the top team coach is the same for 3, 4 years. They deserve a coach with a fresh outlook. The top coaches get set views on kids and won't move up 2nd team kids over taking outsiders. The top team coach will have favorites.

According to a parent- 2014 girls top team is made up of only a handful of previous year top team players. The other half are made up of previous year second and third team, one from other Loudoun, and one who never played soccer before but is now the main striker.
If true this should dispel the myth that players never move up. But this begs the question of whether the team is so bad that a kid who never played soccer before is their main striker and half were players moved up from second and third team

Is this the team composition right now, or for next year? If for next year then it sounds like some are leaving.

If it’s for this year, you can look up their record. I don’t think they are that bad… middle of the pack maybe? I mean I guess if think your DD is good enough for one of the top ranked teams go ahead and move there. Everyone should find the team that is the right fit for them.

I don’t work for Valor, nor do I have any reason to stick up for them. Just seems a little over the top to say that team is “so bad” when objectively that doesn’t seem to be the case at least this year. It is all relative and depends on your kid’s ability and goals.

Rumor spreader was talking about 24-25 season. But was off in his/her details.

Yup. Some facts right, others not.

The Valor 24-25 14G top team has 12 players. 5 were on the top team for all of 23-24. 1 moved up from third team to top team during last season. 2 moved up from second team, 1 moved up from third team (and is probably who PP was thinking of when they said “star striker”). 3 came from outside valor - 2 from other clubs, 1 who had played rec.

Besides the 5/6 from last years top team on this years top team, 2 from last years top team moved down to this years second team, and 3 left valor for other clubs (SYC top team, LS top team, LS second team).

As far as who staying, the keeper, a striker, and midfielder, have already committed elsewhere. There are several parents going around town this week but it’s “hush hush” on the sidelines. There’s a new comfortable silence to games lately. If it not a 1st team offer they will stay because being on the 1st team at Valor still has meaning to the parent.

Go where your kid will be able play the most. Not many players develop much more than resentment from the bench. Just be thankful will no longer be driving 100’s of miles only to play your second team in tournaments back to back weeks.

[Anonymous]

If my kid went to one tryout day and still haven’t gotten an offer yet (but still waiting for second tryout) does that mean not 1st team? I heard them say top team will likely get offers within a “couple of days”? Or do some 1st team kids get offers after completing two trials?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If my kid went to one tryout day and still haven’t gotten an offer yet (but still waiting for second tryout) does that mean not 1st team? I heard them say top team will likely get offers within a “couple of days”? Or do some 1st team kids get offers after completing two trials?

It means if your kid gets a first team offer a whole bunch of other kids declined.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If my kid went to one tryout day and still haven’t gotten an offer yet (but still waiting for second tryout) does that mean not 1st team? I heard them say top team will likely get offers within a “couple of days”? Or do some 1st team kids get offers after completing two trials?

It means if your kid gets a first team offer a whole bunch of other kids declined.

How long do they get before they can accept or decline?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If my kid went to one tryout day and still haven’t gotten an offer yet (but still waiting for second tryout) does that mean not 1st team? I heard them say top team will likely get offers within a “couple of days”? Or do some 1st team kids get offers after completing two trials?

Is your kid already at Valor? On the first team? If so, and you haven’t gotten an offer yet, your kid is most likely on the bubble between first and second. They either want to see if others accept the first team offer or see how your kid does at tryout 2 before sending an offer. Valor will send out offers after one tryout if they are sure of your kid’s team placement.

If you’re from outside Valor, they may just need that second tryout in order to decide on your kid. Unless they’re a real standout it’s hard to get a first team offer after one day when they don’t know you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If my kid went to one tryout day and still haven’t gotten an offer yet (but still waiting for second tryout) does that mean not 1st team? I heard them say top team will likely get offers within a “couple of days”? Or do some 1st team kids get offers after completing two trials?

Is your kid already at Valor? On the first team? If so, and you haven’t gotten an offer yet, your kid is most likely on the bubble between first and second. They either want to see if others accept the first team offer or see how your kid does at tryout 2 before sending an offer. Valor will send out offers after one tryout if they are sure of your kid’s team placement.

If you’re from outside Valor, they may just need that second tryout in order to decide on your kid. Unless they’re a real standout it’s hard to get a first team offer after one day when they don’t know you.

Coming from out of town new to area. Was in 1st team in NJ but took a year off (long story don't want to get into it). I know 1st team is a long shot but dc looked pretty good out there on 1st day. I guess we would accept a 2nd team offer too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If my kid went to one tryout day and still haven’t gotten an offer yet (but still waiting for second tryout) does that mean not 1st team? I heard them say top team will likely get offers within a “couple of days”? Or do some 1st team kids get offers after completing two trials?

It means if your kid gets a first team offer a whole bunch of other kids declined.

How long do they get before they can accept or decline?

48 hours is the norm in playmetrics

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If my kid went to one tryout day and still haven’t gotten an offer yet (but still waiting for second tryout) does that mean not 1st team? I heard them say top team will likely get offers within a “couple of days”? Or do some 1st team kids get offers after completing two trials?

Is your kid already at Valor? On the first team? If so, and you haven’t gotten an offer yet, your kid is most likely on the bubble between first and second. They either want to see if others accept the first team offer or see how your kid does at tryout 2 before sending an offer. Valor will send out offers after one tryout if they are sure of your kid’s team placement.

If you’re from outside Valor, they may just need that second tryout in order to decide on your kid. Unless they’re a real standout it’s hard to get a first team offer after one day when they don’t know you.

Coming from out of town new to area. Was in 1st team in NJ but took a year off (long story don't want to get into it). I know 1st team is a long shot but dc looked pretty good out there on 1st day. I guess we would accept a 2nd team offer too.

Why not go to a more reputable club with fewer complaints?