Travel Soccer teams around NOVA let's discuss

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Fun Fact of the Day: Only 6 of the 24 teams who clenched a semi-final spot in the Va State Cup thus far are non-CCL teams.

They clenched semifinal spots? Man, must've been tough games.

So here's who made it (* - non-CCL):

BRYC: U20G, U20B, U18B, U16B
Arlington: U18G, U18B, U17B, U16B
Loudoun: U18G, U20B, U18B, U17B

*VYS: U20G, U18G
SOCA: U20G, U17B
Beach FC: U20B, U17B

*Annandale: U20G
*Herndon: U18G
*SYC: U20B
SYA: U18B
Virginia Legacy: U16B
McLean: U16B

I may have miscounted somewhere, because I'm only coming up with five non-CCL teams.

But, as we've all said all along, 12 of the 24 berths went to three clubs. They're the three best clubs in the state, and it doesn't matter what league they're in. Beach FC and SOCA, each the dominant club in a fairly large area, also are pretty good. Then everyone else, CCL or not, is fighting over scraps.

Which is as it was and likely shall be in the future, CCL or not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Look for somewhere in the early years that is smaller and more focused on development not winning."

I think we hashed this out that it's nearly impossible. We discussed how all clubs have good and bad teams with some good coaches and some bad coaches. You can go to a small club and find that it sucks. You can go to a big club and find that it sucks. Often it's luck. This statement is so easy to say but who has time to watch 3 practices and 3 games of each U-whatever team at Loudoun, Herndon, McLean, SYA, BRYC, Arlington, Vienna, FPYC, Reston, CYA, Alexandria, etc to determine if that team is right for their kid? I mean everyone says...do the research, but it's not that easy. More often than not, it's luck.

It's not that difficult. People just become complacent. They bitch and complain, but doing nothing about it. Change isn't easy for the average person. Just a fact of life.

Exactly.

I mean -- people in Vienna should have anticipated that the technical staff would split off to Arlington and Chantilly -- CYA, not CSC, where a bunch of kids moved onto a team but then found the whole team was going to Reston, unlike the other CSC team that went to SYA to join a CCL club without being a CCL team, while Reston developed a nice style of play even though a lot of its good players would wind up in McLean or Herndon -- and replaced them with an English guy and a guy who had previously coached at McLean, where he favored athleticism over soccer skill, as was the style at the time at McLean but might not be now that they've changed boys' technical directors again in an effort to stay ahead of BRYC, which has brought in a bunch of players from PAC, many of whom were initially at Arlington or Vienna and opted for PAC over Great Falls, which now has a deal with Bethesda South and Sterling, which would seem to leave little place for Cugini, but Cugini keeps plugging along while SYC -- which, now that the Vienna staff has changed over, might be the area's biggest proponent of the "academy" model of training all its teams in one place -- produces the occasional good team.

I mean, what about that isn't obvious?

How do you know all this stuff?!

I'm a popular guy with a lot of friends.

And even so, there's plenty of stuff I don't know. Is the Loudoun U9 White coach any good? I have no idea. Is SYC's "academy" approach paying dividends? No idea. Can Herndon keep producing good players without being in an "elite" league? Etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Fun Fact of the Day: Only 6 of the 24 teams who clenched a semi-final spot in the Va State Cup thus far are non-CCL teams.

They clenched semifinal spots? Man, must've been tough games.

So here's who made it (* - non-CCL):

BRYC: U20G, U20B, U18B, U16B
Arlington: U18G, U18B, U17B, U16B
Loudoun: U18G, U20B, U18B, U17B

*VYS: U20G, U18G
SOCA: U20G, U17B
Beach FC: U20B, U17B

*Annandale: U20G
*Herndon: U18G
*SYC: U20B
SYA: U18B
Virginia Legacy: U16B
McLean: U16B

I may have miscounted somewhere, because I'm only coming up with five non-CCL teams.

But, as we've all said all along, 12 of the 24 berths went to three clubs. They're the three best clubs in the state, and it doesn't matter what league they're in. Beach FC and SOCA, each the dominant club in a fairly large area, also are pretty good. Then everyone else, CCL or not, is fighting over scraps.

Which is as it was and likely shall be in the future, CCL or not.

That fun fact was tweeted by CCL. If it's really 5 teams, then CCL got it wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Look for somewhere in the early years that is smaller and more focused on development not winning."

I think we hashed this out that it's nearly impossible. We discussed how all clubs have good and bad teams with some good coaches and some bad coaches. You can go to a small club and find that it sucks. You can go to a big club and find that it sucks. Often it's luck. This statement is so easy to say but who has time to watch 3 practices and 3 games of each U-whatever team at Loudoun, Herndon, McLean, SYA, BRYC, Arlington, Vienna, FPYC, Reston, CYA, Alexandria, etc to determine if that team is right for their kid? I mean everyone says...do the research, but it's not that easy. More often than not, it's luck.

It's not that difficult. People just become complacent. They bitch and complain, but doing nothing about it. Change isn't easy for the average person. Just a fact of life.

Exactly.

I mean -- people in Vienna should have anticipated that the technical staff would split off to Arlington and Chantilly -- CYA, not CSC, where a bunch of kids moved onto a team but then found the whole team was going to Reston, unlike the other CSC team that went to SYA to join a CCL club without being a CCL team, while Reston developed a nice style of play even though a lot of its good players would wind up in McLean or Herndon -- and replaced them with an English guy and a guy who had previously coached at McLean, where he favored athleticism over soccer skill, as was the style at the time at McLean but might not be now that they've changed boys' technical directors again in an effort to stay ahead of BRYC, which has brought in a bunch of players from PAC, many of whom were initially at Arlington or Vienna and opted for PAC over Great Falls, which now has a deal with Bethesda South and Sterling, which would seem to leave little place for Cugini, but Cugini keeps plugging along while SYC -- which, now that the Vienna staff has changed over, might be the area's biggest proponent of the "academy" model of training all its teams in one place -- produces the occasional good team.

I mean, what about that isn't obvious?

How do you know all this stuff?!

I'm a popular guy with a lot of friends.

And even so, there's plenty of stuff I don't know. Is the Loudoun U9 White coach any good? I have no idea. Is SYC's "academy" approach paying dividends? No idea. Can Herndon keep producing good players without being in an "elite" league? Etc.

The Barca transfer to SYA was a Herndon player prior to this season.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"Look for somewhere in the early years that is smaller and more focused on development not winning."

I think we hashed this out that it's nearly impossible. We discussed how all clubs have good and bad teams with some good coaches and some bad coaches. You can go to a small club and find that it sucks. You can go to a big club and find that it sucks. Often it's luck. This statement is so easy to say but who has time to watch 3 practices and 3 games of each U-whatever team at Loudoun, Herndon, McLean, SYA, BRYC, Arlington, Vienna, FPYC, Reston, CYA, Alexandria, etc to determine if that team is right for their kid? I mean everyone says...do the research, but it's not that easy. More often than not, it's luck.

It's not that difficult. People just become complacent. They bitch and complain, but doing nothing about it. Change isn't easy for the average person. Just a fact of life.

Exactly.

I mean -- people in Vienna should have anticipated that the technical staff would split off to Arlington and Chantilly -- CYA, not CSC, where a bunch of kids moved onto a team but then found the whole team was going to Reston, unlike the other CSC team that went to SYA to join a CCL club without being a CCL team, while Reston developed a nice style of play even though a lot of its good players would wind up in McLean or Herndon -- and replaced them with an English guy and a guy who had previously coached at McLean, where he favored athleticism over soccer skill, as was the style at the time at McLean but might not be now that they've changed boys' technical directors again in an effort to stay ahead of BRYC, which has brought in a bunch of players from PAC, many of whom were initially at Arlington or Vienna and opted for PAC over Great Falls, which now has a deal with Bethesda South and Sterling, which would seem to leave little place for Cugini, but Cugini keeps plugging along while SYC -- which, now that the Vienna staff has changed over, might be the area's biggest proponent of the "academy" model of training all its teams in one place -- produces the occasional good team.

I mean, what about that isn't obvious?

How do you know all this stuff?!

I'm a popular guy with a lot of friends.

And even so, there's plenty of stuff I don't know. Is the Loudoun U9 White coach any good? I have no idea. Is SYC's "academy" approach paying dividends? No idea. Can Herndon keep producing good players without being in an "elite" league? Etc.

The Loudoun U9 White Boys coach is very good at teaching individual skills and technique, and he keeps it fun for the kids. Some parents complain the practices aren't serious enough, and he doesn't really teach much in the way of tactics or decision making. The Loudoun U9 G coach is OK but inexperienced.

SYC's academy approach is paying dividends at the younger age groups - teams are individually skilled and well coached.

If Herndon produces good players (and I'm not sure they do), they will leave to join teams that play in more competitive leagues. Playing other clubs' B and C teams in division 1 NCSL just isn't going to cut it.

[Anonymous]

So birth year 2005 got the royal screw job in terms of Developmental Academies:

For the 2016-2017 seasonal year, the U-12 Development Academy (a program of U.S. Soccer not U.S. Youth Soccer) is available to players born in 2004 and younger. Yet 2005 are U12 everywhere else.
In the 2017-2018 seasonal year, the U.S. Soccer Development Academy will implement the birth year shift, and the U-12 Development Academy for that season will be offered to players born in 2006 and younger.

So 2005 never gets a year where they are the first incoming group. Now you'll have some of the '05s dropping down next year to play with their correct birth year.

Man--talk about drawing the short straw--Fall/Winter 05 birthdays.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So birth year 2005 got the royal screw job in terms of Developmental Academies:

For the 2016-2017 seasonal year, the U-12 Development Academy (a program of U.S. Soccer not U.S. Youth Soccer) is available to players born in 2004 and younger. Yet 2005 are U12 everywhere else.
In the 2017-2018 seasonal year, the U.S. Soccer Development Academy will implement the birth year shift, and the U-12 Development Academy for that season will be offered to players born in 2006 and younger.

So 2005 never gets a year where they are the first incoming group. Now you'll have some of the '05s dropping down next year to play with their correct birth year.

Man--talk about drawing the short straw--Fall/Winter 05 birthdays.

That is messed up. On that note---does McLean only have U12 developmental academy next year as well? Will that mean the current DA McLean 2004/2005 U12 players will be heading to Loudon or Arlington to tryout for those DA teams?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So birth year 2005 got the royal screw job in terms of Developmental Academies:

For the 2016-2017 seasonal year, the U-12 Development Academy (a program of U.S. Soccer not U.S. Youth Soccer) is available to players born in 2004 and younger. Yet 2005 are U12 everywhere else.
In the 2017-2018 seasonal year, the U.S. Soccer Development Academy will implement the birth year shift, and the U-12 Development Academy for that season will be offered to players born in 2006 and younger.

So 2005 never gets a year where they are the first incoming group. Now you'll have some of the '05s dropping down next year to play with their correct birth year.

Man--talk about drawing the short straw--Fall/Winter 05 birthdays.

This doesn't seem like too big of a deal to me. The 2005s will just start at U13 instead. Since the senior DA group will be U19 starting next year, the 05s will have lots of years to play DA. Also, most of the area DAs (all except Arlington) have a lot of 05s on their current U12 rosters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So birth year 2005 got the royal screw job in terms of Developmental Academies:

For the 2016-2017 seasonal year, the U-12 Development Academy (a program of U.S. Soccer not U.S. Youth Soccer) is available to players born in 2004 and younger. Yet 2005 are U12 everywhere else.
In the 2017-2018 seasonal year, the U.S. Soccer Development Academy will implement the birth year shift, and the U-12 Development Academy for that season will be offered to players born in 2006 and younger.

So 2005 never gets a year where they are the first incoming group. Now you'll have some of the '05s dropping down next year to play with their correct birth year.

Man--talk about drawing the short straw--Fall/Winter 05 birthdays.

That is messed up. On that note---does McLean only have U12 developmental academy next year as well? Will that mean the current DA McLean 2004/2005 U12 players will be heading to Loudon or Arlington to tryout for those DA teams?

Or they can try out for DC United or Bethesda, both of which may be closer than Loudoun, depending where the families live.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So birth year 2005 got the royal screw job in terms of Developmental Academies:

For the 2016-2017 seasonal year, the U-12 Development Academy (a program of U.S. Soccer not U.S. Youth Soccer) is available to players born in 2004 and younger. Yet 2005 are U12 everywhere else.
In the 2017-2018 seasonal year, the U.S. Soccer Development Academy will implement the birth year shift, and the U-12 Development Academy for that season will be offered to players born in 2006 and younger.

So 2005 never gets a year where they are the first incoming group. Now you'll have some of the '05s dropping down next year to play with their correct birth year.

Man--talk about drawing the short straw--Fall/Winter 05 birthdays.

That is messed up. On that note---does McLean only have U12 developmental academy next year as well? Will that mean the current DA McLean 2004/2005 U12 players will be heading to Loudon or Arlington to tryout for those DA teams?

Or they can try out for DC United or Bethesda, both of which may be closer than Loudoun, depending where the families live.

It will increase competition significantly. The 2005s are really at a disadvantage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So birth year 2005 got the royal screw job in terms of Developmental Academies:

For the 2016-2017 seasonal year, the U-12 Development Academy (a program of U.S. Soccer not U.S. Youth Soccer) is available to players born in 2004 and younger. Yet 2005 are U12 everywhere else.
In the 2017-2018 seasonal year, the U.S. Soccer Development Academy will implement the birth year shift, and the U-12 Development Academy for that season will be offered to players born in 2006 and younger.

So 2005 never gets a year where they are the first incoming group. Now you'll have some of the '05s dropping down next year to play with their correct birth year.

Man--talk about drawing the short straw--Fall/Winter 05 birthdays.

That is messed up. On that note---does McLean only have U12 developmental academy next year as well? Will that mean the current DA McLean 2004/2005 U12 players will be heading to Loudon or Arlington to tryout for those DA teams?

Or they can try out for DC United or Bethesda, both of which may be closer than Loudoun, depending where the families live.

It will increase competition significantly. The 2005s are really at a disadvantage.

Why would it increase competition for spots? With the age groups shift, the '04s that make up the bulk of this year's U12 pool will move up to U14, which leaves U13 free for '05s and the '06 kids deemed worthy of playing with them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So birth year 2005 got the royal screw job in terms of Developmental Academies:

For the 2016-2017 seasonal year, the U-12 Development Academy (a program of U.S. Soccer not U.S. Youth Soccer) is available to players born in 2004 and younger. Yet 2005 are U12 everywhere else.
In the 2017-2018 seasonal year, the U.S. Soccer Development Academy will implement the birth year shift, and the U-12 Development Academy for that season will be offered to players born in 2006 and younger.

So 2005 never gets a year where they are the first incoming group. Now you'll have some of the '05s dropping down next year to play with their correct birth year.

Man--talk about drawing the short straw--Fall/Winter 05 birthdays.

That is messed up. On that note---does McLean only have U12 developmental academy next year as well? Will that mean the current DA McLean 2004/2005 U12 players will be heading to Loudon or Arlington to tryout for those DA teams?

Or they can try out for DC United or Bethesda, both of which may be closer than Loudoun, depending where the families live.

It will increase competition significantly. The 2005s are really at a disadvantage.

Won't McLean carry the current DA team? They have to release them--next year? Was the DA status conditional and possible to move through the next age groups?

All players will age out of Loudon/Arlington DA at age 13 unless these clubs get an Academy past U14, correct? U14 next year for academy will mean players that are 12&13 years old according to birth year (2003 will be U14 in the following year 2017-18). I am guessing this may have the impact of the DA players going back to their Clubs A teams and pushing down players there now. There are only a few spots at DC united Academy so they will not absorb the majority of the players from these other Clubs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So birth year 2005 got the royal screw job in terms of Developmental Academies:

For the 2016-2017 seasonal year, the U-12 Development Academy (a program of U.S. Soccer not U.S. Youth Soccer) is available to players born in 2004 and younger. Yet 2005 are U12 everywhere else.
In the 2017-2018 seasonal year, the U.S. Soccer Development Academy will implement the birth year shift, and the U-12 Development Academy for that season will be offered to players born in 2006 and younger.

So 2005 never gets a year where they are the first incoming group. Now you'll have some of the '05s dropping down next year to play with their correct birth year.

Man--talk about drawing the short straw--Fall/Winter 05 birthdays.

That is messed up. On that note---does McLean only have U12 developmental academy next year as well? Will that mean the current DA McLean 2004/2005 U12 players will be heading to Loudon or Arlington to tryout for those DA teams?

Or they can try out for DC United or Bethesda, both of which may be closer than Loudoun, depending where the families live.

It will increase competition significantly. The 2005s are really at a disadvantage.

Why would it increase competition for spots? With the age groups shift, the '04s that make up the bulk of this year's U12 pool will move up to U14, which leaves U13 free for '05s and the '06 kids deemed worthy of playing with them.

next year DA goes to birth year:
2006 will be U12
2005 will be U13
2004 will be U14

2002 (current DA u14s) and 2003 (current DA u13s) will no longer have DA teams in Arlington and Loudon. A bulk will go back to their A teams in the Club.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So birth year 2005 got the royal screw job in terms of Developmental Academies:

For the 2016-2017 seasonal year, the U-12 Development Academy (a program of U.S. Soccer not U.S. Youth Soccer) is available to players born in 2004 and younger. Yet 2005 are U12 everywhere else.
In the 2017-2018 seasonal year, the U.S. Soccer Development Academy will implement the birth year shift, and the U-12 Development Academy for that season will be offered to players born in 2006 and younger.

So 2005 never gets a year where they are the first incoming group. Now you'll have some of the '05s dropping down next year to play with their correct birth year.

Man--talk about drawing the short straw--Fall/Winter 05 birthdays.

That is messed up. On that note---does McLean only have U12 developmental academy next year as well? Will that mean the current DA McLean 2004/2005 U12 players will be heading to Loudon or Arlington to tryout for those DA teams?

Or they can try out for DC United or Bethesda, both of which may be closer than Loudoun, depending where the families live.

It will increase competition significantly. The 2005s are really at a disadvantage.

Won't McLean carry the current DA team? They have to release them--next year? Was the DA status conditional and possible to move through the next age groups?

All players will age out of Loudon/Arlington DA at age 13 unless these clubs get an Academy past U14, correct? U14 next year for academy will mean players that are 12&13 years old according to birth year (2003 will be U14 in the following year 2017-18). I am guessing this may have the impact of the DA players going back to their Clubs A teams and pushing down players there now. There are only a few spots at DC united Academy so they will not absorb the majority of the players from these other Clubs.

Unless there is anyone with inside scoop here, there's no way to know if any of the clubs that currently have only U12 or U12-U14 might be in line to get full DA status. Some clubs that started with only U14 a couple years ago were eventually awarded U16 and U18, but others weren't.

I doubt McLean would have additional age groups added since they only have a sole DA team now. If there is no change in their status, then they'll just have a younger group cycle into the U12 DA team for next year. As for what happens to kids aging out of their current DA club, their games are basically scouting opportunities for the other area DA clubs. Some will likely end up at DC or Bethesda, and others will go back to play outside DA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So birth year 2005 got the royal screw job in terms of Developmental Academies:

For the 2016-2017 seasonal year, the U-12 Development Academy (a program of U.S. Soccer not U.S. Youth Soccer) is available to players born in 2004 and younger. Yet 2005 are U12 everywhere else.
In the 2017-2018 seasonal year, the U.S. Soccer Development Academy will implement the birth year shift, and the U-12 Development Academy for that season will be offered to players born in 2006 and younger.

So 2005 never gets a year where they are the first incoming group. Now you'll have some of the '05s dropping down next year to play with their correct birth year.

Man--talk about drawing the short straw--Fall/Winter 05 birthdays.

That is messed up. On that note---does McLean only have U12 developmental academy next year as well? Will that mean the current DA McLean 2004/2005 U12 players will be heading to Loudon or Arlington to tryout for those DA teams?

Or they can try out for DC United or Bethesda, both of which may be closer than Loudoun, depending where the families live.

It will increase competition significantly. The 2005s are really at a disadvantage.

Won't McLean carry the current DA team? They have to release them--next year? Was the DA status conditional and possible to move through the next age groups?

All players will age out of Loudon/Arlington DA at age 13 unless these clubs get an Academy past U14, correct? U14 next year for academy will mean players that are 12&13 years old according to birth year (2003 will be U14 in the following year 2017-18). I am guessing this may have the impact of the DA players going back to their Clubs A teams and pushing down players there now. There are only a few spots at DC united Academy so they will not absorb the majority of the players from these other Clubs.

Unless there is anyone with inside scoop here, there's no way to know if any of the clubs that currently have only U12 or U12-U14 might be in line to get full DA status. Some clubs that started with only U14 a couple years ago were eventually awarded U16 and U18, but others weren't.

I doubt McLean would have additional age groups added since they only have a sole DA team now. If there is no change in their status, then they'll just have a younger group cycle into the U12 DA team for next year. As for what happens to kids aging out of their current DA club, their games are basically scouting opportunities for the other area DA clubs. Some will likely end up at DC or Bethesda, and others will go back to play outside DA.

After a year of enjoying DA status the very top players could go to Arlington or DCU . . . here is announcement - http://www.mcleansoccer.org/Academy_Overview

The rest can look around elsewhere or "settle" for going back to CCL on their green team Word among parents is that Mclean is not getting a boys academy back after screwing up a few years ago and u.s. soccer taking it away.