Field hockey clubs feedback

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looks like Winter Escape wasn’t a good showing for the Wolves. Didn’t win one game. Warhawks, Shorebyrds, Alpha, Hymax did well or decent.

Don’t know what’s happening with the Wolves. Some say the intensity isn’t there anymore in practices and commitment is lacking from the players and some say the coaching is inconsistent. They use to be strong but these past couple of years they have been falling to a mid tier team. It’s disappointing to see this trend. Hope they can get back to being a strong team in the area once again.

Warhawks continue to be a strong team. Hear their coaching is stellar. Alpha seems to be hit or miss depending on team assigned.

To be fair, they (like most teams) probably sent those kids who are not committed. That's kind of the point of this event. There were not a ton of local teams even there. Even WC only sent 1 team (I think) and their top, top players were not on it.

This. It is not a competitive event. The strong teams all wait and go to Sunshine Showcase. It's usually for uncommitted players who just want another opportunity to play and get in front of a few coaches. Not a great recruiting opportunity. One that I think the top coaches use to get first looks at younger players, while Disney gets much more serious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looks like Winter Escape wasn’t a good showing for the Wolves. Didn’t win one game. Warhawks, Shorebyrds, Alpha, Hymax did well or decent.

Don’t know what’s happening with the Wolves. Some say the intensity isn’t there anymore in practices and commitment is lacking from the players and some say the coaching is inconsistent. They use to be strong but these past couple of years they have been falling to a mid tier team. It’s disappointing to see this trend. Hope they can get back to being a strong team in the area once again.

Warhawks continue to be a strong team. Hear their coaching is stellar. Alpha seems to be hit or miss depending on team assigned.

My kid was there and it was an amazing recruiting experience! Close to 175 coaches there in person. Lots of good leads for her. The College Connection events are such well-oiled machines, too. Run really well.

Hope it works out. Coaches will make it clear if they are interested within 24-48hrs after a showcase either directly to the player via an email to ask to schedule a call if they can directly talk to them and if they can’t directly talk to them they will reach out to the club coach. If neither of that happens and you get no communication or generic email of come to a clinic, they aren’t interested. If you make the first move to reach out to them they aren’t interested. College connections software is excellent for coaches. It’s color coded if they liked a player or not. If they like a player they receive a list of matched players with their contact information and with the coaches notes.

I don't know why this person is writing this stuff with such authority. As someone who helped my DD through this very recently, I promise you, these coaches do not see each and every player at these events or they have priorities. This event in particular is not after which coaches are going to do a lot of follow up. It is fine for you to reach out after these events and fine to go to their clinics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Looking back on the past year, I don't think these assessments of the Wolves is correct.

U19 Wolves @ Disney last year:
Beat SanJose Fly 4-0
Tied Texas Pride 0-0
Beat Phoenix Elite 3-0
Beat FHL 3-1
Lost to Spirit of USA 0-1
Lost to AGH 0-1

So their on-paper record is 3-2-1 which might not look great, but their actual results are very strong. The ties and 1 goal losses against Texas Pride Red, Spirit of USA, and AGH are against some of the strongest teams in the country. They finished 4th in the 2nd highest bracket and were seeded 14th overall.

To compare other area clubs, finishes were Freedom (1st in top bracket, seeded 2nd), Warhawks (4th in 3rd bracket, seeded 21st), Next Level Blue (1st in 4th bracket, seeded 27th), HUSEL (1st in 5th bracket, seeded 35th), Hammers (8th bracket, seeded 62nd), Jackals (9th bracket, seeded 65th), Koa (9th bracket, seeded 67th), Next Level White (9th bracket, seeded 68th)

Shooting Star Easter, they were 3-1-1 in Pool A with wins against Rob Short, Freedom Yellow and Centercourt, a tie against Wizards, and a 1-2 loss against pool winner NJ Grit. Again, a very good showing against good teams.

At Shooting Star Thanksgiving, their on paper record was 0-4-1 but this was in pool A.
Lost to Mayhem 0-2
Lost to WC Eagles 1-3
Tied Texas Pride 0-0
Lost to NJ Grit 0-1
Lost to Panthers United 0-3

Again, the win/loss/tie record doesn't look great, but it is actually quite a good showing. In U16, they beat Mayhem, tied FHC of CT, and tied Centercourt. All very good teams.

As for Winter Escape, they took a team comprised of uncommitted (but interested U19s and U16s). They took everyone that was interested and had a few guest players (and a guest goalie) to have enough players. Win/loss doesn't look great, but they played very tight games against all but one team and I'm sure we will find out what the results were from a recruiting standpoint. First year that Wolves took a team and it was to provide another recruiting opportunity for those that were interested.

Perhaps more importantly, the goal of a showcase or recruiting tournament is to showcase athletes in the best possible light in front of college coaches. I know that the coaches actively try to play the toughest teams they can which brings college coaches to come watch. The fundamental play of the teams is good. They play good hockey, and that is apparent to the coaches they play in front of. You can diminish their recruitment results as just strong individual players, but that doesn't jive based on what is actually happening. College coaches don't really care about a club team's win/loss - they are looking at how individuals play the game and how that player might fit into what they are looking for.


Sources:
Disney 2023: https://tourneymachine.com/Public/Results/Division.aspx?IDTournament=h20221208192627595dcc1dacc0d154e&IDDivision=h202212081926277771c1eae74021649
Shooting Star Easter 2023: https://tourneymachine.com/Public/Results/Division.aspx?IDTournament=h20230309164814107e683a83198dd40&IDDivision=h20230309174649657dac2f15266ff42
Shooting Star Thanksgiving 2023: https://tourneymachine.com/Public/Results/Division.aspx?IDTournament=h20231024165310123afecc2ae248c43&IDDivision=h20231024172644537272436bae6db4f

It's kind of a problem with the coaching, as there is at least one serious ball hog, who lacks the athleticism to get away with it. Very skilled, lovely player, but her style of play is one of the problems. Hence, not committed yet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looks like Winter Escape wasn’t a good showing for the Wolves. Didn’t win one game. Warhawks, Shorebyrds, Alpha, Hymax did well or decent.

Don’t know what’s happening with the Wolves. Some say the intensity isn’t there anymore in practices and commitment is lacking from the players and some say the coaching is inconsistent. They use to be strong but these past couple of years they have been falling to a mid tier team. It’s disappointing to see this trend. Hope they can get back to being a strong team in the area once again.

Warhawks continue to be a strong team. Hear their coaching is stellar. Alpha seems to be hit or miss depending on team assigned.

To be fair, they (like most teams) probably sent those kids who are not committed. That's kind of the point of this event. There were not a ton of local teams even there. Even WC only sent 1 team (I think) and their top, top players were not on it.

This. It is not a competitive event. The strong teams all wait and go to Sunshine Showcase. It's usually for uncommitted players who just want another opportunity to play and get in front of a few coaches. Not a great recruiting opportunity. One that I think the top coaches use to get first looks at younger players, while Disney gets much more serious.

^^^ “Not a great recruiting opportunity.” WRONG. Over 175 coaches at Winter Escape. Do you think that many coaches go to Florida in January to get a tan?! They are there to recruit. Just because your DD’s club team didn’t go to Winter Escape doesn’t mean it’s not a legitimate recruiting event. Please keep your negative opinions to yourself in the future.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are the top teams to consider if you live in McLean VA. Seems like top teams are Warhawk’s and Freedom and we can’t commute that far for practices. Husel and Next Level?

If you read through this thread, you will find people bash pretty much every club. Find a fit for your kid based on your own experience with the team/coach.

My DD did not like her experience with Next Level’s coach. I’ve watched the Husel coach enough to stay away. However, I have friends at both these clubs and they are happy.

DD has had a good experience with Wolves as a guest and at some clinics. She likes Gloria and the other coaches.

I have friends at Freedom and Warhawks and while they are mostly happy they still have their complaints.

All these clubs have sent players to D1 schools. If you want that for your kid, most of them will be able to get her their if she puts in the time and effort. Don’t get hung up on how many times a teams wins, because as someone else said, coaches sent necessarily looking at that.

It really depends what your player is looking for and wants to accomplish. The opportunity for D1 recruitment from Next Level or Husel, or even Wolves, does not come close to that of Freedom or Warhawks. Freedoms is hands down the top team in the area--truly, it's not a question--and I do not have a Freedom player. But it is quite a commute and not worth it if your DD is not strong enough to play on the top outdoor team. Gloria at Wolves is a great coach. Unfortunately, it's true that they just aren't as strong as they once were. Currently Next Level seems to have a pretty strong U16 team, so if DD is a freshman or sophomore and has skills, she may want to look there. Welma is a very knowledgeable coach and excels at building players' skills. She makes some decisions that don't always make sense regarding who she plays on what teams, but she's nice, positive, and, as I said, extremely good. From McLean, that would be my suggestion. It's true that this NoVa Extreme club keeps popping up. But honestly, I have been in field hockey around here for many years and had never heard of them until very recently.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looks like Winter Escape wasn’t a good showing for the Wolves. Didn’t win one game. Warhawks, Shorebyrds, Alpha, Hymax did well or decent.

Don’t know what’s happening with the Wolves. Some say the intensity isn’t there anymore in practices and commitment is lacking from the players and some say the coaching is inconsistent. They use to be strong but these past couple of years they have been falling to a mid tier team. It’s disappointing to see this trend. Hope they can get back to being a strong team in the area once again.

Warhawks continue to be a strong team. Hear their coaching is stellar. Alpha seems to be hit or miss depending on team assigned.

To be fair, they (like most teams) probably sent those kids who are not committed. That's kind of the point of this event. There were not a ton of local teams even there. Even WC only sent 1 team (I think) and their top, top players were not on it.

This. It is not a competitive event. The strong teams all wait and go to Sunshine Showcase. It's usually for uncommitted players who just want another opportunity to play and get in front of a few coaches. Not a great recruiting opportunity. One that I think the top coaches use to get first looks at younger players, while Disney gets much more serious.

^^^ “Not a great recruiting opportunity.” WRONG. Over 175 coaches at Winter Escape. Do you think that many coaches go to Florida in January to get a tan?! They are there to recruit. Just because your DD’s club team didn’t go to Winter Escape doesn’t mean it’s not a legitimate recruiting event. Please keep your negative opinions to yourself in the future.

Umm, they came for the NFHCA convention. Winter Escape is tagged onto that. But I agree with you that it is a legitimate recruiting event.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looks like Winter Escape wasn’t a good showing for the Wolves. Didn’t win one game. Warhawks, Shorebyrds, Alpha, Hymax did well or decent.

Don’t know what’s happening with the Wolves. Some say the intensity isn’t there anymore in practices and commitment is lacking from the players and some say the coaching is inconsistent. They use to be strong but these past couple of years they have been falling to a mid tier team. It’s disappointing to see this trend. Hope they can get back to being a strong team in the area once again.

Warhawks continue to be a strong team. Hear their coaching is stellar. Alpha seems to be hit or miss depending on team assigned.

To be fair, they (like most teams) probably sent those kids who are not committed. That's kind of the point of this event. There were not a ton of local teams even there. Even WC only sent 1 team (I think) and their top, top players were not on it.

This. It is not a competitive event. The strong teams all wait and go to Sunshine Showcase. It's usually for uncommitted players who just want another opportunity to play and get in front of a few coaches. Not a great recruiting opportunity. One that I think the top coaches use to get first looks at younger players, while Disney gets much more serious.

^^^ “Not a great recruiting opportunity.” WRONG. Over 175 coaches at Winter Escape. Do you think that many coaches go to Florida in January to get a tan?! They are there to recruit. Just because your DD’s club team didn’t go to Winter Escape doesn’t mean it’s not a legitimate recruiting event. Please keep your negative opinions to yourself in the future.

I am a coach and have been at this for a long time. There are so many coaches there because the tournament is run specifically alongside the annual NFHCA meeting. Trust me, yes, as long as they are there, they take a look at some players they may be interested in and catch up with their favorite teams. Sometimes they see something they like. But the quantity of coaches does not translate to strong recruiting. Most of them are doing their serious recruiting at Disney. It is a much more competitive tournament, as USA points are on the line. It is not a non-committed event, which Winter Escape largely is, but rather the top teams playing their best players. It's not meant as a "negative opinion," but rather fact. I'm not sure why you want to dismiss it when you don't really seem to understand the process that well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looking back on the past year, I don't think these assessments of the Wolves is correct.

U19 Wolves @ Disney last year:
Beat SanJose Fly 4-0
Tied Texas Pride 0-0
Beat Phoenix Elite 3-0
Beat FHL 3-1
Lost to Spirit of USA 0-1
Lost to AGH 0-1

So their on-paper record is 3-2-1 which might not look great, but their actual results are very strong. The ties and 1 goal losses against Texas Pride Red, Spirit of USA, and AGH are against some of the strongest teams in the country. They finished 4th in the 2nd highest bracket and were seeded 14th overall.

To compare other area clubs, finishes were Freedom (1st in top bracket, seeded 2nd), Warhawks (4th in 3rd bracket, seeded 21st), Next Level Blue (1st in 4th bracket, seeded 27th), HUSEL (1st in 5th bracket, seeded 35th), Hammers (8th bracket, seeded 62nd), Jackals (9th bracket, seeded 65th), Koa (9th bracket, seeded 67th), Next Level White (9th bracket, seeded 68th)

Shooting Star Easter, they were 3-1-1 in Pool A with wins against Rob Short, Freedom Yellow and Centercourt, a tie against Wizards, and a 1-2 loss against pool winner NJ Grit. Again, a very good showing against good teams.

At Shooting Star Thanksgiving, their on paper record was 0-4-1 but this was in pool A.
Lost to Mayhem 0-2
Lost to WC Eagles 1-3
Tied Texas Pride 0-0
Lost to NJ Grit 0-1
Lost to Panthers United 0-3

Again, the win/loss/tie record doesn't look great, but it is actually quite a good showing. In U16, they beat Mayhem, tied FHC of CT, and tied Centercourt. All very good teams.

As for Winter Escape, they took a team comprised of uncommitted (but interested U19s and U16s). They took everyone that was interested and had a few guest players (and a guest goalie) to have enough players. Win/loss doesn't look great, but they played very tight games against all but one team and I'm sure we will find out what the results were from a recruiting standpoint. First year that Wolves took a team and it was to provide another recruiting opportunity for those that were interested.

Perhaps more importantly, the goal of a showcase or recruiting tournament is to showcase athletes in the best possible light in front of college coaches. I know that the coaches actively try to play the toughest teams they can which brings college coaches to come watch. The fundamental play of the teams is good. They play good hockey, and that is apparent to the coaches they play in front of. You can diminish their recruitment results as just strong individual players, but that doesn't jive based on what is actually happening. College coaches don't really care about a club team's win/loss - they are looking at how individuals play the game and how that player might fit into what they are looking for.


Sources:
Disney 2023: https://tourneymachine.com/Public/Results/Division.aspx?IDTournament=h20221208192627595dcc1dacc0d154e&IDDivision=h202212081926277771c1eae74021649
Shooting Star Easter 2023: https://tourneymachine.com/Public/Results/Division.aspx?IDTournament=h20230309164814107e683a83198dd40&IDDivision=h20230309174649657dac2f15266ff42
Shooting Star Thanksgiving 2023: https://tourneymachine.com/Public/Results/Division.aspx?IDTournament=h20231024165310123afecc2ae248c43&IDDivision=h20231024172644537272436bae6db4f

It's kind of a problem with the coaching, as there is at least one serious ball hog, who lacks the athleticism to get away with it. Very skilled, lovely player, but her style of play is one of the problems. Hence, not committed yet.

My DD played against them. They have 1 noticeably good player (she might be the ball hog you mention) The rest were average. Not bad but no wow factor either. They do not pass enough.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looking back on the past year, I don't think these assessments of the Wolves is correct.

U19 Wolves @ Disney last year:
Beat SanJose Fly 4-0
Tied Texas Pride 0-0
Beat Phoenix Elite 3-0
Beat FHL 3-1
Lost to Spirit of USA 0-1
Lost to AGH 0-1

So their on-paper record is 3-2-1 which might not look great, but their actual results are very strong. The ties and 1 goal losses against Texas Pride Red, Spirit of USA, and AGH are against some of the strongest teams in the country. They finished 4th in the 2nd highest bracket and were seeded 14th overall.

To compare other area clubs, finishes were Freedom (1st in top bracket, seeded 2nd), Warhawks (4th in 3rd bracket, seeded 21st), Next Level Blue (1st in 4th bracket, seeded 27th), HUSEL (1st in 5th bracket, seeded 35th), Hammers (8th bracket, seeded 62nd), Jackals (9th bracket, seeded 65th), Koa (9th bracket, seeded 67th), Next Level White (9th bracket, seeded 68th)

Shooting Star Easter, they were 3-1-1 in Pool A with wins against Rob Short, Freedom Yellow and Centercourt, a tie against Wizards, and a 1-2 loss against pool winner NJ Grit. Again, a very good showing against good teams.

At Shooting Star Thanksgiving, their on paper record was 0-4-1 but this was in pool A.
Lost to Mayhem 0-2
Lost to WC Eagles 1-3
Tied Texas Pride 0-0
Lost to NJ Grit 0-1
Lost to Panthers United 0-3

Again, the win/loss/tie record doesn't look great, but it is actually quite a good showing. In U16, they beat Mayhem, tied FHC of CT, and tied Centercourt. All very good teams.

As for Winter Escape, they took a team comprised of uncommitted (but interested U19s and U16s). They took everyone that was interested and had a few guest players (and a guest goalie) to have enough players. Win/loss doesn't look great, but they played very tight games against all but one team and I'm sure we will find out what the results were from a recruiting standpoint. First year that Wolves took a team and it was to provide another recruiting opportunity for those that were interested.

Perhaps more importantly, the goal of a showcase or recruiting tournament is to showcase athletes in the best possible light in front of college coaches. I know that the coaches actively try to play the toughest teams they can which brings college coaches to come watch. The fundamental play of the teams is good. They play good hockey, and that is apparent to the coaches they play in front of. You can diminish their recruitment results as just strong individual players, but that doesn't jive based on what is actually happening. College coaches don't really care about a club team's win/loss - they are looking at how individuals play the game and how that player might fit into what they are looking for.


Sources:
Disney 2023: https://tourneymachine.com/Public/Results/Division.aspx?IDTournament=h20221208192627595dcc1dacc0d154e&IDDivision=h202212081926277771c1eae74021649
Shooting Star Easter 2023: https://tourneymachine.com/Public/Results/Division.aspx?IDTournament=h20230309164814107e683a83198dd40&IDDivision=h20230309174649657dac2f15266ff42
Shooting Star Thanksgiving 2023: https://tourneymachine.com/Public/Results/Division.aspx?IDTournament=h20231024165310123afecc2ae248c43&IDDivision=h20231024172644537272436bae6db4f

It's kind of a problem with the coaching, as there is at least one serious ball hog, who lacks the athleticism to get away with it. Very skilled, lovely player, but her style of play is one of the problems. Hence, not committed yet.

My DD played against them. They have 1 noticeably good player (she might be the ball hog you mention) The rest were average. Not bad but no wow factor either. They do not pass enough.

2 ball hogs and over dribble and cause turnovers. Both committed. One trusts no one and runs all over the field to play every position. Does at both club and outside of club. Coach says nothing because they are favorites and are the stronger players for the team but not across the region. Agree on lack of passing that’s because they are not good at positioning on the field. Their forwards aren’t ever high enough to receive a pass happen for offensive movement. Again lack of coaching field positioning and fundamentals. Players are capable but coaching is not high caliber to grow these players. Ingraining bad habits

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looks like Winter Escape wasn’t a good showing for the Wolves. Didn’t win one game. Warhawks, Shorebyrds, Alpha, Hymax did well or decent.

Don’t know what’s happening with the Wolves. Some say the intensity isn’t there anymore in practices and commitment is lacking from the players and some say the coaching is inconsistent. They use to be strong but these past couple of years they have been falling to a mid tier team. It’s disappointing to see this trend. Hope they can get back to being a strong team in the area once again.

Warhawks continue to be a strong team. Hear their coaching is stellar. Alpha seems to be hit or miss depending on team assigned.

To be fair, they (like most teams) probably sent those kids who are not committed. That's kind of the point of this event. There were not a ton of local teams even there. Even WC only sent 1 team (I think) and their top, top players were not on it.

This. It is not a competitive event. The strong teams all wait and go to Sunshine Showcase. It's usually for uncommitted players who just want another opportunity to play and get in front of a few coaches. Not a great recruiting opportunity. One that I think the top coaches use to get first looks at younger players, while Disney gets much more serious.

^^^ “Not a great recruiting opportunity.” WRONG. Over 175 coaches at Winter Escape. Do you think that many coaches go to Florida in January to get a tan?! They are there to recruit. Just because your DD’s club team didn’t go to Winter Escape doesn’t mean it’s not a legitimate recruiting event. Please keep your negative opinions to yourself in the future.

I am a coach and have been at this for a long time. There are so many coaches there because the tournament is run specifically alongside the annual NFHCA meeting. Trust me, yes, as long as they are there, they take a look at some players they may be interested in and catch up with their favorite teams. Sometimes they see something they like. But the quantity of coaches does not translate to strong recruiting. Most of them are doing their serious recruiting at Disney. It is a much more competitive tournament, as USA points are on the line. It is not a non-committed event, which Winter Escape largely is, but rather the top teams playing their best players. It's not meant as a "negative opinion," but rather fact. I'm not sure why you want to dismiss it when you don't really seem to understand the process that well.

I love it when the know-it-all posters claiming to be coaches or the parent of a Top D1 commit put their 2 cents in like it’s gospel. You sound so stupid and it’s funny so please keep posting so the rest of us can get a good laugh from your “opinions.” Same advice for the Freedom and Warhawks parents because your DDs are the “best.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looks like Winter Escape wasn’t a good showing for the Wolves. Didn’t win one game. Warhawks, Shorebyrds, Alpha, Hymax did well or decent.

Don’t know what’s happening with the Wolves. Some say the intensity isn’t there anymore in practices and commitment is lacking from the players and some say the coaching is inconsistent. They use to be strong but these past couple of years they have been falling to a mid tier team. It’s disappointing to see this trend. Hope they can get back to being a strong team in the area once again.

Warhawks continue to be a strong team. Hear their coaching is stellar. Alpha seems to be hit or miss depending on team assigned.

To be fair, they (like most teams) probably sent those kids who are not committed. That's kind of the point of this event. There were not a ton of local teams even there. Even WC only sent 1 team (I think) and their top, top players were not on it.

This. It is not a competitive event. The strong teams all wait and go to Sunshine Showcase. It's usually for uncommitted players who just want another opportunity to play and get in front of a few coaches. Not a great recruiting opportunity. One that I think the top coaches use to get first looks at younger players, while Disney gets much more serious.

^^^ “Not a great recruiting opportunity.” WRONG. Over 175 coaches at Winter Escape. Do you think that many coaches go to Florida in January to get a tan?! They are there to recruit. Just because your DD’s club team didn’t go to Winter Escape doesn’t mean it’s not a legitimate recruiting event. Please keep your negative opinions to yourself in the future.

I am a coach and have been at this for a long time. There are so many coaches there because the tournament is run specifically alongside the annual NFHCA meeting. Trust me, yes, as long as they are there, they take a look at some players they may be interested in and catch up with their favorite teams. Sometimes they see something they like. But the quantity of coaches does not translate to strong recruiting. Most of them are doing their serious recruiting at Disney. It is a much more competitive tournament, as USA points are on the line. It is not a non-committed event, which Winter Escape largely is, but rather the top teams playing their best players. It's not meant as a "negative opinion," but rather fact. I'm not sure why you want to dismiss it when you don't really seem to understand the process that well.

I love it when the know-it-all posters claiming to be coaches or the parent of a Top D1 commit put their 2 cents in like it’s gospel. You sound so stupid and it’s funny so please keep posting so the rest of us can get a good laugh from your “opinions.” Same advice for the Freedom and Warhawks parents because your DDs are the “best.”

Hahahahaha. This is true^^^

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looks like Winter Escape wasn’t a good showing for the Wolves. Didn’t win one game. Warhawks, Shorebyrds, Alpha, Hymax did well or decent.

Don’t know what’s happening with the Wolves. Some say the intensity isn’t there anymore in practices and commitment is lacking from the players and some say the coaching is inconsistent. They use to be strong but these past couple of years they have been falling to a mid tier team. It’s disappointing to see this trend. Hope they can get back to being a strong team in the area once again.

Warhawks continue to be a strong team. Hear their coaching is stellar. Alpha seems to be hit or miss depending on team assigned.

To be fair, they (like most teams) probably sent those kids who are not committed. That's kind of the point of this event. There were not a ton of local teams even there. Even WC only sent 1 team (I think) and their top, top players were not on it.

This. It is not a competitive event. The strong teams all wait and go to Sunshine Showcase. It's usually for uncommitted players who just want another opportunity to play and get in front of a few coaches. Not a great recruiting opportunity. One that I think the top coaches use to get first looks at younger players, while Disney gets much more serious.

^^^ “Not a great recruiting opportunity.” WRONG. Over 175 coaches at Winter Escape. Do you think that many coaches go to Florida in January to get a tan?! They are there to recruit. Just because your DD’s club team didn’t go to Winter Escape doesn’t mean it’s not a legitimate recruiting event. Please keep your negative opinions to yourself in the future.

I am a coach and have been at this for a long time. There are so many coaches there because the tournament is run specifically alongside the annual NFHCA meeting. Trust me, yes, as long as they are there, they take a look at some players they may be interested in and catch up with their favorite teams. Sometimes they see something they like. But the quantity of coaches does not translate to strong recruiting. Most of them are doing their serious recruiting at Disney. It is a much more competitive tournament, as USA points are on the line. It is not a non-committed event, which Winter Escape largely is, but rather the top teams playing their best players. It's not meant as a "negative opinion," but rather fact. I'm not sure why you want to dismiss it when you don't really seem to understand the process that well.

I love it when the know-it-all posters claiming to be coaches or the parent of a Top D1 commit put their 2 cents in like it’s gospel. You sound so stupid and it’s funny so please keep posting so the rest of us can get a good laugh from your “opinions.” Same advice for the Freedom and Warhawks parents because your DDs are the “best.”

You should probably just stop living vicariously through your average athlete. If you can't, then you should at least listen to those who seem to know what they're talking about. Literally that poster was just providing information. It may actually be helpful for those who stress that they didn't get any attention or calls after the event. Several posters mentioned the same thing: that showcase is timed to a college coach conference. Why does that make you so angry?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are the top teams to consider if you live in McLean VA. Seems like top teams are Warhawk’s and Freedom and we can’t commute that far for practices. Husel and Next Level?

If you read through this thread, you will find people bash pretty much every club. Find a fit for your kid based on your own experience with the team/coach.

My DD did not like her experience with Next Level’s coach. I’ve watched the Husel coach enough to stay away. However, I have friends at both these clubs and they are happy.

DD has had a good experience with Wolves as a guest and at some clinics. She likes Gloria and the other coaches.

I have friends at Freedom and Warhawks and while they are mostly happy they still have their complaints.

All these clubs have sent players to D1 schools. If you want that for your kid, most of them will be able to get her their if she puts in the time and effort. Don’t get hung up on how many times a teams wins, because as someone else said, coaches sent necessarily looking at that.

It really depends what your player is looking for and wants to accomplish. The opportunity for D1 recruitment from Next Level or Husel, or even Wolves, does not come close to that of Freedom or Warhawks. Freedoms is hands down the top team in the area--truly, it's not a question--and I do not have a Freedom player. But it is quite a commute and not worth it if your DD is not strong enough to play on the top outdoor team. Gloria at Wolves is a great coach. Unfortunately, it's true that they just aren't as strong as they once were. Currently Next Level seems to have a pretty strong U16 team, so if DD is a freshman or sophomore and has skills, she may want to look there. Welma is a very knowledgeable coach and excels at building players' skills. She makes some decisions that don't always make sense regarding who she plays on what teams, but she's nice, positive, and, as I said, extremely good. From McLean, that would be my suggestion. It's true that this NoVa Extreme club keeps popping up. But honestly, I have been in field hockey around here for many years and had never heard of them until very recently.

These last 2 sentences are a good example of someone gaslighting a successful club that is from the DMV (specifically Northern Virginia.) There are zero negative posts about Xtreme (unlike Husel, Metro, Next Level, Wolves, etc.) and they clearly are on the rise yet the poster who is from around here claims they haven’t heard of them until recently so they must not be worthy of your consideration. Obviously you are a Freedom parent and your entire post before this mention has now been completely negated.

[Anonymous]

Too many people post like they are the authority. There is no perfect club - they all have issues. Communication, recruiting support, practice locations, crazy coaches, etc. you name it and all clubs suffer from at at least one of these issues. This is why you really need to speak with the clubs you are interested in and have your kid attend a practice or two if possible. Also, watch the teams play and how the coaches coach/interact. Don't let what someone else claims on the internet become bias in your head. Make your own decision with your own child in mind.

Players come and go each season - this is normal. Club success ebbs and flows - just like professional sports teams - this is also normal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Too many people post like they are the authority. There is no perfect club - they all have issues. Communication, recruiting support, practice locations, crazy coaches, etc. you name it and all clubs suffer from at at least one of these issues. This is why you really need to speak with the clubs you are interested in and have your kid attend a practice or two if possible. Also, watch the teams play and how the coaches coach/interact. Don't let what someone else claims on the internet become bias in your head. Make your own decision with your own child in mind.

Players come and go each season - this is normal. Club success ebbs and flows - just like professional sports teams - this is also normal.

The voice of reason.