Bethesda Soccer On Way Down

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The above post is, sadly, pretty spot on. Leadership and coaches at Bethesda are entitled and cocky. They are unapproachable, and they remind me of any empire right before it falls. Walking around confidently until the front lines get dismantled.

100%

Perhaps that is true about entitled and cocky.

But they have not shown any signs of crumbling as an organization. They have a never ending pipeline of good young players and they have MLS next. They also keep winning.

So how does the empire fall?

When the oppressed rebel. There’s an awful lot of skeletons in the closet piling up. When you mistreat so many people and ignore/bury so many allegations, at some point it will come back to bite you when people speak the truth.

This is always the strawman argument or the mentality only steel sharpens steel. There is some truth to it from firsthand experience, but toxic is toxic and theres no real argument against that environment when current and past parents admit to the same toxicity. The ones remaining with the club are clearly comfy with the crest, out of other options, or are of the privilged caste referred to benefitting from the hierarchy and manipulation behind the scenes of everything imaginable

THIS. Well said. BSC has so much bad karma around the treatment of coaches, players, parents...just about everyone and it is catching up to them and their leadership. The ONLY, and I mean ONLY thing BSC has going for it as a business, is the fact that it has a steady stream of wealthy parents who generally know very little about football, lining up at the door to bring their kids because they think the BSC name will help them get into college. THAT IS IT. BSC is less of a soccer club/academy and more of a positioning tool that rich parents manipulate through money and influence to try and get their kids into the college of their choice, with soccer as the guise. The reality is that the program is just not a great program anymore and its best days are WAY behind it. Which leads back to the title of this entire thread - which I agree with.

This ++++++

To the poster that said BSC is a tool for rich parents. THIS IS SPOT ON. And also, to the previous poster offering the opinion about development at BSC. YES. IT IS ALL BULLS*IT. They have no intention of developing your son or daughter. They don't develop kids. Kids develop despite BSC not because of them. Like one of the previous posters said before, the talented kids they do have are mostly working on their own outside of BSC and would be talented anywhere. What is slowly happening to BSC is that people are realizing that the whole thing is a charade, on many levels, and the brand is steadily declining.

Which programs out there are doing a great job developing the kids?

Also, since BSC do have strong players.......I feel like going up against some of the strongest players on a daily basis at practice is in itself some of the best practice you have....no?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:


Wait so this is all Bulls**t?

BETHESDA SC
Developing Professional and Collegiate Soccer Players. We are a development club first.

What do you think that means?

What do you mean when you say “genuine development.”

I think you don’t understand what a development means in a team environment. But I don’t know that, so I’d love to know what YOU think that means the club is supposed to do specifically.

Not the PP, but development obviously means that a player gets better. Sure, a kid should be expected to get touches on their own, juggle, and put in the effort outside of practice to perfect WHAT THEY LEARN IN PRACTICE. To that end, I expect a BSC practice to include more that what a kid can do on his own. I expect a coach to demonstrate, explain, observe, correct, fine-tune, and teach the skills necessary to get to the next level. Kids who have those technical skills at BSC are not getting them from the practices. They're getting them from parents who were past players and can coach them or from private instruction. That's what I've observed. BSC is relying on its MLSN and ECNL to bring in players that were developed elsewhere. New parents don't know this because it's not how the club is advertised. Maybe this is just the way it is, and fine. But let's call a spade a spade.

This is absolutely correct. BSC is constantly poaching from other teams to fix “weaknesses” on the top teams because the coaches do not develop players themselves. Very often, these outside players wind up being no better than the player who was cut. Practices are a joke, and this is from YDP ages all the way to the top. The parents know it, the players know it, the coaches may or may not recognize it because they assume they are God’s gift to soccer. Any of the teams that are successful are that way because the players are getting TONS of outside training, both together and individually.

PP here. Not sure why nothing was quoted above, but the last paragraph is all I wanted to add to the dialogue:

This is absolutely correct. BSC is constantly poaching from other teams to fix “weaknesses” on the top teams because the coaches do not develop players themselves. Very often, these outside players wind up being no better than the player who was cut. Practices are a joke, and this is from YDP ages all the way to the top. The parents know it, the players know it, the coaches may or may not recognize it because they assume they are God’s gift to soccer. Any of the teams that are successful are that way because the players are getting TONS of outside training, both together and individually.


Listen, you’re making arguments to leave BSC if you’re there and not happy. But you’re failing to see any responsibility outside of the coaches. And that’s just not how this journey works.

You complain about the practices being jokes. But that isn’t all on the coaches, that’s on the kids and the parents too - more on them than the coaches imo. Culture isn’t dictated magically from the coach, and judging from all the finger pointing and responsibility dodging, it seems that the expectations parents have of their own investment beyond driving and paying is a big part of why BSC is struggling to have the culture you want it to. You can’t be part of something, complain about it not having what you want, and refuse to take responsibility for your part in it.

As for development, if it’s just “kids getting better”, then I’m sure that is met. You keep avoiding being specific on the development topic and pivoting to emotions and subjective observations. What specifically do you want them to do as coaches / as a club for your kid? What are they not doing that they should be?

Here is the not so dirty secret to team development and team practice: at practice, coaches do not want you to come to practice, they want to see how much you have been practicing.

Just like if your kid plays and instrument, they don’t go to their private lesson to practice….you have to stop taking the approach that team practice is “practice.” Team practice is game prep, and it should be more intense than a real match. But if you’re relying on the club for practice, then you and your kid (and the other kids doing the same) are undermining everything about individual growth and team growth.
This is always the strawman argument or the mentality only steel sharpens steel. There is some truth to it from firsthand experience, but toxic is toxic and theres no real argument against that environment when current and past parents admit to the same toxicity. The ones remaining with the club are clearly comfy with the crest, out of other options, or are of the privilged caste referred to benefitting from the hierarchy and manipulation behind the scenes of everything imaginable

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The above post is, sadly, pretty spot on. Leadership and coaches at Bethesda are entitled and cocky. They are unapproachable, and they remind me of any empire right before it falls. Walking around confidently until the front lines get dismantled.

100%

Perhaps that is true about entitled and cocky.

But they have not shown any signs of crumbling as an organization. They have a never ending pipeline of good young players and they have MLS next. They also keep winning.

So how does the empire fall?

When the oppressed rebel. There’s an awful lot of skeletons in the closet piling up. When you mistreat so many people and ignore/bury so many allegations, at some point it will come back to bite you when people speak the truth.

THIS. Well said. BSC has so much bad karma around the treatment of coaches, players, parents...just about everyone and it is catching up to them and their leadership. The ONLY, and I mean ONLY thing BSC has going for it as a business, is the fact that it has a steady stream of wealthy parents who generally know very little about football, lining up at the door to bring their kids because they think the BSC name will help them get into college. THAT IS IT. BSC is less of a soccer club/academy and more of a positioning tool that rich parents manipulate through money and influence to try and get their kids into the college of their choice, with soccer as the guise. The reality is that the program is just not a great program anymore and its best days are WAY behind it. Which leads back to the title of this entire thread - which I agree with.

This ++++++

To the poster that said BSC is a tool for rich parents. THIS IS SPOT ON. And also, to the previous poster offering the opinion about development at BSC. YES. IT IS ALL BULLS*IT. They have no intention of developing your son or daughter. They don't develop kids. Kids develop despite BSC not because of them. Like one of the previous posters said before, the talented kids they do have are mostly working on their own outside of BSC and would be talented anywhere. What is slowly happening to BSC is that people are realizing that the whole thing is a charade, on many levels, and the brand is steadily declining.

Which programs out there are doing a great job developing the kids?

Also, since BSC do have strong players.......I feel like going up against some of the strongest players on a daily basis at practice is in itself some of the best practice you have....no?

This is always the strawman argument or the mentality only steel sharpens steel. There is some truth to it from firsthand experience, but toxic is toxic and theres no real argument against that environment when current and past parents admit to the same toxicity. The ones remaining with the club are clearly comfy with the crest, out of other options, or are of the privilged caste referred to benefitting from the hierarchy and manipulation behind the scenes of everything imaginable

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:


Wait so this is all Bulls**t?

BETHESDA SC
Developing Professional and Collegiate Soccer Players. We are a development club first.

What do you think that means?

What do you mean when you say “genuine development.”

I think you don’t understand what a development means in a team environment. But I don’t know that, so I’d love to know what YOU think that means the club is supposed to do specifically.

Not the PP, but development obviously means that a player gets better. Sure, a kid should be expected to get touches on their own, juggle, and put in the effort outside of practice to perfect WHAT THEY LEARN IN PRACTICE. To that end, I expect a BSC practice to include more that what a kid can do on his own. I expect a coach to demonstrate, explain, observe, correct, fine-tune, and teach the skills necessary to get to the next level. Kids who have those technical skills at BSC are not getting them from the practices. They're getting them from parents who were past players and can coach them or from private instruction. That's what I've observed. BSC is relying on its MLSN and ECNL to bring in players that were developed elsewhere. New parents don't know this because it's not how the club is advertised. Maybe this is just the way it is, and fine. But let's call a spade a spade.

This is absolutely correct. BSC is constantly poaching from other teams to fix “weaknesses” on the top teams because the coaches do not develop players themselves. Very often, these outside players wind up being no better than the player who was cut. Practices are a joke, and this is from YDP ages all the way to the top. The parents know it, the players know it, the coaches may or may not recognize it because they assume they are God’s gift to soccer. Any of the teams that are successful are that way because the players are getting TONS of outside training, both together and individually.

PP here. Not sure why nothing was quoted above, but the last paragraph is all I wanted to add to the dialogue:

This is absolutely correct. BSC is constantly poaching from other teams to fix “weaknesses” on the top teams because the coaches do not develop players themselves. Very often, these outside players wind up being no better than the player who was cut. Practices are a joke, and this is from YDP ages all the way to the top. The parents know it, the players know it, the coaches may or may not recognize it because they assume they are God’s gift to soccer. Any of the teams that are successful are that way because the players are getting TONS of outside training, both together and individually.


Listen, you’re making arguments to leave BSC if you’re there and not happy. But you’re failing to see any responsibility outside of the coaches. And that’s just not how this journey works.

You complain about the practices being jokes. But that isn’t all on the coaches, that’s on the kids and the parents too - more on them than the coaches imo. Culture isn’t dictated magically from the coach, and judging from all the finger pointing and responsibility dodging, it seems that the expectations parents have of their own investment beyond driving and paying is a big part of why BSC is struggling to have the culture you want it to. You can’t be part of something, complain about it not having what you want, and refuse to take responsibility for your part in it.

As for development, if it’s just “kids getting better”, then I’m sure that is met. You keep avoiding being specific on the development topic and pivoting to emotions and subjective observations. What specifically do you want them to do as coaches / as a club for your kid? What are they not doing that they should be?

Here is the not so dirty secret to team development and team practice: at practice, coaches do not want you to come to practice, they want to see how much you have been practicing.

Just like if your kid plays and instrument, they don’t go to their private lesson to practice….you have to stop taking the approach that team practice is “practice.” Team practice is game prep, and it should be more intense than a real match. But if you’re relying on the club for practice, then you and your kid (and the other kids doing the same) are undermining everything about individual growth and team growth.

I strongly disagree with this. Practice should not just be game prep and team growth. That may be how it’s treated but not how it should be when you’re spending that much money and committing that much time. These are young kids usually giving 3 days a week to the club after school for 90ish mins. F*ck team growth and game prep for that commitment. These kids have a life and families have other ways to spend money. Winning ain’t that important.

I’m not saying you are wrong in how some coaches treat it. But to me that epitomizes much of what’s wrong with the culture. Team practice should not be game prep. Let’s also get real, how in the world do you justify kids spending 4-5 hours a week on game prep?

[Anonymous]

I strongly disagree with this. Practice should not just be game prep and team growth. That may be how it’s treated but not how it should be when you’re spending that much money and committing that much time. These are young kids usually giving 3 days a week to the club after school for 90ish mins. F*ck team growth and game prep for that commitment. These kids have a life and families have other ways to spend money. Winning ain’t that important.

I’m not saying you are wrong in how some coaches treat it. But to me that epitomizes much of what’s wrong with the culture. Team practice should not be game prep. Let’s also get real, how in the world do you justify kids spending 4-5 hours a week on game prep?

How much money are you spending on the club? It’s really not that much. It just really isn’t.

3 days and 4-5 hours a week is not enough to develop kids. And it’s not anywhere close to comparing vs the European academies or the omnipresent lifestyle of football in South America.

90 minutes:
30 minutes are split up for warm up and cooldown.
10 minutes on a game geared towards some fundamentals (passing, movement, scanning, etc).
10 minutes on another game that builds on some positional or relational POE.
10 minutes on small sided game.
10 minutes on another small sided game
5 minutes worked in for coaching / freeze time etc.
2 minute worked in for water / rest
5 minutes positional drilling / finishing
3 minutes left for other stuff / fun / meeting / mindset.

I have no dog at BSC. Another poster says it’s toxic. They might be so. My only issue is with the development expectations. People really seem to be assuming that what takes the very best in the country 15-20 hours or more a week, what takes Lamine 20-25 hours a week at La Masia with multiple specialists, trainers, coaches etc. Can be close-enough replicated of little Billy and Sara in 4-5 hours a week with a USSF D/C licensed coach for $3-8k a year in a group setting with 17-25 other individuals and all of their needs and deficiencies too.

[Anonymous]

+1 Thank you coach for shutting this ridiculous thread down with a dose of reality

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:+1 Thank you coach for shutting this ridiculous thread down with a dose of reality

Thanks Bratt

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The above post is, sadly, pretty spot on. Leadership and coaches at Bethesda are entitled and cocky. They are unapproachable, and they remind me of any empire right before it falls. Walking around confidently until the front lines get dismantled.

100%

Perhaps that is true about entitled and cocky.

But they have not shown any signs of crumbling as an organization. They have a never ending pipeline of good young players and they have MLS next. They also keep winning.

So how does the empire fall?

When the oppressed rebel. There’s an awful lot of skeletons in the closet piling up. When you mistreat so many people and ignore/bury so many allegations, at some point it will come back to bite you when people speak the truth.

THIS. Well said. BSC has so much bad karma around the treatment of coaches, players, parents...just about everyone and it is catching up to them and their leadership. The ONLY, and I mean ONLY thing BSC has going for it as a business, is the fact that it has a steady stream of wealthy parents who generally know very little about football, lining up at the door to bring their kids because they think the BSC name will help them get into college. THAT IS IT. BSC is less of a soccer club/academy and more of a positioning tool that rich parents manipulate through money and influence to try and get their kids into the college of their choice, with soccer as the guise. The reality is that the program is just not a great program anymore and its best days are WAY behind it. Which leads back to the title of this entire thread - which I agree with.

This ++++++

To the poster that said BSC is a tool for rich parents. THIS IS SPOT ON. And also, to the previous poster offering the opinion about development at BSC. YES. IT IS ALL BULLS*IT. They have no intention of developing your son or daughter. They don't develop kids. Kids develop despite BSC not because of them. Like one of the previous posters said before, the talented kids they do have are mostly working on their own outside of BSC and would be talented anywhere. What is slowly happening to BSC is that people are realizing that the whole thing is a charade, on many levels, and the brand is steadily declining.

Which programs out there are doing a great job developing the kids?

Also, since BSC do have strong players.......I feel like going up against some of the strongest players on a daily basis at practice is in itself some of the best practice you have....no?

This is always the strawman argument or the mentality only steel sharpens steel. There is some truth to it from firsthand experience, but toxic is toxic and theres no real argument against that environment when current and past parents admit to the same toxicity. The ones remaining with the club are clearly comfy with the crest, out of other options, or are of the privilged caste referred to benefitting from the hierarchy and manipulation behind the scenes of everything imaginable

I ask these questions because I'm trying to explore the best options.

But can anyone share an actual club that is developing these young kids?

I'm talking about a club that for years has had a good reputation for development in the DMV?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The above post is, sadly, pretty spot on. Leadership and coaches at Bethesda are entitled and cocky. They are unapproachable, and they remind me of any empire right before it falls. Walking around confidently until the front lines get dismantled.

100%

Perhaps that is true about entitled and cocky.

But they have not shown any signs of crumbling as an organization. They have a never ending pipeline of good young players and they have MLS next. They also keep winning.

So how does the empire fall?

When the oppressed rebel. There’s an awful lot of skeletons in the closet piling up. When you mistreat so many people and ignore/bury so many allegations, at some point it will come back to bite you when people speak the truth.

THIS. Well said. BSC has so much bad karma around the treatment of coaches, players, parents...just about everyone and it is catching up to them and their leadership. The ONLY, and I mean ONLY thing BSC has going for it as a business, is the fact that it has a steady stream of wealthy parents who generally know very little about football, lining up at the door to bring their kids because they think the BSC name will help them get into college. THAT IS IT. BSC is less of a soccer club/academy and more of a positioning tool that rich parents manipulate through money and influence to try and get their kids into the college of their choice, with soccer as the guise. The reality is that the program is just not a great program anymore and its best days are WAY behind it. Which leads back to the title of this entire thread - which I agree with.

This ++++++

To the poster that said BSC is a tool for rich parents. THIS IS SPOT ON. And also, to the previous poster offering the opinion about development at BSC. YES. IT IS ALL BULLS*IT. They have no intention of developing your son or daughter. They don't develop kids. Kids develop despite BSC not because of them. Like one of the previous posters said before, the talented kids they do have are mostly working on their own outside of BSC and would be talented anywhere. What is slowly happening to BSC is that people are realizing that the whole thing is a charade, on many levels, and the brand is steadily declining.

Which programs out there are doing a great job developing the kids?

Also, since BSC do have strong players.......I feel like going up against some of the strongest players on a daily basis at practice is in itself some of the best practice you have....no?

This is always the strawman argument or the mentality only steel sharpens steel. There is some truth to it from firsthand experience, but toxic is toxic and theres no real argument against that environment when current and past parents admit to the same toxicity. The ones remaining with the club are clearly comfy with the crest, out of other options, or are of the privilged caste referred to benefitting from the hierarchy and manipulation behind the scenes of everything imaginable

I ask these questions because I'm trying to explore the best options.

But can anyone share an actual club that is developing these young kids?

I'm talking about a club that for years has had a good reputation for development in the DMV?

You’re not going to get a helpful answer on this forum. If someone posts their club, someone will bash it.

I think you need to think of development as not tied to or led by any club.

In the younger ages, just let them play freely, learn to love to play and compete. Maybe make sure they are doing basic tech training on their own like dribbling, juggling, etc.

When they get older, find a club that has productive practices, meaning high intensity, all players giving 100% and are disciplined, and no dead time.

You will also need a club that allows u to use all the skills the player has in games and against other competitive teams.

If your kid wants to be the best, hours and hours on the ball outside of club is essential.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why does such a huge club not stacking their pre-ecnl teams with their best players? They've been hardly impressive the last two weekends.

Pre-ecnl is usually the third team at younger ages, after ECNL 1 and 2, if that’s what you’re referring to.

U12 top team went undefeated at ECNL St. Louis last weekend.

U11 top team beat MD United 3-0 last weekend.

That’s not “hardly impressive” so you may be mistaken given BSC’s absurd team names. I think it’s been discussed here multiple times before how ridiculously stupid and confusing it is to call a third team pre-ECNL.

I know top team u11 well. 80% cannot juggle 20 times. Many of them do lacrosse and very athletic with very little soccer skills. But keep looking at scores and names.

[Anonymous]

If you want to succeed a bethesda just make sure you stay quite, donate as much money as you can to keep JC happy, spend all the money you can in outside training (to make sure your kid doesn’t fell behind, but do it secretely. They don’t like it), defend the club in this forum and make sure you let JC knows you’re one of his trolls. And invite the bros to some rounds of golf too. If you follow these steps your kid might stay in the first team.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why does such a huge club not stacking their pre-ecnl teams with their best players? They've been hardly impressive the last two weekends.

Pre-ecnl is usually the third team at younger ages, after ECNL 1 and 2, if that’s what you’re referring to.

U12 top team went undefeated at ECNL St. Louis last weekend.

U11 top team beat MD United 3-0 last weekend.

That’s not “hardly impressive” so you may be mistaken given BSC’s absurd team names. I think it’s been discussed here multiple times before how ridiculously stupid and confusing it is to call a third team pre-ECNL.

I know top team u11 well. 80% cannot juggle 20 times. Many of them do lacrosse and very athletic with very little soccer skills. But keep looking at scores and names.

Yes…because they’re 10. Sounds pretty normal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you want to succeed a bethesda just make sure you stay quite, donate as much money as you can to keep JC happy, spend all the money you can in outside training (to make sure your kid doesn’t fell behind, but do it secretely. They don’t like it), defend the club in this forum and make sure you let JC knows you’re one of his trolls. And invite the bros to some rounds of golf too. If you follow these steps your kid might stay in the first team.

Is your kid on the first team? Do you do all this if so? 😂

I think we all know the answer to both.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you want to succeed a bethesda just make sure you stay quite, donate as much money as you can to keep JC happy, spend all the money you can in outside training (to make sure your kid doesn’t fell behind, but do it secretely. They don’t like it), defend the club in this forum and make sure you let JC knows you’re one of his trolls. And invite the bros to some rounds of golf too. If you follow these steps your kid might stay in the first team.

If you don’t follow these steps, you can then come on this forum and blame everything and everyone for whatever difficulty/stumbling block your kid had encountered.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The above post is, sadly, pretty spot on. Leadership and coaches at Bethesda are entitled and cocky. They are unapproachable, and they remind me of any empire right before it falls. Walking around confidently until the front lines get dismantled.

100%

Perhaps that is true about entitled and cocky.

But they have not shown any signs of crumbling as an organization. They have a never ending pipeline of good young players and they have MLS next. They also keep winning.

So how does the empire fall?

When the oppressed rebel. There’s an awful lot of skeletons in the closet piling up. When you mistreat so many people and ignore/bury so many allegations, at some point it will come back to bite you when people speak the truth.

THIS. Well said. BSC has so much bad karma around the treatment of coaches, players, parents...just about everyone and it is catching up to them and their leadership. The ONLY, and I mean ONLY thing BSC has going for it as a business, is the fact that it has a steady stream of wealthy parents who generally know very little about football, lining up at the door to bring their kids because they think the BSC name will help them get into college. THAT IS IT. BSC is less of a soccer club/academy and more of a positioning tool that rich parents manipulate through money and influence to try and get their kids into the college of their choice, with soccer as the guise. The reality is that the program is just not a great program anymore and its best days are WAY behind it. Which leads back to the title of this entire thread - which I agree with.

This ++++++

To the poster that said BSC is a tool for rich parents. THIS IS SPOT ON. And also, to the previous poster offering the opinion about development at BSC. YES. IT IS ALL BULLS*IT. They have no intention of developing your son or daughter. They don't develop kids. Kids develop despite BSC not because of them. Like one of the previous posters said before, the talented kids they do have are mostly working on their own outside of BSC and would be talented anywhere. What is slowly happening to BSC is that people are realizing that the whole thing is a charade, on many levels, and the brand is steadily declining.

Which programs out there are doing a great job developing the kids?

Also, since BSC do have strong players.......I feel like going up against some of the strongest players on a daily basis at practice is in itself some of the best practice you have....no?

This is always the strawman argument or the mentality only steel sharpens steel. There is some truth to it from firsthand experience, but toxic is toxic and theres no real argument against that environment when current and past parents admit to the same toxicity. The ones remaining with the club are clearly comfy with the crest, out of other options, or are of the privilged caste referred to benefitting from the hierarchy and manipulation behind the scenes of everything imaginable

I ask these questions because I'm trying to explore the best options.

But can anyone share an actual club that is developing these young kids?

I'm talking about a club that for years has had a good reputation for development in the DMV?

You’re not going to get a helpful answer on this forum. If someone posts their club, someone will bash it.

I think you need to think of development as not tied to or led by any club.

In the younger ages, just let them play freely, learn to love to play and compete. Maybe make sure they are doing basic tech training on their own like dribbling, juggling, etc.

When they get older, find a club that has productive practices, meaning high intensity, all players giving 100% and are disciplined, and no dead time.

You will also need a club that allows u to use all the skills the player has in games and against other competitive teams.

If your kid wants to be the best, hours and hours on the ball outside of club is essential.

I'm a former soccer player so I have all that on lockdown...I even played for Bethesda back in the day...but it appears when I played it was different...I'm just re entering a world that I took part in 35 years ago LOL so I'm gathering info....I appreciate your response though