Choosing between VDA ECNL and FCV GA

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:tons of variables including commute distance, but here are a few thoughts

Loudoun - huge club so very political, underperforms at ECNL level which would make me evaluate coaching carefully. It really comes down to the coach
FCV - good track record at producing competitive teams and college placement, questionable culture, questionable ability to draw elite talent in future with GA only, practice locations uncertain
McLean - good track record at college placement, declining ability to attract and develop talent due to dilution, moderately competitive on average. A lock to stay in ECNL
VDA - up and comers of the bunch, middling placement history. remote location, polarizing ECNL coaching
BRYC - hit hard by coaching defections (and players), least competitive ECNL program currently, faithful following. Significant potential for a merger in the future

for us, it would boil down to who would the coach be, because that will determine a players progress more than the club. There are coaches we would avoid like the plague but you should develop your own opinions. Highly recommend going to see how they operate at practice and at games.

This is fantastic information! Thank you very much. This has piqued my interest (VDA - up-and-comers with a mediocre placement history). Please elaborate, polarizing ECNL coaching.

VDA has only recently started placing players in D1 colleges in high numbers, depending on the age groups you could get a very good coach or a bad coach.

Because VDA started 4 years ago. Need time to develop the program. Once PWSI/VSA got VDA going, players stopped leaving in the recruiting years for McLean and FCV.

Needed*

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:tons of variables including commute distance, but here are a few thoughts

Loudoun - huge club so very political, underperforms at ECNL level which would make me evaluate coaching carefully. It really comes down to the coach
FCV - good track record at producing competitive teams and college placement, questionable culture, questionable ability to draw elite talent in future with GA only, practice locations uncertain
McLean - good track record at college placement, declining ability to attract and develop talent due to dilution, moderately competitive on average. A lock to stay in ECNL
VDA - up and comers of the bunch, middling placement history. remote location, polarizing ECNL coaching
BRYC - hit hard by coaching defections (and players), least competitive ECNL program currently, faithful following. Significant potential for a merger in the future

for us, it would boil down to who would the coach be, because that will determine a players progress more than the club. There are coaches we would avoid like the plague but you should develop your own opinions. Highly recommend going to see how they operate at practice and at games.

This is fantastic information! Thank you very much. This has piqued my interest (VDA - up-and-comers with a mediocre placement history). Please elaborate, polarizing ECNL coaching.

VDA has only recently started placing players in D1 colleges in high numbers, depending on the age groups you could get a very good coach or a bad coach.

What characterizes a lousy coach? What has changed in the program to make them the number one destination if they are now placing all of their players in D1 institutions and training is good?

Go to training and watch.

I feel I am capable of doing that; however, whose age groups should I target and where should I go for the schedule?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have a young daughter who wants to go to a top-ranked club for the next several years, and it appears FCV and VDA are the top clubs in the area for talent and coaching. My question is, which club has the better training curriculum and recruiting opportunities? I don't need any troll responses, I really want to know which club is better from unbiased families and why you feel that way. 

I definitely give the nod on coaching to VDA. FCV seems to have better recruiting classes.

FCV 2009 is a terrible team. That might be an indication that they are very much a club in decline as discussed on this board.

Provide your insight into Loudoun and their success.

Soccer wise please. We don’t care about how they make money… 🐸☕️

HUUUUUUUGE rec program and huge player pool. Loudoun used to lose top players to FCV because FCV had ECNL. Once Loudoun was added to ECNL their younger age group retention has increased exponentially. These were players FCV relied on over the years to round out their player pool. GA just isn't a draw for most Loudoun players anymore.

FCV coaching is better than Loudoun but the talent pool is decidedly deeper and getting deeper at Loudoun.

Thank you for the response. I really do care about the player pool, only coaching and which coaches are linked up with college coaches and help with recruitment.

Players get recruited. Players who are seen get recruited. Club coaches can make a difference with recruiting but the player does 95% of the work themselves and talent generally wins the day. Being a talented player on a talented team makes getting recruited significantly easier. Don't fall for the trap of coaches who claim to be rainmakers with getting their kids committed. They were likely gifted a talented roster to begin with. No club coach will get your kid on a college team that is above their playing weight. Every player settles in to their level of college interest based on their own work reaching out to coaches and their level of talent as primary drivers.

A good club coach will help set realistic schools that should be a good soccer fit then the rest is up to the player regardless of club coach.

I get what you're saying, but I disagree. In NOVA, the playing field is fairly even, and coaches who know more college coaches and have a solid relationship with them can pitch to them more if the college coach has a trusting relationship with the club coach. In athletics, it's all about who you know.

By the same token no club coach is going to risk their reputation for any kid. If your kid is talented they will find the spot that best suits their ability. Colleges recruit players from ALL of the local clubs. Your DD may have no less than 10-12 separate phone calls, plus ID camp visits with a particular school. She will have talked to assistant coaches, head coaches, current players. She will have submitted highlights bi-weekly, visited the camp in person 2-3 times or at least a ID camp 2-3 times. Your club coach will have had 2 perhaps 3 phone calls about your DD. Your DD DID THE WORK. In most instances they are not calling your club coach because they aren't interested in the player. It is essentially not much more than a reference check. Do you ever call references on people you have no interest in hiring?

So no, a club coach is not going to gaslight a college coach on your DD's behalf. The club coach will simply confirm their pro bias on your DD and not much more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:tons of variables including commute distance, but here are a few thoughts

Loudoun - huge club so very political, underperforms at ECNL level which would make me evaluate coaching carefully. It really comes down to the coach
FCV - good track record at producing competitive teams and college placement, questionable culture, questionable ability to draw elite talent in future with GA only, practice locations uncertain
McLean - good track record at college placement, declining ability to attract and develop talent due to dilution, moderately competitive on average. A lock to stay in ECNL
VDA - up and comers of the bunch, middling placement history. remote location, polarizing ECNL coaching
BRYC - hit hard by coaching defections (and players), least competitive ECNL program currently, faithful following. Significant potential for a merger in the future

for us, it would boil down to who would the coach be, because that will determine a players progress more than the club. There are coaches we would avoid like the plague but you should develop your own opinions. Highly recommend going to see how they operate at practice and at games.

This is fantastic information! Thank you very much. This has piqued my interest (VDA - up-and-comers with a mediocre placement history). Please elaborate, polarizing ECNL coaching.

VDA has only recently started placing players in D1 colleges in high numbers, depending on the age groups you could get a very good coach or a bad coach.

What characterizes a lousy coach? What has changed in the program to make them the number one destination if they are now placing all of their players in D1 institutions and training is good?

Go to training and watch.

I feel I am capable of doing that; however, whose age groups should I target and where should I go for the schedule?

You target your DD's age group.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:tons of variables including commute distance, but here are a few thoughts

Loudoun - huge club so very political, underperforms at ECNL level which would make me evaluate coaching carefully. It really comes down to the coach
FCV - good track record at producing competitive teams and college placement, questionable culture, questionable ability to draw elite talent in future with GA only, practice locations uncertain
McLean - good track record at college placement, declining ability to attract and develop talent due to dilution, moderately competitive on average. A lock to stay in ECNL
VDA - up and comers of the bunch, middling placement history. remote location, polarizing ECNL coaching
BRYC - hit hard by coaching defections (and players), least competitive ECNL program currently, faithful following. Significant potential for a merger in the future

for us, it would boil down to who would the coach be, because that will determine a players progress more than the club. There are coaches we would avoid like the plague but you should develop your own opinions. Highly recommend going to see how they operate at practice and at games.

Overall a decent depiction of the landscape, but I would caveat the bolded. For the older girls (06 and up), this is totally true. For the younger girls (09-07), I would disagree. Several years ago, the best talent at Loudoun would historically leave for FCV or Mclean at U13, which were the only "top" programs around in NOVA at the time. A few years ago Loudoun was admitted into ECNL, and that tide is changing. Just look at the ECNL records this year, for example:

09-07s: combined 13-1-1 record
06-03s: combined 3-7-5 record

The older teams still struggling, while the younger teams are having success. The 07s were Loudoun's first age group to not have to leave Loudoun to be in ECNL, so it appear that the paradigm is shifting, which negatively impacts FCV primarily (as this was where most Loudoun girls tried to go to previously).

Loudoun has not been able to retain or attract talent at the older age groups. A strong hire could change that.

Older age groups simply do not change en masse. Kids are not inclined to leave where they are past a certain age. Loudoun's older teams will simply age out and with them their poor records to be replaced by younger age groups with successful records.

The opposite at FCV is happening. Older winning records will age out to be replaced by younger losing records.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:tons of variables including commute distance, but here are a few thoughts

Loudoun - huge club so very political, underperforms at ECNL level which would make me evaluate coaching carefully. It really comes down to the coach
FCV - good track record at producing competitive teams and college placement, questionable culture, questionable ability to draw elite talent in future with GA only, practice locations uncertain
McLean - good track record at college placement, declining ability to attract and develop talent due to dilution, moderately competitive on average. A lock to stay in ECNL
VDA - up and comers of the bunch, middling placement history. remote location, polarizing ECNL coaching
BRYC - hit hard by coaching defections (and players), least competitive ECNL program currently, faithful following. Significant potential for a merger in the future

for us, it would boil down to who would the coach be, because that will determine a players progress more than the club. There are coaches we would avoid like the plague but you should develop your own opinions. Highly recommend going to see how they operate at practice and at games.

This is fantastic information! Thank you very much. This has piqued my interest (VDA - up-and-comers with a mediocre placement history). Please elaborate, polarizing ECNL coaching.

PP here. VDA are up and comers mostly because they are new compared to the others. That's also why their placement history is mediocre. That takes time.
VDA had one ECNL coach come to them from BRYC, dragging with him a few players. He has a unique coaching style, which some players resonate with, and others despise. Go watch them in a competitive game to make your own assessment. FWIW, McLean has some polarizing coaches too, but I think less severe.

Also FWIW, the network size of any given coach is overrated IMO. More important is their willingness to counsel the players on the process, and the willingness to step in, make contact, get answers, and possibly open doors. Their attitude and dedication is more important than their network. Gone are the days of club coaches calling schools who just take players based on solely recommendations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have a young daughter who wants to go to a top-ranked club for the next several years, and it appears FCV and VDA are the top clubs in the area for talent and coaching. My question is, which club has the better training curriculum and recruiting opportunities? I don't need any troll responses, I really want to know which club is better from unbiased families and why you feel that way. 

I definitely give the nod on coaching to VDA. FCV seems to have better recruiting classes.

FCV 2009 is a terrible team. That might be an indication that they are very much a club in decline as discussed on this board.

Provide your insight into Loudoun and their success.

Soccer wise please. We don’t care about how they make money… 🐸☕️

HUUUUUUUGE rec program and huge player pool. Loudoun used to lose top players to FCV because FCV had ECNL. Once Loudoun was added to ECNL their younger age group retention has increased exponentially. These were players FCV relied on over the years to round out their player pool. GA just isn't a draw for most Loudoun players anymore.

FCV coaching is better than Loudoun but the talent pool is decidedly deeper and getting deeper at Loudoun.

Thank you for the response. I really do care about the player pool, only coaching and which coaches are linked up with college coaches and help with recruitment.

Players get recruited. Players who are seen get recruited. Club coaches can make a difference with recruiting but the player does 95% of the work themselves and talent generally wins the day. Being a talented player on a talented team makes getting recruited significantly easier. Don't fall for the trap of coaches who claim to be rainmakers with getting their kids committed. They were likely gifted a talented roster to begin with. No club coach will get your kid on a college team that is above their playing weight. Every player settles in to their level of college interest based on their own work reaching out to coaches and their level of talent as primary drivers.

A good club coach will help set realistic schools that should be a good soccer fit then the rest is up to the player regardless of club coach.

I get what you're saying, but I disagree. In NOVA, the playing field is fairly even, and coaches who know more college coaches and have a solid relationship with them can pitch to them more if the college coach has a trusting relationship with the club coach. In athletics, it's all about who you know.

By the same token no club coach is going to risk their reputation for any kid. If your kid is talented they will find the spot that best suits their ability. Colleges recruit players from ALL of the local clubs. Your DD may have no less than 10-12 separate phone calls, plus ID camp visits with a particular school. She will have talked to assistant coaches, head coaches, current players. She will have submitted highlights bi-weekly, visited the camp in person 2-3 times or at least a ID camp 2-3 times. Your club coach will have had 2 perhaps 3 phone calls about your DD. Your DD DID THE WORK. In most instances they are not calling your club coach because they aren't interested in the player. It is essentially not much more than a reference check. Do you ever call references on people you have no interest in hiring?

So no, a club coach is not going to gaslight a college coach on your DD's behalf. The club coach will simply confirm their pro bias on your DD and not much more.

Good points. Never looked at it like that. Noted! thank you

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:tons of variables including commute distance, but here are a few thoughts

Loudoun - huge club so very political, underperforms at ECNL level which would make me evaluate coaching carefully. It really comes down to the coach
FCV - good track record at producing competitive teams and college placement, questionable culture, questionable ability to draw elite talent in future with GA only, practice locations uncertain
McLean - good track record at college placement, declining ability to attract and develop talent due to dilution, moderately competitive on average. A lock to stay in ECNL
VDA - up and comers of the bunch, middling placement history. remote location, polarizing ECNL coaching
BRYC - hit hard by coaching defections (and players), least competitive ECNL program currently, faithful following. Significant potential for a merger in the future

for us, it would boil down to who would the coach be, because that will determine a players progress more than the club. There are coaches we would avoid like the plague but you should develop your own opinions. Highly recommend going to see how they operate at practice and at games.

This is fantastic information! Thank you very much. This has piqued my interest (VDA - up-and-comers with a mediocre placement history). Please elaborate, polarizing ECNL coaching.

VDA has only recently started placing players in D1 colleges in high numbers, depending on the age groups you could get a very good coach or a bad coach.

What characterizes a lousy coach? What has changed in the program to make them the number one destination if they are now placing all of their players in D1 institutions and training is good?

Go to training and watch.

I feel I am capable of doing that; however, whose age groups should I target and where should I go for the schedule?

Email both clubs, I would recommend staying for a night, usually younger kids train early then older.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:tons of variables including commute distance, but here are a few thoughts

Loudoun - huge club so very political, underperforms at ECNL level which would make me evaluate coaching carefully. It really comes down to the coach
FCV - good track record at producing competitive teams and college placement, questionable culture, questionable ability to draw elite talent in future with GA only, practice locations uncertain
McLean - good track record at college placement, declining ability to attract and develop talent due to dilution, moderately competitive on average. A lock to stay in ECNL
VDA - up and comers of the bunch, middling placement history. remote location, polarizing ECNL coaching
BRYC - hit hard by coaching defections (and players), least competitive ECNL program currently, faithful following. Significant potential for a merger in the future

for us, it would boil down to who would the coach be, because that will determine a players progress more than the club. There are coaches we would avoid like the plague but you should develop your own opinions. Highly recommend going to see how they operate at practice and at games.

This is fantastic information! Thank you very much. This has piqued my interest (VDA - up-and-comers with a mediocre placement history). Please elaborate, polarizing ECNL coaching.

VDA has only recently started placing players in D1 colleges in high numbers, depending on the age groups you could get a very good coach or a bad coach.

What characterizes a lousy coach? What has changed in the program to make them the number one destination if they are now placing all of their players in D1 institutions and training is good?

Go to training and watch.

I feel I am capable of doing that; however, whose age groups should I target and where should I go for the schedule?

Game schedules are online for the most part. I would try to see a cross section of ages if I could so that I could see more than one coach. Getting training times is harder, but if you're after the clandestine approach, you could just go to the field on a weds or thurs at 7 pm and almost be guaranteed there will be an ecnl team training. You may have to do some sleuthing to figure out which age group and coach you're watching.

Alternatively, you can contact the coaches directly and ask to come see a session. Now is a great time to do this, outside of the tryout period. This may all sound like a PITA, but if you're serious about finding the best environment for your player, it will pay off. It is best to avoid lost years if you can avoid it with a few hours of research.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:tons of variables including commute distance, but here are a few thoughts

Loudoun - huge club so very political, underperforms at ECNL level which would make me evaluate coaching carefully. It really comes down to the coach
FCV - good track record at producing competitive teams and college placement, questionable culture, questionable ability to draw elite talent in future with GA only, practice locations uncertain
McLean - good track record at college placement, declining ability to attract and develop talent due to dilution, moderately competitive on average. A lock to stay in ECNL
VDA - up and comers of the bunch, middling placement history. remote location, polarizing ECNL coaching
BRYC - hit hard by coaching defections (and players), least competitive ECNL program currently, faithful following. Significant potential for a merger in the future

for us, it would boil down to who would the coach be, because that will determine a players progress more than the club. There are coaches we would avoid like the plague but you should develop your own opinions. Highly recommend going to see how they operate at practice and at games.

This is fantastic information! Thank you very much. This has piqued my interest (VDA - up-and-comers with a mediocre placement history). Please elaborate, polarizing ECNL coaching.

PP here. VDA are up and comers mostly because they are new compared to the others. That's also why their placement history is mediocre. That takes time.
VDA had one ECNL coach come to them from BRYC, dragging with him a few players. He has a unique coaching style, which some players resonate with, and others despise. Go watch them in a competitive game to make your own assessment. FWIW, McLean has some polarizing coaches too, but I think less severe.

Also FWIW, the network size of any given coach is overrated IMO. More important is their willingness to counsel the players on the process, and the willingness to step in, make contact, get answers, and possibly open doors. Their attitude and dedication is more important than their network. Gone are the days of club coaches calling schools who just take players based on solely recommendations.

I would say the opposite, McLean ECNL staff more polarizing, FCV and Bethesda staff too. It is normal for clubs at the higher end.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:tons of variables including commute distance, but here are a few thoughts

Loudoun - huge club so very political, underperforms at ECNL level which would make me evaluate coaching carefully. It really comes down to the coach
FCV - good track record at producing competitive teams and college placement, questionable culture, questionable ability to draw elite talent in future with GA only, practice locations uncertain
McLean - good track record at college placement, declining ability to attract and develop talent due to dilution, moderately competitive on average. A lock to stay in ECNL
VDA - up and comers of the bunch, middling placement history. remote location, polarizing ECNL coaching
BRYC - hit hard by coaching defections (and players), least competitive ECNL program currently, faithful following. Significant potential for a merger in the future

for us, it would boil down to who would the coach be, because that will determine a players progress more than the club. There are coaches we would avoid like the plague but you should develop your own opinions. Highly recommend going to see how they operate at practice and at games.

This is fantastic information! Thank you very much. This has piqued my interest (VDA - up-and-comers with a mediocre placement history). Please elaborate, polarizing ECNL coaching.

VDA has only recently started placing players in D1 colleges in high numbers, depending on the age groups you could get a very good coach or a bad coach.

What characterizes a lousy coach? What has changed in the program to make them the number one destination if they are now placing all of their players in D1 institutions and training is good?

Go to training and watch.

I feel I am capable of doing that; however, whose age groups should I target and where should I go for the schedule?

Game schedules are online for the most part. I would try to see a cross section of ages if I could so that I could see more than one coach. Getting training times is harder, but if you're after the clandestine approach, you could just go to the field on a weds or thurs at 7 pm and almost be guaranteed there will be an ecnl team training. You may have to do some sleuthing to figure out which age group and coach you're watching.

Alternatively, you can contact the coaches directly and ask to come see a session. Now is a great time to do this, outside of the tryout period. This may all sound like a PITA, but if you're serious about finding the best environment for your player, it will pay off. It is best to avoid lost years if you can avoid it with a few hours of research.

I'd like to observe the U8, U6, and U19 teams because I'm curious to see if the coaching staffs follow a curriculum and how they progress together.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:tons of variables including commute distance, but here are a few thoughts

Loudoun - huge club so very political, underperforms at ECNL level which would make me evaluate coaching carefully. It really comes down to the coach
FCV - good track record at producing competitive teams and college placement, questionable culture, questionable ability to draw elite talent in future with GA only, practice locations uncertain
McLean - good track record at college placement, declining ability to attract and develop talent due to dilution, moderately competitive on average. A lock to stay in ECNL
VDA - up and comers of the bunch, middling placement history. remote location, polarizing ECNL coaching
BRYC - hit hard by coaching defections (and players), least competitive ECNL program currently, faithful following. Significant potential for a merger in the future

for us, it would boil down to who would the coach be, because that will determine a players progress more than the club. There are coaches we would avoid like the plague but you should develop your own opinions. Highly recommend going to see how they operate at practice and at games.

This is fantastic information! Thank you very much. This has piqued my interest (VDA - up-and-comers with a mediocre placement history). Please elaborate, polarizing ECNL coaching.

VDA has only recently started placing players in D1 colleges in high numbers, depending on the age groups you could get a very good coach or a bad coach.

What characterizes a lousy coach? What has changed in the program to make them the number one destination if they are now placing all of their players in D1 institutions and training is good?

Go to training and watch.

I feel I am capable of doing that; however, whose age groups should I target and where should I go for the schedule?

Game schedules are online for the most part. I would try to see a cross section of ages if I could so that I could see more than one coach. Getting training times is harder, but if you're after the clandestine approach, you could just go to the field on a weds or thurs at 7 pm and almost be guaranteed there will be an ecnl team training. You may have to do some sleuthing to figure out which age group and coach you're watching.

Alternatively, you can contact the coaches directly and ask to come see a session. Now is a great time to do this, outside of the tryout period. This may all sound like a PITA, but if you're serious about finding the best environment for your player, it will pay off. It is best to avoid lost years if you can avoid it with a few hours of research.

I'd like to observe the U8, U6, and U19 teams because I'm curious to see if the coaching staffs follow a curriculum and how they progress together.

Sorry, but this is a bit absurd.

1. VDA starts at u13. Their feeder clubs are PWSI and VSA. They each have rec programs, which is what U8 and U6 essentially are.
2. FCV has a practically non-existent rec program. You should have gathered that when it was stated earlier that they have almost no youth player pool.
3. What is taught at U6 is not even close to U19 and to want to see both as a basis of curriculum follow through is borderline ridiculous.

Sorry for being harsh but this needs to be nipped in the bud.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:tons of variables including commute distance, but here are a few thoughts

Loudoun - huge club so very political, underperforms at ECNL level which would make me evaluate coaching carefully. It really comes down to the coach
FCV - good track record at producing competitive teams and college placement, questionable culture, questionable ability to draw elite talent in future with GA only, practice locations uncertain
McLean - good track record at college placement, declining ability to attract and develop talent due to dilution, moderately competitive on average. A lock to stay in ECNL
VDA - up and comers of the bunch, middling placement history. remote location, polarizing ECNL coaching
BRYC - hit hard by coaching defections (and players), least competitive ECNL program currently, faithful following. Significant potential for a merger in the future

for us, it would boil down to who would the coach be, because that will determine a players progress more than the club. There are coaches we would avoid like the plague but you should develop your own opinions. Highly recommend going to see how they operate at practice and at games.

This is fantastic information! Thank you very much. This has piqued my interest (VDA - up-and-comers with a mediocre placement history). Please elaborate, polarizing ECNL coaching.

PP here. VDA are up and comers mostly because they are new compared to the others. That's also why their placement history is mediocre. That takes time.
VDA had one ECNL coach come to them from BRYC, dragging with him a few players. He has a unique coaching style, which some players resonate with, and others despise. Go watch them in a competitive game to make your own assessment. FWIW, McLean has some polarizing coaches too, but I think less severe.

Also FWIW, the network size of any given coach is overrated IMO. More important is their willingness to counsel the players on the process, and the willingness to step in, make contact, get answers, and possibly open doors. Their attitude and dedication is more important than their network. Gone are the days of club coaches calling schools who just take players based on solely recommendations.

VDA's training style is scrimmaging, to be honest. Do not squander your time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:tons of variables including commute distance, but here are a few thoughts

Loudoun - huge club so very political, underperforms at ECNL level which would make me evaluate coaching carefully. It really comes down to the coach
FCV - good track record at producing competitive teams and college placement, questionable culture, questionable ability to draw elite talent in future with GA only, practice locations uncertain
McLean - good track record at college placement, declining ability to attract and develop talent due to dilution, moderately competitive on average. A lock to stay in ECNL
VDA - up and comers of the bunch, middling placement history. remote location, polarizing ECNL coaching
BRYC - hit hard by coaching defections (and players), least competitive ECNL program currently, faithful following. Significant potential for a merger in the future

for us, it would boil down to who would the coach be, because that will determine a players progress more than the club. There are coaches we would avoid like the plague but you should develop your own opinions. Highly recommend going to see how they operate at practice and at games.

This is fantastic information! Thank you very much. This has piqued my interest (VDA - up-and-comers with a mediocre placement history). Please elaborate, polarizing ECNL coaching.

PP here. VDA are up and comers mostly because they are new compared to the others. That's also why their placement history is mediocre. That takes time.
VDA had one ECNL coach come to them from BRYC, dragging with him a few players. He has a unique coaching style, which some players resonate with, and others despise. Go watch them in a competitive game to make your own assessment. FWIW, McLean has some polarizing coaches too, but I think less severe.

Also FWIW, the network size of any given coach is overrated IMO. More important is their willingness to counsel the players on the process, and the willingness to step in, make contact, get answers, and possibly open doors. Their attitude and dedication is more important than their network. Gone are the days of club coaches calling schools who just take players based on solely recommendations.

I would say the opposite, McLean ECNL staff more polarizing, FCV and Bethesda staff too. It is normal for clubs at the higher end.

Lol, well that is what polarizing means isn't it? You either love em or you hate em.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:tons of variables including commute distance, but here are a few thoughts

Loudoun - huge club so very political, underperforms at ECNL level which would make me evaluate coaching carefully. It really comes down to the coach
FCV - good track record at producing competitive teams and college placement, questionable culture, questionable ability to draw elite talent in future with GA only, practice locations uncertain
McLean - good track record at college placement, declining ability to attract and develop talent due to dilution, moderately competitive on average. A lock to stay in ECNL
VDA - up and comers of the bunch, middling placement history. remote location, polarizing ECNL coaching
BRYC - hit hard by coaching defections (and players), least competitive ECNL program currently, faithful following. Significant potential for a merger in the future

for us, it would boil down to who would the coach be, because that will determine a players progress more than the club. There are coaches we would avoid like the plague but you should develop your own opinions. Highly recommend going to see how they operate at practice and at games.

This is fantastic information! Thank you very much. This has piqued my interest (VDA - up-and-comers with a mediocre placement history). Please elaborate, polarizing ECNL coaching.

VDA has only recently started placing players in D1 colleges in high numbers, depending on the age groups you could get a very good coach or a bad coach.

What characterizes a lousy coach? What has changed in the program to make them the number one destination if they are now placing all of their players in D1 institutions and training is good?

Go to training and watch.

I feel I am capable of doing that; however, whose age groups should I target and where should I go for the schedule?

Game schedules are online for the most part. I would try to see a cross section of ages if I could so that I could see more than one coach. Getting training times is harder, but if you're after the clandestine approach, you could just go to the field on a weds or thurs at 7 pm and almost be guaranteed there will be an ecnl team training. You may have to do some sleuthing to figure out which age group and coach you're watching.

Alternatively, you can contact the coaches directly and ask to come see a session. Now is a great time to do this, outside of the tryout period. This may all sound like a PITA, but if you're serious about finding the best environment for your player, it will pay off. It is best to avoid lost years if you can avoid it with a few hours of research.

I'd like to observe the U8, U6, and U19 teams because I'm curious to see if the coaching staffs follow a curriculum and how they progress together.

Sorry, but this is a bit absurd.

1. VDA starts at u13. Their feeder clubs are PWSI and VSA. They each have rec programs, which is what U8 and U6 essentially are.
2. FCV has a practically non-existent rec program. You should have gathered that when it was stated earlier that they have almost no youth player pool.
3. What is taught at U6 is not even close to U19 and to want to see both as a basis of curriculum follow through is borderline ridiculous.

Sorry for being harsh but this needs to be nipped in the bud.

So you think it's absurd because you don't understand my methods? I'd like to know how old your child is. My child will soon be entering one of these programs, and we will choose a club based on the curriculum and recruiting commitments. I used to be a student athlete (in a different sport), but I know I won't waste my time looking for victories like many families do. That, once again, is not my ultimate goal. And what do you mean by "nip it in the bud"? Any parent who has a child who participates in sports must be concerned about all age groups and how the curriculum translates at each level. That is how you can determine whether a program is worthwhile.