Achilles, Bethesda, PPA Premier?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I appreciate your diligence, and don't doubt the merits of positive reinforcement. In this specific case, as applied to Achilles though, your argument falls flat. One, it starts from a conclusion that Sal is abusive. Again, it's your opinion and shouldn't be anonymously levied against anyone dealing with kids, especially when you don't seem to have any actual experience. Two, it is objectively and demonstrably true that Sal is successful at player development. Since fall of 2022, 4 Achilles players in the 2009 (3l and 2010 (1) age groups have been invited to USYNT ID center events. All 4 have been at Achilles since they were little kids. Considering the much smaller pool with which he's working, this cannot be an accident. Looking at the same lists, my son's current, much larger, MLS Next club has had two. As noted in other threads, many other kids have gone from Achilles to DC United and at least two other MLS Academies. No matter your seemingly uninformed opinion about his style, you cannot honestly say he hasn't developed players. And for the love of God, I've gotten sucked into this again. I'm not the biggest Achilles booster but your illogical positions are infuriating.

You're being kinda ridiculous in trying to defend the indefensible.

People who have played for and against Sal and his brother knows first hand of the yelling, screaming, cursing, berating of players.
Consistently. Not one-off.

Who cares if a few players spent some time at his club and went somewhere better?
That happens everywhere even with horrible coaches.

The MLS Next teams records are there for all to see btw. So the F-bombs obviously doesn't translate to positive performance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I appreciate your diligence, and don't doubt the merits of positive reinforcement. In this specific case, as applied to Achilles though, your argument falls flat. One, it starts from a conclusion that Sal is abusive. Again, it's your opinion and shouldn't be anonymously levied against anyone dealing with kids, especially when you don't seem to have any actual experience. Two, it is objectively and demonstrably true that Sal is successful at player development. Since fall of 2022, 4 Achilles players in the 2009 (3l and 2010 (1) age groups have been invited to USYNT ID center events. All 4 have been at Achilles since they were little kids. Considering the much smaller pool with which he's working, this cannot be an accident. Looking at the same lists, my son's current, much larger, MLS Next club has had two. As noted in other threads, many other kids have gone from Achilles to DC United and at least two other MLS Academies. No matter your seemingly uninformed opinion about his style, you cannot honestly say he hasn't developed players. And for the love of God, I've gotten sucked into this again. I'm not the biggest Achilles booster but your illogical positions are infuriating.

You're being kinda ridiculous in trying to defend the indefensible.

People who have played for and against Sal and his brother knows first hand of the yelling, screaming, cursing, berating of players.
Consistently. Not one-off.

Who cares if a few players spent some time at his club and went somewhere better?
That happens everywhere even with horrible coaches.

The MLS Next teams records are there for all to see btw. So the F-bombs obviously doesn't translate to positive performance.

I think most people would disagree with you that team wins are more important than individual player development at U13 and U14, but go ahead and tell me how your son's coach is fielding competitive teams in the top league in the area. And tell me how a horrible coach could train kids from age to 6 to 13 and have 4 of them end up among the most elite players in the region, in addition to the ones you dismiss as moving on to better places (which just happens to be the highest level possible short of signing a pro contract). Then tell me that cursing is abuse. You're so tiring and your crusade is silly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I appreciate your diligence, and don't doubt the merits of positive reinforcement. In this specific case, as applied to Achilles though, your argument falls flat. One, it starts from a conclusion that Sal is abusive. Again, it's your opinion and shouldn't be anonymously levied against anyone dealing with kids, especially when you don't seem to have any actual experience. Two, it is objectively and demonstrably true that Sal is successful at player development. Since fall of 2022, 4 Achilles players in the 2009 (3l and 2010 (1) age groups have been invited to USYNT ID center events. All 4 have been at Achilles since they were little kids. Considering the much smaller pool with which he's working, this cannot be an accident. Looking at the same lists, my son's current, much larger, MLS Next club has had two. As noted in other threads, many other kids have gone from Achilles to DC United and at least two other MLS Academies. No matter your seemingly uninformed opinion about his style, you cannot honestly say he hasn't developed players. And for the love of God, I've gotten sucked into this again. I'm not the biggest Achilles booster but your illogical positions are infuriating.

You're being kinda ridiculous in trying to defend the indefensible.

People who have played for and against Sal and his brother knows first hand of the yelling, screaming, cursing, berating of players.
Consistently. Not one-off.

Who cares if a few players spent some time at his club and went somewhere better?
That happens everywhere even with horrible coaches.

The MLS Next teams records are there for all to see btw. So the F-bombs obviously doesn't translate to positive performance.

I think most people would disagree with you that team wins are more important than individual player development at U13 and U14, but go ahead and tell me how your son's coach is fielding competitive teams in the top league in the area. And tell me how a horrible coach could train kids from age to 6 to 13 and have 4 of them end up among the most elite players in the region, in addition to the ones you dismiss as moving on to better places (which just happens to be the highest level possible short of signing a pro contract). Then tell me that cursing is abuse. You're so tiring and your crusade is silly.

What about player tactical IQ education?
Achilles doesn't teach full field soccer, only middle 1/3 skills.
So it's basically a training center for Midfielders and learning dribbling.
All their teams lose lopsided games regularly. Can't score and can't stop teams from scoring.

Many clubs/coaches in this area send kids to higher levels. Some of them had a lot to do with the development, some not so much.

Without the MLS Next affiliation, that club would be gone in two years.
People put up with the toxic coaching environment because of the MLS Next label.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I appreciate your diligence, and don't doubt the merits of positive reinforcement. In this specific case, as applied to Achilles though, your argument falls flat. One, it starts from a conclusion that Sal is abusive. Again, it's your opinion and shouldn't be anonymously levied against anyone dealing with kids, especially when you don't seem to have any actual experience. Two, it is objectively and demonstrably true that Sal is successful at player development. Since fall of 2022, 4 Achilles players in the 2009 (3l and 2010 (1) age groups have been invited to USYNT ID center events. All 4 have been at Achilles since they were little kids. Considering the much smaller pool with which he's working, this cannot be an accident. Looking at the same lists, my son's current, much larger, MLS Next club has had two. As noted in other threads, many other kids have gone from Achilles to DC United and at least two other MLS Academies. No matter your seemingly uninformed opinion about his style, you cannot honestly say he hasn't developed players. And for the love of God, I've gotten sucked into this again. I'm not the biggest Achilles booster but your illogical positions are infuriating.

You're being kinda ridiculous in trying to defend the indefensible.

People who have played for and against Sal and his brother knows first hand of the yelling, screaming, cursing, berating of players.
Consistently. Not one-off.

Who cares if a few players spent some time at his club and went somewhere better?
That happens everywhere even with horrible coaches.

The MLS Next teams records are there for all to see btw. So the F-bombs obviously doesn't translate to positive performance.

I think most people would disagree with you that team wins are more important than individual player development at U13 and U14, but go ahead and tell me how your son's coach is fielding competitive teams in the top league in the area. And tell me how a horrible coach could train kids from age to 6 to 13 and have 4 of them end up among the most elite players in the region, in addition to the ones you dismiss as moving on to better places (which just happens to be the highest level possible short of signing a pro contract). Then tell me that cursing is abuse. You're so tiring and your crusade is silly.

What about player tactical IQ education?
Achilles doesn't teach full field soccer, only middle 1/3 skills.
So it's basically a training center for Midfielders and learning dribbling.
All their teams lose lopsided games regularly. Can't score and can't stop teams from scoring.

Many clubs/coaches in this area send kids to higher levels. Some of them had a lot to do with the development, some not so much.

Without the MLS Next affiliation, that club would be gone in two years.
People put up with the toxic coaching environment because of the MLS Next label.

There's some truth in this, for sure. I basically agree with the first part. Through age 13 or 14, though, I don't see a lot wrong with focusing on midfielder skill training. Tactical awareness won't do your son much good if they can't execute the skills needed to play. All 4 of the kids mentioned above that went to USYNT ID events are midfielders. The kids I know that went from Achilles to MLS Academies, played in the middle at Achilles, for the most part. Sal and Vin were midfielders. I don't think this is the detriment you seem to think it is. And it's dismissive to say it's "learning dribbling." That's a small part of midfield play and Achilles does NOT encourage unnecessary dribbling. It's much more a focus on playing quickly, making quick decisions, first touch, moving the ball, and movement off the ball. These skills translate well to all positions moving forward from this age.

But then you lose me. The part about many coaches sending kids to higher levels is just objectively untrue. There are not many coaches in the area that have trained multiple kids for as long as Sal has and had them go to USYNT ID centers. Of the four I mentioned, only one is what anybody would consider a dominant athlete. And Achilles routinely sends as many kids to MLS academies as much much larger clubs. You're obviously the same poster who in the other thread said that these kids moved on "in spite of" training at Achilles for a year or multiple years. It's an absurd take.

And whatever emotional pain is triggered for you by Achilles shows itself again. You just can't fathom that anyone would have their kids go there, because you're so traumatized, or whatever. Sorry that folks make different choices than you, but there's no need to speculate on how or why other parents make their decisions (e.g. because of the MLS Next label). I definitely had some issues with a lot of things at Achilles, but I wouldn't come on here and assume that anyone who decides to go there doesn't know what they're doing as a parent. Do you note any irony in your constant negative posts, accusations, and and assumptions while complaining about a "toxic environment"?

[Anonymous]

Not PPA. Not a true club, very coach dependent. One of the owners is awful, didn't have team warm up, favored a few kids, basically ignored the team because they didn't perform. Rec is a cash grab for them.