GFR or Herndon ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What leagues do 2010-2006 girls play in? ECNL RL for top team and NCSL for second team? DD looking for something closer to home

I'm sure you probably realize this but you've most missed tryouts at both clubs. Your best bet is probably to identify the coach of the specific team you're interested in and reach out to them directly to ask if they're still considering adding more players.

Coaching slates have been posted for both clubs:

GFR:
https://www.gfrsoccerclub.org/Default.aspx?tabid=1795658

Herndon:
https://herndonyouthsoccer.org/travel/2024-2025-Coaching-Slate

[Anonymous]

Don't go to Herndon if you have a girl. The TD/Board just fired the Girls Travel Director and most of the girls teams are following him to AC Milan for 2024-25.

This is the 2nd time HYS has lost their entire girls program in the past 5 years because the TD and the Board are ego-driven narcissists who only care about the boys side of the program.

[Anonymous]

🙄

[Anonymous]

He should be fired. Google his mugshot….

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't go to Herndon if you have a girl. The TD/Board just fired the Girls Travel Director and most of the girls teams are following him to AC Milan for 2024-25.

This is the 2nd time HYS has lost their entire girls program in the past 5 years because the TD and the Board are ego-driven narcissists who only care about the boys side of the program.

While it's true the TD was let go, the statement that all teams are following him to AC Milan is incorrect. Currently, AC Milan doesn't even have a girls' program.

For those interested in Herndon, I recommend contacting the specific team you're interested in and arranging a tryout.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Currently, AC Milan doesn't even have a girls' program.

This is false. The girls program has been started. They have coaches and they already have 5 age groups registered which have been populated by HYS teams that have left and followed the girls travel director and the other coaches who have left HYS.

HYS's version of growing their girls program is to hire someone, let them do all of the work to recruit and then fire them or make their life miserable until they quit if/when they have an opinion that is different from the TD.

[Anonymous]

Neither?

[Anonymous]

I see there are a few disgruntled, possibly ex-employees, on this thread.

As a parent of multiple kids (up to U17) who has been a part of other clubs in the area I will say we are happy at Herndon. My children also play Varsity in HS so i've become more famililar with other clubs in the area from meeting other families from various clubs. The issue with clubs like AC Milan is they're basically franchises. Look at what happened with Barca. They left their players high and dry and scrambling to get into another club. I foresee the same thing happening with AC Milan. They're just not sustainable. As far as the Herndon girl's TD goes, I believe they had to let him go because of his record. Parents googled him and found a mugshot from as recent as a few weeks ago. I personally don't feel comfortable with someone coaching my daughter (or son) who has a record. At the end of the day, the kids and families are a priority and I appreciate Herndon looking out for us. But, they have a new plan in place and are bringing in some amazing new people.

Loudoun Soccer also isn't it. They are run like a typical business model and don't care about your kids or their growth unless you okay for NVA. That's where all of my kids started out. I also know many families that left GFR because they were unhappy and again, no growth with their kids. A few of them actually ended up coming to Herndon and are happy as well. Happy to answer any other questions anyone may have.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I see there are a few disgruntled, possibly ex-employees, on this thread.

As a parent of multiple kids (up to U17) who has been a part of other clubs in the area I will say we are happy at Herndon. My children also play Varsity in HS so i've become more famililar with other clubs in the area from meeting other families from various clubs. The issue with clubs like AC Milan is they're basically franchises. Look at what happened with Barca. They left their players high and dry and scrambling to get into another club. I foresee the same thing happening with AC Milan. They're just not sustainable. As far as the Herndon girl's TD goes, I believe they had to let him go because of his record. Parents googled him and found a mugshot from as recent as a few weeks ago. I personally don't feel comfortable with someone coaching my daughter (or son) who has a record. At the end of the day, the kids and families are a priority and I appreciate Herndon looking out for us. But, they have a new plan in place and are bringing in some amazing new people.

Loudoun Soccer also isn't it. They are run like a typical business model and don't care about your kids or their growth unless you okay for NVA. That's where all of my kids started out. I also know many families that left GFR because they were unhappy and again, no growth with their kids. A few of them actually ended up coming to Herndon and are happy as well. Happy to answer any other questions anyone may have.

Actually AC Milan Academy isn't just a franchise like Bara or Villareal. Those clubs are European names on local clubs. AC Milan VA is actually a long-term strategic plan formulated by the parent company itself. It receives direction from HQ and has prioritized girls soccer. Certainly it received a boost from HYS's girls teams moving over but it was only a matter of time. From what i understand, HQ is sending over additional coaches to oversee the girls program. Worth taking a look.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I see there are a few disgruntled, possibly ex-employees, on this thread.

As a parent of multiple kids (up to U17) who has been a part of other clubs in the area I will say we are happy at Herndon. My children also play Varsity in HS so i've become more famililar with other clubs in the area from meeting other families from various clubs. The issue with clubs like AC Milan is they're basically franchises. Look at what happened with Barca. They left their players high and dry and scrambling to get into another club. I foresee the same thing happening with AC Milan. They're just not sustainable. As far as the Herndon girl's TD goes, I believe they had to let him go because of his record. Parents googled him and found a mugshot from as recent as a few weeks ago. I personally don't feel comfortable with someone coaching my daughter (or son) who has a record. At the end of the day, the kids and families are a priority and I appreciate Herndon looking out for us. But, they have a new plan in place and are bringing in some amazing new people.

Loudoun Soccer also isn't it. They are run like a typical business model and don't care about your kids or their growth unless you okay for NVA. That's where all of my kids started out. I also know many families that left GFR because they were unhappy and again, no growth with their kids. A few of them actually ended up coming to Herndon and are happy as well. Happy to answer any other questions anyone may have.

Actually AC Milan Academy isn't just a franchise like Bara or Villareal. Those clubs are European names on local clubs. AC Milan VA is actually a long-term strategic plan formulated by the parent company itself. It receives direction from HQ and has prioritized girls soccer. Certainly it received a boost from HYS's girls teams moving over but it was only a matter of time. From what i understand, HQ is sending over additional coaches to oversee the girls program. Worth taking a look.

This is exactly what they said about Barca.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: Currently, AC Milan doesn't even have a girls' program.

This is false. The girls program has been started. They have coaches and they already have 5 age groups registered which have been populated by HYS teams that have left and followed the girls travel director and the other coaches who have left HYS.

HYS's version of growing their girls program is to hire someone, let them do all of the work to recruit and then fire them or make their life miserable until they quit if/when they have an opinion that is different from the TD.

There couldn't possibly be a legitimate reason to fire him. Hi Haytham!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I see there are a few disgruntled, possibly ex-employees, on this thread.

As far as the Herndon girl's TD goes, I believe they had to let him go because of his record. Parents googled him and found a mugshot from as recent as a few weeks ago. I personally don't feel comfortable with someone coaching my daughter (or son) who has a record. At the end of the day, the kids and families are a priority and I appreciate Herndon looking out for us. But, they have a new plan in place and are bringing in some amazing new people.

I would buy this argument if it weren't true of coaches on the boys side as well who continue to be protected because they coach boys teams. There has been some pretty outrageous behavior from boys coaches that gets dismissed as "not a big deal" because they are buddies with the right people.

Herndon's plan will never prioritize girls as long as current leadership is in place. Never.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I see there are a few disgruntled, possibly ex-employees, on this thread.

As a parent of multiple kids (up to U17) who has been a part of other clubs in the area I will say we are happy at Herndon. My children also play Varsity in HS so i've become more famililar with other clubs in the area from meeting other families from various clubs. The issue with clubs like AC Milan is they're basically franchises. Look at what happened with Barca. They left their players high and dry and scrambling to get into another club. I foresee the same thing happening with AC Milan. They're just not sustainable. As far as the Herndon girl's TD goes, I believe they had to let him go because of his record. Parents googled him and found a mugshot from as recent as a few weeks ago. I personally don't feel comfortable with someone coaching my daughter (or son) who has a record. At the end of the day, the kids and families are a priority and I appreciate Herndon looking out for us. But, they have a new plan in place and are bringing in some amazing new people.

Loudoun Soccer also isn't it. They are run like a typical business model and don't care about your kids or their growth unless you okay for NVA. That's where all of my kids started out. I also know many families that left GFR because they were unhappy and again, no growth with their kids. A few of them actually ended up coming to Herndon and are happy as well. Happy to answer any other questions anyone may have.

Actually AC Milan Academy isn't just a franchise like Bara or Villareal. Those clubs are European names on local clubs. AC Milan VA is actually a long-term strategic plan formulated by the parent company itself. It receives direction from HQ and has prioritized girls soccer. Certainly it received a boost from HYS's girls teams moving over but it was only a matter of time. From what i understand, HQ is sending over additional coaches to oversee the girls program. Worth taking a look.

Why would anyone spend all that $$$ just to get Herndon's worst coaches.

[Anonymous]

Who's to day that AC Milan will keep said coaches beyond next year? they are bringing in an Italian girls coach later this summer who will influence who gets to coach what

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I see there are a few disgruntled, possibly ex-employees, on this thread.

As a parent of multiple kids (up to U17) who has been a part of other clubs in the area I will say we are happy at Herndon. My children also play Varsity in HS so i've become more famililar with other clubs in the area from meeting other families from various clubs. The issue with clubs like AC Milan is they're basically franchises. Look at what happened with Barca. They left their players high and dry and scrambling to get into another club. I foresee the same thing happening with AC Milan. They're just not sustainable. As far as the Herndon girl's TD goes, I believe they had to let him go because of his record. Parents googled him and found a mugshot from as recent as a few weeks ago. I personally don't feel comfortable with someone coaching my daughter (or son) who has a record. At the end of the day, the kids and families are a priority and I appreciate Herndon looking out for us. But, they have a new plan in place and are bringing in some amazing new people.

Loudoun Soccer also isn't it. They are run like a typical business model and don't care about your kids or their growth unless you okay for NVA. That's where all of my kids started out. I also know many families that left GFR because they were unhappy and again, no growth with their kids. A few of them actually ended up coming to Herndon and are happy as well. Happy to answer any other questions anyone may have.

Actually AC Milan Academy isn't just a franchise like Bara or Villareal. Those clubs are European names on local clubs. AC Milan VA is actually a long-term strategic plan formulated by the parent company itself. It receives direction from HQ and has prioritized girls soccer. Certainly it received a boost from HYS's girls teams moving over but it was only a matter of time. From what i understand, HQ is sending over additional coaches to oversee the girls program. Worth taking a look.

Why would anyone spend all that $$$ just to get Herndon's worst coaches.

Because Herndon jacked up their prices by almost $900/year for 2024-25 (including $200-$300 more in club fees than last year, a new $400 "team fee" required for every player, and a new uniform deal with Capelli that doubled the cost of a uniform kit).

AC Milan is actually now cheaper than Herndon - and you don't have to deal with all of their nonsense.